2318 Amendments of Stelios KOULOGLOU
Amendment 16 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2021 on the ruling of the ECJ of 16 July 2020 - Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland Limited, Maximilian Schrems - Case C- 311/18
Amendment 24 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a strong transatlantic cooperation based on the principle of a partnership of joint leadership and responsibility is necessary to weather the storm ofequality, autonomy and mutual respect is necessary to face the multiple crises on both sides of the Atlantic;
Amendment 25 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas US policies under the Trump administration have had a profound impact on the transatlantic relations, resulting in mistrust, widening differences on many economic, trade and political questions and resulting in the emergence of new areas of disagreement; whereas despite important steps of the Biden administration to correct these developments divergent interests and differences continue and will continue to persist;
Amendment 30 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the EU must proceed with the development of a fully-fledged strategic autonomy that clearly demarcates that the EU has its own interests and will not subordinate to third- state actors; Whereas the strategic autonomy of the EU is a only geopolitical measure that will make the EU a respected international player;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the interests and positions between those of the US and the EU do not necessarily coincide: whereas the EU and its Member States reject any attempts to obtain global supremacy, but advocate multilateralism;
Amendment 45 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas both the EU and the US must initiate and multiply its diplomatic efforts in order to to achieve a cease-fire to Russia’s war of agression in order to spare the lives of thousands of people; whereas the cease-fire is the first step in order to achieve peace;
Amendment 46 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas, while pursuing transatlantic cooperation in areas of shared interest, the EU should also foster its strategic sovereignty and where necessary autonomy in political, defence, economic and trade relations;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas EU-US transatlantic dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy must continue to address global challenges; whereas the EU and its Member States must abandon the role of junior partner in transatlantic relations and need to re- build the partnership on the basis of mutual respect of the specific interests of each partner;
Amendment 68 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas events of the last two decades, such as in particular the economic crisis, military interventions in the Middle East, the crisis of public health services and the failure to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in a call to replace the neoliberal agenda by a progressive agenda focussing on people;
Amendment 69 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. Whereas in an era of rising geopolitical tensions, skyrocking inequalities, climate change, diminishing faith in governments and institutions a paradigm shift in the transatlantic relations is needed focussing on addressing global social, economic and ecological problems, democratic deficit and political resolution of conflicts and tensions in a fast changing multipolar world;
Amendment 70 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 77 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) work towards fostering an even stronger, mutually beneficial partnership between the EU and the US - where the strategic autonomy of the EU must be respected and protected - in order to face the new and dangerous realities shaping our societies and communities;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Amendment 110 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) strengthen the transatlantic partnership in the fight for democracy, human rights, gender equality, rule of law, the rules-based international order and multilateralism;
Amendment 124 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) reinforce the accountability and resilience of our democratic systems in the run-up to the elections next year on both sides, as well as enhance transatlantic dialogue and cooperation on policies supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law and combating disinformation and foreign interference from un-democratic and /or authoritarian regimes;
Amendment 150 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) Reiterates its commitment to international cooperation within the UN as an indispensable forum for multilateral solutions for global challenges and for policy outreach, policy dialogue and consensus-building across the international community;
Amendment 152 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) strengthen bilateral cooperation between the EU and US in the context of international forums such as the G7 and G20, as well as at UN General Assembly level, in order to isolate Russia and foster cooperation with countries genuinely interested in promotinge multilateralism and defending the rules-based international order;
Amendment 178 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) assess the importance of the strong convergence of transatlantic positions towards China, building more and more on the ‘de-risking’ strategy while looking for ways to cooperate with China on some global challengeslooking for ways to cooperate with China on common global challenges such as climate change, rebuilding multilateralism and the upholding of human rights; ;
Amendment 186 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) reach out jointly to countries of the Global South and reinforce our capacity to work in partnership and our commitment to democratic values, human rights, gender equality and a rules-based international order and to working with the Global South on an attractive alternative path to digital development;
Amendment 205 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) explore ways to create synergies and possibilities of EU-US engagement with China in multilateral frameworks on common and global challenges, such as climate change, health-related risks, respect for human rights, cyberspace, arms control, non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and emerging disruptive technologies;
Amendment 223 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
Amendment 252 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) underline the need to continue the good bilateral engagements on our respective policies towards the Middle East Peace Process, guaranteeing a two-state solution in Palestine, as well as to continue to coordinate our efforts to encourage positive developments in the wider region;
Amendment 270 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
Amendment 276 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
Amendment 285 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 a (new)
underlines the link between nuclear disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, reminds the transatlantic partners that the consistency of the strategy concerning nuclear non- proliferation, disarmament of nuclear weapons and the complete dismantling of nuclear arms is key for their credibility; strongly encourages the US and EU Member States to ratify and implement the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; calls on the EU and the US to co-operate in facilitating the implementation and respect of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on nuclear disarmament and on effective measures for nuclear risk-reduction;
Amendment 287 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 b (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 b (new)
Stresses that climate change is one of the biggest security threat to the EU, USA and the world;
Amendment 288 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 c (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 c (new)
Calls on the transatlantic partners to put the arms control and disarmament high on the agenda on its and the international agenda; calls on the transatlantic partners to push for international negotiations on arms control agreements, in particular for nuclear disarmament and non- proliferation and including new military technologies, such as artificial intelligence, outer space weaponry,biotechnologies and hypersonic;
Amendment 289 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 d (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 d (new)
stresses the need to end the narrow interpretation of security as protection from third countries threats and to start the discussion from a concept which does not neglect factors such as environmental hazards, threat of diseases, hunger, social injustice, right wing disinformation and violence;
Amendment 290 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x
Paragraph 1 – point x
Amendment 299 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
Amendment 307 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z
Paragraph 1 – point z
Amendment 320 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point aa
Paragraph 1 – point aa
(aa) encouragediscuss further defence cooperation between the EU, its Member States and the US by putting in practice the Administrative Arrangement between the European Defence Agency and the United States Department of Defense, in view of its importance in the current geopolitical reality;
Amendment 335 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad
Paragraph 1 – point ad
(ad) jointly address the spread of Russian and Chinese information manipulation and interference, particularly in the context of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine and its impact on the Western Balkans, Africa and Latin America;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 3 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 4 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 4 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 6 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
– having regard to the Manifesto of Ventotene1a, _________________ 1a https://www.cvce.eu/content/publication/1 997/10/13/316aa96c-e7ff-4b9e-b43a- 958e96afbecc/publishable_en.pdf
Amendment 6 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
– having regard to the Manifesto of Ventotene1a, _________________ 1a https://www.cvce.eu/content/publication/1 997/10/13/316aa96c-e7ff-4b9e-b43a- 958e96afbecc/publishable_en.pdf
Amendment 9 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)
Citation 2 b (new)
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union ('the. Charter'),
Amendment 9 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)
Citation 2 b (new)
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union ('the. Charter'),
Amendment 10 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 c (new)
Citation 2 c (new)
– having regard to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR),
Amendment 10 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 c (new)
Citation 2 c (new)
– having regard to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR),
Amendment 11 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 d (new)
Citation 2 d (new)
– having regard to United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015 on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
Amendment 11 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 d (new)
Citation 2 d (new)
– having regard to United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015 on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
Amendment 12 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 e (new)
Citation 2 e (new)
– having regard to the report of 9 May 2022 on the final outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe2a, _________________ 2a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources /library/media/20220509RES29121/20220 509RES29121.pdf
Amendment 12 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 e (new)
Citation 2 e (new)
– having regard to the report of 9 May 2022 on the final outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe2a, _________________ 2a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources /library/media/20220509RES29121/20220 509RES29121.pdf
Amendment 23 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties (A9- 0337/2023),
Amendment 23 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties (A9- 0337/2023),
Amendment 24 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 b (new)
Citation 4 b (new)
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the implementation of the principle of primacy of EU law (A9-0341/2023),
Amendment 24 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 b (new)
Citation 4 b (new)
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the implementation of the principle of primacy of EU law (A9-0341/2023),
Amendment 25 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 23-24 June 2022, and 29-30 June 2023, 26-27 October 2023, and 14-15 December 2023,
Amendment 25 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 23-24 June 2022, and 29-30 June 2023, 26-27 October 2023, and 14-15 December 2023,
Amendment 37 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission’s 2022 Enlargement package of 12 October 2022,
Amendment 37 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission’s 2022 Enlargement package of 12 October 2022,
Amendment 40 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
– having regard to the Commission's 2023 Enlargement package of 8 November 2023,
Amendment 40 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
– having regard to the Commission's 2023 Enlargement package of 8 November 2023,
Amendment 42 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
– having regard to the Committee of the Regions' opinion of 5-6 July 2022 on the Commission's Enlargement Package 2022,
Amendment 42 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
– having regard to the Committee of the Regions' opinion of 5-6 July 2022 on the Commission's Enlargement Package 2022,
Amendment 45 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 d (new)
Citation 8 d (new)
– having regard to the President of the Committee of the Region's statement of 8 November 2023 on the Commission's 2023 Enlargement package,
Amendment 45 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 d (new)
Citation 8 d (new)
– having regard to the President of the Committee of the Region's statement of 8 November 2023 on the Commission's 2023 Enlargement package,
Amendment 46 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 e (new)
Citation 8 e (new)
– having regard to the Jacques Delors Centre's report of 19 September 2023 on Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century3a, _________________ 3a https://www.auswaertiges- amt.de/blob/2617206/4d0e0010ffcd8c0079 e21329bbbb3332/230919-rfaa-deu-fra- bericht-data.pdf
Amendment 46 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 e (new)
Citation 8 e (new)
– having regard to the Jacques Delors Centre's report of 19 September 2023 on Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century3a, _________________ 3a https://www.auswaertiges- amt.de/blob/2617206/4d0e0010ffcd8c0079 e21329bbbb3332/230919-rfaa-deu-fra- bericht-data.pdf
Amendment 47 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 f (new)
Citation 8 f (new)
– having regard to its amendments of 17 October 2023 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility (P9_TA(2023)0363),
Amendment 47 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 f (new)
Citation 8 f (new)
– having regard to its amendments of 17 October 2023 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility (P9_TA(2023)0363),
Amendment 48 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 g (new)
Citation 8 g (new)
– having regard to the Committee of the Regions' report of 2022 on Challenges and opportunities of LRAs’ involvement in the reconstruction of Ukraine,
Amendment 48 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 g (new)
Citation 8 g (new)
– having regard to the Committee of the Regions' report of 2022 on Challenges and opportunities of LRAs’ involvement in the reconstruction of Ukraine,
Amendment 49 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 h (new)
Citation 8 h (new)
– having regard to the Committee of the Regions' report of 2018 on EU financial assistance available to local and regional authorities in the candidate and potential candidate countries for EU enlargement,
Amendment 49 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 h (new)
Citation 8 h (new)
– having regard to the Committee of the Regions' report of 2018 on EU financial assistance available to local and regional authorities in the candidate and potential candidate countries for EU enlargement,
Amendment 50 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 i (new)
Citation 8 i (new)
– having regard to the Commission’s report of 9 February 2022 on cohesion in Europe towards 2050,
Amendment 50 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 i (new)
Citation 8 i (new)
– having regard to the Commission’s report of 9 February 2022 on cohesion in Europe towards 2050,
Amendment 51 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 j (new)
Citation 8 j (new)
– having regards to the #CohesionAlliance's joint declaration of October 2022 on the debate on the Future of Cohesion Policy5a, _________________ 5a https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/Documen ts/2022%20CohesionAlliance_Declaratio n.pdf
Amendment 51 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 j (new)
Citation 8 j (new)
– having regards to the #CohesionAlliance's joint declaration of October 2022 on the debate on the Future of Cohesion Policy5a, _________________ 5a https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/Documen ts/2022%20CohesionAlliance_Declaratio n.pdf
Amendment 52 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 k (new)
Citation 8 k (new)
– having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee's opinion of 10 July 2014 on enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the EU accession process (REX/401-EESC-2014- 1609),
Amendment 52 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 k (new)
Citation 8 k (new)
– having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee's opinion of 10 July 2014 on enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the EU accession process (REX/401-EESC-2014- 1609),
Amendment 53 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 l (new)
Citation 8 l (new)
– having regard to Directive (EU) 2022/2041 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on adequate minimum wages in the European Union,
Amendment 53 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 l (new)
Citation 8 l (new)
– having regard to Directive (EU) 2022/2041 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on adequate minimum wages in the European Union,
Amendment 54 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 m (new)
Citation 8 m (new)
– having regards to its amendments of 3 October 2023 on the proposal for a regulation establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market (P9_TA(2023)0336),
Amendment 54 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 m (new)
Citation 8 m (new)
– having regards to its amendments of 3 October 2023 on the proposal for a regulation establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market (P9_TA(2023)0336),
Amendment 68 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas eight out of the ten countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of them since many years ago; whereas those candidate countries find themselves at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas the countries of the Western Balkans have for decades stated their determination to join the EU; whereas candidate status has also recently been granted tothe Commission has recommended to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to grant candidate status to Georgia;
Amendment 68 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas eight out of the ten countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of them since many years ago; whereas those candidate countries find themselves at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas the countries of the Western Balkans have for decades stated their determination to join the EU; whereas candidate status has also recently been granted tothe Commission has recommended to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to grant candidate status to Georgia;
Amendment 82 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has given new geostrategic meaning to the enlargement of the European Union; whereas enlargement is a strategic geopolitical investment in the future, which can be mutually beneficial for both existing and future Member States if the proper conditions are meta direct impact on all aspects of the enlargement issue within the broader context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP); whereas enlargement should become a strategic investment in the future, which can be mutually beneficial for both existing and future Member States if the proper conditions are met; whereas enlargement should go hand in hand with the EU’s approach to addressing global challenges; whereas the enlarged internal market would have a deep impact on the economies of both old and new Member States, and has to support the urgent and necessary transformations of the latter; whereas this necessitates the integration of democratic, political, economic and societal changes;
Amendment 82 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has given new geostrategic meaning to the enlargement of the European Union; whereas enlargement is a strategic geopolitical investment in the future, which can be mutually beneficial for both existing and future Member States if the proper conditions are meta direct impact on all aspects of the enlargement issue within the broader context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP); whereas enlargement should become a strategic investment in the future, which can be mutually beneficial for both existing and future Member States if the proper conditions are met; whereas enlargement should go hand in hand with the EU’s approach to addressing global challenges; whereas the enlarged internal market would have a deep impact on the economies of both old and new Member States, and has to support the urgent and necessary transformations of the latter; whereas this necessitates the integration of democratic, political, economic and societal changes;
Amendment 93 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the enlargement process should not be directed against any specific country or group of countries and should not be seen as a component of a geopolitical struggle;
Amendment 93 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the enlargement process should not be directed against any specific country or group of countries and should not be seen as a component of a geopolitical struggle;
Amendment 95 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure whereby each applicant is assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, in particular those of ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas the 2023 Commission Communication on Enlargement Policy has underscored the enduring obstacles to accession in candidate countries, encompassing critical issues such as the continual improvement of the judicial and administrative capacity, the ongoing battle against corruption, the combat against organised crime, the imperative for ‘de- oligarchisation,’, and the safeguarding of minority rights; whereas positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, while avoiding fast-tracking or counterproductive fixed deadlines;
Amendment 95 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure whereby each applicant is assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, in particular those of ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas the 2023 Commission Communication on Enlargement Policy has underscored the enduring obstacles to accession in candidate countries, encompassing critical issues such as the continual improvement of the judicial and administrative capacity, the ongoing battle against corruption, the combat against organised crime, the imperative for ‘de- oligarchisation,’, and the safeguarding of minority rights; whereas positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, while avoiding fast-tracking or counterproductive fixed deadlines;
Amendment 97 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure whereby each applicant is assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, in particular those of ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas the EU accession requires complex reforms from the candidate states and needs to be based on fair and rigorous conditionality as well as the principle of own merits; whereas positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, while avoiding fast- tracking or counterproductive fixed deadlines;
Amendment 97 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure whereby each applicant is assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, in particular those of ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas the EU accession requires complex reforms from the candidate states and needs to be based on fair and rigorous conditionality as well as the principle of own merits; whereas positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, while avoiding fast- tracking or counterproductive fixed deadlines;
Amendment 108 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union should be fully implemented within the process of accession to the EU in order to safeguard and strengthen the fundamental rights and the material living standards of the accession country’s citizens;
Amendment 108 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union should be fully implemented within the process of accession to the EU in order to safeguard and strengthen the fundamental rights and the material living standards of the accession country’s citizens;
Amendment 119 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the parallel processes of widening and deepening the Union must go hand in hand;current infrastructure of the Union is not equipped to achieve deepening integration and widening by enlargement successfully
Amendment 119 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the parallel processes of widening and deepening the Union must go hand in hand;current infrastructure of the Union is not equipped to achieve deepening integration and widening by enlargement successfully
Amendment 142 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU should step up considerably its conditional technical and financial support for fundamental reforms, the resolution of bilateral disputes, the overcoming of economic inequality and regional economic integration in accession countries;
Amendment 142 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU should step up considerably its conditional technical and financial support for fundamental reforms, the resolution of bilateral disputes, the overcoming of economic inequality and regional economic integration in accession countries;
Amendment 152 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the reinforcement of the role of the European Parliament should be strengthen throughout the entire enlargement process;
Amendment 152 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the reinforcement of the role of the European Parliament should be strengthen throughout the entire enlargement process;
Amendment 155 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the plenary of the Conference on the Future of Europe has recommended to “offer a credible accession perspective for candidate and potential candidate countries to foster peace and stability in Europe and bring prosperity to millions of Europeans” and to consider “any necessary legal avenues, including Treaty changes (...) to punish breaches of the rule of law”; whereas several other recommendations of the Conference on the Future of Europe, including the call for qualified majority voting as the standard way of decision- making in the Council, require amendments to the Treaties; whereas the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have committed to following up effectively on the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 155 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the plenary of the Conference on the Future of Europe has recommended to “offer a credible accession perspective for candidate and potential candidate countries to foster peace and stability in Europe and bring prosperity to millions of Europeans” and to consider “any necessary legal avenues, including Treaty changes (...) to punish breaches of the rule of law”; whereas several other recommendations of the Conference on the Future of Europe, including the call for qualified majority voting as the standard way of decision- making in the Council, require amendments to the Treaties; whereas the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have committed to following up effectively on the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 157 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas addressing the aforementioned challenges requires significant changes in the EU’s institutional framework, including to decision-making procedures as well as in the area of social policy, including the anchoring of the European Social Pillar into the EU’s primary law; whereas in order to achieve this, the EU should make use of the ordinary treaty revision procedure and the implementation of a Convention in line with Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) while allowing representatives of candidate countries to participate in the Convention;
Amendment 157 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas addressing the aforementioned challenges requires significant changes in the EU’s institutional framework, including to decision-making procedures as well as in the area of social policy, including the anchoring of the European Social Pillar into the EU’s primary law; whereas in order to achieve this, the EU should make use of the ordinary treaty revision procedure and the implementation of a Convention in line with Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) while allowing representatives of candidate countries to participate in the Convention;
Amendment 177 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
Amendment 177 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
Amendment 194 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the effectiveness and uniformity of EU law can only be ensured if it takes precedence over diverging national law in areas where EU law is applicable; whereas the mechanism to ensure compliance with the EU’s fundamental principles and values and the acquis communautaire must also be strengthened in parallel with the next enlargement;
Amendment 194 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the effectiveness and uniformity of EU law can only be ensured if it takes precedence over diverging national law in areas where EU law is applicable; whereas the mechanism to ensure compliance with the EU’s fundamental principles and values and the acquis communautaire must also be strengthened in parallel with the next enlargement;
Amendment 201 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas enlargement is also a major challenge for EU’s financial sustainability, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; whereas the current and the next multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement; whereas this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes placee joint determination and establishment of the financial foundation should progress concurrently with the accession negotiations; whereas Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) stipulates that the Union shall equip itself with the necessary resources to achieve its objectives and implement its policies, and that, in accordance with the same article, the Union’s budget shall be fully financed from own resources, notwithstanding other revenue sources; whereas contributions based on Gross National Income (GNI) constitute only 75% of the Union’s budget, and therefore, the Union’s political strategies may be contingent on Member States’ budgetary decisions; whereas it is further noted that the Union’s budget is financed by genuine own resources, namely tariffs and value- added tax, despite Member States often regarding these funds as their national contributions to the Union’s budget; whereas European citizens have proposed strengthening the Union’s budget through new own resources at the Conference on the Future of Europe, as well as stated that Parliament should have a say in the Union’s budget, in line with the rights of national parliaments; whereas according to the Court of Justice, “exercise by the Parliament of its budgetary powers in plenary sitting constitutes a fundamental event in the democratic life of the European Union”;
Amendment 201 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas enlargement is also a major challenge for EU’s financial sustainability, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; whereas the current and the next multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement; whereas this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes placee joint determination and establishment of the financial foundation should progress concurrently with the accession negotiations; whereas Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) stipulates that the Union shall equip itself with the necessary resources to achieve its objectives and implement its policies, and that, in accordance with the same article, the Union’s budget shall be fully financed from own resources, notwithstanding other revenue sources; whereas contributions based on Gross National Income (GNI) constitute only 75% of the Union’s budget, and therefore, the Union’s political strategies may be contingent on Member States’ budgetary decisions; whereas it is further noted that the Union’s budget is financed by genuine own resources, namely tariffs and value- added tax, despite Member States often regarding these funds as their national contributions to the Union’s budget; whereas European citizens have proposed strengthening the Union’s budget through new own resources at the Conference on the Future of Europe, as well as stated that Parliament should have a say in the Union’s budget, in line with the rights of national parliaments; whereas according to the Court of Justice, “exercise by the Parliament of its budgetary powers in plenary sitting constitutes a fundamental event in the democratic life of the European Union”;
Amendment 213 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas in recent years, structural adjustment programs imposed on states have entailed measures such as wage cuts, reductions in social spending, the cessation of gas subsidies, restrictions on trade unions’ ability to represent their members, the ending of moratoriums on land sales, and the creation of land markets, leading to a concentration of land in the hands of economic private stakeholders, with diverse impacts on the citizens of the respective countries; whereas a recurring trend involves large landholders securing substantial financing from Western financial institutions, juxtaposed with minimal support extended to smallholder farmers;
Amendment 213 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas in recent years, structural adjustment programs imposed on states have entailed measures such as wage cuts, reductions in social spending, the cessation of gas subsidies, restrictions on trade unions’ ability to represent their members, the ending of moratoriums on land sales, and the creation of land markets, leading to a concentration of land in the hands of economic private stakeholders, with diverse impacts on the citizens of the respective countries; whereas a recurring trend involves large landholders securing substantial financing from Western financial institutions, juxtaposed with minimal support extended to smallholder farmers;
Amendment 218 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
K b. whereas a notable portion of the world’s ‘black earth’ is concentrated within specific candidate countries; whereas historically, specific candidate countries have been major global producers of commodities such as sunflower meal, oil, and seed, while also serving as significant exporters of corn and wheat; whereas enlargement without due consideration of agricultural implications may challenge the competitiveness and functioning of the CAP, and jeopardise the wellbeing and prosperity of small-scale and traditional farmers in old Member States, particularly given the significant agricultural production and export potential wielded by certain candidate countries; whereas this requires a thorough reassessment and restructuring of the EU’s agricultural policy and the CAP to advance food sovereignty, agroecology, and small-scale sustainable farming;
Amendment 218 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
K b. whereas a notable portion of the world’s ‘black earth’ is concentrated within specific candidate countries; whereas historically, specific candidate countries have been major global producers of commodities such as sunflower meal, oil, and seed, while also serving as significant exporters of corn and wheat; whereas enlargement without due consideration of agricultural implications may challenge the competitiveness and functioning of the CAP, and jeopardise the wellbeing and prosperity of small-scale and traditional farmers in old Member States, particularly given the significant agricultural production and export potential wielded by certain candidate countries; whereas this requires a thorough reassessment and restructuring of the EU’s agricultural policy and the CAP to advance food sovereignty, agroecology, and small-scale sustainable farming;
Amendment 219 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K c (new)
Recital K c (new)
K c. whereas there exists a considerable concentration of land under the control of oligarchs and large agribusinesses, exceeding a substantial percentage of arable land, in many candidate countries; whereas the economic stability and long-term sovereignty of these nations are intricately linked to preventing the potential takeover of agricultural land by multinational enterprises (MNEs) and investment entities; whereas the heightened involvement of investment companies opens the door for speculation on agricultural goods, leading to increased market volatility, distorted pricing mechanisms, and a potential disconnect between market values and the actual agricultural production and demand; whereas such conditions pose risks of destabilising local and global food markets, threatening food security, and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations who may face higher prices and reduced access to essential food items; whereas the preservation of these crucial assets is imperative for the collective benefit of the people in these candidate countries; whereas calls from civil society, academics, and farmers have advocated for the reevaluation of land- related legislation and transactions, aiming for an agricultural model devoid of oligarchic or foreign influence and corruption;
Amendment 219 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K c (new)
Recital K c (new)
K c. whereas there exists a considerable concentration of land under the control of oligarchs and large agribusinesses, exceeding a substantial percentage of arable land, in many candidate countries; whereas the economic stability and long-term sovereignty of these nations are intricately linked to preventing the potential takeover of agricultural land by multinational enterprises (MNEs) and investment entities; whereas the heightened involvement of investment companies opens the door for speculation on agricultural goods, leading to increased market volatility, distorted pricing mechanisms, and a potential disconnect between market values and the actual agricultural production and demand; whereas such conditions pose risks of destabilising local and global food markets, threatening food security, and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations who may face higher prices and reduced access to essential food items; whereas the preservation of these crucial assets is imperative for the collective benefit of the people in these candidate countries; whereas calls from civil society, academics, and farmers have advocated for the reevaluation of land- related legislation and transactions, aiming for an agricultural model devoid of oligarchic or foreign influence and corruption;
Amendment 220 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K d (new)
Recital K d (new)
K d. whereas the escalating debt burden faced by specific candidate countries presents a substantial challenge, already exploited by financial institutions to propel additional privatisation and liberalisation in various sectors, including agriculture; whereas the Commission and candidate countries should exercise due consideration to the debt issue, given its implications for the incorporation of the acquis communautaire, debt relief, and the new Member States’ integration into the EU Single Market, and prevent any potential debt-trap scenarios;
Amendment 220 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K d (new)
Recital K d (new)
K d. whereas the escalating debt burden faced by specific candidate countries presents a substantial challenge, already exploited by financial institutions to propel additional privatisation and liberalisation in various sectors, including agriculture; whereas the Commission and candidate countries should exercise due consideration to the debt issue, given its implications for the incorporation of the acquis communautaire, debt relief, and the new Member States’ integration into the EU Single Market, and prevent any potential debt-trap scenarios;
Amendment 221 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K e (new)
Recital K e (new)
K e. whereas the burden of additional costs from the enlargement process should not fall upon the shoulders of Europe’s most vulnerable individuals and communities, which therefore requires that the financial or economic implications of enlargement are distributed fairly and equitably, preventing the exacerbation of existing disparities and further marginalisation of those who are already facing hardships;
Amendment 221 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K e (new)
Recital K e (new)
K e. whereas the burden of additional costs from the enlargement process should not fall upon the shoulders of Europe’s most vulnerable individuals and communities, which therefore requires that the financial or economic implications of enlargement are distributed fairly and equitably, preventing the exacerbation of existing disparities and further marginalisation of those who are already facing hardships;
Amendment 222 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K f (new)
Recital K f (new)
K f. whereas regional and local administrations as well as civil society organisations and experts should play an important role by fully participating in the design and scrutiny of the enlargement process; whereas peer-to-peer cooperation and programmes embedded in partnerships between cities and regions in the Union and those in candidate countries have already achieved tangible results and thus provide a basis to enrich and accelerate the enlargement process; whereas the Union should recognise and support the multiple roles played by the local and regional authorities and civil society actors as promoters of a territorial and inclusive approach to local and regional development, including decentralisation processes, participation and accountability, which should be developed with the introduction of a public legal entity for municipalities, and further enhance its support for local and regional authorities’ capacity building, as well as the provision of expertise necessary for the implementation of projects related to the enlargement;
Amendment 222 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K f (new)
Recital K f (new)
K f. whereas regional and local administrations as well as civil society organisations and experts should play an important role by fully participating in the design and scrutiny of the enlargement process; whereas peer-to-peer cooperation and programmes embedded in partnerships between cities and regions in the Union and those in candidate countries have already achieved tangible results and thus provide a basis to enrich and accelerate the enlargement process; whereas the Union should recognise and support the multiple roles played by the local and regional authorities and civil society actors as promoters of a territorial and inclusive approach to local and regional development, including decentralisation processes, participation and accountability, which should be developed with the introduction of a public legal entity for municipalities, and further enhance its support for local and regional authorities’ capacity building, as well as the provision of expertise necessary for the implementation of projects related to the enlargement;
Amendment 223 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K g (new)
Recital K g (new)
K g. whereas enlargement should be based on sustainable development, and achieved through the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at local and regional levels; whereas enlargement should not contribute to environmental degradation or cause harm to the environment or climate, in accordance with the Paris Agreement and other relevant multilateral agreements; whereas enlargement should be coherent with the objectives to limit the temperature increase to 1,5°C, increase the ability of Member States to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and foster climate resilience, and support biodiversity conservation, circular economy and zero-pollution; whereas particular attention should be given to actions that create cobenefits and meet multiple objectives, including for climate, biodiversity and the environment;
Amendment 223 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K g (new)
Recital K g (new)
K g. whereas enlargement should be based on sustainable development, and achieved through the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at local and regional levels; whereas enlargement should not contribute to environmental degradation or cause harm to the environment or climate, in accordance with the Paris Agreement and other relevant multilateral agreements; whereas enlargement should be coherent with the objectives to limit the temperature increase to 1,5°C, increase the ability of Member States to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and foster climate resilience, and support biodiversity conservation, circular economy and zero-pollution; whereas particular attention should be given to actions that create cobenefits and meet multiple objectives, including for climate, biodiversity and the environment;
Amendment 224 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K h (new)
Recital K h (new)
K h. whereas the enlargement process should safeguard and strengthen the right to freedom of expression and information, as well as media freedom and pluralism, as enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’) and Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in the candidate countries;
Amendment 224 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K h (new)
Recital K h (new)
K h. whereas the enlargement process should safeguard and strengthen the right to freedom of expression and information, as well as media freedom and pluralism, as enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’) and Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in the candidate countries;
Amendment 231 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the interest and the political will to join the EU shown by so many countries, and acknowledges the serious efforts made by candidate countries to meet the requirements for membership; highlights that the rule of law, democratic reform and respecting human rights should be put at the forefront of the accession process, alongside improved monitoring, reporting and assessment;
Amendment 231 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the interest and the political will to join the EU shown by so many countries, and acknowledges the serious efforts made by candidate countries to meet the requirements for membership; highlights that the rule of law, democratic reform and respecting human rights should be put at the forefront of the accession process, alongside improved monitoring, reporting and assessment;
Amendment 241 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. supports that the integration process should be multidimensional therefore observed in all the sectors of the candidate countries; supports that preventing foreign interference in political, economic and social sectors is of utmost importance
Amendment 241 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. supports that the integration process should be multidimensional therefore observed in all the sectors of the candidate countries; supports that preventing foreign interference in political, economic and social sectors is of utmost importance
Amendment 254 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that enlargement is of the utmost strategic importance for the EU, and all the more so in the face of Russia’s war of aggress so it must follow a long-term and well- structured sustainable plan that will not respond to or be influenced by topical and temporary political correlations against Ukraine; stresses that an enhanced enlargement policy has become the strongest geopolitical tool at the EU’s disposalnd imbalances, but will serve the interests of the Union and the prosperity of its citizens through targeted policies; points out that enlargement is a strategic investment in peace, security and prosperity, as well as a driverguide for democracy and European values on the continent;, tackling of climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
Amendment 254 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that enlargement is of the utmost strategic importance for the EU, and all the more so in the face of Russia’s war of aggress so it must follow a long-term and well- structured sustainable plan that will not respond to or be influenced by topical and temporary political correlations against Ukraine; stresses that an enhanced enlargement policy has become the strongest geopolitical tool at the EU’s disposalnd imbalances, but will serve the interests of the Union and the prosperity of its citizens through targeted policies; points out that enlargement is a strategic investment in peace, security and prosperity, as well as a driverguide for democracy and European values on the continent;, tackling of climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
Amendment 257 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that enlargement is of the utmost strategic importance for the EU, and all the more so in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; stresses that an enhanced enlargement policy has become the strongest geopolitical tool at the EU’s disposal; points out that enlargement is a strategic investment inits citizens, points out that enlargement should contribute to the promotion and realisation of peace, security, and prosperity, as well as a driver fordisarmament, wellbeing and prosperity, democracy and European values on the continent as well as the tackling of climate change and the protection of biodiversity;
Amendment 257 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that enlargement is of the utmost strategic importance for the EU, and all the more so in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; stresses that an enhanced enlargement policy has become the strongest geopolitical tool at the EU’s disposal; points out that enlargement is a strategic investment inits citizens, points out that enlargement should contribute to the promotion and realisation of peace, security, and prosperity, as well as a driver fordisarmament, wellbeing and prosperity, democracy and European values on the continent as well as the tackling of climate change and the protection of biodiversity;
Amendment 261 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Emphasises that the foundation for EU enlargement rests on the widespread anticipation of embedding democratic principles in the political, economic, and social fabric of accession countries, necessitating a comprehensive discussion on all facets of prospective membership throughout the negotiation process; consequently calls for the inclusive provision of information and citizen participation at every stage and in all final decisions; further demands that the outcomes of the negotiations be subjected to a referendum in each relevant candidate country; therefore, calls on the Commission to develop an inclusive multilingual digital platform that creates transparency by outlining the accession steps and current progress, and allows all citizens and stakeholders to actively observe and engage in discussions on the ongoing accession process;
Amendment 261 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Emphasises that the foundation for EU enlargement rests on the widespread anticipation of embedding democratic principles in the political, economic, and social fabric of accession countries, necessitating a comprehensive discussion on all facets of prospective membership throughout the negotiation process; consequently calls for the inclusive provision of information and citizen participation at every stage and in all final decisions; further demands that the outcomes of the negotiations be subjected to a referendum in each relevant candidate country; therefore, calls on the Commission to develop an inclusive multilingual digital platform that creates transparency by outlining the accession steps and current progress, and allows all citizens and stakeholders to actively observe and engage in discussions on the ongoing accession process;
Amendment 274 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges the historic challenge facing the EU of meeting its commitments to the countries and societies in the Western Balkans and to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia; underlines that starting accession negotiations and granting candidate status is accompanied by great expectations among the respective candidate countries' citizens that should be responded to during the accession negotiations;
Amendment 274 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges the historic challenge facing the EU of meeting its commitments to the countries and societies in the Western Balkans and to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia; underlines that starting accession negotiations and granting candidate status is accompanied by great expectations among the respective candidate countries' citizens that should be responded to during the accession negotiations;
Amendment 292 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria without overriding them under certain political narratives or overlooking delays or gaps in the implementation of the necessary reforms and in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; stresses that while positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, there should be no fast-track or fixed deadlines for membership; underscores that there can be no short-cuts on fundamental values; points out that alignment with the common foreign and security policy is also a way of showing full adherence to the EU’s fundamental principles and an important indicator for sustainable future membership;
Amendment 292 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria without overriding them under certain political narratives or overlooking delays or gaps in the implementation of the necessary reforms and in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; stresses that while positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, there should be no fast-track or fixed deadlines for membership; underscores that there can be no short-cuts on fundamental values; points out that alignment with the common foreign and security policy is also a way of showing full adherence to the EU’s fundamental principles and an important indicator for sustainable future membership;
Amendment 294 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria and in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; stresses that while positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, there should be no fast-track or fixed deadlines for membership; underscores that there can be no short-cuts on fundamental values; points out that alignment with the common foreign and security policy is also a way of showing full adherence to the EU’s fundamental principles and, which are an important indicator for sustainable future membership;
Amendment 294 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria and in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; stresses that while positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, there should be no fast-track or fixed deadlines for membership; underscores that there can be no short-cuts on fundamental values; points out that alignment with the common foreign and security policy is also a way of showing full adherence to the EU’s fundamental principles and, which are an important indicator for sustainable future membership;
Amendment 329 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for stronger, effective and meaningful parliamentary oversight of the EU’s enlargement policy; insists on strengthening the essential role of Parliament throughout the entire accession process, including allowing it to scrutinise fully the progress made by the candidate countries across policy fields ,using all possible means at its disposal, fulfilling its competence as derived from the Treaties and its democratic legitimacy; underlines that regular dialogue and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of candidate countries should be encouraged and executed in a transparent manner;
Amendment 329 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for stronger, effective and meaningful parliamentary oversight of the EU’s enlargement policy; insists on strengthening the essential role of Parliament throughout the entire accession process, including allowing it to scrutinise fully the progress made by the candidate countries across policy fields ,using all possible means at its disposal, fulfilling its competence as derived from the Treaties and its democratic legitimacy; underlines that regular dialogue and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of candidate countries should be encouraged and executed in a transparent manner;
Amendment 330 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for stronger and responsible parliamentary oversight of the EU’s enlargement policy through the European Parliament as well as the Member States' and in particular the respective candidates countries' national parliaments; insists on strengthening the role of Parliament throughout the entire accession process, including allowing it to scrutinise fully the progress made by the candidate countries across policy fields; underlines that regular dialogue and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of candidate countries should be encouraged and implemented in a transparent manner;
Amendment 330 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for stronger and responsible parliamentary oversight of the EU’s enlargement policy through the European Parliament as well as the Member States' and in particular the respective candidates countries' national parliaments; insists on strengthening the role of Parliament throughout the entire accession process, including allowing it to scrutinise fully the progress made by the candidate countries across policy fields; underlines that regular dialogue and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of candidate countries should be encouraged and implemented in a transparent manner;
Amendment 355 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that European institutional and financial reforms to promote good governance, functionality, democratic accountability and sustainability are needed to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration; calls for a stronger role for national parliaments and the European Parliament in the EU’s economic governance framework and highlights the importance of holding Economic Dialogues with Member States’ governments; underlines the need for the European Central Bank to be able to react flexibly to support Member States and the Union in times of crisis and in the social and ecological transition; calls for the removal of the prohibitions in Article 123 TFEU in order to extend the ECB’s mandate to act as a lender of last resort for public finances and to fulfil its stabilisation function;
Amendment 355 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that European institutional and financial reforms to promote good governance, functionality, democratic accountability and sustainability are needed to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration; calls for a stronger role for national parliaments and the European Parliament in the EU’s economic governance framework and highlights the importance of holding Economic Dialogues with Member States’ governments; underlines the need for the European Central Bank to be able to react flexibly to support Member States and the Union in times of crisis and in the social and ecological transition; calls for the removal of the prohibitions in Article 123 TFEU in order to extend the ECB’s mandate to act as a lender of last resort for public finances and to fulfil its stabilisation function;
Amendment 360 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls for a timely and precise revision of the cohesion policies; stresses that the ongoing debate on cohesion policy post-2027 needs to already take into account the potential impact of enlargement and the interests of structurally poor regions in the candidate countries; points out the necessity to increase the EU’s financial support towards regions with carbon intensive industries in order to implement a just transition towards a ‘net-zero emissions’ economy and the role that candidate countries will play for the EU to reach this goal;
Amendment 360 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls for a timely and precise revision of the cohesion policies; stresses that the ongoing debate on cohesion policy post-2027 needs to already take into account the potential impact of enlargement and the interests of structurally poor regions in the candidate countries; points out the necessity to increase the EU’s financial support towards regions with carbon intensive industries in order to implement a just transition towards a ‘net-zero emissions’ economy and the role that candidate countries will play for the EU to reach this goal;
Amendment 368 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that European institutional reforms must include simplified decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity and replacing it with qualified majority voting provisions in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, sanctions and relevant foreign policy decisions;deleted 6a _________________ 6a (Parts of the paragraph's content have been merged into our new version of paragraph 14.)
Amendment 368 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that European institutional reforms must include simplified decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity and replacing it with qualified majority voting provisions in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, sanctions and relevant foreign policy decisions;deleted 6a _________________ 6a (Parts of the paragraph's content have been merged into our new version of paragraph 14.)
Amendment 383 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the mechanism to protect the rule of law and the EU’s fundamental principles and values, and the monitoring capacity to ensure compliance, to be strengthened ahead of the next enlargement; proposes to strengthen and reform the procedure in Article 7 TEU with regard to the protection of the rule of law by ending unanimity, introducing a clear timeframe, and by making the Court of Justice the arbiter of violations;
Amendment 383 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the mechanism to protect the rule of law and the EU’s fundamental principles and values, and the monitoring capacity to ensure compliance, to be strengthened ahead of the next enlargement; proposes to strengthen and reform the procedure in Article 7 TEU with regard to the protection of the rule of law by ending unanimity, introducing a clear timeframe, and by making the Court of Justice the arbiter of violations;
Amendment 447 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that enlargement is a major financial challenge for the EU, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; point out that this challenge cannot be met without a larger EU budget and sufficient own resources; notes that this adds to growing demands on EU funding in the fields of financial stability, health, energy, decarbonisation, digital, research and defence and security;, social equity, and environmental justice underlines that such financial reforms must be discussed in parallel with the ongoing accession negotiations and adopted before enlargement takes place; defends its position that the current and future multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement, and that this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes place; points out that current taxation rules allow MNEs and superrich individuals to avoid paying their fair share and that the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive of 2016 has proven ineffective to curb illegal tax avoidance; insists on the need for a common offensive against tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax havens; calls for bold approaches, including excess profit taxes, a financial transaction tax as well as a European wealth tax to contribute to the bridging of the EU’s funding gap;
Amendment 447 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that enlargement is a major financial challenge for the EU, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; point out that this challenge cannot be met without a larger EU budget and sufficient own resources; notes that this adds to growing demands on EU funding in the fields of financial stability, health, energy, decarbonisation, digital, research and defence and security;, social equity, and environmental justice underlines that such financial reforms must be discussed in parallel with the ongoing accession negotiations and adopted before enlargement takes place; defends its position that the current and future multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement, and that this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes place; points out that current taxation rules allow MNEs and superrich individuals to avoid paying their fair share and that the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive of 2016 has proven ineffective to curb illegal tax avoidance; insists on the need for a common offensive against tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax havens; calls for bold approaches, including excess profit taxes, a financial transaction tax as well as a European wealth tax to contribute to the bridging of the EU’s funding gap;
Amendment 456 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Underlines that new genuine own resources (also known as ‘fresh income’) are urgently needed in order to make the Union budget more resilient and autonomous so as to allow the Union to deliver on its policies and to ensure its standing as a credible and smart debt issuer with increased flexibility and as a truly sovereign entity, also in the framework of an enlarged Union;
Amendment 456 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Underlines that new genuine own resources (also known as ‘fresh income’) are urgently needed in order to make the Union budget more resilient and autonomous so as to allow the Union to deliver on its policies and to ensure its standing as a credible and smart debt issuer with increased flexibility and as a truly sovereign entity, also in the framework of an enlarged Union;
Amendment 459 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Stresses that enlargement of the EU holds immense potential for both current and future Member States, but that it is equally vital that this process does not inadvertently harm the very citizens the EU aims to uplift; emphasises the imperative to enhance the EU’s capacity to contribute effectively to overcoming inequalities; therefore, calls on the Commission to conduct a timely and precise review of cohesion policies in the new Member States, recognising that this may entail a profound transformation in the dynamics of net receivers and contributors;
Amendment 459 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Stresses that enlargement of the EU holds immense potential for both current and future Member States, but that it is equally vital that this process does not inadvertently harm the very citizens the EU aims to uplift; emphasises the imperative to enhance the EU’s capacity to contribute effectively to overcoming inequalities; therefore, calls on the Commission to conduct a timely and precise review of cohesion policies in the new Member States, recognising that this may entail a profound transformation in the dynamics of net receivers and contributors;
Amendment 461 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16 d. Underlines the need to address cross-border wage dumping, which undermines fair competition and the well- being of workers and results in lower wages, reduced job security, and precarious working conditions; insists on the need for effective measures, including the enforcement of fair labour practices, ensuring compliance with the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, and adherence to the laws the Member States in which companies operate, with regard to employee compensation; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to provide support and opportunities for individuals and communities who may face challenges during this transition, which may include targeted social and economic development programs, training initiatives, and investments in infrastructure that benefit marginalised regions;
Amendment 461 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16 d. Underlines the need to address cross-border wage dumping, which undermines fair competition and the well- being of workers and results in lower wages, reduced job security, and precarious working conditions; insists on the need for effective measures, including the enforcement of fair labour practices, ensuring compliance with the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, and adherence to the laws the Member States in which companies operate, with regard to employee compensation; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to provide support and opportunities for individuals and communities who may face challenges during this transition, which may include targeted social and economic development programs, training initiatives, and investments in infrastructure that benefit marginalised regions;
Amendment 463 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16 f. Underlines the need to address the potential environmental challenges arising from enlargement, recognising that it may lead to ecological degradation, increased carbon emissions, and a strain on natural resources, endangering the well-being of both citizens and the planet; insists on the need to take effective measures to integrate robust environmental considerations into the enlargement process, which includes enforcing and reinforcing environmental protection standards, sustainable development practices, and compliance with international environmental agreements within all Member States; stresses that the enlargement shall not exacerbate existing disparities and environmental inequalities, recognising that marginalised regions are often more susceptible to the adverse effects of ecological degradation, including biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, air and water pollution, and soil erosion; stresses the need for adequate capacity building to allow regulatory agencies to enforce and implement EU environmental regulations effectively and thereby prevent regulatory gaps; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to provide support and opportunities for individuals and communities who may face environmental challenges during this transition, such as targeted green economic development programs, educational initiatives for sustainable practices, and investments in eco-friendly infrastructure that benefit both citizens and the environment;
Amendment 463 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16 f. Underlines the need to address the potential environmental challenges arising from enlargement, recognising that it may lead to ecological degradation, increased carbon emissions, and a strain on natural resources, endangering the well-being of both citizens and the planet; insists on the need to take effective measures to integrate robust environmental considerations into the enlargement process, which includes enforcing and reinforcing environmental protection standards, sustainable development practices, and compliance with international environmental agreements within all Member States; stresses that the enlargement shall not exacerbate existing disparities and environmental inequalities, recognising that marginalised regions are often more susceptible to the adverse effects of ecological degradation, including biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, air and water pollution, and soil erosion; stresses the need for adequate capacity building to allow regulatory agencies to enforce and implement EU environmental regulations effectively and thereby prevent regulatory gaps; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to provide support and opportunities for individuals and communities who may face environmental challenges during this transition, such as targeted green economic development programs, educational initiatives for sustainable practices, and investments in eco-friendly infrastructure that benefit both citizens and the environment;
Amendment 464 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 g (new)
Paragraph 16 g (new)
16 g. Stresses that the enlargement process shall not inadvertently perpetuate or exacerbate gender disparities, recognising the importance of addressing gender equality issues as a fundamental component of a just and equitable enlargement; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to incorporate measures that promote and ensure gender equality within the enlargement process, which may include advocating for policies that eliminate gender-based discrimination, increasing women’s participation in decision-making processes, and advancing gender balance in the political, economic, and social spheres; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to actively monitor and assess progress toward gender equality in the newly-enlarged regions, as well as to take effective measures to combat gender-based violence, close gender pay gaps, and promote work-life balance and equal opportunities for all;
Amendment 464 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 g (new)
Paragraph 16 g (new)
16 g. Stresses that the enlargement process shall not inadvertently perpetuate or exacerbate gender disparities, recognising the importance of addressing gender equality issues as a fundamental component of a just and equitable enlargement; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to incorporate measures that promote and ensure gender equality within the enlargement process, which may include advocating for policies that eliminate gender-based discrimination, increasing women’s participation in decision-making processes, and advancing gender balance in the political, economic, and social spheres; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to actively monitor and assess progress toward gender equality in the newly-enlarged regions, as well as to take effective measures to combat gender-based violence, close gender pay gaps, and promote work-life balance and equal opportunities for all;
Amendment 466 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 i (new)
Paragraph 16 i (new)
16 i. Insists that the enlargement process does not inadvertently leave behind or neglect the younger generation, recognising the importance of investing in youth and education as a cornerstone of a just and prosperous enlargement; underlines the need to prioritise youth development and education within the enlargement process, which includes advocating for initiatives that support access to quality education, vocational training, and life-long learning opportunities for all, ensuring that the younger generation is equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving world; therefore, calls on the Commission to increase the scope and resources allocated to youth- centred EU initiatives such as Erasmus+, EURES, #SHEU LEADS, or the European Solidarity Corps; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to further establishing programs that foster youth participation in decision-making processes, such as the EU Youth Dialogue, engaging them in community development, and encouraging their active involvement in shaping the future of both new and old Member States;
Amendment 466 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 i (new)
Paragraph 16 i (new)
16 i. Insists that the enlargement process does not inadvertently leave behind or neglect the younger generation, recognising the importance of investing in youth and education as a cornerstone of a just and prosperous enlargement; underlines the need to prioritise youth development and education within the enlargement process, which includes advocating for initiatives that support access to quality education, vocational training, and life-long learning opportunities for all, ensuring that the younger generation is equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving world; therefore, calls on the Commission to increase the scope and resources allocated to youth- centred EU initiatives such as Erasmus+, EURES, #SHEU LEADS, or the European Solidarity Corps; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to further establishing programs that foster youth participation in decision-making processes, such as the EU Youth Dialogue, engaging them in community development, and encouraging their active involvement in shaping the future of both new and old Member States;
Amendment 467 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 j (new)
Paragraph 16 j (new)
16 j. Urges the vigorous promotion and defence of the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information, as enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter, in all candidate countries, emphasises the imperative to actively support and defend media freedom and pluralism, free from interference by public authorities and across borders, in alignment with the principles articulated in Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; insists on the need for continuous efforts in fostering media pluralism, defending the rights of journalists, and ensuring freedom of expression in all candidate countries; cautions against the imposition of censorship and restrictions on individuals’ freedom of expression, particularly when done under the pretext of combating misinformation and disinformation; calls on candidate countries to adopt and implement policies and legal frameworks that reinforce media freedom and independence in adherence to international human rights standards; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to conduct regular evaluations and reporting on the state of media freedom and pluralism in the enlargement process, with corrective actions taken promptly when needed;
Amendment 467 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 j (new)
Paragraph 16 j (new)
16 j. Urges the vigorous promotion and defence of the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information, as enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter, in all candidate countries, emphasises the imperative to actively support and defend media freedom and pluralism, free from interference by public authorities and across borders, in alignment with the principles articulated in Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; insists on the need for continuous efforts in fostering media pluralism, defending the rights of journalists, and ensuring freedom of expression in all candidate countries; cautions against the imposition of censorship and restrictions on individuals’ freedom of expression, particularly when done under the pretext of combating misinformation and disinformation; calls on candidate countries to adopt and implement policies and legal frameworks that reinforce media freedom and independence in adherence to international human rights standards; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to conduct regular evaluations and reporting on the state of media freedom and pluralism in the enlargement process, with corrective actions taken promptly when needed;
Amendment 469 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Points out that the reconstruction and post-war recovery of Ukraine is an, the strengthening of diplomatic efforts to contribute to the de-escalation of military conflicts around the world, and the ongoing efforts to diminish the global effects and security risks caused by the climate crisis are additional financial challenges to be addressed in the wider context of an international effort; underscores the need to prevent the takeover of agricultural land and industry by MNEs and multinational investment entities, ensuring that these vital resources remain under the control of the people of the respective candidate countries and are utilised for their benefit, thereby safeguarding the countries’ financial stability and long-term economic sovereignty; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to proactively adopt measures to shield candidate countries’ agricultural land and industry from oligarchic or foreign takeovers;
Amendment 469 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Points out that the reconstruction and post-war recovery of Ukraine is an, the strengthening of diplomatic efforts to contribute to the de-escalation of military conflicts around the world, and the ongoing efforts to diminish the global effects and security risks caused by the climate crisis are additional financial challenges to be addressed in the wider context of an international effort; underscores the need to prevent the takeover of agricultural land and industry by MNEs and multinational investment entities, ensuring that these vital resources remain under the control of the people of the respective candidate countries and are utilised for their benefit, thereby safeguarding the countries’ financial stability and long-term economic sovereignty; calls on the Commission and candidate countries to proactively adopt measures to shield candidate countries’ agricultural land and industry from oligarchic or foreign takeovers;
Amendment 475 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Points out that integration does not only happen at the institutional level of nation states; stresses the need to promote the integration of the civil societies of Member states and candidate countries by fostering non-governmental institutions, town twinning and cultural exchanges; underlines in that regard the importance of including the Committee of the Regions as well as the European Economic Social Committee into this process;
Amendment 475 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Points out that integration does not only happen at the institutional level of nation states; stresses the need to promote the integration of the civil societies of Member states and candidate countries by fostering non-governmental institutions, town twinning and cultural exchanges; underlines in that regard the importance of including the Committee of the Regions as well as the European Economic Social Committee into this process;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. Whereas the CCS also comprise micro, small and medium-sized organisations;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. Whereas the CCS also comprise micro, small and medium-sized organisations;
Amendment 123 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas mobility is an important element of professional artistic activity and career development and contributes to increasing income and reducing precariousness; whereas artists frequently move between Member States; whereas artistic mobility entails specific challenges, in particular in relation to social protection and taxation, which require specific measures; whereas most of the current funding instruments supporting mobility are not sufficiently adapted to the specific features of the sectors, such as seasonality and bureaucratic obstacles regarding mutual recognition of artistic education among Member States;
Amendment 123 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas mobility is an important element of professional artistic activity and career development and contributes to increasing income and reducing precariousness; whereas artists frequently move between Member States; whereas artistic mobility entails specific challenges, in particular in relation to social protection and taxation, which require specific measures; whereas most of the current funding instruments supporting mobility are not sufficiently adapted to the specific features of the sectors, such as seasonality and bureaucratic obstacles regarding mutual recognition of artistic education among Member States;
Amendment 134 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. Whereas the CCS is in need for more - EU, public and private - funding, especially after the COVID19 pandemic and the increased energy costs;
Amendment 134 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. Whereas the CCS is in need for more - EU, public and private - funding, especially after the COVID19 pandemic and the increased energy costs;
Amendment 140 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. Whereas the CCS working conditions need to be improved drastically;
Amendment 140 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. Whereas the CCS working conditions need to be improved drastically;
Amendment 144 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J c (new)
Recital J c (new)
Jc. Whereas artists and cultural and creative workers from vulnerable groups such as women, young people, people with disabilities, representatives of LGBTQIIA+ and people with vulnerable socio-economic background, have lesser access to artistic and cultural careers and are hit the hardest by the consequences of the pandemic and any crisis;
Amendment 144 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J c (new)
Recital J c (new)
Jc. Whereas artists and cultural and creative workers from vulnerable groups such as women, young people, people with disabilities, representatives of LGBTQIIA+ and people with vulnerable socio-economic background, have lesser access to artistic and cultural careers and are hit the hardest by the consequences of the pandemic and any crisis;
Amendment 181 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on Member States to ensure that the recognition as artist or CCS worker facilitates coverage under existing social protection schemes for both self- employed and workers; calls in particular for including protection against life risks such as unemployment for workers and the termination of activity for self- employed, and for leaving insurance benefits or comparable assets for old-age provision untouched in the case of necessary social transfer payments; highlights that the recognition as artist should also include support for micro- enterprises in the event of impending insolvency;
Amendment 181 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on Member States to ensure that the recognition as artist or CCS worker facilitates coverage under existing social protection schemes for both self- employed and workers; calls in particular for including protection against life risks such as unemployment for workers and the termination of activity for self- employed, and for leaving insurance benefits or comparable assets for old-age provision untouched in the case of necessary social transfer payments; highlights that the recognition as artist should also include support for micro- enterprises in the event of impending insolvency;
Amendment 183 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Condemns Member States that consider artist degrees as equivalent to secondary education ones;
Amendment 183 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Condemns Member States that consider artist degrees as equivalent to secondary education ones;
Amendment 257 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights the need for transparency on the part of online platforms so that they provide to Collective Management Organizations at least the minimum of information they need in order to effectively ensure authors’ fair remuneration;
Amendment 257 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights the need for transparency on the part of online platforms so that they provide to Collective Management Organizations at least the minimum of information they need in order to effectively ensure authors’ fair remuneration;
Amendment 260 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to apply best practices in order to ensure fair and proportionate remuneration to authors and performers; considers it necessary for progress in copyright contract law between authors and collecting societies and rights exploiters to be identified and checked across Europe in order to prevent a lack of transparency and buy-out clauses;
Amendment 260 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to apply best practices in order to ensure fair and proportionate remuneration to authors and performers; considers it necessary for progress in copyright contract law between authors and collecting societies and rights exploiters to be identified and checked across Europe in order to prevent a lack of transparency and buy-out clauses;
Amendment 309 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that sustainable public funding is fundamental to ensuring a healthy cultural and creative ecosystem; asks the Member States to set a minimum spending target of 23 % of government public expenditure in the cultural and creative sectors, which still generates up to 4% of the GDP;
Amendment 311 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on Member States and the Commission for the promotion of collective bargaining with transparent and open public consultation procedures and regrets that contractual freedom often leaves cultural creators in a weak and isolated position when negotiating their contracts with producers;
Amendment 337 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Is concerned by the increasingly limited space devoted to artistic education and sports in national curricula in primary and secondary education; notes with concern that financial barriers often hinder access to higher education in the arts for young people coming from a disadvantaged background; calls on Member States to ensure equitable access to artistic education, in particular higher education; calls on Member States to provide free and tailored education to artists and cultural and creative workers;
Amendment 381 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls on Member States and the Commission to establish a code of conduct or some kind of artistic procedures’ certifications in order to safeguard, at European-level, Occupational Safety and Health against sexual and any other harassment, violence, bullying or any other forms of abuse, in the CCS and regarding cultural production and performance;
Amendment 382 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Insists that best practices for preventing sexual assaults in the workplace, such as awareness officers or teams on film sets, should be exchanged across Europe and that regulations should be applied in a binding manner;
Amendment 404 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Insists that criminalizing artistic and cultural creation is not acceptable; notes that strong advertising pressure is also retaining artistic freedom;
Amendment 423 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Make sure that AI will not take away jobs from the CCS sector;
Amendment 448 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. At least 2% of the general EU budget and Next Generation EU programs need to be given to the CCS sector for post-pandemic recovery and for managing the energy crisis;
Amendment 449 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Suggests that the Commission examine the introduction of a fair work seal, since collective agreements in the various professional groups and types of employment in the CCS are not sufficient to ensure decent work; With a seal on cultural products, such as concerts, computer games, theater performances, books, etc., consumers have a powerful choice to demand good payment for artistic activity and thereby also register for the acceptance of artistic creation in all available forms; Such a seal can be a real European measure to improve an EU framework for artistic work, which at the same time leads to improvements in the Member States;
Amendment 484 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – Recommendation 3 – paragraph 2 – indent 5 a (new)
Annex I – Recommendation 3 – paragraph 2 – indent 5 a (new)
- - making visible the transparency of compliance with social and creativity- recognizing standards in employment contracts and copyright contract law, for example through the introduction of a Europe-wide fair work seal on all cultural products;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Highlights the importance of the elimination of all geoblocking barriers in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market within the European Union and guarantee equal access of goods and services to all European citizens;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Observes that all the existing geoblocking bariers consitute virtual borders that unjustly limit the internal market and prevent it from reaching its full potential as well as hinder consumer activity;
Amendment 25 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the importance of the Geo-blocking Regulation in building a more robust, coherent and accessible internal market for all citizens and businesses in the EU, regardless of their place of residence or establishment; stresses that further steps need to be taken to achieve the full potential of the Regulation, including by strengthening the legal framework supporting the cross- border exchange of goods and services as well as considering to extend the scope in order to include the audio-visual media sector as explicitly mentioned in the review clause of article 9;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that the Commission carried out its first review prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that changes to both consumer and trading behaviour triggered by the pandemic were therefore not reflected in the 2020 Commission report; recalls the changes in consumer habits and the rising preference for online services that were additionally strengthened by the COVID-19 pandemic and underlines the importance of raising consumer awareness especially taking into account the changes in consumer behaviour observed during the pandemic; underlines, therefore, the need to draw further conclusions based on the new data in this area, as 12 % of EU businesses10[1] started or increased efforts to sell goods or services online due to the pandemic; [1] Eurostat, ‘Online sales efforts on the rise due to the pandemic’, 11 April 2022; __________________ 10 Eurostat, ‘Online sales efforts on the rise due to the pandemic’, 11 April 2022.
Amendment 47 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is concerned that a full-scale evaluation will face challenges due to the delay in application and a lack of data; notes, however,Notes that the progress in the digitalisation of trade in goods and services should by its nature ease cross-border access and promote competition among different EU businesses to the benefit of consumers;
Amendment 53 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that one third of all complaints received by responding competent authorities were not actually covered by the Regulation, including, among other things, copyright-protected content and insurance services; urges the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of the Geo-blocking Regulation on business-to-business transactions, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that one third of all complaints received by responding competent authorities were not actually covered by the Regulation, including, among other things, copyright-protected content and insurance services; emphasizes the importance of extending the scope of the Geoblocking Regulation to cover copyright protected content, especially related to audio-visual media services, which is currently restricted on a territory-to-territory basis;
Amendment 62 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises that certain price differences can exist for cross-border customers, which can be justified based on different value added tax (VAT) rates and higher costs for cross-border delivery and running business operations; believes, however, that consumers should not be blocked from accessing competitive offers made available across the single market by the same or other providers; urges the Commission and the Member States to work together on creating harmonised rules when it comes to cross-border access and delivery of services in order to create one single market irrespective of location;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recommends a broader and more detailed analysis to address concerns regarding the selective distribution and exclusive rights agreements that undermine the right of passive sale and competition in online and offline products and services distribution channels; while maintaining a focus on the impact of these agreements on SMEs;
Amendment 88 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the progress made in terms of the cross-catalogue availability of music, e-book, video game and software products and services, both in subscription and transaction-based models; regrets the limited improvements regarding the cross- catalogue availability of video content and live sports events, which contribute to consumers’ perception that the audiovisual services sector is applying the highest leveland further encourages the elimination/ restriction of geo-blocking in those sectors;
Amendment 113 #
2023/2019(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. In this context, urges the Commission to propose, at the latest by September 2024, the comprehensive revision of Geoblocking Regulation, consisting, in particular, of the inclusion of audiovisual services in the scope of this Regulation, and the deletion from Article 4(1)(b) of the exclusion of electronically supplied services, the main feature of which is the provision of access to or use of copyright-protected works or other protected subject matter;
Amendment 203 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) Activities under the Facility should also help the Beneficiaries to address social challenges, foster upward social cohesion and convergence towards the Union standards and support progress towards the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 203 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) Activities under the Facility should also help the Beneficiaries to address social challenges, foster upward social cohesion and convergence towards the Union standards and support progress towards the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 218 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respects and upholds effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a functioning multi- party parliamentary system, media freedom and the rule of law, and to guarantees respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to all minorities, such as ethnic, religious, LGBTIQ+, and vulnerable groups and promote their social and economic inclusivity. Another pre-condition should be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations.
Amendment 218 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respects and upholds effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a functioning multi- party parliamentary system, media freedom and the rule of law, and to guarantees respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to all minorities, such as ethnic, religious, LGBTIQ+, and vulnerable groups and promote their social and economic inclusivity. Another pre-condition should be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations.
Amendment 298 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) accelerate the socio-economicinstitutional, social, economic and environmental convergence of the Beneficiaries’ economies and societies with the Union standards;
Amendment 298 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) accelerate the socio-economicinstitutional, social, economic and environmental convergence of the Beneficiaries’ economies and societies with the Union standards;
Amendment 299 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) accelerate the adoption and implementation of the political, institutional, legal, administrative, social and economic reforms required to accelerate alignment with Union values, laws, rules, standards, policies and practices (‘EU acquis’) with a view to Union membership.
Amendment 299 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) accelerate the adoption and implementation of the political, institutional, legal, administrative, social and economic reforms required to accelerate alignment with Union values, laws, rules, standards, policies and practices (‘EU acquis’) with a view to Union membership.
Amendment 314 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) accelerate fair, inclusive and sustainable green transition in line with the 2020 Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and covering all economic sectors, particularly energy, including the transition towards sustainable, de- carbonised climate-neutral, climate- resilient and inclusive circular economy, in line with the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 314 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) accelerate fair, inclusive and sustainable green transition in line with the 2020 Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and covering all economic sectors, particularly energy, including the transition towards sustainable, de- carbonised climate-neutral, climate- resilient and inclusive circular economy, in line with the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 317 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) promote the digital transformation and digital skills ans enablers for sustainable development and inclusive growth;
Amendment 317 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) promote the digital transformation and digital skills ans enablers for sustainable development and inclusive growth;
Amendment 321 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) boost innovation, particularly for MSMEs and in support of the fair, inclusive and sustainable green and digital transitions;
Amendment 321 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) boost innovation, particularly for MSMEs and in support of the fair, inclusive and sustainable green and digital transitions;
Amendment 323 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
(ga) address social challenges and foster upward social cohesion and convergence towards the Union standards;
Amendment 323 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
(ga) address social challenges and foster upward social cohesion and convergence towards the Union standards;
Amendment 331 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) boost quality education of all levels, training, reskilling and upskilling, and quality employment policies;
Amendment 331 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) boost quality education of all levels, training, reskilling and upskilling, and quality employment policies;
Amendment 337 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) further strengthen the fundamentals of the enlargement process, including the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, through strengthening democratic institutions and promoting an independent judiciary, reinforced security, the fight against fraud, corruption, organised crime and money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax fraud; compliance with international law; strengthen freedom and independence of media and academic freedom and an enabling environment for civil society; foster social dialogue and civil society involvement; promote gender equality, gender mainstreaming, non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to all minorities, such as ethnic, religious, LGBTIQ+, and vulnerable groups and promote their social and economic inclusivity;
Amendment 337 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) further strengthen the fundamentals of the enlargement process, including the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, through strengthening democratic institutions and promoting an independent judiciary, reinforced security, the fight against fraud, corruption, organised crime and money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax fraud; compliance with international law; strengthen freedom and independence of media and academic freedom and an enabling environment for civil society; foster social dialogue and civil society involvement; promote gender equality, gender mainstreaming, non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to all minorities, such as ethnic, religious, LGBTIQ+, and vulnerable groups and promote their social and economic inclusivity;
Amendment 348 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) reinforce the effectiveness of public administration and support transparency and accountability, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid control; support initiatives and bodie, bodies and organisations involved in supporting and enforcing democratic and human rights and international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries.
Amendment 348 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) reinforce the effectiveness of public administration and support transparency and accountability, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid control; support initiatives and bodie, bodies and organisations involved in supporting and enforcing democratic and human rights and international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries.
Amendment 363 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. Activities under the Facility shall comply with the social, climate and environmental standards of the Union. These activities shall mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity and environmental protection, human rights, democracy, social rights, gender equality and, where relevant, disaster risk reduction, and shall support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights, promoting integrated actions that can create co- benefits and meet multiple objectives in a coherent way. They shall avoid stranded assets, and shall abe guided by the principles of ‘do no harm’ and of ‘leaving no one behind’, as well as by the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal.
Amendment 363 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. Activities under the Facility shall comply with the social, climate and environmental standards of the Union. These activities shall mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity and environmental protection, human rights, democracy, social rights, gender equality and, where relevant, disaster risk reduction, and shall support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights, promoting integrated actions that can create co- benefits and meet multiple objectives in a coherent way. They shall avoid stranded assets, and shall abe guided by the principles of ‘do no harm’ and of ‘leaving no one behind’, as well as by the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal.
Amendment 369 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. Beneficiaries and the Commission shall ensure that gender equality between men and women, gender mainstreaming and the integration of a gender prespective are taken into accountincorporated into and promoted throughout the preparation of the Reform Agendas and the implementation of the Facility. Beneficiaries and the Commission shall take appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based upon gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Commission will report on these measures in the context of its regular reporting under the Gender Action Plans.
Amendment 369 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. Beneficiaries and the Commission shall ensure that gender equality between men and women, gender mainstreaming and the integration of a gender prespective are taken into accountincorporated into and promoted throughout the preparation of the Reform Agendas and the implementation of the Facility. Beneficiaries and the Commission shall take appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based upon gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Commission will report on these measures in the context of its regular reporting under the Gender Action Plans.
Amendment 372 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
6. The Facility shall not support activities or measures which are incompatible with the Beneficiaries’ National Energy and Climate Plans, their Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and ambition to reach climate-neutrality by 2050 at the latest or that promote investments in fossil fuels, or that cause significant adverse effects on the environment or the climate or biodiversity.
Amendment 372 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
6. The Facility shall not support activities or measures which are incompatible with the Beneficiaries’ National Energy and Climate Plans, their Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and ambition to reach climate-neutrality by 2050 at the latest or that promote investments in fossil fuels, or that cause significant adverse effects on the environment or the climate or biodiversity.
Amendment 376 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, shall contribute toensure the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by promoting the implementation and reinforcement of robust internal control systems and anti-fraud policies, and by compulsory making information on the volume and allocation of assistance available through web-based databasesdown to the level of final recipients available through a single web-portal, and shall ensure that data is comparable and can be easily accessed, shared and published.
Amendment 376 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, shall contribute toensure the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by promoting the implementation and reinforcement of robust internal control systems and anti-fraud policies, and by compulsory making information on the volume and allocation of assistance available through web-based databasesdown to the level of final recipients available through a single web-portal, and shall ensure that data is comparable and can be easily accessed, shared and published.
Amendment 454 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
4. The Reform Agendas shall be consistent with and support the reform priorities identified in the context of the Beneficiary’s accession path, and other relevant documents, such as the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the National Energy and Climate Plan, the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and the ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
Amendment 454 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
4. The Reform Agendas shall be consistent with and support the reform priorities identified in the context of the Beneficiary’s accession path, and other relevant documents, such as the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the National Energy and Climate Plan, the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and the ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
Amendment 471 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) an explanation of the extent to which the measures are expected to contribute to social, climate and environmental objectives;
Amendment 471 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) an explanation of the extent to which the measures are expected to contribute to social, climate and environmental objectives;
Amendment 99 #
2023/0376(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Directive 2013/11/EU
Article 5 – paragraph 9
Article 5 – paragraph 9
8a. The following paragraph 9 is added: “9. Traders established outside the Union should adhere to a consumer ADR entity in the country or countries in which they all sell services or products.”;
Amendment 102 #
2023/0376(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Directive 2013/11/EU
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – point (e)
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – point (e)
8b. In article 6, paragraph 3, the following point is added: (e) in-house ADR entities should/shall not have the possibility to use the software, database and other tools or information used in the possession of the trader in which the ADR entity is embedded.
Amendment 103 #
2023/0376(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Directive 2013/11
Article 6 – paragraph 5a
Article 6 – paragraph 5a
8c. In article 6, a new paragraph 5a is added: “5a. Member States shall ensure that consumer ARD’s natural persons dealing with cross-border complaints have the appropriate knowledge and expertise, in particular in private international law”
Amendment 82 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28 a (new)
Recital 28 a (new)
(28a) The gradual introduction of compulsory e-invoicing can reduce payment times, increase payment control and encourage the digital transition of SMEs. National authorities should support SMEs by ensuring adequate infrastructure and support.
Amendment 82 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28 a (new)
Recital 28 a (new)
(28a) The gradual introduction of compulsory e-invoicing can reduce payment times, increase payment control and encourage the digital transition of SMEs. National authorities should support SMEs by ensuring adequate infrastructure and support.
Amendment 197 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Member States shall stimulate payment control by ensuring the necessary infrastructure to deploy electronic invoicing for all undertakings.
Amendment 197 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Member States shall stimulate payment control by ensuring the necessary infrastructure to deploy electronic invoicing for all undertakings.
Amendment 256 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Where interest for late payment becomes payable in accordance with Article 5, a flat fee compensation for recovery costs shall be automatically due by the debtor to the creditor and shall amount to a fixed sum of EUR 50, per every single commercial transaction of a value between 0 and EUR 1500, EUR 100 per every single commercial transaction of a value between EUR 1501 and EUR 10 000, and EUR 200 per every single commercial transaction above EUR 10 000.
Amendment 273 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) intentionally delaypostponing or preventing the moment of sending the invoice.
Amendment 306 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1
Article 13 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall designate one or more authorities responsible for the enforcement of this Regulation (‘enforcement authority’). These authorities shall be sufficiently funded.
Amendment 350 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) the power to take decisions finding an infringement of this Regulation and requiring the debtor to pay interest for late payment as provided for in Article 5 or requiring the debtor to compensate the creditor as provided for in Article 8 or both;
Amendment 355 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 a (new)
Article 14 a (new)
Article 14a Reporting obligations 1. Public authorities and large undertakings, as referred to in Article 3(4) of Directive 2013/34/EU, shall report on a yearly basis on their payment practices. 2. Reporting obligation referred to in paragraph 1 shall contain: (a) the amount of invoices paid: - 1 to 30 days after the deadline referred to in Article 3(1) of this Regulation; - 31 to 60 days after the deadline referred to in Article 3(1) of this Regulation; - 61 to 90 days after the deadline referred to in Article 3(1) of this Regulation; - more than 90 days after the deadline referred to in Article 3(1) of this Regulation.
Amendment 397 #
2023/0323(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The evaluation referred to in paragraph 1 shall be carried out, in particular, with a view to assessing the need to gradually introduce mandatory e-invoicing.
Amendment 79 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Children are a particularly vulnerable group. It is essential to ensure a high level of safety of children when playing with toys. Children should be adequately protected from possible risks stemming from toys, in particular from the chemical substances or digital components, functions and features that toys may contain. At the same time, compliant toys should be able to move freely across the internal market without additional requirements.
Amendment 83 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Toys are also subject to Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety25 , which applies in a complementary manner in matters not covered by specific sectoral legislation on consumer products. In particular, Section 2 of Chapter III and Chapter IV in relation to online sales, Chapter VI on the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System and Safety Business Gateway and Chapter VIII on the right of information and remedy also apply to toys. Therefore, this Regulation does not include specific provisions on distance and online sales, accident reporting by economic operators and the right of information and remedy but rather requires economic operators providing information on safety issues concerning toys to inform authorities and consumers in accordance with the procedures set out in Regulation (EU) 2023/988. _________________ 25 OJ L 11, 15.1.2002, p. 4.
Amendment 92 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Essential safety requirements for toys should ensure protection from all relevant health and safety hazards posed by toys, for users or third parties. Particular safety requirements should cover the physical and mechanical properties, flammability, chemical properties, electrical properties, hygiene, cybersecurity, privacy and radioactivity to ensure that the safety of children is adequately protected against those specific hazards. Since it is possible that toys which present hazards that are not covered by a particular safety requirement might exist or be developed, it is necessary to maintain a general requirement of safety to ensure protection of children in respect of such toys. The safety of toys should be determined by reference to the intended use, while taking into account also the foreseeable use, and bearing in mind the behaviour of children, who do not generally show the same degree of care as the average adult user. Together, the general safety requirement and the particular safety requirements should form the essential safety requirements for toys.
Amendment 95 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Relying on digital technologies has led to new hazards in toys. Radio toyHaving regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as elaborated in its General Comment No. 25 as regards the digital environment, connected toys, smart toys and online games are to comply with essential requirements for the protection of privacy and internet- connected toys, safety and security of children, by design and by default and are to incorporate safeguards towards cybersecurity and protection from fraud in accordance with Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council30 . Toys which include artificial intelligence are to comply with Regulation (EU) …/…[P.O. insert serial number for Regulation laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence]31 . However, this legislation does not cover specifically smart or connected toys, which might pose specific health and safety risks which can be provoked by a cyberattack or related to the interaction of children with AI systems. Health and safety risks in connection with the cybersecurity or AI- powered functions of toys should fall within the scope of this Regulation. Therefore, particular safety requirements regarding cybersecurity, protection of personal data and privacy or other hazards stemming from the incorporation of artificial intelligence in toys should not be set out. However, protecting the health of children should not merely ensure the absence of disease or infirmity and relying on digital technologies may pose risks to children which go beyond their physical health. To ensure that children are protected from any risk coming from the use of digital technologies in toys, the general safety requirement should ensure the psychological and mental health, as well as the well-being and cognitive development, of children. _________________ 30 Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC (OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62). 31 PO: Please insert in the text the number of the Regulation and insert the number, date, title and OJ reference of that Regulation in the footnote.
Amendment 118 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28 a (new)
Recital 28 a (new)
(28 a) Given the important role played by providers of online marketplaces when intermediating the sale or promotion of toys between traders and consumers, they should be recognised as economic operators. Additional requirements for providers of online marketplaces should be set and they should be held ultimately liable for safety issues.
Amendment 121 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) It is necessary to ensure that toys from third countries entering the Union market comply with all applicable Union requirements, and in particular that appropriate conformity assessment procedures have been carried out by manufacturers with regard to those toys. Importers and providers of online marketplaces should therefore ensure that the toys they place on the market comply with the applicable requirements, that conformity assessment procedures have been carried out and that product marking and documentation drawn up by manufacturers are available for inspection by the competent market surveillance authorities.
Amendment 146 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Regulation lays down rules on the safety of toys, ensuring a high level of protection of health and safety of children and other persons, and on the free movement of toys in the Union. The provisions of this Regulation are underpinned by the precautionary principle as it rests on the principle that manufacturers, importers and other economic operators including providers of online marketplaces must manufacture, place and make available on the market only toys that do not adversely affect the health and safety of children and other persons.
Amendment 158 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 8
(8) ‘economic operator’ means the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer, the distributor and the fulfilment service provider; the online marketplace or any other natural or legal person who is subject to obligations in relation to the manufacture of toys or making them available on the market in accordance with this Regulation
Amendment 161 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 9
(9) ‘online marketplace’ means online marketplace as defined ina service using software, including a website, part of a website or an application, operated by or on behalf of a trader which allows consumers to conclude distance contracts with other traders or consumers according to Article 32, point (147), of RegulationDirectice (EU) 2023/98811/83;
Amendment 165 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
(12 a) ‘toy’ means products which are designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children, whether or not having digital elements which allow for a direct or indirect connection to a device or network.
Amendment 183 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
At trade fairs, exhibitions and demonstrations or similar events, Member States shall not preventmay allow the display of a toy which does not comply with this Regulation, provided that a visible sign clearly indicates that the toy does not comply with this Regulation and will not be available on the market until it has been brought into conformity.
Amendment 197 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Warnings shall be clearly visible to the consumer before the purchase, including in cases where the purchase is made through distance sales. Warnings shall be of sufficient size to ensure their visibility and legibility. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts determining criteria related to the visibility and legibility of warnings following 12 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation.
Amendment 208 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
When manufacturersdeemed appropriate, with regard to the risks presented by a toy, consider it necessary for the protection of health and safety of consumers, manufacturers shall, carry out sample testing of marketed toys.
Amendment 254 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. When making a toy available on the market, distributors shall act with due care in relation to the requirements ofDistributors shall only make available on the market toys complying with this Regulation.
Amendment 264 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
An importer or a distributor or a provider of an online marketplace shall be considered a manufacturer for the purposes of this Regulation, and shall be subject to the obligations of the manufacturer under Article 7, where such importer or, distributor or a provider of an online marketplace places a toy on the market under its name or trademark or modifies a toy already placed on the market in such a way that compliance with the applicable requirements of this Regulation may be affected.
Amendment 271 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 a (new)
Article 11 a (new)
Article11a Providers of online marketplaces 1. Providers of online marketplaces shall, before allowing to publish an offer for a toy, devote best efforts to verify whether such toy is identified as being subject to corrective measures published on the Safety Gate Portal or any other freely accessible database or online interface whose reference must be established by the European Commission by means of implementing acts following 12 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation. 2. When providers of online marketplaces obtain information on measures taken against dangerous toys through the Safety Gate Portal, they shall devote best efforts to swiftly prevent the publication of the offer, remove or otherwise disable access to it if the offer has been published already. Providers of online marketplaces shall inform authorities of the listings and the actions undertaken. 3. When cooperating with national authorities, consumer associations or other civil society organisations, with relevant economic operators and traders to facilitate any action taken to eliminate or, if that is not possible, to mitigate the risks presented by a toy that is or was offered online through their services, providers of online marketplaces shall ensure that appropriate and timely corrective measures, including product recalls, are put in place by the relevant economic operators or, if these economic operators fail to do so by themselves or by third party operators under their responsibility. 4. Providers of online marketplaces responsible for the product safety recall shall offer the consumer an effective, cost-free and timely remedy pursuant to article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988.
Amendment 271 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 a (new)
Article 11 a (new)
Article11a Providers of online marketplaces 1. Providers of online marketplaces shall, before allowing to publish an offer for a toy, devote best efforts to verify whether such toy is identified as being subject to corrective measures published on the Safety Gate Portal or any other freely accessible database or online interface whose reference must be established by the European Commission by means of implementing acts following 12 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation. 2. When providers of online marketplaces obtain information on measures taken against dangerous toys through the Safety Gate Portal, they shall devote best efforts to swiftly prevent the publication of the offer, remove or otherwise disable access to it if the offer has been published already. Providers of online marketplaces shall inform authorities of the listings and the actions undertaken. 3. When cooperating with national authorities, consumer associations or other civil society organisations, with relevant economic operators and traders to facilitate any action taken to eliminate or, if that is not possible, to mitigate the risks presented by a toy that is or was offered online through their services, providers of online marketplaces shall ensure that appropriate and timely corrective measures, including product recalls, are put in place by the relevant economic operators or, if these economic operators fail to do so by themselves or by third party operators under their responsibility. 4. Providers of online marketplaces responsible for the product safety recall shall offer the consumer an effective, cost-free and timely remedy pursuant to article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988.
Amendment 320 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 6
Article 18 – paragraph 6
6. Economic operators mayshall not track, analyse or use any usage information for purposes other than what is absolutely and strictly necessary for providing the information on the product passport online.
Amendment 320 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 6
Article 18 – paragraph 6
6. Economic operators mayshall not track, analyse or use any usage information for purposes other than what is absolutely and strictly necessary for providing the information on the product passport online.
Amendment 328 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) cover all the chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability, hygiene, cybersecurity, privacy and radioactivity hazards and the potential exposure to such hazards;
Amendment 328 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) cover all the chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability, hygiene, cybersecurity, privacy and radioactivity hazards and the potential exposure to such hazards;
Amendment 331 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) assess the risks, including to mental and physical health, that may arise when the smart or connected toy or game is used in accordance with its intended purpose or under conditions of reasonably foreseeable misuse.
Amendment 331 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) assess the risks, including to mental and physical health, that may arise when the smart or connected toy or game is used in accordance with its intended purpose or under conditions of reasonably foreseeable misuse.
Amendment 340 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Manufacturers shall use either the EU-type examination procedure set out in Part II of Annex IV together with the conformity to type procedure set out in Part III of that Annex or, where applicable, a European cybersecurity certification scheme at assurance level ‘substantial’ or ‘high’ pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/881, for toys for children under 36 months, toys that are connected or powered with AI, toys which are chemical mixtures, toys which for functional reasons cannot be designed to eliminate all risks and toys which in case of a failure can lead to severe health impacts of a child. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance to article [xxx] to amend this list, after consulting the stakeholders concerned, in the light of technical progress, advances in knowledge or new scientific evidence by adding to the list of toys a new category of toys, withdrawing an existing category of toy from this list.
Amendment 340 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Manufacturers shall use either the EU-type examination procedure set out in Part II of Annex IV together with the conformity to type procedure set out in Part III of that Annex or, where applicable, a European cybersecurity certification scheme at assurance level ‘substantial’ or ‘high’ pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/881, for toys for children under 36 months, toys that are connected or powered with AI, toys which are chemical mixtures, toys which for functional reasons cannot be designed to eliminate all risks and toys which in case of a failure can lead to severe health impacts of a child. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance to article [xxx] to amend this list, after consulting the stakeholders concerned, in the light of technical progress, advances in knowledge or new scientific evidence by adding to the list of toys a new category of toys, withdrawing an existing category of toy from this list.
Amendment 366 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 44 – paragraph 1
Article 44 – paragraph 1
1. Where, having carried out an evaluation under Article 41(1), a market surveillance authority finds that, although a toy made available on the market is in compliance with the particular safety requirements it poses a risk to the health and safety of persons, it shall require the relevant economic operators, including providers of online marketplaces, to take all appropriate measures, within a reasonable period of time prescribed by the market surveillance authority taking into account the nature of the risk to ensure that the toy, when made available on the market, no longer presents that risk, to withdraw the toy from the market or to recall it.
Amendment 366 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 44 – paragraph 1
Article 44 – paragraph 1
1. Where, having carried out an evaluation under Article 41(1), a market surveillance authority finds that, although a toy made available on the market is in compliance with the particular safety requirements it poses a risk to the health and safety of persons, it shall require the relevant economic operators, including providers of online marketplaces, to take all appropriate measures, within a reasonable period of time prescribed by the market surveillance authority taking into account the nature of the risk to ensure that the toy, when made available on the market, no longer presents that risk, to withdraw the toy from the market or to recall it.
Amendment 370 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 45 a (new)
Article 45 a (new)
Article 45a Pan-European Injury Database 1. A Pan-European Injury Database covering all types of injuries caused by toys shall be set up and coordinated by the European Commission. 2. The relevant market surveillance authorities established by the Member States shall contribute to the establishment of the database and deliver injury data to the database, based on a common methodology, comprehensive and in accordance with European and national laws on data protection. 3. The Commission shall support the co- ordination of the collection of data from Member States and the operation of the database.
Amendment 370 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 45 a (new)
Article 45 a (new)
Article 45a Pan-European Injury Database 1. A Pan-European Injury Database covering all types of injuries caused by toys shall be set up and coordinated by the European Commission. 2. The relevant market surveillance authorities established by the Member States shall contribute to the establishment of the database and deliver injury data to the database, based on a common methodology, comprehensive and in accordance with European and national laws on data protection. 3. The Commission shall support the co- ordination of the collection of data from Member States and the operation of the database.
Amendment 376 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 46 – paragraph 9
Article 46 – paragraph 9
9. For the purposes of paragraphs 6, 7 and 7,8 the Commission shall systematically and regularly evaluate the occurrence of hazardous chemical substances or mixtures in toys. In those evaluations, the Commission shall take into account reports of market surveillance bodies and scientific evidence presented by Member States and stakeholders.
Amendment 376 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 46 – paragraph 9
Article 46 – paragraph 9
9. For the purposes of paragraphs 6, 7 and 7,8 the Commission shall systematically and regularly evaluate the occurrence of hazardous chemical substances or mixtures in toys. In those evaluations, the Commission shall take into account reports of market surveillance bodies and scientific evidence presented by Member States and stakeholders.
Amendment 387 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 54 – paragraph 1
Article 54 – paragraph 1
1. Toys placed on the market in conformity with Directive 2009/48/EC before … [OP please insert the date = the first day of the month following 30 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation] may continue to be made available on the market until … [OP please insert the date = the first day of the month following 412 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation].
Amendment 387 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 54 – paragraph 1
Article 54 – paragraph 1
1. Toys placed on the market in conformity with Directive 2009/48/EC before … [OP please insert the date = the first day of the month following 30 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation] may continue to be made available on the market until … [OP please insert the date = the first day of the month following 412 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation].
Amendment 410 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Part II – point 15
Annex I – Part II – point 15
15. interactive software, intended for leisure and entertainment, such as computer games, and their storage media; unless the interactive software is either specifically designed for and targeted at children or can be reasonably expected to be played by children, such as computers and smart phones games
Amendment 410 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Part II – point 15
Annex I – Part II – point 15
15. interactive software, intended for leisure and entertainment, such as computer games, and their storage media; unless the interactive software is either specifically designed for and targeted at children or can be reasonably expected to be played by children, such as computers and smart phones games
Amendment 415 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – Part I – point 9
Annex II – Part I – point 9
9. Toys shall be designed and manufactured in such a way, in terms of the maximum values for impulse noise and continuous noise, that the sound from them is not able to impair children’s hearing. The maximum values shall not exceed those set in Directive 2003/10/EEC.
Amendment 415 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – Part I – point 9
Annex II – Part I – point 9
9. Toys shall be designed and manufactured in such a way, in terms of the maximum values for impulse noise and continuous noise, that the sound from them is not able to impair children’s hearing. The maximum values shall not exceed those set in Directive 2003/10/EEC.
Amendment 426 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – Part IV a (new)
Annex II – Part IV a (new)
IV a Toys shall be designed, developed, produced, manufactured, and updated ensuring an appropriate level of cybersecurity and privacy protection proportionate to the risks they pose to the health and safety of children, taking into account the intended use or reasonably foreseen misuse, any risk of adverse impact to health and safety of children and bearing in mind their behaviour. Toys shall comply with relevant Union legislation relating to cybersecurity, privacy and artificial intelligence systems, notably with the requirements of Annex I of Regulation […] on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (Cyber Resilience Act).
Amendment 426 #
2023/0290(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – Part IV a (new)
Annex II – Part IV a (new)
IV a Toys shall be designed, developed, produced, manufactured, and updated ensuring an appropriate level of cybersecurity and privacy protection proportionate to the risks they pose to the health and safety of children, taking into account the intended use or reasonably foreseen misuse, any risk of adverse impact to health and safety of children and bearing in mind their behaviour. Toys shall comply with relevant Union legislation relating to cybersecurity, privacy and artificial intelligence systems, notably with the requirements of Annex I of Regulation […] on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 (Cyber Resilience Act).
Amendment 6 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2022 on the Future of EU international investment policy,
Amendment 6 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2022 on the Future of EU international investment policy,
Amendment 13 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to the National Lithium Strategy presented by the Chilean government on 20 April 2023,
Amendment 13 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to the National Lithium Strategy presented by the Chilean government on 20 April 2023,
Amendment 23 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is Chile’s third largest trading partner and its largest source of foreign direct investment; whereas the Sustainability Impact Assessment predicted that for the EU, the largest export boost would be in machinery and automotive sectors, while Chile would increase its exports in agriculture (vegetable oils and fats, and vegetables, fruits and nuts), fishing, the sector of beverages and tobacco; whereas the EU and Chile share a commitment to promoting an open, sustainable, rules- and values-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core;
Amendment 23 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is Chile’s third largest trading partner and its largest source of foreign direct investment; whereas the Sustainability Impact Assessment predicted that for the EU, the largest export boost would be in machinery and automotive sectors, while Chile would increase its exports in agriculture (vegetable oils and fats, and vegetables, fruits and nuts), fishing, the sector of beverages and tobacco; whereas the EU and Chile share a commitment to promoting an open, sustainable, rules- and values-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core;
Amendment 26 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the economic relationship between Chile and the EU has been asymmetric and based on unequal terms of trade; whereas 90 percent of the goods the EU imports from Chile are primary products and raw materials, while the majority of EU exports across the Atlantic are medium and high technology manufactured goods; whereas a re- primarisation of exports has been the driving force behind the Chilean economic growth;
Amendment 26 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the economic relationship between Chile and the EU has been asymmetric and based on unequal terms of trade; whereas 90 percent of the goods the EU imports from Chile are primary products and raw materials, while the majority of EU exports across the Atlantic are medium and high technology manufactured goods; whereas a re- primarisation of exports has been the driving force behind the Chilean economic growth;
Amendment 27 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the latest UN reports indicates 1a that Latin America and the Caribbean's share in global manufacturing exports has not surpassed 5% in the last 20 years, which shows that the region has a persistent, growing trade deficit in manufacturing exports; _________________ 1a https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/go ods-exports-latin-america-and-caribbean- increase-20-2022-growth-down-previous- year http://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/ 48651
Amendment 27 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the latest UN reports indicates 1a that Latin America and the Caribbean's share in global manufacturing exports has not surpassed 5% in the last 20 years, which shows that the region has a persistent, growing trade deficit in manufacturing exports; _________________ 1a https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/go ods-exports-latin-america-and-caribbean- increase-20-2022-growth-down-previous- year http://repositorio.cepal.org/handle/11362/ 48651
Amendment 29 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas the concerns of many Member States and the public in respect of Investor-State Disputes, even under the reformed ICS mechanism, remain unresolved; whereas the withdrawal by Member States from the Energy Charter Treaty reflects the governments concerns in respect of Investor-State Dispute on climate action; whereas the investment protection provisions included in this FTA continue protecting investment in fossil fuels;
Amendment 29 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas the concerns of many Member States and the public in respect of Investor-State Disputes, even under the reformed ICS mechanism, remain unresolved; whereas the withdrawal by Member States from the Energy Charter Treaty reflects the governments concerns in respect of Investor-State Dispute on climate action; whereas the investment protection provisions included in this FTA continue protecting investment in fossil fuels;
Amendment 31 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Chile is one of the world’s most open economies and depends strongly on international trade; whereas Chile is at the same time one of the three countries with the highest level of social inequality in Latin America, with the wealthiest 10% of the population capturing 60% of the average national income;
Amendment 31 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Chile is one of the world’s most open economies and depends strongly on international trade; whereas Chile is at the same time one of the three countries with the highest level of social inequality in Latin America, with the wealthiest 10% of the population capturing 60% of the average national income;
Amendment 37 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas Chile already provides around 80% of all EU imports of lithium at zero tariff; whereas Europe's growing need for critical raw materials could lead to the expansion of mining in Chile leading to increased environmental pressure on local communities and the environment; whereas the modernised trade agreement should not interfere with Chile’s ability and strategic objective to build up its own domestic industrial capacity in this sector;
Amendment 37 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas Chile already provides around 80% of all EU imports of lithium at zero tariff; whereas Europe's growing need for critical raw materials could lead to the expansion of mining in Chile leading to increased environmental pressure on local communities and the environment; whereas the modernised trade agreement should not interfere with Chile’s ability and strategic objective to build up its own domestic industrial capacity in this sector;
Amendment 40 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) and reaching the world’s climate mitigation and adaptation needs will require governments to have the policy space to regulate investments; whereas investment protection agreements could restrict the policy space required to achieve these goals;
Amendment 40 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) and reaching the world’s climate mitigation and adaptation needs will require governments to have the policy space to regulate investments; whereas investment protection agreements could restrict the policy space required to achieve these goals;
Amendment 41 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
D d. whereas the SIA warned that an increase in agricultural production as a result of the modernised agreement could negatively impact on the right to water as agriculture sectors with growing export potential are relatively water intensive, while Chile lives the longest drought in history and more than half of Chile’s 19 million population live in areas with ‘severe water scarcity’; whereas Chile has developed a fruit sector based on a model of fresh seasonal products available all year round, targeted specifically for export; whereas this model primarily benefits large scale, commercial farmers offering to the local population only precarious employment on a seasonal basis; whereas sectors such as the grape industry are based on a monoculture agribusiness model that resulted in the destruction of traditional farming based on local livelihoods, with adverse effects on biodiversity;
Amendment 41 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
D d. whereas the SIA warned that an increase in agricultural production as a result of the modernised agreement could negatively impact on the right to water as agriculture sectors with growing export potential are relatively water intensive, while Chile lives the longest drought in history and more than half of Chile’s 19 million population live in areas with ‘severe water scarcity’; whereas Chile has developed a fruit sector based on a model of fresh seasonal products available all year round, targeted specifically for export; whereas this model primarily benefits large scale, commercial farmers offering to the local population only precarious employment on a seasonal basis; whereas sectors such as the grape industry are based on a monoculture agribusiness model that resulted in the destruction of traditional farming based on local livelihoods, with adverse effects on biodiversity;
Amendment 53 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the EU’s strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean needs to be implemented swiftly based on joint priorities; highlights the importance of joining forces with CELAC countries to promotguarantee peace and security, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as well as to tackle global challenges such as climate change, rising inequalities and to promote social justice;
Amendment 53 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the EU’s strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean needs to be implemented swiftly based on joint priorities; highlights the importance of joining forces with CELAC countries to promotguarantee peace and security, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as well as to tackle global challenges such as climate change, rising inequalities and to promote social justice;
Amendment 61 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the 2002 EU-Chile Association Agreement has been a success story, as it provides a clear legal framework for regular dialogues and allows discussion on many areas of common interest;
Amendment 61 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the 2002 EU-Chile Association Agreement has been a success story, as it provides a clear legal framework for regular dialogues and allows discussion on many areas of common interest;
Amendment 66 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the fact that the Agreement contains robust provisions on democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, as well as aregrets however the lack of commitment to protect the rights of indigenous peoples such as the respect of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) obligations;
Amendment 66 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the fact that the Agreement contains robust provisions on democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, as well as aregrets however the lack of commitment to protect the rights of indigenous peoples such as the respect of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) obligations;
Amendment 87 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that over 95 % of trade between the EU and Chile will be duty-free under the Agreement; regrets that market openings are not linked to compliance with stricter environmental and social standards; points out that 216 European geographical indications will be protected under the new agreement, in addition to the 1 573 wines and 235 spirit drinks already protected;
Amendment 87 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that over 95 % of trade between the EU and Chile will be duty-free under the Agreement; regrets that market openings are not linked to compliance with stricter environmental and social standards; points out that 216 European geographical indications will be protected under the new agreement, in addition to the 1 573 wines and 235 spirit drinks already protected;
Amendment 89 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Stresses that both the EU and Chile have committed to make Europe and Chile climate-neutral by 2050; stresses that the energy mix used in the maritime sector relies currently almost entirely on fossil fuels; notes that in order to achieve climate neutrality, the EU must reduce transport emissions, including those from maritime transport, by 90% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels); is therefore concerned that greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport of products from Chile interfere with the EU's climate commitments and obligations under the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 89 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Stresses that both the EU and Chile have committed to make Europe and Chile climate-neutral by 2050; stresses that the energy mix used in the maritime sector relies currently almost entirely on fossil fuels; notes that in order to achieve climate neutrality, the EU must reduce transport emissions, including those from maritime transport, by 90% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels); is therefore concerned that greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport of products from Chile interfere with the EU's climate commitments and obligations under the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 102 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines the relevance of cooperating in the area of sustainable food systems; welcomes the new stand-alone chapter on Sustainable Food Systems, in which the EU and Chile agree on a range of cooperation priorities on aspects such as antibiotics, animal welfare, the sustainability of the food chain and on pesticides; notes that citizens' expectations are evolving and leading to significant changes in the food market, with a consequent increase in demand for locally produced food; stresses the importance of locally produced food, its value to farmers and the significant positive contributions it can make to the environment; is concerned that the liberalisation commitments in this agreement are not in line with the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the trade agreement does not undermine the development of local food strategies and to launch initiatives in favour of short supply channels;
Amendment 102 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines the relevance of cooperating in the area of sustainable food systems; welcomes the new stand-alone chapter on Sustainable Food Systems, in which the EU and Chile agree on a range of cooperation priorities on aspects such as antibiotics, animal welfare, the sustainability of the food chain and on pesticides; notes that citizens' expectations are evolving and leading to significant changes in the food market, with a consequent increase in demand for locally produced food; stresses the importance of locally produced food, its value to farmers and the significant positive contributions it can make to the environment; is concerned that the liberalisation commitments in this agreement are not in line with the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the trade agreement does not undermine the development of local food strategies and to launch initiatives in favour of short supply channels;
Amendment 110 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Emphasises that the provisions on investment liberalisation and investment protection will further boost investment in both directions by guaranteeing that investors from both sides will be granted fair and non-discriminatory treatment; stresses that these provisions are fully aligned with the EU’s reformed approach on investment protectionmight boost investment in both directions; notes that the provisions on investment protection will guarantee that investors will be granted non-discriminatory treatment but there is no evidence of a direct causal effect between the signing of investment protection agreements and attraction of foreign direct investment; stresses that investment protection provisions in this agreement are not aligned with the EP's vision of the future of EU international investment policy; warns of the potential impact of the investment protection clauses such as “fair and equitable treatment” and “indirect expropriation” on governments’ rights to advance economic, social, and environmental policies; is concerned about the broad scope of the definition of covered investment; regrets that the agreement protects fossil fuel investors; points out that under the Investment Court System (ICS) only investors can initiate lawsuits against States and the bulk of arbitrators fees will still be paid on a case by case basis, maintaining an incentive to rule in favour of the investor; urges the Commission to align any future Investment protection provisions with the European Parliament's position of the future of EU investment; calls on both Parties to review the Investment protection provisions in order to exclude the protection of fossil fuels investments and to carve out governments' climate policies;
Amendment 110 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Emphasises that the provisions on investment liberalisation and investment protection will further boost investment in both directions by guaranteeing that investors from both sides will be granted fair and non-discriminatory treatment; stresses that these provisions are fully aligned with the EU’s reformed approach on investment protectionmight boost investment in both directions; notes that the provisions on investment protection will guarantee that investors will be granted non-discriminatory treatment but there is no evidence of a direct causal effect between the signing of investment protection agreements and attraction of foreign direct investment; stresses that investment protection provisions in this agreement are not aligned with the EP's vision of the future of EU international investment policy; warns of the potential impact of the investment protection clauses such as “fair and equitable treatment” and “indirect expropriation” on governments’ rights to advance economic, social, and environmental policies; is concerned about the broad scope of the definition of covered investment; regrets that the agreement protects fossil fuel investors; points out that under the Investment Court System (ICS) only investors can initiate lawsuits against States and the bulk of arbitrators fees will still be paid on a case by case basis, maintaining an incentive to rule in favour of the investor; urges the Commission to align any future Investment protection provisions with the European Parliament's position of the future of EU investment; calls on both Parties to review the Investment protection provisions in order to exclude the protection of fossil fuels investments and to carve out governments' climate policies;
Amendment 117 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Is convinced that the new market access commitments concerning trade in services will open up new business opportunities for EU and Chilean companies; notes that the Agreement contains a state-of-the-art chapter on digital trade that will facilitate elincludes ambitious articles on free flow of data and the protectrionic commerce and protect customers online of source code; shares its concern about its impact on the need for transparency of algorithms and data sovereignty; asks for an impact assessment of this provision in relation to EU's new legislation such as the AI Act;
Amendment 117 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Is convinced that the new market access commitments concerning trade in services will open up new business opportunities for EU and Chilean companies; notes that the Agreement contains a state-of-the-art chapter on digital trade that will facilitate elincludes ambitious articles on free flow of data and the protectrionic commerce and protect customers online of source code; shares its concern about its impact on the need for transparency of algorithms and data sovereignty; asks for an impact assessment of this provision in relation to EU's new legislation such as the AI Act;
Amendment 119 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. HighlightsIs concerned that the Agreement does not preserves the right of governments to regulate in the public interest, for example in order to protect public health, consumers or the environment;
Amendment 119 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. HighlightsIs concerned that the Agreement does not preserves the right of governments to regulate in the public interest, for example in order to protect public health, consumers or the environment;
Amendment 124 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Emphasises that EU and Chilean companies will be able to benefit from improved access to public procurement markets for goods, services and work at (sub-)central level; highlights the enhanced transparency requirements; regrets that governments may be losing a legitimate tool to stimulate domestic production, consumption and a national industrial strategy;
Amendment 124 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Emphasises that EU and Chilean companies will be able to benefit from improved access to public procurement markets for goods, services and work at (sub-)central level; highlights the enhanced transparency requirements; regrets that governments may be losing a legitimate tool to stimulate domestic production, consumption and a national industrial strategy;
Amendment 127 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Highlights that Chile has the potential to play a major role in the global green and just transitions; notes that the development and scaling up of the Chilean renewable energy sector will require massive investments, including from EU companies; welcomes the creation of a European initiative for the development of renewable hydrogen in Chile; notes that developing green hydrogen production will require policy space to develop an industrial policy and to direct and scrutinise by Parliaments, stakeholders and citizens investment funds, such as those provided by the Global Gateway;
Amendment 127 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Highlights that Chile has the potential to play a major role in the global green and just transitions; notes that the development and scaling up of the Chilean renewable energy sector will require massive investments, including from EU companies; welcomes the creation of a European initiative for the development of renewable hydrogen in Chile; notes that developing green hydrogen production will require policy space to develop an industrial policy and to direct and scrutinise by Parliaments, stakeholders and citizens investment funds, such as those provided by the Global Gateway;
Amendment 133 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. EmphasisesTakes note of Chile’s leading role as a major supplier of critical raw materials, including those that are essential for the green and digital transitions, such as lithium and copper; stressbelieves that the Agreement will ensure non-discriminatory access of EU companies to ChileEU should actively support Chile in its efforts to move up the value chain; is concerned that the Energy and raw materials, while leaving sufficient policy space for Chile to create local added value; believes that the EU should actively support Chile in its efforts to move up the value chain; is convinced that the exploitation of raw materials should be carried out in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner, and that it should benefit local communities, including indigenous communitie chapter may undermine Chile's national industrialisation policy; acknowledges that, currently, Chile reserves 25% of the production for locally established companies at preferential prices; regrets that the trade agreement will take away this strategic policy tool, and will thereby jeopardise Chile's ability to develop a national industry of lithium; is convinced that the exploitation of raw materials should be carried out in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner, and that it should benefit local communities, including indigenous communities; takes note that the SIA pointed out that lithium mining in Chile concentrates in water scarce regions, areas that are mostly populated by rural and indigenous communities with the potential to undermining their rights to a clean environment, to water, and consequently, to health; regrets that current lithium mining projects do not require the involvement or consultation of indigenous populations as stipulated by ILO convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; takes note that the SIA reported a lack of sufficient consultation mechanisms with affected communities and in particular indigenous populations in relation to lithium mining projects;
Amendment 133 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. EmphasisesTakes note of Chile’s leading role as a major supplier of critical raw materials, including those that are essential for the green and digital transitions, such as lithium and copper; stressbelieves that the Agreement will ensure non-discriminatory access of EU companies to ChileEU should actively support Chile in its efforts to move up the value chain; is concerned that the Energy and raw materials, while leaving sufficient policy space for Chile to create local added value; believes that the EU should actively support Chile in its efforts to move up the value chain; is convinced that the exploitation of raw materials should be carried out in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner, and that it should benefit local communities, including indigenous communitie chapter may undermine Chile's national industrialisation policy; acknowledges that, currently, Chile reserves 25% of the production for locally established companies at preferential prices; regrets that the trade agreement will take away this strategic policy tool, and will thereby jeopardise Chile's ability to develop a national industry of lithium; is convinced that the exploitation of raw materials should be carried out in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner, and that it should benefit local communities, including indigenous communities; takes note that the SIA pointed out that lithium mining in Chile concentrates in water scarce regions, areas that are mostly populated by rural and indigenous communities with the potential to undermining their rights to a clean environment, to water, and consequently, to health; regrets that current lithium mining projects do not require the involvement or consultation of indigenous populations as stipulated by ILO convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; takes note that the SIA reported a lack of sufficient consultation mechanisms with affected communities and in particular indigenous populations in relation to lithium mining projects;
Amendment 140 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the fact that the chapter on trade and sustainable development (TSD) contains ambitious and binding commitments on environmental and labour standards; regrets, however, that the TSD chapter is not in line with the latest TSD Review and does not contain binding commitments and sanctions; notes that in their joint statement on trade and sustainable development attached to the Agreement, the EU and Chile commit to reviewing the Agreement’s TSD provisions upon its entry into force; believes the commitments made in the trade and sustainable development chapter are not sufficient to balance the social and environmental risks posed by the proposed agreed trade liberalizations;
Amendment 140 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the fact that the chapter on trade and sustainable development (TSD) contains ambitious and binding commitments on environmental and labour standards; regrets, however, that the TSD chapter is not in line with the latest TSD Review and does not contain binding commitments and sanctions; notes that in their joint statement on trade and sustainable development attached to the Agreement, the EU and Chile commit to reviewing the Agreement’s TSD provisions upon its entry into force; believes the commitments made in the trade and sustainable development chapter are not sufficient to balance the social and environmental risks posed by the proposed agreed trade liberalizations;
Amendment 149 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the inclusion ofNotes that the rights of indigenous peoples are not effectively guaranteed under the TSD chapter; notdeplores that ILO Convention No 169 isand the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are not explicitly mentioned; acknowledges that thisese convention iss are key for upholding the rights of indigenous peoples in Chile and the EU when it comes to our trade relations; stresses the importance of abiding by ILO Convention No 169 and UNDRIP;
Amendment 149 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the inclusion ofNotes that the rights of indigenous peoples are not effectively guaranteed under the TSD chapter; notdeplores that ILO Convention No 169 isand the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are not explicitly mentioned; acknowledges that thisese convention iss are key for upholding the rights of indigenous peoples in Chile and the EU when it comes to our trade relations; stresses the importance of abiding by ILO Convention No 169 and UNDRIP;
Amendment 154 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes an institutionalised mechanism for involving civil society organisations in the implementation of the Agreement; calls on the Commission and on the Chilean authorities to ensure the active and meaningful involvement of civil society, including trade unions and indigenous representatives, in the monitoring of the Agreement’s implementation beyond the TSD chapter; calls for sufficient financial resources and technical assistance to be allocated to the Domestic advisory groups (DAGs) to be able to properly carry out their tasks;
Amendment 154 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes an institutionalised mechanism for involving civil society organisations in the implementation of the Agreement; calls on the Commission and on the Chilean authorities to ensure the active and meaningful involvement of civil society, including trade unions and indigenous representatives, in the monitoring of the Agreement’s implementation beyond the TSD chapter; calls for sufficient financial resources and technical assistance to be allocated to the Domestic advisory groups (DAGs) to be able to properly carry out their tasks;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the rule of law and human rights are a key benchmark for assessing the progress towards the EU accession;
Amendment 42 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Da. whereas past OSCE/ODIHR recommendations to further improve the conduct of elections in the Republic of Albania and bring them fully in line with the OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards have not yet been fully addressed
Amendment 76 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Underscores that the pace of EU accession is determined by the progress on the due functioning of all institutions and is grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights; urges Albania to sustain and intensify efforts to reinforce the functioning of the judiciary, strengthen the rule of law, empower civil society, counter corruption and organised crime, and ensure media freedom, guarantee the rights of minorities and address the worrying persecution of the LGBTQI community
Amendment 82 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends Albania’s commitment to completing its comprehensive justice reform; encourages the country to intensify steps aimed at finalising the vetting process and ensuring universal justice through cross-cutting measures; Recalls the need to continue to consolidate the capacity of the judicial system and the governance institutions;
Amendment 86 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that further advances are needed in the process of re-evaluating judges and prosecutors;
Amendment 108 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Is concerned with the cases involving high-level officials still remain limited, fostering a culture of impunity within the higher levels of the State;
Amendment 119 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is concerned that a provision of the Law on Citizenship adopted in July 2020 may still lead to the establishment of an invertors’ citizenship scheme; such schemes pose serious risks with regards to security, money laundering, corruption and tax evasion;
Amendment 143 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the legal steps taken to eliminate discrimination against minorities, and calls for practical steps in order to ensure their inclusion, namely the inclusion of LGBTI+, Roma and Egyptian minorities; recalls the need to combat gender-based violence, step up child protection, adopt and implement legislation on minority rights, strengthen property rights and conduct a population census; underlines the importance of removing barriers to the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities; Expresses concern on the pending by-laws on minority rights, in particular on self- identification and the use of minority languages and increase capacities of the State Committee on National Minorities;
Amendment 154 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on Albania to make further progress on measures consolidating property registration, by reforming property registration and land sector framework in order to fully implement the Venice Commission recommendation and advancing a transparent process of registration, including in minority areas;
Amendment 159 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
16b. Notes that women representation in public offices needs improvement;
Amendment 163 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Notes that the Republic of Albania has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 164 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Expresses serious concern on the discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) personas remains pervasive and dominant in Albanian society, especially regarding to access to health care, education, justice, employment and housing; Is extremely concerned about the cases of physical aggression against members of the LGBTIQ community and the diffusion of hate speech;
Amendment 177 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the authorities to counter disinformation and manipulative narratives by promoting media literacy and improving the working conditions of journalists; Recalls the need to strengthen the protection of Albanian journalist's labour and social rights;
Amendment 178 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Is concerned that according to the Commission report, little progress was reported in the areas of freedom of expression; Notes that there is a need to ensure a policy of zero tolerance for intimidation and attacks against journalists, including in political discourse;
Amendment 187 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of an inclusive framework for meaningful civil society engagement in decision-making processes; Is concerned with the ability of the National Council for Civil Society to voice priorities of civil society organizations in policy-making processes is still very weak;
Amendment 192 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Notes that following the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recommendations, further improvements are needed in the functioning of detention facilities;
Amendment 222 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls for enhancing measures for the protection of the environment, especially regarding the national parks and the environmentally protected areas, paying particular attention on the construction of numerous Hydroelectric Power Plants within national parks, without previous proper environmental studies
Amendment 2 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Underlines the essential role played by investigative journalists in uncovering tax crimes, corruption and organised crime; highlights the vulnerability to threats and attacks of independent journalists and media workers in the absence of a strong European legislative framework to protect journalists; recalls that the number of threats and attacks against journalists has increased over the past years in the EU, with the most serious cases seeing the assassination of journalists and media workers; welcomes the Recommendation on ensuring the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists and other media professionals in the European Union; stresses nevertheless that this can only be considered a starting point and calls for urgent action on establishing binding measures ensuring the protection of journalists and media workers across the Union;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Stresses that investigative journalists and media workers are often subject to intense financial pressure and encounter great difficulties in finding financial resources for projects investigating tax crime, corruption or organised crime; calls on the European Commission to explore further ways to increase funding available to the media sector, including by establishing a dedicated permanent fund for investigative journalism;
Amendment 11 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Highlights that beneficial ownership transparency is fundamental for enhancing the fight against tax crime, stresses that the disclosure and publication of beneficial ownership information has legitimate public interest purposes; calls on Member States' authorities to ensure that investigative journalists and civil society have proper access to and are able to exercise scrutiny over this information;
Amendment 14 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls for the adoption of further initiatives that could enforce actions at EU and national level in AML/CTF, such as widening the competences of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) or the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and strengthening existing agencies such as the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol);
Amendment 15 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Stresses that the main challenge identified in respect to the application of the provisions of Directive (EU) 2015/849 is the lack of direct applicability of those rules and a fragmentation of the approach along national lines; additionally highlights the findings of the European Court of Auditors' (ECA) Special Report 13/2021, according to which “EU efforts to fight money laundering in the banking sector are fragmented and implementation is insufficient”; underlines that such fragmentation could seriously compromise the integrity of the Union’s financial system and cause serious vulnerabilities in the internal market; welcomes in this regard the European Commission proposals on a new European anti-money laundering legal framework, aiming to achieve the desired uniformity of application and to eliminate divergences and inconsistencies of implementation practices within Member States;
Amendment 35 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Asks the Commission to publish a list of assets frozen or confiscated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; urges the Commission to provide precise information on Member States’ progress in repealing or withdrawing citizenship and residence permits granted on the basis of financial investment to Russian and Belarusian nationals subject to EU restrictive measures; calls for a total ban on suchall residence and citizenship by investment schemes across the EU;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Recalls the important role of digital land registers in enhancing the fight against tax crime across the Union; calls on the European Commission to put forward an ambitious proposal requiring and assisting Member States to establish reliable digital land registers, enhancing transparency in the field of land ownership;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas states have obligations to safeguard the fundamental rights associated with journalists, such as the right to freedom of expression and opinion, the right to life and the right to personal dignity; whereas international human rights law establishes that the protection of journalists includes preventing all forms of discrimination without distinction of any kind, including race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, and property, birth or other status; whereas the inadequate protection offered to journalists, as well as the growing hostility displayed towards them by public figures, are substantially undermining their basic freedoms;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas professional journalists have a mission to provide the public with information on general or specialised topics of interest as responsibly and as objectively as possible; whereas adequate working conditions mean avoiding undue internal and external pressure, dependency, vulnerability and instability, and hence the risk of self-censorship; whereas it is important to consider the societal role played by all media workers and support staff, as well as community media workers and so-called citizen journalists;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas investigative journalists working to expose corruption are being particularly targeted; whereas journalists require direct, immediate and unencumbered access to information from public administrations to properly hold the authorities to account;
Amendment 38 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas those who report serious violations of international law face persecution, including judicial persecution; whereas they may be accused of undermining state security; whereas any authoritarian regime can convict an independent journalist on charges of undermining state security;
Amendment 39 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas the whistleblower Julian Assange, is persecuted in the US for for publishing information about serious human rights violations, including torture and murder commited in Iraq and Afghanistan;
Amendment 40 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
G c. whereas, echoing the Council of Europe, whistleblowing is a fundamental aspect of freedom of expression and plays an essential role in detecting and reporting irregularities and wrongdoing, and in strengthening democratic accountability and transparency; whereas whistleblowing represents a key source of information in the fight against organised crime, in investigating, identifying and publicising cases of corruption within the public and private sectors and in detecting tax avoidance schemes set up by private companies; whereas the adequate protection of whistleblowers, as well as the promotion of a culture of acknowledgement of the important role played by whistleblowers in society, are preconditions for ensuring the effectiveness of such a role;
Amendment 41 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
G d. whereas the Partnership on Information and Democracy gathering 50 states from all regions (half of them are members of the European Union) calls for the establishment of democratic safeguards in the communication and information space and recognises every citizen’s right to reliable information;
Amendment 42 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
G e. whereas the Partnership on Information and Democracy underlines that access to reliable information must be protected and promoted to enable democratic participation and the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression;
Amendment 43 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G f (new)
Recital G f (new)
G f. whereas the civil society-led implementation body of the Partnership, the Forum on Information and Democracy, has developed a series of recommendations in order to address the issue of the information chaos that the EU could use to support efforts of democratic countries outside the Union;
Amendment 46 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas technological innovation has increased the capacity of individuals, governments and other bodies to spy on journalists, compromise their digital security and force censorship upon them; whereas such attacks may include compromising journalists’ accounts, locking them out of their accounts, subjecting them to intrusive malware, targeting them with hateful and violent content and gathering and publishing personal information about them online; and even used the information obtained to assassinate them; whereas surveillance and digital threats are having a negative impact on press freedom worldwide and limit journalists’ ability to investigate and report; whereas Pegasus and other equivalent spyware software has been used to spy on hundreds of journalists around the world;
Amendment 53 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 66 journalists were killed and 64 were reported missing; and, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 533 journalists are currently detained for carrying out their journalistic activity;
Amendment 55 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the safety of journalists is crucial to guarantee their ability to do their job properly; whereas the protection of journalists and journalistic sources, including whistle-blowers, varies between countries and in most does not include providing effective protection against retaliation, defamation charges, threats, intimidating lawsuits or other negative consequences;
Amendment 62 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas the concentration of power of media conglomerates, platform operators and internet intermediaries, and media control by economic corporations and political actors risk causing negative consequences for the pluralism of public debate and access to information and having an impact on the freedom, integrity, quality and editorial independence of journalism and broadcast media;
Amendment 68 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
O a. whereas often the detained journalists have been denied the right of access to a lawyer and are being kept in inhuman conditions in which they are being threatened and mistreated; whereas the right to independent and transparent access to justice is a core component of the rule of law and the right to a fair trial must be ensured;
Amendment 74 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas transparency of media ownership iand funding sources anre absolute preconditions for ensuring media pluralism and independent journalism; whereas every effort must be undertaken to ensure the robustness of the media sector, to ensure independence from economic and political pressures, and to increase media freedom and pluralism[; whereas the transparency of media funding is an essential element in promoting trust among citizens;
Amendment 83 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital T a (new)
Recital T a (new)
T a. whereas it should put in place measures aimed at ensuring that the media is based on public values and is open, democratic, sustainable and inclusive, and that it is an environment in which more women, people from racial and ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees, members of LGBTIQ+ communities and people with disabilities occupy creative and decision-making positions;
Amendment 106 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Condemns the abuses, crimes and deadly attacks still being committed against journalists and media workers because of their activities; Condemns the attempts to intimidate and deport international journalists; Calls to refrain from also treating family members of suspected journalists as potential suspects and using administrative or other sanctions against them;
Amendment 109 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Urges the authorities to do their utmost to prevent such violence, to ensure accountability and avoid impunity and to guarantee that victims and their families have access to the appropriate legal remedies;
Amendment 110 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Strongly condemns all unjustified jailing of journalists and all provisional detentions based on political criteria; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all jailed journalists who are being held without proof of individual involvement in committing a crime or with no charges being brought against them;
Amendment 125 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Deplores the fact that journalists and media workers often work inExpresses its concern over the deteriorating working conditions for journalists and the amount of psychological violence that journalists witness; considers that these precarious conditions, which compromises their ability to work in a safe and enabling environment; stresses that adequate working conditions for journalists and media workers are crucial to fostering high-quality journalism, allowing journalists to fulfil their missions and upholding the right to information and the right to be informed; calls, the authorities to set up national action plans, in close cooperation with journalist organisations, to improve the working conditions of journalists and to ensure that journalists will not be victims of psychological violence;
Amendment 138 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Acknowledges the crucial role that investigative journalists can play as watchdogs for democracy and the rule of law; notes that the highest level of protection of investigative journalists and whistle-blowers is in the vital interests of society as a whole;
Amendment 139 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Points out that whistle-blowers have proved to be a crucial resource for investigative journalism and for an independent press, and that guaranteeing the confidentiality of sources is fundamental to freedom of the press; stresses, therefore, that whistle-blowers contribute to democracy, transparency of politics and the economy, and an informed public;
Amendment 140 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the absence of reliable data on the situation of journalists facing hostile working environments; pays tribute to organisations such as Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Frontline, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, to name but a few, for their support for journalists and media workers in situations of danger that could threaten their security and well-being; calls on the Commission to develop holistic and sophisticated methodologies to seek ways of capturing data over longer periods time and for different types of violations against journalists; asks for effective monitoring toolkits to be developed; calls to set up an independent and impartial regulatory body, in cooperation with journalists’ organisations, for monitoring, documenting and reporting on violence and threats against journalists and to deal with the protection and safety of journalists;
Amendment 196 #
2022/2057(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Calls for an appropriate and sustainable legal framework establishing a free information space protection mechanism based on the reciprocity of openness requirements; believes that, as proposed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), this System for the protection of democratic information spaces should be built on two pillars: 1) equal treatment – for all audio-visual outlets broadcasting on EU territory; 2) reciprocity – openness of public space for EU broadcasters in third countries and territories;
Amendment 127 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In the digital media space, citizens and businesses access and consume media content, immediately available on their personal devices, increasingly in a cross- border setting. Global online platforms and online search engines act as gateways to media content, with business models that tend to disintermediate access to media services and amplify polarising content and disinformation. These platforms are also essential providers of online advertising, which has diverted financial resources from the media sector, affecting its financial sustainability, and consequently the diversity of content on offer. As media services are knowledge- and capital- intensive, they require scale to remain competitive and to thrive in the internal market. To that effect, the possibility to offer services across borders and obtain investment including from or in other Member States is particularly important.
Amendment 207 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Media integrity also requires a proactive approach to promote editorial independence by news media companies, in particular through internal safeguards. Media service providers should adopt proportionate measures to guarantee, once the overall editorial line has been agreed between their owners and editors, the freedom of the editors to take individual decisions in the course of their professional activity. The objective to shield editors from undue interference in their decisions taken on specific pieces of content as part of their everyday work contributes to ensuring a level playing field in the internal market for media services and the quality of such services. That objective is also in conformity with the fundamental right to receive and impart information under Article 11 of the Charter. In view of these considerations, media service providers should also ensure transparency of actual or potential conflicts of interest to their service recipients.
Amendment 248 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Ensuring a consistent regulatory practice regardingffective application of this Regulation and Directive 2010/13/EU is essential. For this purpose, and to contribute to ensuring a convergent implementation of EU media law, the Commission may issue guidelines on matters covered by both this Regulation and Directive 2010/13/EU when needed. When deciding to issue guidelines, the Commission should consider in particular regulatory issues affecting a significant number of Member States or those with a cross-border element. This is the case in particular for national measures taken under Article 7a of Directive 2010/13/EU on the appropriate prominence of audiovisual media services of general interest. In view of the abundance of information and the increasing use of digital means to access the media, it is important to ensure prominence for content of general interest, in order to help achieving a level playing field in the internal market and compliance with the fundamental right to receive information under Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union. Given the possible impact of the national measures taken under Article 7a on the functionThese guidelines should respect the competence of the Member States in cultural matters ing of the internal media market, guidelines by the Commission would be important to achieve legal certainty in this fieldrder to promote media pluralism and should not affect existing national measures to ensure prominence. It would also be useful to provide guidance on national measures taken under Article 5(2) of Directive 2010/13/EU with a view to ensuring the public availability of accessible, accurate and up-to-date information related to media ownership. In the process of preparing its guidelines, the Commission should be assisted by the Board. The Board should in particular share with the Commission its regulatory, technical and practical expertise regarding the areas and topics covered by the respective guidelines.
Amendment 326 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) Different legislative, regulatory or administrative measures can negatively affect the operation of media servicr restrict the pcroviders in the internal market. They include, for example, rules to limit the ownership of media companies by other companies active in the media sector or non-media related sectors; they also include decisions related to licensing, authorisation or prior notification for media service providersss- border activities of news and current affairs programmes of media service providers in the internal market or may affect fundamental freedoms as defined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In order to mitigate their potential negative impact on the functioning of the internal market for media services and enhance legal certainty, it is important that such measures comply with the principles of objective justification, transparency, non- discrimination and proportionality.
Amendment 374 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) In order to enhance the verifiability and reliability of audience measurement methodologies, in particular online, transparency obligations should be laid down for providers of audience measurement systems that do not abide by the industry benchmarks agreed within the relevant self-regulatory bodies. Under these obligations, such actors, when requested and to the extent possible, should provide advertisers, rights holders and media service providers or parties acting on their behalf, with information describing the methodologies employed for the measurement of the audience. Such information could consist in providing elements, such as the size of the sample measured, the definition of the indicators that are measured, the metrics, the measurement methods and the margin of error as well as the measurement period. The obligations imposed under this Regulation are without prejudice to any obligations that apply to providers of audience measurement services under Regulation 2019/1150 or Regulation (EU) 2022/XX [Digital Markets Act], including those concerning ranking or self- preferencing.
Amendment 381 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) Codes of conduct, drawn up either by the providers of audience measurement systems, online platforms or by organisations or associations representing them, can contribute to the effective application of this Regulation and should, therefore, be encouraged. Self- regulation has already been used to foster high quality standards in the area of audience measurement. Its further development could be seen as an effective tool for the industry to agree on the practical solutions needed for ensuring compliance of audience measurement systems and their methodologies with the principles of transparency, impartiality, inclusiveness, proportionality, non- discrimination and verifiability. When drawing up such codes of conduct, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and notably media service providers, account could be taken in particular of the increasing digitalisation of the media sector and the objective of achieving a level playing field among media market players.
Amendment 461 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
(14) ‘audience measurement’ means the activity of collecting, interpreting or otherwise processing data about the number and characteristics of users of media services and of content for the purposes of decisions regarding advertising allocation or prices or the related planning, production or distribution of content;
Amendment 506 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) deploy spyware, or outsource to private companies the deployment of spyware in any device or machine used by media service providers or, if applicable, their family members, or their employees or their family members, unless the deployment is justified, on a case-by-case basis, on grounds of national security and is in compliance with Article 52(1) of the Charter and other Union law or the deployment occurs in serious crimes investigations of one of the aforementioned persons, it is provided for under national law and is in compliance with Article 52(1) of the Charter and other Union law if such deployment is performed upon authorization and under effective control of a judicial authority,, and measures adopted pursuant to sub- paragraph (b) would be inadequate and insufficient to obtain the information sought.
Amendment 521 #
2022/0277(COD)
1. PThe Member States shall ensure, in their national legislation and practice, that public service media providers shall provide, in an impartial and independent manner, a plurality of information and opinions to their audiences, in accordance with their public service mission.
Amendment 608 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Without prejudice to national constitutional laws consistent with the Charter, media service providers providing news and current affairs content shall take measures that they deem appropriate with a view to guaranteeing the independence of individual editorial decisions. In particular, such measures shall aim to:
Amendment 620 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) guarantee that editors are free to take individual editorial decisions in the exercise of their professional activity; and
Amendment 631 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Amendment 649 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The heads of national regulatory authorities and bodies and the members of the collegiate body shall be appointed through a transparent, open and non- discriminatory procedure and on the basis of objective, non-discriminatory, clear, transparent and proportionate criteria.
Amendment 677 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
The Board shall act in full independence when performing its tasks or exercising its powers. In particular, the Board shall, in the performance of its tasks or the exercise of its powers, neither seek nor take instructions from any government, national or Union institution, person or body. This shall not affect the competences of the Commission or the national regulatory authorities or bodies in conformity with this Regulation.
Amendment 711 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 6
Article 10 – paragraph 6
6. The Board, in agreement with the Commission, may invite experts and observers to attend its meetings.
Amendment 787 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) when requested by the Commission, provide opinions on the technical and factual issues that arise with regard to Article 2(5c), Article 3(2) and (3), Article 4(4), point (c) and Article 28a(7) of Directive 2010/13/EU;
Amendment 796 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point e – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point e – introductory part
(e) in agreement with the Commission, draw up opinions with respect to:
Amendment 810 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point f – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point f – introductory part
(f) upon request of the Commission, draw up opinions with respect to:
Amendment 891 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 7
Article 13 – paragraph 7
7. Where the requesting authority does not consider the measures taken by the requested authority to be sufficient to address and reply to its request, it shall inform the requested authority without undue delay, explaining the reasons for its position. If the requested authority does not agree with that position, or if the requested authority’s reaction is missing, either authority may refer the matter to the Board. Within 14 calendar days from the receipt of that referral, the Board shall issue, in agreement with the Commission, an opinion on the matter, including recommended actions. The requested authority shall do its outmost to take into account the opinion of the Board.
Amendment 907 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Article 14 – paragraph 4
4. If no amicable solution has been found following mediation by the Board, the requesting national authority or body or the requested national authority or body may request the Board to issue an opinion on the matter. In its opinion the Board shall assess whether the requested authority or body has complied with a request referred to in paragraph 1. If the Board considers that the requested authority has not complied with such a request, the Board shall recommend actions to comply with the request. The Board shall issue its opinion, in agreement with the Commission, without undue delay.
Amendment 914 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
1. The Board shall foster the exchange of best practices among the national regulatory authorities or bodies, consulting stakeholders, where appropriate, and in close cooperation with the Commission, on regulatory, technical or practical aspects pertinent to the consistent and effective application of this Regulation and of the national rules implementing Directive 2010/13/EU.
Amendment 919 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the appropriate prominence of audiovisual media services of general interest under Article 7a and Article 13(1) of Directive 2010/13/EU and measures to monitor that this prominence is being given;
Amendment 922 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) making information accessible on the ownership structure of media service providers, as provided under Article 5(2) of Directive 2010/13/EU, and on their subsidiaries, holding companies and sister companies.
Amendment 942 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. The Board shall coordinate measures byfacilitate the cooperation between national regulatory authorities or bodies related to the dissemination of or access to media services provided by media service providers established or originating from outside the Union that target, irrespective of the means of distribution or access, target or reach audiences in the Union where, inter alia in view of the nature of the control that may be exercised by third countries over them, or their contribution to the dissemination of messages promoted by third countries, such media services prejudice or present a serious and grave risk of prejudice to public security and defence.
Amendment 971 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – title
Article 17 – title
Content of media service providers on very large online platforms and search engines
Amendment 976 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Providers of very large online platforms and search engines shall provide a functionality allowing recipients of their services to declare that:
Amendment 1008 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 2
Article 17 – paragraph 2
2. Where a provider of very large online platform decides to suspendor very large search engine decides to suspend or otherwise restrict the provision of its online intermediation services in relation to any content provided by a media service provider that submitted a declaration pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article, on the grounds that such content is incompatible with its terms and conditions, without that content contributing to a systemic risk referred to in Article 26 of the Regulation (EU) 2022/XXX [Digital Services Act], it shall take all possible measures, to the extent consistent with their obligations under Un shall take all possible measures: a) to communicate to the media service provider concerned the statement of reasons accompanying that decision, as required by Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 and Article 17(3) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, b) to provide the media service provider with 48 hours to reply to the statement of reasons. The content shall not be suspended or otherwise restricted during the 48 hours period referred to in point (b), unless the content infringes national law, including Regulation (EU) 2022/XXX [Digital Services Act], to communicate to the media service provider concerned the statement of reasons accompanyi of the country of origin and/or EU law, nor will it be suspended before the media service provider has the ability to challenge that decision, as required by Are prior noticle 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150, prior to the suspension taking effectpursuant to paragraph 3 of this article.
Amendment 1034 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 4
Article 17 – paragraph 4
4. Where a media service provider that submitted a declaration pursuant to paragraph 1 considers that a provider of very large online platform frequently restricts or suspends the provision of its services in relation to content or a service provided by the media service provider without sufficient grounds, the provider of very large online platform shall engage in a meaningful and effective dialogue with the media service provider, upon its request, in good faith with a view to finding an amicable solution for terminating unjustified restrictions or suspensions and avoiding them in the future. The media service provider may notify the outcome of such exchanges to the Board.
Amendment 1048 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 5 – point a
Article 17 – paragraph 5 – point a
(a) the number of instances where they imposed any restriction or suspension on the grounds that the content or service provided by a media service provider that submitted a declaration in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article is incompatible with their terms and conditions; and
Amendment 1102 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 a (new)
Article 19 a (new)
Article 19 a Right to be able to identify the provider of a media service Media service recipients must be able to easily identify media service providers. Data communicated by media service providers, such as media logos, journalist names and html links to original sources, must remain visible alongside content.
Amendment 1221 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. 1.National regulatory authorities or bodies or the Board may, when they deem it necessary to safeguard media pluralism and editorial independence, impose on all actors involved in a media market concentration, and as a prior condition to authorize the transaction, the obligation to make detailed commitments related to the freedom, independence and pluralism of the media and the prevention of conflicts of interest and influence peddling. 2. Non-compliance with such commitments may result in administrative sanctions by the national regulatory authorities or bodies
Amendment 1268 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1
1. Public funds or any other consideration or advantage granted by public authorities to media service providers for the purposes of advertising shall be awarded according to transparent, objective, proportionate and non- discriminatory criteria and through open, proportionate and non-discriminatory procedures. This Article shall not affect public procurement rules.
Amendment 1272 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 24 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Public funds shall be granted in priority to Media service providers publishing political news and current affairs.
Amendment 48 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the rule of law and human rights are a key benchmark for assessing the progress towards the EU accession;
Amendment 49 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
E b. whereas past OSCE/ODIHR recommendations to further improve the conduct of elections in the North Macedonia and bring them fully in line with the OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards have not yet been fully addressed;
Amendment 50 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Amendment 86 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges North Macedonia to sustain and intensify efforts to strengthen the rule of law and judicial independence, good governance,counter corruption, strengthen the rule of law, guarantee the rights of minorities and address the worryingpersecution of the LGBTQI community, reform its public administration and consolidate media freedom;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Welcomes that there was cross- party support in the adoption of legislation on the prevention and protection against discrimination, the Law on prevention and protection from violence against Women and Domestic Violence and amendments to the Law on the rights of the child;
Amendment 119 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Welcomes the establishment of the Commission for Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination and its work; urges the government to ensure sufficient funding to enable it to achieve its full potential;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Recalls that labour rights of journalists still needs to be addressed;
Amendment 143 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Commends the government’s efforts to improve engagement with civil society and calls for a framework to ensure the financial sustainability of civil society organisations; strongly welcomes in this optic the creation of the Inter-Party Parliamentary Group for Improvement of the Rights of LGBTI People, which constitutes a positive synergy between civil society and institutions;
Amendment 147 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Recalls that further efforts needs to be made in order to ensure a timely, meaningful and transparent consultation process with civil society;
Amendment 153 #
2021/2248(INI)
Amendment 177 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Urges the relevant bodies to proactively prevent and systematically prosecute all instances of hate speech, hate crimes and intimidation, to thoroughly investigate related attacks and to ensure the safety and security of their targets, such as journalists, people belonging to minorities and other vulnerable groups; calls for the government and the judiciary to improve institutional capacity in this area and ensure increasing hate speech is addressed in accordance with international standards;
Amendment 179 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Is concerned by the stark increase of misinformation and discriminatory speech against LGBTI people and human rights defenders in the media and political sphere; condemns the hate speech and death threats levelled at LGBTI human rights defenders and urges full investigation and sanctioning of these incidents; stresses the importance of updating and adopting education laws which remove discriminatory and stigmatising contents and are harmonized with the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination;
Amendment 180 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls for the fully implementation of the recommendations of the European and international human right bodies, particularly regarding the treatment of detained and convicted persons; Calls for the improvement of the situation in prisons and to further increase alternatives to detention;
Amendment 207 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Underlines the need to push forward the rule of law reform. Notes that limited progress was made in addressing the outstanding recommendations from OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission over the last year;
Amendment 226 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Underlines the importance of pursuing consistent and proactive investigations, prosecution and final convictions in cases of high-level corruption in order to dissipate the idea of impunity;
Amendment 228 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls for decisive action against money laundering and financial crime; urges the strengthening of the capacity of law enforcement bodies to fight organised crime;. Stresses that coordination remains crucial for all stakeholders involved in combatting organised crime:
Amendment 247 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Encourages the authorities to guarantee universal and improved access to social and healthcare services;
Amendment 266 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Welcomes North Macedonia’s updated climate pledges; recalls that additional efforts are needed to meet the targets for energy efficiency, renewable energy, security of supply and emission reductions; urges the authorities to align environment and climate change legislation with the EU acquis and to ensure its enforcement. Notes that this alignment will speed up the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans;
Amendment 326 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47 a. Reiterates its full support to the consistent implementation of the Prespa agreement with Greece as an important part of bilateral relations. Urges the two parts to αaccelerate the implementation of their commitments, including the pending on behalf of Greek Government ratification of the three memoranda signed between the two countries, preventing in that manner of foreign interferences. Calls the partners to continue engaging and to resolve bilaterally all out standing bilateral issues, bearing or not the accession process, to act in a constructive manner, and to refrain from actions that might undermine European integration and the EU’s wider interests.;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the Council of Europe’s report ‘Beyond Definitions: a call for action against hate speech in Albania – a comprehensive study’, published in November 2021;1a _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/beyond-definitions- eng/1680a464b2
Amendment 6 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
— having regard to the European Court of Auditors press release of 10th of January 2022
Amendment 20 #
2021/2244(INI)
Da. whereas the rule of law and human rights are a key benchmark for assessing the progress towards the EU accession;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas past OSCE/ODIHR recommendations to further improve the conduct of elections in the Republic of Albania and bring them fully in line with the OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards have not yet been fully addressed
Amendment 33 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the Commission redirected EUR 50.6 million in grants to meet the most immediate needs and provide socio-economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Amendment 64 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underscores that the pace of EU accession is determined by the progress on the due functioning of all institutions and is grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights; urges Albania to sustain and intensify efforts to reinforce the functioning of the judiciary, strengthen the rule of law, empower civil society, counter corruption and organised crime, and ensure media freedom;, guarantee the rights of minorities and address the worrying persecution of the LGBTQI community
Amendment 86 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expresses concern over the enduring inflammatory rhetoric, which fuels the culture of intimidation, smear campaigns, violence and rioting and worries that the reported attacks against journalists have not yet resulted in final convictions;
Amendment 101 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Is concerned with the ability of the National Council for Civil Society to voice priorities of civil society organizations in policy-making processes is still very weak;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the need for further progress on freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism; requests authorities to take decisive action against the marginalisation of and intimidation against independent media outlets and reporters; repeats its calls to improve the working conditions of journalists and to adopt regulations enhancing transparency around media ownership, funding and public advertising. Recalls the need to strengthen the protection of Albanian journalist's labour and social rights;
Amendment 113 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Is concerned that according to the Commission report, no progress was reported in the areas of freedom of expression; Notes that there is a need to ensure a policy of zero tolerance for intimidation and attacks against journalists, including in political discourse;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the relevant bodies to systematically and proactively prevent and prosecute all instances of hate speech, hate crimes and intimidation; encourages the office of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination to be more proactive in combatting discriminatory hate speech, in particular against LGBTI persons, and to develop disaggregated data collection on the matter;
Amendment 135 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Amendment 139 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes advances in ensuring equal opportunities and calls for further improvements in the enforcement of gender equality, property rights, data protection, rights of people with disabilities and minority rights, including especially the rights of Roma and LGBTI persons, who are exposed to multiple discrimination;
Amendment 148 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Expresses concern on the pending by-laws on minority rights, in particular on self-identification and the use of minority languages and increase capacities of the State Committee on National Minorities;
Amendment 149 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Commends the adoption of the new LGBTI National Action Plan 2021- 2027 and encourages full implementation and proper budgeting via a coordination and monitoring body which shall oversee it;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Considers that reports of numbers of HIV infections doubling since last year are highly concerning; recalls that the National Strategy for People Living with HIV expired in 2020 and has not been renewed; recalls that access to PEP and PrEP for those most at risk can significantly contribute to decreasing new infections, and recalls that these are still unavailable to LGBTI persons; calls on the government to take appropriate measures, in liaison with civil society, to address the rising numbers of HIV infections and ensure access to healthcare of those most vulnerable;
Amendment 154 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on Albania to make further progress on measures consolidating property registration, by reforming property registration and land sector framework in order to fully implement the Venice Commission recommendation and advancing a transparent process of registration, including in minority areas;
Amendment 157 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Notes that the Republic of Albania has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17d. Expresses serious concern on the discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) personas remains pervasive and dominant in Albanian society, especially regarding to access to health care, education, justice, employment and housing; Is extremely concerned about the cases of physical aggression against members of the LGBTIQ community and the diffusion of hate speech;
Amendment 164 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes that women representation in public offices needs improvement;
Amendment 169 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that following the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recommendations, further improvements are needed in the functioning of detention facilities;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Is worried that according to the European Court of Auditors “progress on the rule-of-law situation in the region has generally been limited, and sustainability has proved difficult to achieve despite EU political support and financial assistance”;
Amendment 185 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Commends the steady progress in implementing a comprehensive justice reform, underpinned by the unprecedented vetting process, followed by a restored functionality of relevant courts, as a very important first step in order to become fully functional; Highlights that an important milestone was reaches at the end of 2020 with the appointment of three new judges to the Constitutional Court; Whereas the Constitutional Court has regained its necessary quorum to hold plenary sessions;
Amendment 194 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Recalls the need to continue to consolidate the capacity of the judicial system and the governance institutions;
Amendment 203 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Recalls that further advances are needed in the process of re-evaluating judges and prosecutors;
Amendment 211 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Is concerned with the cases involving high-level officials still remain limited, fostering a culture of impunity within the higher levels of the State;
Amendment 212 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Amendment 214 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the ongoing efforts that should lead to systemic improvements in tackling the trafficking of humans, firearms and goods, along with cybercrime, violent crime, extremism and terrorist threats; c. Highlights the need to continue to strengthen the fight against corruption and to bolster the capacity to further strengthen the efficiency of the judicial system and its capacity to tackle corruption and organised crime. Commends the ongoing bilateral and international cooperation on dismantling transnational crime networks, including with the EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Calls for enhancing measures for the protection of the environment, especially regarding the national parks and the environmentally protected areas, paying particular attention on the construction of numerous Hydroelectric Power Plants within national parks, without previous proper environmental studies
Amendment 99 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully implement the tripartite ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020 in all its aspects; stresses the need to advance discussions on the future peace treaty and address the root causes of the conflict; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijand to urgently implement measures to prepare their respective populations for peaceful coexistence; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to avoid using inflammatory rhetoric which threatens to undermine the peace process;
Amendment 130 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 137 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that Russia's aggression against Ukraine has created multiple challenges for Armenia in terms of security and economic development and has also major societal implications as a result of both the massive arrival of Russian citizens in the country and the indirect impact on the Armenian economy of international sanctions against Russia;, calls on the EU to assist Armenia in mitigating the economic and social consequences of these developments;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; demands the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and that they be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law; is concerned that Azerbaijan fails to fully implement the orders of the Court of Justice of 7 December 2021 and 12 October 2022; insists that Azerbaijan will be held accountable for all atrocities committed against Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees, consistent with the two Orders of the Court;
Amendment 171 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Strongly condemns Azerbaijan's continued policy of erasing and denying the Armenian cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh; notes that the erasure of the Armenian cultural heritage is part of a wider pattern of a systematic, state-level policy of historical revisionism, including the glorification of violence and territorial claims against the Republic of Armenia;
Amendment 206 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes Armenia's participation in the Partnership for Good Governance Phase II under the Eastern Partnership, a joint initiative between the EU and the Council of Europe, which supports domestic reforms to bring Partner country closer to EU and CoE standards in the fields of human rights, democracy and rules of law; welcomes Armenia's aggregate freedom score increase to 55, however notes the country is still places among the world's "partly free" countries;
Amendment 225 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes with concern that Armenia despite progress faces serious press freedom issues, including misinformation and disinformation on social media, the limited financial independence of private media, widespread anti-media rhetoric, and the prominence of media outlets that are affiliated with major political and commercial interests; is aware of the challenges in times of war in the region; however, underlines the importance of any measure taken in this context complies with the Council of Europe and other international standards and particularly with the Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights and the relevant case-law of the ECtHR;
Amendment 236 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on Armenia to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention);
Amendment 237 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Welcomes the advancing and prioritisation of Women, peace and security agenda by Armenia in the framework of its national policies and programmes, with the objective to ensure political and public participation of women at all levels of decision-making procedure, their empowerment and promotion of gender equality; notes that the adoption of 2nd National Action Plan on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 is instrumental in consolidating Armenia’s efforts to address all forms of violence against women and girls in conflicts, and contribute to further gender- mainstreaming in the security sector governance;
Amendment 10 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard the UNDP publication entitled "Leaving No One Behind: Impact COVID-19 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)";
Amendment 12 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
— having regard the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021;
Amendment 36 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas COVID-19 has wiped out 20 years of educations gains and an additional 101 million or 9% of children in grades 1 through 8 fell bellow minimum readind proficiency levels in 2020;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
E b. whereas UNICEF estimates that more than 168 million children have lost a full year of education because of school closures due the COVID-19 lockdowns, while data from UNESCO shows that education has been significantly disrupted for 800 million students worldwide who lost two thirds of an academic year on average;
Amendment 52 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas according to the UN almost half of countries with data did not reach gender parity in primary school completion and that growing poverty and the shift to remote learning make children from the poorest households and other vulnerable groups less equipped to participate and more likely to drop out permanently or for extended periods;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas the unequal distribution of Covid vaccines worldwide disproportionately affects low-income countries, notably in Africa where only 7% of the population is fully vaccinated;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
Recital M b (new)
M b. whereas no one is safe until the entire world population has been fully vaccinated, since, as shown again with Omicron variant, new variants will continue to emerge;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. CWithout prejudice to the provisions of the preceding paragraphs calls on the Member States to increase their contributions to the UN COVAX programme to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines for third countries in order to allow them to put national COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in place that are in line with the guidelines set by competent national public health authorities and the World Health Organization, so as to ensure a speedy return to schools;
Amendment 84 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Urges the EU, in cooperation with the US and other WTO Members, to work on concrete ways to support the request from a majority of WTO members of granting a temporary waiver from certain provisions of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Proprety Rights (TRIPS Agreement) for COVID 19 health products including their materials and components, method of manufacture at MC12 to scale up production and diversity suplly options to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and other relevant health products required for the containment, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19 and to ensure the delivery of these results by MC12;
Amendment 101 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to support the authorities of third countries in proactively issuing guidance on best practices in remote learning, and in ensuring that appropriate and safe tools, curricula and technology are used and are made accessible to children from low- income families, marginalised children and children with disabilities or learning difficulties, children in alternative care, and children living in remote areas or in environments where they are deprived of liberty or where internet access is not ubiquitous; reiterates the importance of digital learning as a great equaliser that enables educational institutions to reach all children at speed and scale, while at the same time fostering partnerships and working with a wide range of actors from civil society as well as the public and private sectors; recalls, however, that access to digital technologies is still not equitable or widespread and that it was one of the ways in which inequalities were exacerbated during the pandemic, which means that heavy investment is needed in this sector, in terms of both training and funding;
Amendment 124 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to support the authorities of partner countries in addressing the challenges in their education systems with the aim of making them capable of withstanding future crises, and making systems more resilient and inclusive, through planning for resilience, implementing learning recovery programmes and protecting educational budgets, with dedicated investments in high-quality, affordable and inclusive education, including investments in education technology, teacher training and other resources to ensure children and youth do not miss out on opportunities to enter the labour market later in life;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection on strengthening the single market: The future of free movement of services (2020/2020(INI)),
Amendment 23 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the functioning of the single market is a shared responsibility between the EU and the Member States, where differences in interpretation and application of EU law are inevitable;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the current Commission has not yet come forward with a comprehensive legislative package addressing failures in the exercise of the core freedoms of the single market beyond enforcement, other than digital initiatives; whereas Parliament and Council failed to adopt the core initiatives of the 2016 Services Package;
Amendment 33 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has been a shock both to production and consumption, and shed light on an exacerbated existing shortcomings in the protection of posted workers and has reshaped domestic and cross-border activities; whereas some of these effects may be temporary, but others will have lasting consequences on the shape and needs of the single market;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the term non-tariff barriers (NTBs) relates to excessive, unjustified, disproportionate and discriminatory regulatory action; therefore, it should clearly be distinguished from Member States´ justified measures in the name of public interest objectives, such as protection of public policy, public health, public security, consumer protection, combatting the rental housing shortage, and prevention of tax evasion and avoidance;
Amendment 49 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the Single Market Governance Package of March 2020, which aims to improve the implementation and enforcement of European legislation; considers that it is only a partial answer to the deficiencies hampering the proper functioning of the common market, especially regarding the goals of the Paris Agreement and the European Pillar of Social rights;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the single market remains one of the European Union’s greatest achievement; urges the Commission, therefore, to refocus resources at issues plaguing the single market, in particular non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which continue to limit opportunities for consumers and businesseon the proper functioning of the single market and the protection of public policy interests;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that the achievement of the objectives in the Green Deal and European digital agendas is basrelated ton the effective functioning of the single market, which is a key enabler of market efficiency and innovation and a tool for modernising European economies; believes, therefore, that the single market’s shortcomings deserve at least the same level of attention as the Green Deal and the European digital agenda; reaffirms its own commitment to developing and safeguarding a robust, consumer- and business-friendly internal marketreaffirms its own commitment to developing and safeguarding a robust, consumer-, worker-, business- and environment-friendly internal market supporting a socio-ecological just transition;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges that certain NTBnon-tariff measures can be justified and originate from multi- level governance; urges the Member States, where such NTBs are absolutely essential, to ensure their proportionality and strict alignment with legitimate public policy objectives; considers it therefore necessary to highlight that only unjustified, disproportionate and discriminatory NTBs need to be addressed while clearly acknowledging that Member States may use overriding reasons relating to the public interest for the protection of their domestic market and thus cannot be addressed as NTBs;
Amendment 78 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – introductory part
Paragraph 6 – introductory part
6. Points out that the Commission and stakeholders have identified a group of keyWhile Member States may use overriding reasons relating to the public interest for the protection of their domestic markets, the Commission and stakeholders raise concerns in view of unjustified barriers to cross-border activities, among them:
Amendment 83 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point a
Paragraph 6 – point a
a) unjustified and disproportionate regulatory disparities and inconsistent implementation of EU law, which force companies to commit resources to the laborious process of analysing provisions that are harmonised at EU level, diverting investments away from activities that create jobs or support growth;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point c
Paragraph 6 – point c
Amendment 104 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that the NTBs severely impact the services sector and thereby other segments of the economy underpinned by the services sector; highlights that in its report, the Commission was able to identify 24 specific restrictions across 13 sectors which breach rules established by the Services Directive, including some which are discriminatory or are requirements on establishment or nationality4 ; whereas a focus solely on restriction neglects the necessity to ensure a good quality of services striving for sustainable and inclusive growth guaranteeing social rights, workers’ rights, consumer and environmental protection and access to health and safety; _________________ 4 Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Mapping and assessment of legal and administrative barriers in the services sector, summary report, Brussels, April 2021.
Amendment 112 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that a considerable number of problemchallenges with the cross-border provision of services stem from a lack of information and support in relation to administrative practices introduced by the country of destination, and not from incompatibility with EU law with a view to ensure the effective monitoring of compliance with and enforcement of applicable rights and obligations;
Amendment 120 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises the insufficient use of the notification procedure under the Services Directive; calls on the Commission to reflect on improving this framework, possibly by means of a new initiative which would increase clarity and transparency on the measures that need to be notified, while remaining cautious in order to not undermine the Services Directive and avoiding the situation which led to the withdrawal of the previous proposalwhile remaining cautious in order to not undermine the Services Directive and to fully respect Member States´ right to take measures related to public interest objectives;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that mutual recognition of pRecalls that the Professional qQualification is seriously affected by administrative barriers imposed by Member Statess Directive is built on the principle of equal treatment and the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality;
Amendment 143 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is concerned by the insufficient access to information on mobility of services, as well as by the burdensome procedures to obtain essential documents such as the A1 form; underlines that access to information, such as on domestic collective agreements where applicable and relevant, should be improved to facilitate compliance for businesses and ensure the respect and enforcement of workers’ rights;
Amendment 166 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that the international road haulage sector is subject to a number of NTBs restricting access to national markets, which limit its competitiveness, discriminate against transport companies from certain Member States and increase emissions; calls on Commission and Member States to abolish unnecessary restrictions on cabotage, and calls for the opening of the freight and passenger transport services sector within the EU;
Amendment 179 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 184 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 190 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Considers that while addressing NTBs in the internal market, measures adopted in accordance with legitimate public interest objectives of Member States must be respected in order to ensure a good quality of services striving for sustainable and inclusive growth, guarantee social rights, workers’ rights, consumer and environmental protection and access to health and safety;
Amendment 193 #
2021/2043(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recalls that throughout the regulatory lifecycle, Member States and the Commission must share the responsibility of ensuring that single market rules are complied with in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Pillar of Social Rights and that citizens’ rights, are enforced;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability commits the Commission to extend the generic approach to risk management to ensure that consumer products, including toys, do not contain chemicals that cause cancers, gene mutations, affect the reproductive or the endocrine system, or are persistent and bioaccumulative; whereas the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability in addition commits the Commission to assess the modalities and timing for extending the same generic approach, with regard to consumer products, to further harmful chemicals, including those affecting the immune, neurological or respiratory systems and chemicals toxic to a specific organ;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges the added value of the TSD in improving the safety of children and ensuring an equal level of protection across the single market, compared to the previous directive, and its role in providing legal certainty and a level playing field for businesses; underlines however that a revision of the Toy Safety Directive is urgently needed to take into account aspects of globalisation and digitalisation which has led to new risks for consumers.
Amendment 55 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines that lower limit values for chemicals such as nitrosamines and nitrosatable substances set out at national level compared to those established in the TSD create inconsistencies, even when justified by the Commission; notes, however, that all EU children should enjoy the same high level of protection; acknowledges that this limit value cannot be amended by an implementing act but would require a legislative procedure; calls on the Commission, therefore, to propose adapting the limit value to the strictest value in force at national level in a revision of the TSD;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to extend the TSD’s preventive approach to CMRs to chemicals that affect the endocrine system or are persistent and bioaccumulative; calls on the Commission to also extend this approach to chemicals affecting the immune, neurological, or respiratory systems and to chemicals toxic to a specific organ to ensure a high level of protection against these chemicals as well as ensure a future-proof regulatory response to their use in toys, consistent with the Commission’s intention to prioritize all uses of these chemicals for REACH restrictions.
Amendment 61 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. calls for a revised TSD to include provisions to take account of children’s combined exposure to chemicals as well as to take account of potential low-dose effects in line with the goals of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability; insists that adequate resources must be made available by the Commission and the Member States to systematically identify, assess, and regulate chemicals in toys.
Amendment 62 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. Takes note of the findings of the Commission’s evaluation report on the TSD that the labelling requirements for specific allergenic fragrances in certain experimental toy sets cannot be easily updated when the lists of allergenic fragrances are amended; calls on the Commission to address this shortcoming in its proposal for a revised TSD ; further encourages the Commission to explore how transparency about chemicals in toys could be improved, for example through an obligation to declare the chemical content of toys on product labels.
Amendment 76 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, which aims to improve market surveillance by strengthening controls by national authorities to ensure that products entering the single market, including toys, are safe and comply with the rules, and calls on the Member States to implement it fully; swiftly and to equip customs and market surveillance authorities with sufficient human, financial and technical resources to increase the number and effectiveness of controls ; EU-designated labs should help with the market surveillance of toys, including for example on cybersecurity and chemicals ;
Amendment 101 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Member States to step up coordination of their market surveillance activities and to strengthen the collaboration between market surveillance authorities and other authorities like customs, telecom and data protection authorities;
Amendment 112 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is concerned by the new vulnerabilities and risks posed by connected toys; calls on the Commission to explore different options for action, such as extending the scope of the TSD to include provis in terms of children safety, security, privacy and mental health; in particular the adoption of a horizontallegislations on information security or reinforcing the relevant horizontal legislation, such as the Radio Equipment Directive and the Cybersecurity Act, as well as the GDPR, while keeping Parliament informed of its choicescyber-security requirements for connected products and associated services; stresses the importance for such new toys to be independently tested and third-party certified when being placed on the market and during their lifetime;
Amendment 127 #
2021/2040(INI)
19. Welcomes the guidance of the Commission on Article 4 of Regulation 2019/1020, which clarifies the tasks of economic operators, in particular with regard to products sold online and placed on the EU market from non-EU countries; stresses however that the new traceability provisions in Regulation 2019/1020 will not solve the issues posed by non- compliant direct imports facilitated by marketplaces and that compliance with EU rules by all economic operators is key to ensuring the safety of children and providing a level playing field for companies, and calls on market surveillance and customs authorities to perform robust enforcement actions to stop rogue traders from exploiting the EU market;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2021 on the ruling of the ECJ of 16 July 2020 - Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland Limited, Maximilian Schrems - Case C- 311/18
Amendment 16 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the US remains the EU’s closest strategic partner; whereas the EU and its Member States must abandon the role of junior partner in transatlantic relations and need to re-build the partnership on the basis of mutual respect of the specific interests of each partner;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas US policies under the Trump administration have had a profound impact on the transatlantic relations, resulting in mistrust, widening differences on many economic, trade and political questions and resulting in the emergence of new areas of disagreement; whereas despite important steps of the Biden administration to correct these developments divergent interests and differences continue and will continue to persist; whereas, however, the fact that nearly 47 percent of the electorate voted to re-elect Trump in 2021is proof that on several critical issues—ranging from trade to climate change to data protection—American priorities are not aligned with European ones;
Amendment 25 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas events of the last two decades, such as in particular the economic crisis, military interventions in the Middle East, the crisis of public health services and the failure to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in a call to replace the neoliberal agenda by a progressive agenda focussing on people;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Amendment 27 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. Whereas the Biden administration has thrown its support behind a move at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily lift patent protections for coronavirus vaccines; whereas the EU, following the resistance of those EU Member States which host big pharma business remains reluctant to actively support this request; whereas United States and the EU have enacted temporary trade measures that aim to restrict exports of vital medical supplies as other essential products needed for the worldwide fight against the pandemic;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU and the US share a fundamental interest in shaping the international environment; ; whereas the interests and positions not necessarily coincide: whereas the EU and its Member States reject any attempts to obtain global supremacy, but advocate multilateralism;
Amendment 70 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, while pursuing transatlantic cooperation in areas of shared interest, the EU should also foster its strategic sovereignty and where necessary autonomy in political, defence and, economic and trade relations;
Amendment 78 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU and the US have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship and enjoy the most integrated economic relationship in the world; whereas however, other partners are of major importance for EU’s trade and economy;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. Whereas the pandemic has mirrored that an expansive web of inequalities has become a reality of the societies of the US and the EU which is not restricted to income and wealth, but includes education, health, and housing, unevenness of opportunity and access to public services;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
Amendment 94 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)
Recital I c (new)
Ic. Underlines the need to rebuild the transatlantic partnership on the basis of a paradigm a shift from neo-liberal policies towards a progressive agenda which focusses on people and works for a sustainable and environmental friendly reconstruction of the economy and for overcoming regional, social, race, and gender injustice; insists that the renewed transatlantic partnership should be based on equality of partners and respect for their interests;
Amendment 100 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomNotes the adoption of the new proposal of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for an EU-US agenda for global change in December 2020 as a blueprint for a renewed transatlantic partnership;
Amendment 106 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to reassert the continued relevance of the strategic transatlantic relationship for the rebuilding and reinvigorating of the multilateral rules- based international order, respect for the UN Charter and international law, the global strengthening of democratic values, and the promotion of human rights, sustainable development and inclusive growth;
Amendment 129 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EU and the US to involve all social and economic forces in the debate on the future of transatlantic relations; takes the view that a regular transatlantic civil society dialogue must be established for this purpose;
Amendment 130 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Reminds that the CJEU found that the EU-US Privacy Shield does not guarantee an essentially equivalent, and therefore adequate level of protection compared to that provided by the GDPR and the EU Charter, particularly because of the bulk access by US public authorities to personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield, which fails to comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality, and because of the absence of actionable rights for EU data subjects before the US courts or any other independent authority acting as a tribunal against the US authorities; expects that the Biden administration will be more engaged in complying with its obligations under possible future transfer mechanisms than previous administrations, which showed a lack of political commitment to comply with and enforce the rules of the Safe Harbour and the Privacy Shield respectively;
Amendment 160 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reiterates its commitment to international cooperation within the UN as an indispensable forum for multilateral solutions for global challenges and for policy outreach, policy dialogue and consensus-building across the international community;
Amendment 180 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges the transatlantic partners to proactively support a temporary international waiver on the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) for all coronavirus-related medical products, including vaccines and treatments; urges them to work together with all the WTO partners to ensure that intellectual property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information do not create barriers to the timely access to affordable medical products including vaccines and medicines or to scaling-up of research, development, manufacturing and supply of medical products essential to combat COVID-19;
Amendment 183 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. expresses concern at supply disruptions from the growing use of export restrictions and other actions that limit trade of key medical supplies and food, including by EU Member States; calls on the transatlantic partners and their allies to promptly remove those restrictive measures on products needed for the fight against the pandemic and its consequences and to refrain from imposing new ones or intensifying export and other trade restrictions;
Amendment 188 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for coordinated efforts to achieve ambitious commitments at the UN summits on climate change and biodiversity in 2021; expects the USA to be a strong partner in pushing for an ambitious outcome at the CBDCOP15 in Kunming, October 2021;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Amendment 204 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. underlines the link between nuclear disarmament and the non- proliferation of nuclear weapons, reminds the transatlantic partners that the consistency of the strategy concerning nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament of nuclear weapons and the complete dismantling of nuclear arms is key for their credibility; strongly encourages the US and EU Member States to ratify and implement the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; calls on the EU and the US to co-operate in facilitating the implementation and respect of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on nuclear disarmament and on effective measures for nuclear risk-reduction;
Amendment 245 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 263 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses that climate change is the biggest security threat to the EU, USA and the world;
Amendment 265 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the transatlantic partners to support and actively contribute to the UN Secretary-General's call for a global cease fire, including through effective measures against illicit arms trade and enhancing the transparency and accountability of Member States' arms exports;
Amendment 266 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Calls on the transatlantic partners to put the arms control and disarmament high on the agenda on its and the international agenda; calls on the transatlantic partners to push for international negotiations on arms control agreements, in particular for nuclear disarmament and non- proliferation and including new military technologies, such as artificial intelligence, outer space weaponry, biotechnologies and hypersonic;
Amendment 288 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Supports the creation of the EU-US Security and Defence Dialogue and calls on the VP/HR to launch it as soon as possible; stresses the need to end the narrow interpretation of security as protection from third countries threats and to start the discussion from a concept which does not neglect factors such as environmental hazards, threat of diseases, hunger, social injustice, right wing disinformation and violence;
Amendment 307 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Underlines that policies supporting democracy, human rights and rules of law, fighting disinformation and foreign interference beyond national borders can only be successful if based on defending democratic values, human rights and rule of law, fighting domestic disinformation and respecting international law domestically;
Amendment 309 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Underlines the need on both sides of the address drivers of declining public trust in policy and institutions; stresses that efforts in this direction should include embracing and protecting more resolutely media plurality and independence, building trust in science and facts, protecting people of colour, expanding a safety net of non- discrimination policies, rejecting and addressing racial and religious discrimination and separating the interests of the public from the private interests of those in power;
Amendment 322 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the proposal of President Biden to hold a Summit for Democracy with like-minded democracies; reiterates its commitment to develop broad partnerships to support effective multilateralism;
Amendment 326 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the United States and European Union to work for effective international measures to reshape tax justice and provide public authorities with the means to conduct far-reaching recovery and investment plans by establishing a global minimum effective corporate tax ;
Amendment 331 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Amendment 332 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Stresses that the increasing weaponization of disinformation via social media, the spread of hateful rhetoric and false or manipulated information across many of these channels must be addressed by limiting Big Tech´s “attention-seeking business models” which contribute to the spread thereof and to the polarization of our societies, (and Big Tech’s gradual tightening of its grip on digital activity) Further on, calls for an update of competition policies fit for the digital age addressing digital gate keeper platforms and players with structural remedies and separations and thus, prioritizing citizens’ concerns and rights, and strengthening pertinent public governance in this area; Advocates enhanced EU-US cooperation on renewable energy issues, building on the framework of the EU-US Energy Council; rejects the extension of trade in LNG originating from fracking;
Amendment 335 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 356 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the transatlantic partners to abandon cold war inspired foreign policy paradigms; Calls for a comprehensive EU-US dialogue on China that should address the areas of divergence, such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Investments, and explore possibilities for EU-US cooperation with China in multilateral frameworks on common challenges, such as climate change;
Amendment 366 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Underscores the need to explore areas of convergence and possible cooperation with the US on China, notably regarding the protection of human and minority rights, de-escalation of tensions in South-East Asia, coordination of actions in the Indo-Pacific region, setting technological standards, protecting intellectual property rights and the fight against disinformation; supports closer coordination on these and other issues of common concern;
Amendment 367 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that the consolidation of bipolar structures in the Indo-Pacific region endangers the prosperous development, peace and security in the region; insists that no country should – as in the time of the Cold War – be forced to choose between two sides or fall into a state of unilateral dependency; stresses that freedom of choice regarding membership in economic and policy structures is vital; believes that openness, prosperity, inclusiveness, sustainability, transparency and reciprocity should be guiding principles for the relations of the partners acting in Indo-Pacific region; expresses its readiness to cooperate with the United States in the Indo-Pacific region if these principles are accepted and respected; calls on the United Stats to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
Amendment 376 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for close cooperation to jointly address the range of threats emanating from the Russian Federation, such as the continued destabilisation of Ukraine and Georgia, interferences in democratic processes in the EU and the US, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns, while at the same pursuing selective cooperation in the areas of shared transatlantic interest, notably in the area of arms control; welcomes the readiness of the Biden administration to re-start dialogue and negotiations with Russia; takes the view that the EU and its Member States should actively support the search for ways to dialogue and should contribute to the rebuilding of mutual trust;
Amendment 392 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. underlines the need to de-escalate the military confrontation on the European continent, in particular as the nuclear risks are concerned; calls on the transatlantic partners to engage in efforts to create the conditions for dialogue and negotiations on a new collective security system in Europe which takes into account the interests of all countries of Europe; underlines the urgency of resuming arms control and disarmament negotiations and improving the effectiveness of existing confidence and security-building measures, modernizing them and broadening their scope;
Amendment 404 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Supports closer cooperation with the US and Latin American countries in promoting multilateralism, democratic values, sustainable development, human rights and international law standards; calls on the US to lift the embargo against Cuba, which results in deep economic and social consequences in the region;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2023(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
d) highlight the importance of India as a partner in the global fight against climate change and biodiversity degradation; through a green transition; consolidate shared plans for the full implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and its nationally determined contributions, and for joint climate diplomacy;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2023(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
f) ensure the active consultation and involvement of EU and Indian civil society, in particular trade unions, feminist and LGBTI organisations, environmentalist organisations, as well as other stakeholders, in the development, implementation and monitoring of EU- India relations; seek the establishment of an EU-India Civil Society Platform for that purpose;
Amendment 233 #
2021/2023(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point aa
Paragraph 1 – point aa
aa) recall India’s role as the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer; encourage joint undertakings to ensure universal access to COVID-19 vaccines; seek EU- India leadership in promoting health as a global public good, notably through supporting multilateral initiatives, including COVAX, and help to secure universal access to vaccines, notably among lower-income countries by working together in the relevant international fora for the waver of COVID-19 vaccine patents;
Amendment 152 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In the context of political advertising, targeting techniques are frequently used. Targeting or amplification techniques should be understood as techniques that are used either to address a tailored political advertisement only to a specific person or group of persons or to increase the circulation, reach or visibility of a political advertisement. GivenThrough the power and the potential for the misuse of personal data of targeting, including through microtargeting and other advanced techniques, such techniques mahave been used to distort electoral or consultation process. They present particular threats to legitimate public interests, such as fairness, equal opportunities and transparency in the electoral process and the fundamental right to be informed in an objective, transparent and pluralistic way. Such techniques, and their impact on the framing of the public debate should be closely monitored. Therefore, they should be considered as 'High-Risk AI systems' under the Artificial Intelligence Act
Amendment 154 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5 a) Targeting techniques and pervasive tracking have reached a level of sophistication that allows them to profile people's preferences while respecting the European legal framework preventing the use of sensitive data. Amplification techniques have been used not only to positively influence voters perception and behaviours but also negatively through the use of deception campaign to lower voters turnouts of specific groups. Both have influenced and distorted political debate and democratic consultation by using disinformation as well as malinformation, pushing forward to specific target audiences the most appropriate narrative fitting the objectives of the sponsors of those practices. This brings critical risks in the ongoing political and societal debates that need discussion and not confrontation.
Amendment 156 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 b (new)
Recital 5 b (new)
(5 b) Technological progress through machine learning and fine tuning of algorithms to the service of attention- seeking economy are reinforcing personal views and biaises, thus undermining the basis of democratic life: the acceptance of others opinions and discussion. Regulators should thus have the tools to spot industry practices in the field of political advertising distorting democratic life and tackle them.
Amendment 157 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 c (new)
Recital 5 c (new)
(5 c) Amplification techniques in the case of political advertising have the proven capacity to inflate disinformation at critical times in democratic processes and in very short delays. It should thus be considered as 'High-Risk AI systems' under the Artificial Intelligence Act.
Amendment 159 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) PElections and referendums have already been distorted and political advertising is currently regulated heterogeneously in the Member States, which in many cases tends to focus on traditional media forms. Specific restrictions exist including on cross-border provisions of political advertising services. Some Member States prohibit EU service providers established in other Member States from providing services of a political nature or with a political purpose during electoral periods. At the same time, gaps and loopholes in national legislation are likely to exist in some Member States resulting in political advertising sometimes being disseminated without regard to relevant national rules and thus risking undermining the objective of transparency regulation for political advertising.
Amendment 161 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6 a) The Code of Practice on disinformation of 2018, while signed by major online platforms and advertisers has note been able to alleviate concerns, and must therefore be completed by strong Internal market instruments harmonising political advertising rules, oversight and sanctions, but also strengthening data protections rules.
Amendment 166 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Member States should not maintain or introduce, in their national laws, provisions diverging from those laid down in this Regulation, in particular more or less stringent provisions to ensure a different level of transparency in political advertising. Full harmonisation of the transparency requirements linked to political advertisement increases legal certainty and reduces the fragmentation of the obligations that service providers meet in the context of political advertising.
Amendment 172 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Regulation should provide for harmonised transparency requirement applicable to economic actors providing political advertising and related services (i.e. activities that are normally provided for remuneration); those services consist in particular of the preparation, placement, promotion, publication and dissemination of political advertising. The rules of this Regulation that provide for a high level of transparency of political advertising services are based on Article 114 of the TFEU. This Regulation should also address the use of targeting and amplification techniques in the context of the publication, dissemination or promotion of political advertising that involve the processing of personal data. The rules of this Regulation that address the use of targeting and amplification are based on Article 16 of the TFEU. Political advertising directed to individuals in a Member State should include advertising entirely prepared, placed or published by service providers established outside the Union but disseminated to individuals in the Union. To determine whether a political advertisement is directed to individuals in a Member State, account should be taken of factors linking it to that Member State, including language, context, objective of the advertisement and its means of dissemination.
Amendment 174 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) There is no existing definition of political advertising or political advertisement at Union level. A common definition is needed to establish the scope of application of the harmonised transparency obligations and rules on targeting and amplification. This definition should cover the intention to influence, the many forms that political advertising can take and any means and mode of publication or dissemination within the Union, regardless of whether the source is located within the Union or in a third country.
Amendment 181 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The publication or dissemination by other actors of a message that is liable and designed to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour should also constitute political advertising. In order to determine whether the publication or dissemination of a message is liable and designed to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, a legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour, account should be taken of all relevant factors such as the sponsor of the message, the content of the message, the language used to convey the message, the context in which the message is conveyed, the objective of the message and the means by which the message is published or disseminated. Messages on societal or controversial issues may, as the case may be, be liable to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, a legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour.
Amendment 183 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The publication or dissemination by other actors of a message that is liable to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour should also constitute political advertising. In order to determine whether the publication or dissemination of a message is liable to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, a legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour, account should be taken of all relevant factors such as the intention to influence, the content of the message, the language used to convey the message, the context in which the message is conveyed, the objective of the message and the means by which the message is published or disseminated. Messages on societal or controversial issues may, as the case may be, be liable to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, a legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour.
Amendment 187 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Political views expressedMedias contribute to the well functioning of democratic processes and play an essential role in the freedom of expression and right to information. They provide a space for public debate and contribute to public opinion-forming. This Regulation should therefore not affect medias editorial freedom. Political views expressed under editorial responsibility or in the programmes of audiovisual linear broadcasts or published in printed media without direct payment or equivalent remuneration should not be covered by this Regulation.
Amendment 204 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The rules on transparency laid down in this Regulation should only apply to political advertising services, i.e. political advertising that is normally provided against remuneration, which may include a benefit or expected benefit in kind. The transparency requirements should not apply to content uploaded by a user of an online intermediary service, such as an online platform, and disseminated by the online intermediary service without consideration for the placement, publication or dissemination for the specific message, unless the user has been remunerated or received benefit in kind by a third party for the political advertisement.
Amendment 222 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) Transparency of political advertising should enable citizens to understand that they are confronted with a political advertisement. Political advertising publishers should ensure the publication in connection to each political advertisement of a clear statement to the effect that it is a political advertisement and of the identity of its sponsor. Where appropriate, the name of the sponsor could include a political logo. Political advertising publishers should make use of labelling which is the most effective, taking into account developments in relevant scientific research and best practice on the provision of transparency through the labelling of advertising. They should also ensure the publication in connection to each political advertisement of information to enable the wider context of the political advertisement and its aims to be understood, which can either be included in the advertisement itself, or be provided by the publisher on its website, accessible through a link or equivalent clear and user-friendly direction included in the advertisement.
Amendment 224 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39
Recital 39
(39) This information should be provided in a transparency notice which should also include the identity of the sponsor, in order to support accountability in the political process. The place of establishment of the sponsor and whether the sponsor is a natural or legal person should be clearly indicated. Personal data concerning individuals involved in political advertising, unrelated to the sponsor or other involved political actor should not be provided in the transparency notice. The transparency notice should also contain information on the dissemination period, any linked election, the amount spent for and the value of other benefits received in part or full exchange for the specific advertisement as well for the entire advertising campaign, the source of the funds used and other information to ensure the fairness of the dissemination of the political advertisement. Information on the source of the funds used concerns for instance its public or private origin, the fact that it originates from inside or outside the European Union. Information concerning linked elections or referendums should include, when possible, a link to information from official sources regarding the organisation and modalities for participation or for promoting participation in those elections or referendums. The transparency notice should further include information on how to flag political advertisements in accordance with the procedure established in this Regulation. This requirement should be without prejudice to provisions on notification according to Article 14, 15 and 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/XXX [Digital Services Act]. Providers of political advertising services should ensure that the information provided is complete and correct.
Amendment 233 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 42 a (new)
Recital 42 a (new)
(42 a) Ad repositories should include a set of minimum functionalities, as well as a set of minimum search criteria that enables users and researchers to perform customised searches to retrieve real-time data in standard format and allow for easier cross-platform comparison, research and monitoring. Those should include: access in real time to the repositories data; be comprehensive with data granularity on each individual advertising; designed and structure following commun standards and thus comparable; easily accessible, online and in machine-readable format; contain all the information requested in article 7 as well as annex I and II.
Amendment 260 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 62
Recital 62
Amendment 268 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) harmonised transparency and due diligence obligations for sponsors and providers of political advertising and related services to, as well as political advertising publishers to collect, retain, disclose and publish information connected to the provision of such services;
Amendment 271 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) harmonised rules on the use of targeting and amplification techniques in the context of the publication, dissemination or promotion of political advertising that involve the use and processing of personal data.
Amendment 274 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) harmonised rules on the use of personal data for the purposes of online political advertising in order to complement the application of Regulation 2016/679 and Regulation 2018/1725.
Amendment 276 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. This Regulation shall apply to political advertising sponsored, prepared, placed, promoted, published or disseminated in the Union, or directed to individuals in one or several Member States, irrespective of the place of establishment of the advertising services provider, the sponsor of the services, and irrespective of the means used.
Amendment 286 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(b a) to ensure the public debate, especially prior and during election or referendum periods, is not distorted by political advertising and related services covered by this Regulation;
Amendment 296 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. This Regulation complements and is without prejudice to the application of Regulation 2016/679 and Regulation 2018/1725. It does not replace any of the general obligations under Regulation 2016/679, Regulation 2018/1725 and Directive 2002/58/EC.
Amendment 306 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
(b) which is liable and designed to influence the outcome of an election or referendum, a legislative or regulatory process or voting behaviour.
Amendment 312 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
2 a. It shall not include political views expressed under editorial responsibility.
Amendment 331 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
7. ‘sponsor’ means the natural or legal person on whose behalf a political advertisement is prepared, placed, published, promoted or disseminated;
Amendment 334 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
8. ‘targeting or amplification techniques’ means techniques that are used either to address a tailored political advertisement only to a specific person or group of persons or to increase the circulation, reach or visibility of a political advertisementparticularly through the collection of their data by means of pervasive tracking or online surveillance;
Amendment 335 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)
Amendment 340 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
9. ‘electoral period’ means the period preceding or during or immediately after an election or referendum in a Member State and during which the campaign activities are subject to specific rules in accordance with Member State's law;
Amendment 347 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
12 a. ‘personal data’ within the meaning of Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
Amendment 359 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a This Regulation does not interfere with the existing national rules
Amendment 362 #
Amendment 368 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Providers of advertising services shall request sponsors and providers of advertising services acting on behalf of sponsors to declare whether the advertising service they request the service provider to perform constitutes a political advertising service within the meaning of Article 2(5). Sponsors and providers of advertising services acting on behalf of sponsors shall make such a declaration in clear and understandable terms.
Amendment 384 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) the amounts they invoiced and received for the service or services provided, and the value of other benefits received or expected in part or full exchange for the service or services provided; and
Amendment 387 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) the identity of the political actor and, where applicable, the identity of the sponsor and its contact details.
Amendment 390 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) where applicable the election, referendum or legislative or regulatory process the advertisement is aiming to target.
Amendment 401 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the identity of the political actor, the sponsor of the political advertisement and the entity ultimately controlling the sponsor, its place of establishment and contact details;
Amendment 405 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) a transparency notice to enable the wider context of the political advertisement and its aims to be understood, or a clear indication of where it can be easily retrieved.
Amendment 410 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) a description of the target audience and the factors used to determine the target audience.
Amendment 411 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) where applicable the election, referendum or legislative or regulatory process the advertisement is aiming to target.
Amendment 419 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(a a) if applicable, the data used to identify their target audience;
Amendment 420 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a b (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a b (new)
(a b) if applicable, the source of the data used to determine their target audience;
Amendment 423 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) based among others on information received in line with Article 6(3), information on the aggregated amounts spent or other benefits received or expected in part or full exchange for the preparation, placement, promotion, publication and dissemination of the relevant advertisement, and of the political advertising campaign where relevant, and their sources;
Amendment 430 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) where applicable, links to online repositories ofand libraries of political advertisements;
Amendment 444 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. Political advertising publishers shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the information referred to in paragraph 1 and 2 is complete updated, and where they find this is not the case, they shall withdraw or not make available the political advertisement.
Amendment 450 #
2021/0381(COD)
4. Transparency notices shall be kept up to date and presented in a format which is easily accessible and, where technically possible, machine readable, clearly visible and user friendly, including through the use of plain language. The information shall be published by the political advertising publisher with the political advertisement from its first publication until onetwo years after its last publication.
Amendment 458 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 5
Article 7 – paragraph 5
5. Political advertising publishers shall retain their transparency notices together with any modifications for a period of fiveten years after the end of the period referred to in paragraph 4.
Amendment 462 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 6
Article 7 – paragraph 6
6. Political advertising publishers which are very large online platforms within the meaning of Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2021/xxx [the DSA] shall ensure that the repositories that they make available pursuant to Article 30 of that regulation [Digital Services Act] make available for each political advertisement in the repositoryshall have public repositories of the political advertisements they serviced. Those repositories should be available for each political advertisement and include a set of minimum functionalities, as well as a set of minimum search criteria that enables users and researchers to perform customised searches to retrieve real-time data in standard format and allow for easier cross-platform comparison, research and monitoring. Those should include: access in real time to the repositories data; be comprehensive with data granularity on each individual advertising; designed and structure following commun standards and thus comparable; easily accessible, online and in machine-readable format; contain all the information referred toquested in paragraph 2ticle 7 as well as annex I and II.
Amendment 464 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. The repositories mentioned in article 7.6 should be linked to a centralized and standardized repository set up by the Commission or an ad hoc agency and automatically filled by the political advertising publisher.
Amendment 466 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 7
Article 7 – paragraph 7
7. Member States, including competent authorities, and the Commission shall encourage the drawing up of codes of conduct intended to contribute to the proper application of this Article, taking into account the specific characteristics of the relevant service providers involved and the specific needs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, within the meaning of Article 3 of Directive 2013/34/EU.
Amendment 469 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 8
Article 7 – paragraph 8
8. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 19 to amend Annex I by adding, modifying or removing elements from the list of information to be provided pursuant to paragraph 2 where, in the light of technological developments, relevant scientific research, market practices, civil society flagging, developments in supervision by competent authorities and relevant guidance issued by competent bodies; such an amendment is necessary for the wider context of the political advertisement and its aims to be understood.
Amendment 473 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 a (new)
Article 7 a (new)
Article 7 a Political Add Library 1. From the entry into force of this regulation the Commission or an had hoc Agency shall set up an online 'European Add Library' gathering all the information requested by article 7 and annex I and II. 2. This Political Add Library will be linked to the repositories mentioned in article 7. 3. It shall define standards of display and research, with data easily accessible to all, machine readable and updated in real time by advertising services providers through automated means.
Amendment 476 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Where they provide political advertising services, advertising publishers shall include information on the amounts or the value of other benefits received or expected in part or full exchange for those services, including on the use of targeting and amplification techniques, aggregated by campaign, as part of their management report within the meaning of Article 19 of Directive 2013/34/EU in their annual financial statements.
Amendment 481 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Amendment 489 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. Where they provide political advertising services, advertising publishers shall put in place mechanisms to enable individuals or entities to notify them, free of charge, that a particular advertisement which they have published does not comply with this Regulation.
Amendment 502 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. Political advertising publishers shall allow for the submission of the information referred to in paragraph 1 by electronic means. The political advertising publisher shall inform individuals or entities of the follow up given to the notification as referred to in paragraph 1.
Amendment 520 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Competent national authorities shall have the power to request that a provider of political advertising services transmits the information referred to in Articles 6, 7 and 8. The transmitted information must be complete, accurate and trustworthy, and provided in a clear, coherent, consolidated and intelligible format. Where technically possible, tThe information shall also be transmitted in a machine readable format.
Amendment 525 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. Upon receipt of a request pursuant to paragraph 1, providers of political advertising services shall, within twoone working days, acknowledge receipt of that request and inform the authority of the steps taken to comply with it. The relevant service provider shall provide the requested information within tenwo working days.
Amendment 532 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 11 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) members of a civil society organisation whose statutory objectives are to protect and promote the public interest, authorised under national or Union law;
Amendment 538 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3
Article 11 – paragraph 3
3. Following a request from an interested entity, the service provider shall make best efforts to provide the requested information or its reasoned response under paragraph 5, within one month.
Amendment 539 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Amendment 541 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 5
Article 11 – paragraph 5
5. Where requests pursuant to paragraph 1 are manifestly unfounded, unclear or excessive, in particular because of their lack of clarity,clear the service provider may refuse to respond. In this case, the relevant service provider shall send a reasoned response to the interested entity making the request.
Amendment 543 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 6
Article 11 – paragraph 6
Amendment 545 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 7
Article 11 – paragraph 7
7. Service providers shall bear the burden of demonstrating that a request is manifestly unfounded, unclear or excessive, or that requests are repetitive and involve significant costs to processclear.
Amendment 553 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – title
Article 12 – title
12 Specific requirements related to the use of personal data for targeting and amplification techniques
Amendment 570 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 a (new)
Article 12 a (new)
Article 12 a Specific requirements related to the use of personal data for online political advertising 1. Providers of intermediary services shall not process personal data for the purposes of targeting natural persons for online political advertising. 2. This provision shall not prevent intermediary services from displaying online political advertising based on contextual information such as keywords. 3. The use of the contextual information referred to in paragraph 2 shall only be permissible if it does not allow for the direct, or by means of combining it with other information, indirect identification of a natural person or a group of natural persons.
Amendment 582 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The national regulatory authorities or bodies referred in Article 30 of Directive 2010/13/EU as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/1808 shall have the competence to monitor the application of this Regulation with regard to provisions of Directive 2010/13/EU as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/1808 and shall be responsible for ensuring coordination on those provisions at national and Union level.
Amendment 594 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3
Article 15 – paragraph 3
3. Each Member State shall designate one or more competent authorities to be responsible for the application and enforcement of the aspects of this Regulation not referred to in paragraphs 1, 1a and 2. Each competent authority designated under this paragraph shall structurally enjoy full independence both from the sector and from any external intervention or political pressure. It shall in full independence effectively monitor and take the measures necessary and proportionate to ensure compliance with this Regulation.
Amendment 611 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 6
Article 15 – paragraph 6
6. Member States shall ensure cooperation among competent authorities and supervisory authorities, in particular in the framework of national elections networks and the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services, to facilitate the swift and secured exchange of information on issues connected to the exercise of their supervisory and enforcements tasks pursuant to this Regulation, including by jointly identifying infringements, sharing findings and expertise, and liaising on the application and enforcement of relevant rules.
Amendment 615 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 7
Article 15 – paragraph 7
7. Each Member State shall designate one competent authorityies as a contact point at Union level for the purposes of this Regulation.
Amendment 638 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. In relation to Articles 5 to 11, 13 and 14 Member States shall lay down rules on sanctions including administrative fines and financial penalties applicable cumulatively to providers of political advertising services under their jurisdiction for infringements of the present Regulation, which shall in each individual case be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
Amendment 641 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. To avoid circumvention of the objectives of this regulation, financial penalties shall be of maximum 6% of the global turnover in the preceding financial year and no less than 0,5% to the minimum of EUR 40 000 for each violation;
Amendment 648 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 4
Article 16 – paragraph 4
4. Infringements of Article 7 shall be considered to be particularly serious where they concern political advertising published or disseminated in the run up or during an electoral period and directed to citizens in the Member State in which the relevant election is being organised.
Amendment 672 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point b a (new)
Annex I – point b a (new)
(b a) if applicable, the data used to identify the data subjects being targeted for the purpose of online political advertising, including location and special characteristics of the data subjects.
Amendment 675 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point d
Annex I – point d
(d) any election, referendum, or political campaign with which the advertising is linked, if applicable.
Amendment 680 #
2021/0381(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point h
Annex I – point h
(h) where the publisher is a very large online platform, a link to the advertisement’s location in the publisher’s advertising repository.
Amendment 66 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Since 2009, efforts have been deployed at Union level to limit the fragmentation of the charging interfaces for mobile phones and similar items of radio equipment. Recent vVoluntary initiatives do not fully meet Union policy objectivesproved to be insufficient to reduce electronic waste (e-waste), ensure consumer convenience and avoid fragmentation of the market for charging devices and therefore mandatory rules are necessary.
Amendment 68 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) The European Parliament has repeatedly called for the introduction of a common charger since 2009. In its last resolution adopted in January 2020, the European Parliament stressed the urgent need for Union regulatory action to introduce a common charger for mobile phones and other small and medium-sized radio equipment devices and to ensure an effective decoupling strategy making it possible for consumers not to purchase a new charger with every new device.
Amendment 76 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The interoperability between radio equipment and accessories such as chargers is hampered as there are different charging interfaces for certain categories or classes of radio equipment that use wired charging such as handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones or headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers. In addition, there are several types of fast charging communication protocols for which a minimum level of performance is not always guaranteed. As a result, Union action is required to promote a common degree of interoperability, minimum power delivery, fast charging functionality and the provision of information relating to the charging characteristics of radio equipment to end- users. It is therefore necessary to introduce suitable requirements in Directive 2014/53/EU regarding the charging communication protocols, the charging interface (i.e. charging receptacle) of certain categories or classes of radio equipment, as well as the information to be provided to end-users regarding the charging characteristics of those categories or classes of radio equipment.
Amendment 80 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The size of the internal market in rechargeable mobile phones and similar categories or classes of radio equipment, the proliferation of different types of charging devices for such radio equipment, lack of interoperability, the issue of low quality and dangerous chargers, differing charging times, and the significant cross- border trade of those products calls for stronger legislative action at Union level rather than either national level or voluntary measures, so as to achieve the smooth functioning of the internal market. As e-waste produced in the Union is often dumped in third countries, the necessary reduction of e-waste trough the introduction of the common charger would have a cross-border effect.
Amendment 86 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) It is therefore necessary to harmonise the charging interface and charging communication protocols for specific categories or classes of radio equipment that are recharged via wired charging. It is also necessary to provide the basis for adaption to any future technological progress by introducing a harmonisation of the charging interfaces and the charging communication protocols with respect to radio equipment that may be charged via any means other than wired charging including charging via radio waves (wireless charging) by 31 December 2025. Such harmonisation should reduce environmental waste, ensure consumer convenienccover any type of wireless charging and make sure it is safe, energy efficient and interoperable and therefore very consumer friendly. Furthermore, it should lead to reduced environmental waste and avoid fragmentation of the market among different charging interfaces and charging communication protocols as well as among any initiatives at national level, which might cause barriers to trade in the internal market.
Amendment 92 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Such harmonisation would be however incomplete, if it is not combined with requirements regarding the combined sale of radio equipment and their chargers and information to be provided to end- users. A fragmentation of approaches among the Member States with respect to the marketing of the categories or classes of radio equipment concerned and their charging devices would hamper the cross- border trade in those products, for example by obliging economic operators to repackage their products depending on the Member State, in which the products are to be supplied. This would in turn result in increased inconvenience for consumers and would generate unnecessary e-waste thus offsetting the benefits derived from the harmonisation of the charging interface and charging communication protocol. It is therefore necessary to impose requirements to ensure that end-users are not obliged towould by default not purchase a new charging device with each purchase of a new mobile phone or similar item of radio equipment. To ensure the effectiveness of such requirements, end- users should receive the necessary information regarding the charging characteristics when purchasing a mobile phone or similar item of radio equipment and a meaningful price difference for consumers between a device with or without a charger should be offered.
Amendment 101 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) With respect to charging by means other thanthe increase in the use and market share of wiredless charging, divergent solutions may be developed in the future, which may have negative impacts on interoperability, consumer convenience and the environment. Whilst it is premature to impose specific requirements on such solutions at this stagTherefore, the Commission should be able to take action towards harmonising them in the future, if fragmentation on the internal market is observed.
Amendment 112 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Articles 40, 43 and 44 of Directive 2014/53/EU should be amended in order to adapt the references that they contain to the new provisions that are introduced by this Directive. During the first two years following the date of application of this Directive, it is essential that the Union finance Member States' and Union market surveillance campaigns and associated activities relating to radio equipment falling within the scope of Article 3(4) of Directive 2014/53/EU.
Amendment 130 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point a
(a) modifying, adding or remov or adding categories or classes of radio equipment; or power equipment;
Amendment 133 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point b
(b) modifying, adding or remov or adding technical specifications, including references and descriptions, in relation to the charging receptacle(s), power requirements and charging communication protocol(s), for each category or class of radio equipment concerned.’
Amendment 139 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3 – introductory part
With respect to radio equipment capable of being recharged via means other than wired charging, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 44, by 31 December 2025, in order to amend Annex Ia in the light of technical progress, and to ensure the minimum common interoperability between radio equipment and their charging devices, by:
Amendment 142 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3 – point a
(a) introducing, modifying, adding or remov or adding categories or classes of radio equipment charged wirelessly;
Amendment 147 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
The Commission shall, in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, request one or more European standardisation organisations to draft harmonised standards for the categories of radio equipment falling within the scope of paragraph 4 of this Article. The Commission shall submit the first draft request to the relevant committee by ... [one year after the date of entry into force of this Directive]. The Commission may adopt implementing acts establishing technical specifications for the categories of radio equipment set out in Annex Ia to this Directive where the following conditions have been fulfilled: (a) no reference to harmonised standards is published in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012; and (b) either: (i) the Commission has requested one or more European standardisation organisations to draft a harmonised standard and there are undue delays in the standardisation procedure or the request has not been accepted by any European standardisation organisations; or (ii) the Commission can demonstrate that a technical specification complies with the requirements laid down in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, except for the requirement that the technical specifications should have been developed by a non-profit making organisation. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 45(3).
Amendment 155 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 3 a – paragraph 1
Article 3 a – paragraph 1
Where an economic operator offers to end- users the possibility to acquire radio equipment falling within the scope of Article 3(4) together with a charging device, the end-user shall alsoby default be offered the possibility to acquire the radio equipment without any charging device.;
Amendment 168 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5 – point b a (new)
Directive 2014/53/EU
Article 40 – paragraph 5 – point b a (new)
Article 40 – paragraph 5 – point b a (new)
(ba) in paragraph 5, the following point is added: (ba) When carrying out market surveillance of radio equipment falling within the scope of Article 3(4), the relevant market surveillance authorities shall perform specific checks about the economic operators' obligations of information about the charging capabilities in Article 10(8) and checks on the compliance with the applicable safety and interoperability requirements.
Amendment 173 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall adopt and publish, by [OP please insert date – 12 months after adoptionsix months after the date of entry into force of this Directive] at the latest, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.
Amendment 178 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
They shall apply those provisions from [OP please insert date 12six months after the end of the transposition period indicated in the preceding subparagraph].
Amendment 182 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I
Annex I
Directive 2014/53/EU
Annex 1 a –Part I – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex 1 a –Part I – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Hand-held mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speaker, portable speakers, e-readers, smart watches, electronic toys, personal care devices, GPS/portable navigation and sport devices, smart speakers, digital radios, rechargeable power tools, electric screwdrivers and other rechargeable devices, in so far as they are capable of being recharged via wired charging, shall:
Amendment 209 #
2021/0291(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I
Annex I
Such information shall be provided online and offline in a language which can be easily understood by consumers and other end-users, including persons with disabilities, as determined by the Member State concerned, and shall be clear, understandable and intelligible.’
Amendment 193 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The World Health Organisation defines ‘health’ as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition supports the fact that the development of new technologies might bring new health risks to consumers, such as psychological risk, development risks, in particular for children, mental risks, depression, loss of sleep, or altered brain function. In order to protect consumers against these risks, these aspects should be included in the risk assessment made by manufacturers and market surveillance authorities before a product is placed on the market.
Amendment 202 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) Economic operators should have obligations concerning the safety of products, in relation to their respective roles in the supply chain, so as to ensure a high level of protection of the health and safety of consumers. All economic operators intervening in the supply and distribution chain should take appropriate measures to ensure that they only make available on the market products, which are safe and in conformity with this Regulation. It is necessary to provide for a clear and proportionate distribution of obligations corresponding to the role of each operator in the supply and distribution process. It should always be possible to hold an economic operator liable in the EU, even if the product is sold from a third-country seller.
Amendment 208 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Distance selling, including online selling, should also fall within the scope of this Regulation. Online selling has grown consistently and steadily, creating new business models and new actors in the market such as the online marketplaces. The increase of online selling has however also led to new challenges regarding product safety and the safety of consumers.
Amendment 217 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) Given the important role played by online marketplaces when intermediating the sale of products between traders and consumers, such actors should have more responsibilities in tackling the sale of dangerous products online. Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council29 provides the general framework for e-commerce and lays down certain obligations for online platforms. Regulation […/…] on a Single Market for Digital Services (Digital Services Act) and amending Directive 2000/31/EC30 regulates the responsibility, liability and accountability of providers of intermediary services online with regard to illegal contents, including unsafe products. That Regulation applies without prejudice to the rules laid down by Union law on consumer protection and product safety. Accordingly, building on the horizontal legal framework provided by that Regulation, specific requirements essential to effectively tackle the sale of dangerous products online should be introduced, in line with Article [1(5), point (h)] of that Regulation. __________________ 29 Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market ('Directive on electronic commerce') - OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1–16. 30 Regulation […/…] on a Single Market for Digital Services (Digital Services Act) and amending Directive 2000/31/EC.
Amendment 218 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) The Product Safety Pledge, signed in 2018 and joined by a number of marketplaces since then, provides for a number of voluntary commitments on product safety. The Product Safety Pledge has proved its rationale in enhancing the protection of consumers against dangerous products sold online. Nonetheless, its voluntary nature and the voluntary participation by a limited number of online marketplaces reduces its effectiveneshas proven insufficient to effectively protect consumers and cannot ensure a level-playing field.
Amendment 223 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) The obligations imposed by this Regulation on online marketplaces should neither amount to a general obligation to monitor the information which they transmit or store, nor to actively seek facts or circumstances indicating illegal activity, such as the sale of dangerous products online. Online marketplaces should, nonetheless, ensure to effectively prevent any manifestation of illegal activities on their marketplaces. Effective prevention should be reached by requiring marketplaces to conduct regular random check verifications on trader accounts and the products they offer, including visual inspections and mystery shopping exercises, expeditiously remove content referring to dangerous products from their online interfaces, upon obtaining actual knowledge or, in the case of claims for damages, awareness of the illegal content, in particular in cases where the online marketplace has been made aware of facts or circumstances on the basis of which a diligent economic operator should have identified the illegality in question, in order to benefit from the exemption from liability for hosting services under the 'Directive on electronic commerce' and the [Digital Services Act]. Online marketplaces should process notices concerning content referring to unsafe products, received in accordance with [Article 14] of Regulation (EU) …/…[the Digital Services Act], within the additional timeframes established by this Regulation.
Amendment 250 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 52
Recital 52
(52) Under Article 34 of Regulation (EU) No 2019/1020, Member States authorities are to notify measures adopted against products covered by that Regulation, presenting a less than serious risk, through the information and communication system referred to in the same article, while corrective measures adopted against products covered by this Regulation presenting a less than serious risk should be notified in the Safety Gate. Member States and the Commission should make available to the public information relating to risks to the health and safety of consumers posed by products. It is opportune for consumers and businesses that all information on corrective measures adopted against products posing a risk are contained in the Safety Gate, allowing relevant information on dangerous products to be made available to the public through the Safety Gate portal. Member States are therefore encouraged to notify in the Safety Gate all corrective measures on products posing a risk to the health and safety of consumers. The database and website of the Safety Gate should be easily accessible for persons with disabilities.
Amendment 266 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 60
Recital 60
(60) The public interface of the Safety Gate, the Safety Gate portal, allows the general public, including consumers, economic operators and online marketplaces, to be informed about corrective measures taken against dangerous products present on the Union market. A separate section of the Safety Gate portal enables consumers to inform the Commission of products presenting a risk to consumer health and safety found in the market. Where relevant, the Commission should provide adequate follow-up, notably by transmitting such information to the concerned national authorities. The database and website of the Safety Gate should be easily accessible for persons with disabilities.
Amendment 283 #
Amendment 285 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Regulation should ensure that products placed and made available on the single market are safe, and maintain a high level of safety, health and protection for consumers. This Regulation therefore lays down essential rules on the safety of consumer products placed or made available on the market.
Amendment 287 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Where products are subject to specific safety requirements imposed by Union legislation, this Regulation shall apply only to the aspects and risks or categories of risks not covered by those requirements, as this could otherwise lead to a threat to consumers' health and safety or other public interests.
Amendment 290 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point a
(a) Chapter II shall not apply insofar as the risks or categories of risks are adequately covered by Union harmonisation legislation are concerned;. When assessing if the risks are adequately covered, the aspects for assessing the safety of products outlined in Article 7 must be considered.
Amendment 304 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. ‘product’ means any item, including digital products such as apps and softwares, interconnected or not to other items, supplied or made available, whether for consideration or not, in the course of a commercial activity including in the context of providing a service – which is intended for consumers or can, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, be used by consumers even if not intended for them;
Amendment 320 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 10
10. ‘importer’ means any natural or legal person, including online marketplaces, established within the Union who places a product from a third country on the Union market;
Amendment 324 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13
13. ‘economic operator’ means the manufacturer, the authorized representative, the importer, the distributor, the fulfilment service provider, the online marketplaces or any other natural or legal person who is subject to obligations in relation to the manufacture of products, making them available on the market in accordance with this Regulation;
Amendment 327 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 14
14. ‘online marketplace’ means a provider of an intermediary service using software, including a website, part of a website or an application, operated by or on behalf of a trader, which allows consumers to conclude distance contracts with other traders or consumers for the sale of products covered by this Regulation;
Amendment 340 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – title
Article 6 – title
Presumption of safetyconformity with safety requirements
Amendment 349 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts determining the specific safety requirements necessary to ensure that products which conform to the European standards satisfy the general safety requirement laid down in Article 5, taking into account the aspects for assessing the safety of products of Article 7. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 42(3).
Amendment 351 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
3. However, presumption of safetyconformity with the safety requirements under paragraph 1 shall not prevent market surveillance authorities from taking action under this Regulation where there is evidence that, despite such conformity, the product is dangerous.
Amendment 354 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Where the presumption of safety laid down in Article 5 does not apply, the following aspects shall be taken into account in particular when assessThe following aspects shall be assessed when determining whether a product is safe:
Amendment 358 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the characteristics of the product, including its design, technical features, composition including chemical substances, packaging, instructions for assembly and, where applicable, for installation, use and maintenance;
Amendment 365 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) The age labelling of products regarding their suitability of legality for children and in general, the categories of consumers at risk when using the product, in particular vulnerable consumers such as children, older people, refugees and persons with disabilities, particularly exposed to higher risks regarding their health and safety;
Amendment 371 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point g
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) the fact that although not designed or not intended for use by children, the product is known or likely to be used by children or resembles an obje product commonly recognized as appealing to or intended for use by children, because of its design, packaging and characteristics;
Amendment 375 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point h
(h) the appropriate cybersecurity features necessary to protect the product against external influences, including malicious third parties, when such an influence might have an impact on the safety of the product and lead to an illegal use of personal data of consumers;
Amendment 380 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Amendment 399 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Manufacturers shall make publicly available to consumers, communication channels such as telephone number, electronic address orand dedicated section of their website, allowing the consumers to file complaints in an accessible way including for disabled people, and to inform them of any accident or safety issue they have experienced with the product.
Amendment 408 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Personal data stored in the register of complaints shall only be those personal data that are necessary for the manufacturer to investigate the complaint about an alleged dangerous product. Such data shall only be kept as long as it is necessary for the purpose of investigation and no longer than fivthree years after they have been encoded.
Amendment 415 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 8 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Manufacturers shall draw up technical documentation of the product before the product is placed on the market and this information should be updated if needed after the placement on the market. The technical documentation shall contain, as appropriate :
Amendment 439 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 8
Article 8 – paragraph 8
8. Manufacturers shall ensure that their product is accompanied by instructions and safety information in a language which can be easily understood by consumers, as determined by the Member State in which the product is made available. This requirement shall not apply where the product can be used safely and as intended by the manufacturer without such instructions and safety informationese instructions shall be clear and accessible including for vulnerable consumers and persons with disabilities.
Amendment 442 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 9 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. For digital or connected products likely to impact children, manufacturers shall conduct child risk assessments covering content, contact, conduct and contract risks and ensure their products meet the highest standards of safety, security and privacy by design and default, paying particular attention to the best interests of children.
Amendment 448 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 10 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. For connected products, manufacturers shall establish a risk- management system including a complete post-marketing monitoring system and record keeping of the performance of connected products to ensure the continued safe functioning of products over their entire life times.
Amendment 449 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 11
Article 8 – paragraph 11
11. Manufacturers shall, via the Safety Business Gateway referred to in Article 25, immediately alert consumers of the risk to their health and safety presented by a product they manufacture and immediately inform the market surveillance authorities of the Member States in which the product has been made available to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the risk to health and safety of consumers and of any corrective measure already taken. In accordance with article 33, consumers must be alerted immediately through clear and targeted information in their national languages, including but not exclusively using digital means. This information has to be accessible especially for vulnerable consumers including persons with disabilities.
Amendment 486 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 8
Article 10 – paragraph 8
8. Importers who consider or have reason to believe, on the basis of the information in their possession, that a product which they have placed on the market is not safe shall immediately inform the manufacturer and ensure that the corrective measures necessary to bring the product into conformity are adopted including withdrawal or recall, as appropriate. In case such measures have not been adopted, the importer shall adopt them. Importers shall ensure that, through the Safety Business Gateway referred to in Article 25, consumers are immediately and effectively alerted of the risk where applicable and that market surveillance authorities of the Member States in which they made the product available to that effect be immediately informed, giving details, in particular, of the risk to health and safety of consumers and of any corrective measure already taken. In accordance with article 33, consumers must be alerted immediately through clear and targeted information in their national languages, including but not exclusively through the Business Safety Gate. This information has to be easily accessible especially for vulnerable consumers and persons with disabilities.
Amendment 534 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. For certain products, categories or groups of products, which are susceptible to bear a serious risk to health and safety of consumers, based on accidents registered in the Safety Business Gateway, the Safety Gate statistics, the results of the joint activities on product safety and other relevant indicators or evidence, the Commission mayshall require economic operators who place and make available those products on the market to establish or adhere to a system of traceability.
Amendment 556 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
1. The manufacturer shall ensure that,notify through the Safety Business Gateway referred to in Article 25, an accident caused by a product placed or made available on the market is notified, within two workingone calendar days from the moment it knows about the accident, to the competent authorities of the Member State where the accident has occurred. The notification shall include the type and identification number of the product as well as the circumstances of the accident, if known. The manufacturer shall notify, upon request, to the competent authorities any other relevant information.
Amendment 563 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. When the authorised representative has knowledge of an accident caused by a product from a manufacturer which he/she represents, he/she shall notify this information within one calendar day to the Safety Business Gateway and inform the manufacturer thereof. 4. Online marketplaces which have knowledge of an accident caused by a product which is traded through their marketplace shall notify this within one calendar day to the Safety Business Gateway and inform the manufacturer thereof.
Amendment 566 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 a (new)
Article 19 a (new)
Amendment 567 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 b (new)
Article 19 b (new)
Article 19 b Pan-European Injury Database 1. A Pan-European Injury Database (IDB), which would cover all types of physical and mental injuries involving consumer products shall be set up and coordinated by the European Commission. 2. The relevant market surveillance authorities established by the Member States shall contribute to the establishment of the database and deliver injury data to the database, based on a common methodology, comprehensive and in accordance with European and national laws on data protection. 3. The Commission shall support the coordination of the collection of data from Member States and the operation of the database.
Amendment 569 #
Amendment 663 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 1
Article 25 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall maintain a web portal enabling the economic operators, including online marketplaces, to provide market surveillance authorities and consumers with the information referred to in Articles 8(11), 9(2) point c), 10(8), 11(3), 11(4) and Article 19.
Amendment 689 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 28 – paragraph 1
Article 28 – paragraph 1
1. A European network of the authorities of the Member States competent for product safety (‘Consumer Safety Network’) shall be established. Consumer organisations shall be observers to the Network.
Amendment 704 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 2
Article 30 – paragraph 2
2. Unless otherwise agreed upon by the market surveillance authorities concerned, sweeps shall be coordinated by the Commission. The coordinator of the sweep may, where appropriate,shall make the aggregated results publicly available.
Amendment 713 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. For the purpose of Article 31(1) and Article 19, the Commission shall maintain a Safety Gate portal, providing the general public with free access to selected information notified in accordance with Article 24. These information are made publicly available in an accessible way, especially for people with disabilities and other vulnerable consumers.
Amendment 724 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1
Article 33 – paragraph 1
1. In case of a recall or where certain information has to be brought to the attention of consumers to ensure the safe use of a product (‘safety warning’), economic operators, in accordance with their respective obligations as provided for in Articles 8, 9, 10 and 11, shall directly notifactively notify and immediately all affected consumers that they can identify. Economic operators who collect their customers’ personal data shall make use of this information for recalls and safety warnings.
Amendment 728 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2
Article 33 – paragraph 2
2. Where economic operators have product registration systems or customer loyalty programs in place for purposes other than contacting their customers with safety information, they shall offer the possibility to their customers to provide separate contact details only for safety purposes. The personal data collected for that purpose shall be limited to the necessary minimum and mayshall only be used to contact consumers in case of a recall or safety warning.
Amendment 731 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 4
Article 33 – paragraph 4
4. If not all affected consumers can be contacted directly, economic operators, including online marketplaces, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, shall disseminate a recall notice or safety warning through other appropriate channels, ensuring the widest possible reach including, where available: the company’s website, social media channels, newsletters and retail outlets and, as appropriate, announcements in mass media and other communication channels. Information shall be accessible to consumers with disabilities. and vulnerable consumers. Consumer organisations shall also be involved in order to support the dissemination of the information.
Amendment 755 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 35 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 35 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 763 #
2021/0170(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 a (new)
Article 36 a (new)
Article 36 a Cooperation of the Consumer Safety Network with other European networks Where relevant, the Consumer Safety Network should cooperate and exchange informations with the Consumer Protection Coordination network (CPC- network), the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and other European bodies, in particular when it comes to assessing the safety of products or deciding on the remedies to consumers pursuant to Article 35.
Amendment 10 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that the need for a tighter and more closely coordinated relationship between the EU and the UK on security issues has been thrown into sharp relief by the Russian war of aggression against Ukrainecommitting to diplomatic efforts as the main and primary strategy for conflict prevention, conflict resolution and crisis management as axis of their foreign policies and the agreement between both parties; calls on the EU and the UK to take an active role in the peaceful resolution of major conflicts, boosting an International mechanism for conflict resolution through dialogue, in full alignment with UN Resolution 1325; stresses that political and financial support based on constructive mediation and the peaceful and democratic resolution of conflicts should be promoted;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2202(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that although the political declaration has not been honoured and there is no agreement on foreign policy and defence, both sides should continue to cooperate in these fields, with an approach of foreign policy based on democracy and the rule of law, intersectional and gender equality, disarmament and non proliferation, international cooperation for development and climate action; calls for the participation of civil society organisations in the design and the implementation of the EU and UK's Foreign Policy agreement; calls on the European Union and the United Kingdom to support the abolition of nuclear weapons by promoting accession to and signature of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and autonomous lethal weapon systems;
Amendment 16 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the global order is increasingly polarised and marred by competing agendas and policy stances, military build-up, and by the increasing riskfragmentation of regulatory fragmentation and competition on regulatoryf what once were collective standards;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the multilateral order was built to face and tackle the challenges of our time, such as hunger and extreme poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, diseases, economic shocks and the prevention of conflicts; whereas, whilst important advances were made, in the last decade we are observing a sliding back in a number of areas;
Amendment 20 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas there needs to be a renewal of the social contract and the need to rebuild trust;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas in September 2015 all countries committed to an ambitious agenda on how to tackle global challenges together, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas, whilst multilateralism remains the best organizational system to solve global challenges, it must be recognized that it is struggling to find the path to effective implementation;
Amendment 24 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the world has entered a new era of ‘unpeaturbulence’, characterised by great geopolitical competition involving ‘semi-conflicts’,and instability that has derived in an increasing number of ‘semi-conflicts’, hot and cold conflicts, hybrid warfare and disinformation which happen away from the public eye, but have significant implications for EU and global security;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas multilateralism is in crisis, resulting in part from the emergence of new actors on the global stage, the tensions derived from the nature of multilateral institutions, the growing gap between public opinion and institutions, the decline of traditionally dominant geopolitical powers and the subsequent decline of global freedoms and democracy; whereas global powers have increasingly acted in a unilateral way; whereas there have been challenges in translating global commitments and the good will of a host of stakeholders into national actions; whereas we are on the cusp of a new era that threatens to undermine more than seventy years of progress and relative peace and consolidate an era of strongman politics striving to undermine the rule of law, responsibility, gender equality and diversity; whereas the combination of national populist impulses, divergent and changing objectives and a lack of application and accountability methods is forcing the multilateral system to face three connected crises: a crisis of power, of relevance and of legitimacy;
Amendment 47 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the crisis of mulitalteralism can be an opportunity to rebuild consensus for an international order based on multilateralism and the rule of law through efficient cooperation, solidarity and coordination; whereas the EU should support initiatives aimed at incorporating the views of civil society in the decision making processes in multilateral fora such as the UN; whereas the EU should advocate for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) within the UN system in order to increase the democratic character, the democratic accountability and the transparency of global governance;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas multilateralism is in need of swift revitalisation to tackle this multidimensional crisis; whereas peace and security, climate change, gender equality, global public health and the deepening of poverty and inequalities at the global level are some of the pressing challenges that the world is facing right now; whereas only through a reinforced multilateral order will the international community be able to find lasting and sustainable answers to these challenges;
Amendment 59 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the climate emergency and the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the importance and policy primacy of global public goods, such as, inter alia, access to health, clean air, education, technology and cyberspace in an inclusive fashion; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of an obvious fact: in the face of a pandemic, our health safety chain is only as strong as the weakest health system; whereas Covid-19 anywhere is a threat to people and economies everywhere; whereas in order to tackle the global pandemic the EU must fulfil the mandate of the European Parliament and temporarily waive COVID-19 vaccine patents; whereas access to global public goods and policy responses seeking to standardise and expand such access across countries and communities requires global cooperation on objectives, minimum standards and active support for the most vulnerable countries and communities; whereas this requires an effective multilateral agenda focused on global public goods and governance structures that reinforce access to such goods; whereas effective policy dialogue, cooperation and delivery on access to global public goods cannot be decoupledand must not be decoupled under any circumstances from the promotion and protection of fundamental rights;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the increasing positions of strength by illiberal third countrieof global players in multilateral fora and international organisations, including through a strong presence as regards the management and decision- making processes of relevant international organisations and multilateral fora, can lead to asymmetric and less effective, if not biased, policy responses, absent the level playing field for all members of the international community, and to; whereas when global powers act unilaterally, this has resulted in a much weaker commitment by the international community to the defence of universal values and universal rights; whereas individual agendas, unilateral actions and a lack of engagement and support for multilateral solutions canhave and will further undermine multilateralism as an essential organising principle to tackle transnational challenges; whereas, in this context, it is essential to reaffirm the value of rules- based governance, international cooperation, a commitment to fundamental rights and a true level playing field for all members of the international community; whereas relevant international organisations and multilateral fora will be key to achieving these objectives; whereas these objectives will not only allow a more effective positive policy impact on global challenges, but will also curb and prevent the risk of conflict;
Amendment 83 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the UN Secretary- General’s report entitled ‘Our Common Agenda’, which was presented to the UN General Assembly in September 2021 and drafted through a wide-ranging consultation process including UN member states, thought leaders, young people, civil society, relevant stakeholders and citizens, as well as the UN system and its many partners, attests to the need for a more effective, inclusive and networked multilateralism for the future; whereas this will be essential for the UN system and other multilateral fora in order to continue being an effective venue for global consultation and decision-making; whereas, in this context, the EU is uniquely positioned to support the UN and other relevant international organisations in pursuing a process of reform and in revitalising their delivery capacity and their ability to connect to relevant stakeholders, such as young people or the communities most impacted by climate change; whereas in doing so the EU should seize the opportunity to engage constructively and effectively with rival powers, while maintaining a firm stance on fundamental rights and pursuing closer cooperation with like-minded countries to reinforce the primacy of universal values and fundamental rights and to advance effective solutions to global challenges; whereas parliamentary diplomacy will be a key component of reinforcing rules-based, inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism;
Amendment 102 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the joint communication by the Commission and the VP/HR to Parliament and the Council on strengthening the EU’s contribution to rules-based multilateralism; considers that this communication contributes very directly to and further advances the reflection on the direction of the EU’s foreign policy from its important, but more general commitment to effective multilateralism as defined in the 2003 European security strategy to the realisation of the need to combine the value and objective of effective multilateralism with principled pragmatism and the need to promote and preserve the EU’s interests and values, as laid out in the 2016 global strategy for the EU’s foreign and security policy; concurs with the Commission and the VP/HR on the need for the EU to be more assertive in pursuing its interests and in advancing the universal values in which it believes and, therefore, concurs on the need for the EU to defend and strengthen multilateralism as a means to ensuring a level playing field for the international community, providing a platform for inclusive policy dialogue, cooperation and convergence and achieving policy responses supported by the international community at large and which can truly deliver; points to the EU’s ability to devise very efficient and inclusive regulatory standards for its single market and takes the view that the EU should also seek to promote such standards in the framework of its external action as a paradigm and contribution to the discussion on effective global regulatory standardsthe EU should use the efforts to find solutions for global problems, such as climate change as an entry point for diplomatic relations with partners with whom other agenda items are highly contested, thereby offering an opportunity to enhance stability and peace;
Amendment 121 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Takes the view that the EU should identify the UN bodies and other multilateral organisations that are key to promoting policy dialogue, convergence and policy solutions to global challenges and standard setting and should define clear objectives and clear priorities for dialogue with and support, including budgetary support, to such bodies and organisations; recalls, in this regard, that the EU and its Member States are already the leading donors to the UN and many of its agencies and programmes, but that this commitment to and support for the UN does not always translate into a stronger presence by the EU and its Member States in key UN agency positions; calls on the EU and its Member States to further improve their coordination when it comes to establishing joint support for candidacies for leadership positions in multilateral fora; points to the positive potential of also enhancing this coordination with like- minded partners in other world regions and looking at the importance of the principle of the equitable geographical distribution of leadership positions; calls on the EU to work with and within the United Nations, regional organizations, international fora such as the G7 and G20 and ad hoc coalitions to tackle the global challenges we face now and in the future;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Praises the ability of the EU and its Member States to work in a coherent and synergic fashion and to present unified positions in the UN system, with particular regard to the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council; praises, in this regard, the valuable coordination efforts by the EU delegations to the UN in New York and Geneva; believes that this unified, synergic approach should be replicated for every UN body, agency or other international organisation, so that the EU can act and deliver as one across the board in multilateral fora; laments that the Security Council is not as reactive to crises like the ones in Syria, Ethiopia and Sudan as it has been to other crises in the past and that this has had a negative impact on preventing, managing and resolving these crises; points to the fact that in 2022, only two EU Member States will be on the Security Council; considers that the EU should promote reflecting on the terms of a reform of the Security Council that can restore its ability to address crises in a timely and effective manner, thoroughly limit the right to veto and change the composition of the Security Council to reflect today’s world better; reiterates its view, in this regard, that the EU and its Member States should find a broad consensus on reforming the Security Council, inter alia, through the provision of a permanent seat for the EU, in addition to the already existing seats held by EU Member States;
Amendment 150 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that the new Global Europe financial instrument and the ‘Team Europe’ approach to geographic and thematic assistance and programming provide a unique opportunity to define a common inter-institutional agenda that duly reflects and values the contributions of the EU Member States and reinforces the leveraging ability of the EU and its Member States; warns that the quest by some illiberal countrieglobal players to attain and consolidate leverage through financing international organisations raises the issue of financial antagonism in multilateral fora and prompts the need for a reflection at EU level on how to secure the independence and effectiveness of relevant international organisations and multilateral fora through adequate EU funding; recalls that EU humanitarian aid and development assistance to third countries is very often channelled through the UN system; supports this partnership between the EU and the UN, but calls on the EU to ensure that the UN gives more visibility to the EU’s specific role and contributions; underlines, in this regard, the importance of carrying out, at EU level, an in-depth evaluation of both existing and envisaged EU-UN partnerships to assess whether there is adequate visibility for the EU’s contribution and whether the leadership roles conferred on the EU and its Member States are commensurate with the EU’s strong commitment and dedication to the UN system; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to carry out this review and to confer with Parliament on their findings and on the way forward to ensure that adequate value is given to the EU’s contributions to the UN system;
Amendment 163 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to work towards an effective, results-oriented and inclusive multilateralism, where governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and other relevant stakeholders can effectively work together to serve and achieve global goals, values and interests; acknowledges the importance of reconciling the two critical EU goals of enhancing the EU’s visibility as a global actor and supporting the role of multilateral fora; recalls the need to address and manage these tensions and to articulate a balanced position between these two goals, in line with the EU’s core values, ideas and interests;
Amendment 164 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need to address the challenges of preventing and combating illicit financial flows and strengthening international cooperation and good practices on assets return and recovery, including by more effective measures to implement existing obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; Stresses the need to implement effective, inclusive and sustainable measures to prevent and combat corruption within the framework of the 2030 Agenda; Stresses that the combating of illicit financial flows must the streamlined at a global level;
Amendment 167 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 188 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the EU’s tireless advocacy for and defence of universal human rights, its staunch support for the universalisation of international human rights law, its active support to and use of UN human rights fora to address pressing human rights issues, its steadfast support for strengthening accountability and international justice mechanisms and its fight against impunity; supports the VP/HR and the Commission in their quest to ensure that the UN Human Rights Council acts more efficiently, addresses all human rights issues and country situations effectively, credibly and without bias and ensures synergies with other multilateral human rights fora; pays tribute to human rights defenders worldwide and to the work of the current UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and takes the view that her tenure provides a unique opportunity to engage on effective dialogue and cooperation on how to streamline and reinforce the delivery capacity of the UN human rights system, including through increased public scrutiny of Human Rights Council membership, responsibilities and mandatory pledging events at the UN General Assembly with candidates to the Human Rights Council, as proposed by the VP/HR and the Commission in their joint communication; welcomes the launch on 12 October 2021 of an annual strategic dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; welcomes the EU’s initiatives and activities pertaining to human rights in the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee and the UN Security Council, as well as the cooperation between the EU and the UN on multiple thematic and country-based human rights issues;
Amendment 194 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Expresses concern at the erosion of the existing arms control and disarmament system and its legal instruments; support all efforts to putting the arms control and disarmament agenda back on the international agenda, including by reviving the Conference on Disarmament; Stresses that the EU should lead by example in this chapter;
Amendment 198 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Expresses concern at the development of new military technologies, such as artificial intelligence, outer space weaponry, biotechnologies, hypersonic and actively support efforts and undertake new initiatives to stop the related ongoing armament programs by some UN Member States; support the works of the UN Disarmament Commission’s Outer Space Working Group on the practical implementation of transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities;
Amendment 202 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that for rules-based, effective, results-oriented and networked multilateralism to flourish, it is important to involve democratically elected parliaments to ensure broader access to a wide-range of stakeholders and expand dialogue and cooperation to non-state entities such as regional governments, municipalities and the economic sector; recalls that democratically elected parliaments can give visibility to and empower the voices supporting multilateralism as an avenue for effective policy responses for the benefit of all mankind and can further secure the necessary link between the international organisations and multilateral fora making decisions and the citizens; takes the view that the EU should advocate for the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) within the UN system in order to increase the democratic character, the democratic accountability and the transparency of global governance; points to the synergic role that the European Parliament can play in its regular political and policy outreach to the parliaments of the EU Member States and third countries, as this outreach can reinforce and further expand the coalition and the ability of like-minded countries in international organisations and multilateral fora to make positive impacts; considers that Parliament should reflect on the possibility of creating a delegation devoted to the UN, with particular regard to the UN General Assembly and other parliamentary dimensions of international organisations and multilateral fora to reinforce the parliamentary link and dialogue with the UN system and other relevant multilateral fora and ensure democratic dialogue and strategic considerations at the EU inter- institutional level; stresses that the EU should support initiatives aimed at better incorporating the views of the civil society in the decision making process of the United Nations; calls for the establishment of new fora, which would enable the civil society to be heart within the UN; believes that Parliament’s offices in cities with UN bodies or international organisations that are relevant for the external action of the EU should reach out to and cover the activities of these bodies and organisations to establish a closer link with the efforts, commitments and visions related to multilateralism at EU and European Parliament level; takes the view that Parliament should carry out a reflection on how to maximise the synergies between inter-parliamentary delegations, committees and Parliament’s services devoted to election observation and democracy support to further reinforce the external action of the EU through the activities of these parliamentary bodies;
Amendment 231 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls the key role of multilateral fora in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights this as an example of their importance in promoting and protecting global public health; celebrates the development of the Covax initiative, which constitutes an unprecedented exercise of international solidarity, and thanks its donors and contributors, while stressing the need to continue donating and increasing resources in order to make vaccines and treatments available for free to all countries; commends the work of the World Health Organization in combating the pandemic through its decisions based on scientific knowledge and evidence and stresses the need to enhance its mandate and executive capacity, especially with regard to data sharing and resource mobilisation, as well as reform the decision-making process of its Emergency Committee and establish enforcement mechanisms for its decisions and precepts; strongly supports the central role of the World Health Organization in the management of COVID-19 and put forward proposals for the reform of the multilateral health architecture; encourages UN Member States and other stakeholders, including the private sector, to mobilize a large-scale, coordinated and comprehensive global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, taking note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Shared responsibility, global solidarity: responding to the socio economic impacts of COVID-19”, in which the need for a multilateral response and precepmounting to at least 10 per cent of global gross domestic product is highlighted; stresses that the EU can and must have a decisive impact in the fight against COVID-19 by implementing must fulfil the mandate of the European Parliament and temporarily wave COVID-19 vaccine patents;
Amendment 239 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Urges the EU, in cooperation with the US and other WTO Members, to work on concrete ways to support the request from a majority of WTO members of granting a temporary waiver from certain provisions of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) for COVID 19 health products including their materials and components, method of manufacture at MC12 to scale up production and diversity options to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and other relevant health products required for the containment, prevention, and treatment of COVID 19 and to ensure the delivery of these results by MC12;
Amendment 244 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the need for further multilateral action in economic governance, especially in regards to taxation; celebrates the direction set up by the G20 in their latest proposal for establishing a minimum corporate tax rate of 15 %; encourages the international community to further integration in this area in order to avoid disloyal practices and abuses; calls for the enlargement of international standards and norms in this policy area; recalls the key importance of the World Trade Organization in regulating and facilitating world trade; stresses the importance to undertake and support initiatives to counter tax evasion, money laundering and corruption; to support the creation of a democratic, empowered and financed intergovernmental UN tax body that could ensure a voice for developing countries in tax matters; works for the acceleration of the negotiations on an effective code of conduct to combat international tax evasion through the use of Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs); urges the UE to call on European companies and organizations operating in third countries to comply and insure effective respect of human rights, including in their supply chains, and make sure they are held accountable in case of their violations, namely through mechanisms that make it possible to compensate victims;
Amendment 260 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for extending multilateralism to new challenges and realities such as biodiversity, cybersecurity, gender equality, biotechnology and artificial intelligence, which need to be developed alongside experts and scientists who should be party to multilateral, multi- stakeholder arrangements;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the study by Dr Melanie Smith "Enforcement and cooperation between Member States in a Digital Services Act", commissioned by the European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Luxembourg, 2020,
Amendment 17 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (ECONVI/048) from 5 December 2019 on “a European framework for regulatory responses to the collaborative economy”,
Amendment 37 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas a small number of companies developed a market dominance by acquiring an unprecedented level of knowledge about people’s lives;
Amendment 135 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that the Digital Services Act should be based on a European public values of the Union protecting citizens’ rights approach going beyond the economic sphere, protecting all fundamental rights, including non- discrimination, privacy, dignity, fairness as well as free speech and rule of law and should aim to foster the creation of a rich and diverse online ecosystem with a wide range of online services, favourable digital environment and legal certainty to unlock the full potential of the Digital Single Market;
Amendment 143 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
(1) Considers that while the horizontal approach of the E-Commerce Directive should be maintained, a “one-size-fits-all” approach is not suitable to address all the new challenges in today´s digital landscape; stresses therefore, that the diversity of actors and services offered online need a tailored regulatory approach;
Amendment 192 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that the Digital Services Act should achieve the right balance between the internal market freedoms and theensure that fundamental rights and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union are reflected in the internal market freedoms;
Amendment 254 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that existing obligations, set out in the E-Commerce Directive and the Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘Unfair Commercial Practices Directiveʼ)3 on transparency of commercial communications and digital advertising should be strengthened; points out that pressing consumer protection concerns about profiling, targeting and personalised pricing cannot be addressed by transparency obligations and left to consumer choice alone; considers that practices like profiling deeply interfere with people's rights and freedoms; recognises that the General Data Protection Regulation framework does not adequately protect consumers against profile building and unjustified automated decisions; is of the opinion that in order to ensure adequate protection of consumers, personal data should only be used where it’s necessary to provide the service requested; __________________ 3 Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to- consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, p. 22).
Amendment 278 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
(17a) Considers it necessary to end the “attention- seeking” profiling business model of digital markets, where algorithms priorities controversial content and thus contribute to its spread online; stresses thus, that users should have more control on how rankings are presented, e.g. by giving them the choice to arrange them alternatively;
Amendment 284 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that consumers should be properly informed in an understandable and easily accessible way and their rights should be effectively guaranteed when they interact with automated decision-making systems and other innovative digital services or applications; believes that it should be possible for consumers to request checks and corrections of possible mistakes resulting from automated decisions, as well as human intervention and consumers should have the right to seek redress for any damage related to the use of automated decision-making systems; considers that the set of rights of consumers should be expanded to better protect them in the digital world, in particular the right to accountability and control and the right to fairness which should be considered in order to foster the necessary trust of consumers in AI applications;
Amendment 331 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that voluntary actions and self-regulation by online platforms across Europe have brought some benefits, but additional measures are needed in order to ensure the swift detection and removal of illegal content online; considers that instead of applying algorithms for automated filtering technologies, a solid reform of the “notice and take down” framework should be introduced; stresses that in case filters are used, they need to be accompanied by robust safeguards for transparency and accountability with highly skilled independent and impartial public oversight; rejects therefore a “good samaritan clauses” for dominant platforms;
Amendment 401 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that it is unacceptable that Union consumers are exposed to illegal and unsafe products, containing dangerous chemicals, as well as other safety hazards; stresses that in view of commercial activities on online market places, self regulation provided to be insufficient and therefore, asks the Commission to introduce strong safeguards and obligations for product safety and consumer protection for commercial activities on online market places, accompanied by a tailored liability regime with proper enforcement mechanisms;
Amendment 433 #
Amendment 434 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that, today, some markets are characterised by large platforms with significant network effects which are able to act as de facto “online gatekeepers” of the digital economy large platforms acquired a huge amount of data and replaced services of a diverse and decentralised system with open standards by “walled gardens” with locked- in users; stresses that as a consequence some markets are characterised by large platforms with significant network effects which are able to act as de facto “online gatekeepers” of the digital economy; considers it therefore necessary to introduce additional obligations regarding data protection, transparency, user choice and interoperability in order to guarantee a level playing field and consumer welfare;
Amendment 457 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
(1) Considers that increased transparency from platforms on data sharing is crucial in view of guaranteeing the functioning of an ex-ante rule regulation; notes that self-reporting without the ability to audit is not sufficient and therefore, stresses that authorities should have powers to compel data from dominant platforms and need to be equipped with staff and resources to properly interpret that data;
Amendment 466 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Believes that, in view of the cross- border nature of digital services, effective supervision and cooperation between Member States is key to ensuring the proper enforcement of the Digital Services Act; stresses therefore, that it is not only necessary that competent authorities of the country of destination receive all the data required for public administration to fulfil their tasks needed to enforce law, but considers necessary to enlarge the derogations from article 3 in the Annex by adding provisions related to tax and housing policies;
Amendment 515 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part I – paragraph 3
Annex I – part I – paragraph 3
The Digital Services Act should provide consumers and economic operators, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with legal certainty and transparency and should not apply a "one- size-fits-all" approach;
Amendment 521 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part I – paragraph 4
Annex I – part I – paragraph 4
The Digital Services Act should respect the broad framework of fundamental European rights of users and consumers, such as the protection of privacy, data, non- discrimination, dignity, fairness and free speech;
Amendment 559 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part II – paragraph 3
Annex I – part II – paragraph 3
The Digital Services Act should maintain and consider extending the derogation set out in the Annex of the E-Commerce Directive and, in particular, the derogation of contractual obligations concerning consumer contracts;
Amendment 596 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part III – paragraph 1 – indent 5
Annex I – part III – paragraph 1 – indent 5
- define “systemicdominant operator” by establishing a set of clear economic indicators that allow regulatory authorities to identify platforms with a “gatekeeper” role playing a systemic role in the online economy; such indicators could include considerations such as whether the undertaking is active to a significant extent on multi-sided markets, the size of its network (number of users), its financial strength, access to data, vertical integration, the importance of its activity for third parties’ access to supply and markets, etc.
Amendment 671 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part IV – paragraph 1 – subheading 4 – indent 3 a (new)
Annex I – part IV – paragraph 1 – subheading 4 – indent 3 a (new)
- establish more transparency regarding ranking results and end the “attention- seeking” profiling business model of digital markets, in order to reduce the spread of controversial content and to give users more choice on how rankings are presented;
Amendment 706 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part V – paragraph 1 – indent 3
Annex I – part V – paragraph 1 – indent 3
- preserve the underlying legal principle that online intermediaries should not be held directly liable for the acts of their users and that online intermediaries can continue moderating legal content under fair and transparent terms and conditions of service, provided that they are applicable in a non-discriminatory manner;. In case filters are applied, they need to be accompanied by robust safeguards for transparency and accountability with highly skilled independent and impartial public oversight.
Amendment 769 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part V – subheading 2 – indent 4
Annex I – part V – subheading 2 – indent 4
- If the redress and counter-notice have established that the notified activity or information is not illegal, the online intermediary should restore the content that was removed without undue delay or allow for the re-upload by the user, without prejudice to the platform's terms of service.
Amendment 790 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part V – paragraph 4
Annex I – part V – paragraph 4
The Digital Services Act should protect and, uphold and adapt the current limited exemptions from secondary liability for information society service providers (online intermediaries) provided for in Article 12, 13, and 14 of the current E- Commerce Directive to new challenges in the digital landscape. Therefore, the Digital Services Act should introduce a tailored liability regime with proper enforcement mechanisms for commercial activities on online market places in order to guarantee consumer protection and product safety.
Amendment 877 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part VII – paragraph 2 – indent 5
Annex I – part VII – paragraph 2 – indent 5
- ensure that the rights, obligations and principles of the GDPR – including data minimisation, purpose limitation, data protection by design and by default, legal grounds for processing – must be observed and that shortcomings in view of profile building must be addressed in order to ensure adequate protection of consumers;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the need to assess to what extent the existing liability framework, and in particular the Council Directive 85/374/EEC1 (the Product Liability Directive), needs to be updated in order to guarantee effective consumer protection and legal clarity for businesses, while avoiding high costs and risks especially for small and medium enterprises and start-upconsumers and businesses; __________________ 1 Council Directive 85/374/EEC of 25 July 1985 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning liability for defective products (OJ L 210, 7.8.1985, p. 29).
Amendment 34 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that any revision of the existing liability framework should aim to further harmonise liability rules in order to avoid fragmentation of the single market; stresses, however, the importance of ensuring that Union regulation remains limited to clearly identified problems for which feasible solutions exist and leaves room for further technological developments;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the Commission to scrutinise whether it is necessary to include software in the definition of ‘products’ under the Product Liability Directive and to update concepts such as ‘producer’, ‘damage’ and ‘defect’, and if so, to what extent; asks the Commission to also examine whether the product liability framework needs to be revised in order to protect injured parties efficiently as regards products that are purchased as a bundle with related services; calls on the Commission to also include the liability of platforms operating as online market places in their proposal for an updated Product Liability Directive;
Amendment 67 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to revaluate whether and to what extenterse the burden of proof should be reversed in order to empower harmed consumers, who are today faced with an unnecessary burden to get justice, while preventing abuse and providing legal clarity for businesses;
Amendment 165 #
2020/0359(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new)
(ha) a policy to combat online identity theft of its citizens, a policy to protect its citizens from phishing, in particular elderly and low-literate citizens;
Amendment 167 #
2020/0359(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point h b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point h b (new)
(hb) a policy providing protection to consumers from the exploitation of vulnerabilities of the 'internet of things' or other network and information systems;
Amendment 168 #
2020/0359(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Member States shall ensure that a regulatory framework is built to guarantee that connected products and associated services including supply chains are secure-by-design, resilient to cyber incidents, and quickly patched when vulnerabilities are discovered. Member States shall introduce cybersecurity requirements for applications, software, embedded software and operating systems;
Amendment 181 #
2020/0359(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) protecting all data, including from unauthorised exfiltration and network logging using all necessary safeguards and to set parameters and standards for transparency when sharing information and or data;
Amendment 277 #
2020/0359(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 2
Article 26 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall ensure that the exchange of information takes place within trusted communities of essential and important entities. Such exchange shall be implemented through information sharing arrangements in respect of the potentially sensitive nature of the information shared and in compliance with the rules of Union law referred to in paragraph 1. Any such information shared shall be subject to Freedom of information requests by the public.
Amendment 36 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
Amendment 66 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. Whereas Turkey has been repeatedly asked to refrain from all actions, which violate the sovereignty and sovereign rights of EU member- states, as well as from provocations which impair the prospects for a constructive and sincere dialogue;
Amendment 111 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with concern that Turkey’s continuous and growing distancing from European values and standards has brought EU-Turkey relations to a historical low point, having deteriorated to such an extent that it requires both parties to profoundly reassess the current framework ofstate of their relations;
Amendment 145 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that no incentive that the EU could offer can ever replace the much- needed political will to build a mature democracy, and respect the principle of good neighbourly relations and, in turn, become a member of the EU;
Amendment 165 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that, since Parliament’s last report, the situation, far from improving, has deteriorated even further; firmly insists, therefore, on the formal suspension of accession negotiations with Turkey, in order for both sidesTurkey to review in a realistic manner the appropriateness of the current framework and its ability to function, or, if necessary, to explore possible new modelsits willingness to comply with the current framework, which remains the pre-requisite for a future relationsaccession to the EU;
Amendment 181 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the current lack of understanding between the EU and Turkey, but reaffirms its firm conviction that Turkey is a strategica democratic Turkey can be an important neighbour and ally with which the EU wishes to have the best possible relations provided that Turkey endorses a mutual policy of respect towards the EU and all its member-states;
Amendment 207 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses its will to strengthen and deepen mutual knowledge and understanding between Turkish and European societies, combating all manifestations of social, religious or cultural prejudice; expresses its full commitment to continue supporting Turkey’s independent civil society in whatever circumstances and framework of relations that the future may bring; believes, nevertheless, that the accession process would still be the most powerful tool to exercise normative pressure on the Turkish government and the best framework to sustain the democratic and pro-European aspirations of Turkish society; stresses that a purely transactional relationship will hardly contribute to the advancement of Turkey towards a more democratic model;
Amendment 223 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that this fundamental area, which is at the core of the accession process, cannot be disconnected and isolated from overall relations and that it remains the maina serious obstacle to progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey;
Amendment 242 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Deeply regrets that this repressive form of rule has now become a deliberate, relentless, systematic state policy, which extends to any critical activities, such as the use of the right of assembly and demonstration, the Kurdish activism, or even to events that took place prior to the attempted coup, such as the Gezi protests;
Amendment 251 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets that the current overly broad anti-terrorism provisions and the abuse of the anti-terror measures have become the backbone of this state policy; is very concerned that, as noted in the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review, the Turkish authorities do not plan any revision of the anti-terrorism law; reiterates its firm condemnation of theany violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), whiand is concerned about the terrorist attacks in Turkey, such has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002the alleged IS attack in Ankara Gar in 2015; hopes for a comprehensive clarification and follow-up;
Amendment 304 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is deeply concerned about the constant attacks and pressure on the opposition parties, which undermines the proper functioning of a democratic system; is deeply concerned about the gradually increasing pressure on the main opposition party (CHP) and its leader, including the confiscation of party brochures by court order, the application for waiver of immunity against the leader on the basis of his political statements, or by the threats made publicly against the CHP leader by a convicted criminal from the field of organised crime and member of the fascist Grey Wolves Movement; is shocked that these threats are described by the de facto coalition partner (MHP- Devlet Bahçeli) as a "democratic expression";
Amendment 317 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with great concern the way that the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has been specifically and continuously targeted by the Turkish authorities; strongly condemns the continued detention of both former HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ and the former mayor of Diyarbakır Gülten Kışanak;
Amendment 328 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on Turkey to release all imprisoned human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, academics and others who have been detained on unsubstantiated charges and to enable them to carry out their work without threat or impediment in all circumstances; strongly condemns the re-arrest and continued detention of Osman Kavala, a prominent civil society figure and Ahmet Altan, a prominent author writer; ;
Amendment 335 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Regrets that there is growing economic leverage on behalf of the government, including non-transparent distribution of public funds (advertising, public tenders),which allows almost complete control of mass media
Amendment 341 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Calls upon the Turkish authorities to demonstrate zero tolerance towards all incidents of physical and verbal abuse or threats against journalists and activists.
Amendment 344 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Calls on the Turkish authorities to promote positive and effective reforms in the area of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, by enabling religious communities to obtain legal personality
Amendment 399 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the Turkish authorities to fully respect the historical and cultural character of cultural and religious monuments and symbols, especially those that have been classified as UNESCO world heritage sites
Amendment 408 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Notes with great concern that child labour is still widespread in Turkey, that child abuse has increased in Koran schools and in juvenile prisons; calls for a definitive end to the planned amendment to the law which provides for minors to marry their rapists;
Amendment 415 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Recalls that trade union freedom and social dialogue are crucial to the development of a pluralist society; regrets in this context the legislative shortcomings in labour and trade union rights and stresses that the right to organise, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike are fundamental rights of workers; is further concerned about the persistence of strong anti-union discrimination by employers and the dismissals, harassment and imprisonment to which managers and members of some unions continue to be subjected; calls on the Turkish authorities to align themselves with the ILO core labour standards to which the country has committed itself;
Amendment 420 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Stresses that workers are being sacked en masse for organising themselves in trade unions; stresses in this regards the very questionable reasons that are put forward for such dismissals;
Amendment 422 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)
Paragraph 21 e (new)
21e. Is concerned that people living in poverty are the main victims of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, notes with concern the allegation that the number of infected people is being hidden;
Amendment 424 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 f (new)
Paragraph 21 f (new)
21f. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly increased unemployment and poverty rates in Turkey;
Amendment 430 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Is alarmed by the consolidation of an authoritarian interpretation of the presidential system; is deeply concerned about the continued hyper-centralisation of power in the Presidency, which does not ensure a sound and effective separation of powers between the executive and the legislative branches and the judiciary; notes with concern that the presidential system in Turkey shows more and more unmistakable signs of an autocracy;
Amendment 460 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Strongly condemns the removal and imprisonment of democratically elected mayors from office on the basis of questionable evidence and, in particular, their arbitrary replacement by unelected trustees appointed by the central government; strongly believes these unlawful decisions constitute a direct attack on the most basic principles of democracy, depriving millions of voters of their democratically elected representation;
Amendment 513 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. StressReiterates that athe modernisation of the Customs Union could be beneficial for both parties and would keep Turkey economically and normatively anchored to the EU; reiterates that this would need tis incumbent upon the full and indiscriminate implementation of Turkey’s current obligations, which derive from the present Customs Union Agreement between EU- Turkey, whilst also being based on a strong conditionality related to human rights and fundamental freedoms as prescribed through the Copenhagen criteria; highlights that it seems unrealistic to envisage any modernisation of the Customs Union given the current circumstances; recalls that the current Customs Union will not achieve its full potential until Turkey fully implements the Additional Protocol in relation to all Member States;
Amendment 539 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation; condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, whichthus violate both theing the sovereignty and sovereign rights of EU Mmember S-states and international laws protected under the international Law of the Sea and the EU acquis; it deplores that Turkey continues to conduct illegal drillings within the lawfully delimitated EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus and threatens to create new fait accompli contrary to the provisions of UNCLOS; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat, which undermines the prospects for constructive dialogue and are not conducive to good neighbourly relations in the region;
Amendment 551 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on all EU Member States, in view of Turkey's militarised foreign policy, to stop all arms exports to Turkey;
Amendment 559 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Condemns the partial re"opening" of Varosha beach, whichy Turkey on the occupied area of Cyprus, which negatively alters the situation on the ground, undermines mutual trust and therefore the prospect of the resumption of direct talks on the comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue; calls on Turkey to reverse this action; reiterates its support for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality; and underlines that this unilateral action violates past agreements and all the relevant UNSC resolutions, particularly Resolutions 550(1984) and789(1992) which call upon Turkey to transfer the Varosha area to its lawful inhabitants under the temporary administration of the UN; warns against any change of the status quo at Varosha in violation of the aforementioned UNSC resolutions;
Amendment 572 #
2019/2176(INI)
28a. Welcomes the efforts under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to resume negotiations on the Cyprus problem; reiterates its support for a comprehensive, fair and viable solution on the agreed basis of bicommunal bizonal federation with political equality, as this is defined by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, providing for one state with a single sovereignty, a single international legal personality and a single citizenship, in accordance with international law, the EU acquis and the principles on which the EU is founded; draws attention to the call of the UN Secretary-General to relaunch the negotiations as soon as possible and from where they left off at Crans Montana in 2017, therefore on the basis of (a) the Common Declaration of the two leaders of 11 February 2014, (b) his Six Points Framework of 30 June 2017 providing, inter alia, for the termination of the Treaty of Guarantee, of any unilateral right of intervention and the speedy withdrawal of all occupation forces, and (c)the convergences achieved by the end of the Conference; regrets that the highest Turkish authorities have endorsed the two state solution and urges Turkey to review its stance, commit concretely to the UN Secretary General’s call and contribute to the comprehensive settlement on the agreed basis as this is to the mutual benefit of all the involved parties;
Amendment 579 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Amendment 589 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly condemns the Turkish military interventions in Syria, especially in the northeast and Idlib, which constitute grave violations of international law and calls on the Turkish government to end its illegal occupation of northern Syria and Afrin and withdraw its military and paramilitary proxy forces;
Amendment 626 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Regrets that, rather than calling for an end to the violence and for a resumption of peaceful negotiations supporting the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, Turkey instead decided to unconditionally sustain the military actions of one of the sides in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and, in violation of the international law, sent foreign proxy forces from Syria to support the war effort;
Amendment 68 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the authorities to sustain consensual efforts to strengthen democratic consolidation and the transformation process, fight against corruption, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation and restore the rule of law, while improving the climate for media and civil society;
Amendment 161 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on lawmakers in Northern Macedonia to take steps to ensure an adequate representation of women in all decision-making positions, and to further address the gender imbalance and gender pay gap in the labour force;
Amendment 221 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Recalls the potential of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans to enhance regional connectivity through Rail Corridor VIII to Bulgaria, and gas interconnectors to Greece, Kosovo 1a and Serbia; __________________ 1aThis designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
Amendment 236 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Reiterates its full support to the enhanced regional cooperation in the region, and appeals to all parties to ensure the full and continuous, consistent and in good faith implementation of the Prespa agreement with Greece and the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Relations with Bulgaria, as an important part both of the bilateral relations and the enlargement process;
Amendment 85 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Deplores the state of freedom of expression and media freedom, an area in which five successive Commission reports have noted ‘no progress’; strongly condemns all types of attacks against the media and intimidation of journalists, and calls for the urgent and effective investigation of these; urges Montenegro to provide conditions conducive to the effective exercise of freedom of expression, which is one of the EU’s fundamental values and a crucial element of Montenegro’s EU accession process; calls for further steps to be taken to ensure independence of media, including independence of journalists;
Amendment 96 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Strongly condemns verbal and physical attacks against and intimidation of national minorities, especially in Pljevlja following the August 2020 parliamentary elections; expresses concern about the access of minorities and especially of the Roma community to healthcare, improving school attendance, housing and employment; calls for measures to promote intercultural understanding at schools;
Amendment 102 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Takes note of the Law on Domestic Violence Protection, and asks for its thorough implementation as gender-based, domestic violence and violence against children remain an issue of serious concern; calls for more vigilance and establishing support systems for victims of domestic abuse during the Covid19 pandemic;
Amendment 112 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes progress on the protection of LGBTI rights and the adoption of the law on same-sex partnerships; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to continue to improve the climate of societal inclusion and tolerance and to take effective measures against hate speech, social exclusion and the discrimination of minorities, including LGBTI people;
Amendment 134 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
Amendment 143 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Commends Montenegro’s progress on and renewed commitment to international police cooperation, and encourages it to continue its efforts to cope with the migratory pressure, by further developing its international cooperation on readmission and raising its capacity to prosecute migrant-smuggling networks; urges that all measures taken in this direction should ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments;
Amendment 159 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Encourages Montenegro to intensify work on better aligning the education system with the labour market in order to more effectively tackle the phenomena of skills mismatch and brain drain among young people; calls for increased public investments for sustainable social and economic development;
Amendment 62 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that progress in accession under the revised enlargement methodology depends on lasting, in-depth and irreversible reforms across fundamental areas, in particular the rule of law and the fight against corruption, judiciary and fundamental rights, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation;
Amendment 86 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the importance of implementing the electoral reform measures codified in July 2020, which are in line with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) recommendations; welcomes the commitment to implement looks forward to the implementation of the forthcoming Venice Commission opinion regarding the amendments to the Electoral Code adopted in October 2020, in line with the relevant commitment expressed by the Albanian government;
Amendment 99 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Commends the steady progress made in implementing the comprehensive judicial reform, underpinned by the unprecedented vetting process and the establishment of the relevant institutions and specialiszed bodies, enablingand calls for the acceleration of these procedures in order to achieve a tangible shift towards an accountable and independent judiciary;
Amendment 109 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that, as a first step, the High Court has regained its ability to function and that it has been reviewing the admissibility of more than a thousand cases, and encourages it to make further progress in the appointment of additional judges, in order to become fully functional;
Amendment 156 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls the importance of measures ensuringUrges to swiftly adopt the remaining five by-laws to ensure full implementation of the 2017 framework Law on the pProtection of nNational mMinorities, including and the related rights to free self- identification, the use of minority languages and property rightthe right to education in minority languages;
Amendment 161 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Welcomes the law on the census (Nr.140/2020), voted by the Parliament on the 26th of November and calls on Albania to take all the necessary steps, e.g. preparation of the questionnaire and the manual, in order to effectively implement it;
Amendment 164 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Encourages Albania to make further progress on measures consolidating property rights, implementing the law on transitional ownershipprocedures on ownership, mainly by advancing in a transparent manner the process of registration of properties, and completing the comprehensive land sector reform;
Amendment 230 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Calls for enhancing measures for the protection of the environment, especially regarding the national parks and the environmentally protected areas, paying particular attention on the construction of numerous Hydroelectric Power Plants within national parks, without previous proper environmental studies;
Amendment 251 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Welcomes Albania’s unremitting efforts in promoting good neighbourly relations and regional integration;
Amendment 254 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Commends the constructive steps towards the resolution of outstanding bilateral issues, including a joint undertaking by Greece and Albania to resolve a dispute over their Ionian maritime border through ifer the delimitation of the maritime zones to the International jCourt of Justice;
Amendment 11 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the EU Member States to systematically integrate gender mainstreaming into the EU’s foreign and security policy including trade and sustainable development policy; stresses that the following principles should be at the core of a EU gender-based policy: human rights, democracy and the rule of law, disarmament and non-proliferation, international cooperation for development and climate action; calls for the participation of the feminist civil society organisation in the designing and implementing the EU’s Foreign Policy; in addition, affirms that a foreign and security policy that does not represent women, girls and LGBTIQ+ rights and does not address current injustices further reinforces imbalances; considers that to put an end to these injustices, the unequal balance of power between the genders must be recognised;
Amendment 18 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the EU Member States to pursue intersectional gender equality as the guiding principle of EU’s external action, incorporating the following objectives: respect for and full enjoyment of human rights of women, freedom from psychological, physical and sexual violence, participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation, resolution of conflicts and peacebuilding, political participation of women and influence in all areas of society, participation of women in decision-making processes, negotiations and leadership, economic rights, autonomy and empowerment, and sexual and reproductive health and rights;
Amendment 63 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EEAS to assure gender parity in EU’s foreign policy, by implementing a plan for women's participation in foreign policy based on quotas to achieve a minimum of 50% women in all areas: all staffing, the composition of EU delegations, the EEAS itself, CFSP operations and missions, with particular emphasis on leadership and decision-making positions; regrets the absence of other diversity targets and of overall diversity in the EU institutions, especially regarding race, ability and ethnic backgrounds;
Amendment 66 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Regrets that only a third of all EU delegations work on the rights of LGBTIQ+ people; considers that the EU’s LGBTIQ+ Guidelines are not being applied uniformly and their implementation depends strongly on the knowledge and interest of the Delegations’ leadership instead of respecting a structural approach;
Amendment 114 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Asks that the GAP III specifies that 85% of ODA should go to programmes having gender equality as a significant or as a principal objective and within this broader commitment; calls for the allocation of at least 35% of European Union official development assistance to specific interventions for the promotion of equality, the empowerment of women and the promotion of their rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights;
Amendment 126 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises that gender equality is a prerequisite for efficient management of climate challenges; reminds that meaningful and equal participation of women in decision-making bodies and EU, national and local level climate policy and action is vital for achieving long-term climate goals.
Amendment 131 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Commission to incorporate the gender and intersectional approach immigration policies that guarantees the right of women and girl asylum seekers and refugees, devoting resources to eradicating the discrimination faced by women and girls on the basis of, inter alia, their gender, racial ethnic origin, socio-economic status, administrative situation and place of origin and to step up work in order to ensure proper identification and protection against potential violence, harassment, rapes and women trafficking at reception centres across Europe; calls for the full application of the Istanbul Convention in migration and asylum policies;
Amendment 137 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Commission to study the impact of gender on existing trade agreements and, in advance, on any new ones that may be signed; calls for the incorporation into new agreements and into existing ones, as far as possible, of effective clauses and sanctioning mechanisms to achieve gender equality and guarantee women’s rights and empowerment; calls on the Commission and the Council to promote and support the inclusion of a specific gender chapter in EU trade and Association Agreements and to ensure that it specifically foresees binding commitments to respect and promote gender equality and women empowerment; calls for the promotion of principles of internationally recognised standards, international Agreements and UN Conventions and commitments on girls and women rights, gender equality, gender mainstreaming and the empowerment of women in these agreements, based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the SDGs, the CEDAW and the fundamental ILO Conventions; calls on the Commission to include gender impact of EU trade policy and agreements in ex- ante and ex-post impact assessments and to ensure that trade agreements do not exacerbate existing inequalities or create new ones;
Amendment 142 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Recognises the fact that humanitarian crises intensify SRHR related challenges and recalls that in crisis zones, women and girls are particularly exposed to sexual violence, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual exploitation and unwanted pregnancies; calls to guarantee universal respect for and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights as agreed in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the review conferences thereof acknowledging that they contribute to the achievement of all health-related SDGs such as prenatal care and measures to avoid high-risk births and reduce infant and child mortality; points out that access to family planning, maternal health services and safe and legal abortion services are important elements for saving women’s lives;
Amendment 147 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Calls for the EU’s foreign policy to combat sexual violence, address issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights, advance women’s economic and material empowerment and advocate for sustainable development; calls to ensure that the EU has a unified position and takes strong action to univocally denounce the backlash against gender equality, LGBTIQ+ rights and measures undermining women’s rights, autonomy and emancipation in every field; reminds that an important way to combat this backlash is by proactively advancing rights-based gender equality and mainstreaming gender overall;
Amendment 148 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9e. Calls on the Commission and Member States to enhance cooperation with third countries in order to combat all forms of trafficking inhuman beings, paying particular attention to the gender dimension of trafficking in persons to specifically combat child marriage, the sexual exploitation of women and girls and sex tourism; calls for mandatory impact assessment on the risks posed by a third country with regard to human trafficking as part of general ex-ante conditionality of all visa liberalisation agreements; stresses the need of the introduction of effective cooperation with third countries in regard to human trafficking among the mandatory criteria to be met for any visa liberalisation agreement; calls on the Commission, the Council and the EEAS to introduce in their negotiations with third countries on association and cooperation agreements with third countries a benchmark framework of cooperation with regards to effectively counter-human trafficking, including a transparent protocol for recording data on referrals and prosecution of trafficking; calls for the establishment of a gender-sensitive approach to trafficking in persons, by comprehensively addressing the impact it has on the realization of a wide range of human rights, in the context of any conflict;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 f (new)
Paragraph 9 f (new)
9f. Calls on the VP/HR, the EEAS and the Member States to safeguard the rights of girls and women and ensure their full and meaningful participation across the various stages of the conflict cycle, in the context of EU conflict prevention and mediation activities; calls for the mainstreaming of gender perspective through the inclusion of expertise on gender, including gender- based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, at all levels of peacekeeping as well as through the substantial increase in the number of women in other key positions at all levels of conflict prevention and peacekeeping operations;
Amendment 150 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 g (new)
Paragraph 9 g (new)
9g. Calls on the EEAS and the Commission to establish gender-specific indicators to be applied in the project selection, monitoring and evaluation phases of all actions of EU’s foreign and security policy that receive funding from the EU budget; calls for the introducing in the forthcoming Common Implementing Regulation laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union’s instruments for financing external action, basic requirements towards furthering gender equality through all external financial instruments; calls for mandatory gender impact assessment as part of general ex-ante conditionality, and for the collection of gender-disaggregated data on beneficiaries and participants; stresses the need for a systematic gender budgeting approach, combined with an appropriate and uniform system of tracking, monitoring and valuating EU expenditures related to gender equality across EU’s foreign and security policy; calls on the Commission to systematically assess the impact of the Programmes financed by EU budget and to report back to the European Parliament;
Amendment 151 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 h (new)
Paragraph 9 h (new)
9h. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to enhance GAP II’s implementation and to address the shortcomings such as the weak legal basis, the absence of gender-responsive budgeting, the difficulties to accurate reporting, the absence of timeframe alignment and budget cycles, a lack of commitment on the part of the EU’s leaders and the lack of adequate training to staff; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to take into account these aspects when implementing GAP III;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3
Citation 3
– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
Amendment 8 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to its recommendation of 15 November 2017 to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the Eastern Partnership, in the run-up to the November 2017 Summit,
Amendment 88 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that multilateralism is at the centre of the EU’s efforts to prevent and solve conflicts based on the norms and principles of international law, UN Charter and OSCE 1975 Helsinki Final Act;
Amendment 239 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Encourages the EU to further prioritise conflict prevention and mediation; underlines that this approach delivers a high degree of EU added value in political, social, economic and security terms; recalls that conflict prevention and mediation activities help to assert the presence and credibility of the EU on the international scene; highlights Parliament’s valuable contribution in the field of mediation and dialogue, especially in the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries, and calls for the further development of interinstitutional cooperation on mediation; welcomes the EU's increased role in conflict resolution and confidence building in the framework or in support of existing agreed negotiating formats and principles, and calls for the further development of interinstitutional cooperation on mediation, based on the norms and principles of international law, UN Charter and OSCE 1975 Helsinki Final Act;
Amendment 24 #
2018/2775(RSP)
Recital K
K. whereas there is limited evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids are effective for increasing appetite and decreasing weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS, improving clinician-measured multiple sclerosis spasticity symptoms, improving symptoms of Tourette syndrome, improving symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder; but also Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, Crohn’s disease, Epilepsy, and Glaucoma and it contributes to the reduction of the risk of obesity and diabetes, mitigates menstrual pain and helps in processes of anxiety and depression.
Amendment 28 #
2018/2775(RSP)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas the global market for medicinal cannabis in 2015 reached $11, 4 billion, and in 2025, it is expected to reach $52, 8 billion. The market for cannabidiol (CBD) products for medicines, food and supplements is expected to grow by 700% by 2020, reaching $2,1billion in total. In Greece, 10 millions € in the pharmaceutical cannabis sector are expected as a surplus from the decriminalisation of cannabis for medicinal use in the near future. While it is estimated that 7,000 new jobs will be created and 2000 in the countryside for plant cultivation.
Amendment 31 #
2018/2775(RSP)
Recital N a (new)
Na. whereas, the decriminalization of cannabis in many countries, has reduced both the black market and criminal activities. Bearing also in mind, that patients end up in prison for possession of a small amount of cannabis for medicinal use. As a consequence national judicial authorities are overburdened by such cases.
Amendment 57 #
2018/2775(RSP)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to create a department on cannabis for therapeutic use to have a place to centralize regulatory proposals and be the point of observation, advice, information, exchange and study for everything related which would serve as a reference to all countries equally in the European Union.
Amendment 58 #
2018/2775(RSP)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 18 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Arab uprisings that affected the MENA region in 2011 constituted a moment of mass upheavals against authoritarian regimes fuelled by anger over youth unemployment and poor living conditions; whereas a large segment of the protesters was composed of young women and men aspiring to a better and more inclusive future; whereas the overthrow of most of the regimes and the introduction of liberal reform, the establishment of new governments and political reforms and social justice; whereas the overthrow of some of the regimes gave rise to great hope and expectations;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas 8 years later, human rights continue to be attacked by the governments of the region; whereas some of the dictatorial governments remain and new governments with these characteristics have been established; whereas those who demand a more just and open society are being repressed; whereas human rights defenders and political opponents are being imprisoned under the umbrella of the fight against terrorism that is also used to justify the lack of progress in the 2011demands; whereas few perpetrators of the violence, murders and torture that took place before and after the 2011 protests, have been brought to justice; whereas the lack of opportunities and in some cases the vacuum of power, is being exploited by radical jihadist groups such as the Islamic State;
Amendment 30 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the region holds some of the worst records of freedom of expression in the world and any progress made since 2011 revolutions remains fragile as new forms of control and repression have appeared; whereas freedom of speech and freedom of association are still restricted through legislation, fines and arrests with not only journalists, but also media outlets being under existential threat;
Amendment 32 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas human rights defenders are suffering a wave of arrests and convictions in an escalating attack on the right to free expression; whereas authorities across the region are leveraging accusations of spreading misinformation and are imposing harsh prison sentences based on online postings; whereas activists and HRDs are at risk, due to vague laws that are favouring the governments and facilitate the silencing of dissent and imprisonment of activists;
Amendment 33 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. whereas widespread discrimination against women still exists across the region; whereas women's rights are regressing in the region and women activists are suffering repression and threats;
Amendment 34 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
A e. whereas according to UNICEF, the first threat affecting children living in MENA conflict areas is child labour; whereas 2.1. million children in Syria and 700.000 Syrian refugee children do not have access to education; whereas continuing violence and external displacement, natural disasters, growing economic and gender inequality, and high rates of youth unemployment and poverty in several MENA countries have left 28 million children in need of humanitarian assistance;
Amendment 35 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
A f. whereas there are numerous armed conflicts and thousands of people have been murdered and disappeared and millions displaced; whereas ISIS/Da’esh and other jihadist groups have committed atrocities, including brutal executions and unspeakable sexual violence, abductions, torture, forced conversions and the enslavement of women and girls; whereas children have been recruited and used in terrorist attacks; whereas there are serious concerns about the welfare of the population currently under the control of ISIS/Da’esh and their possible use as human shields during the liberation campaign; whereas these crimes may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity;
Amendment 40 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, eight years after the Arab Spring and political developments which have led countries in the Maghreb and Mashreq regions to follow many diverse evolutionary paths in terms of politics and stability, it is essential to assess how to respond to the legitimate democratic aspirations in the region; whereas it is important to take stock of the efforts and policy stance adopted by the EU in response to the Arab Spring and to assess its capacity for policy delivery; whereas it is essential to reassess the policy framework of the EU towards Southern Neighbourhood countries and its future objectives, while paying close attention to the heterogeneity in the region;
Amendment 44 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the weapons and surveillance equipment sold by European companies are contributing to feed and prolong the armed conflicts, the commission of war crimes and social repression in the region; whereas the EU is financing and delivering arms to rebel groups and militias that are repressing civil society;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas the region suffers from a deep social and economic crisis that was the root of the 2011 protests and which is again generating protests in some countries; whereas the countries of the region have the highest unemployment rates in the world;
Amendment 46 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
B c. whereas the austerity policies promoted by the IMF are maintained; whereas the economic cuts, the increase in taxes and prices of basic products, were already one of the causes of the 2011 protests and are causing new protests;
Amendment 47 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
B d. whereas fear of the rise of political Islamism, control of migration, the fight against terrorism and energy security should not justify violations of the rule of law and human rights in the region;
Amendment 48 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
B e. whereas conflict in Syria and Libya has led to a growth in the numbers of refugees in neighbouring countries such as Tunisia Egypt and Jordan; whereas migrants and refugees are facing serious abuses; whereas many of them are victims of sexual abuse, torture, aggression and exploitation along migratory routes and in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Morocco; whereas the EU is signing migratory agreements with these countries despite their violations of human rights;
Amendment 49 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the capacity of Member States to exert a positive influence in the Maghreb and Mashreq regions is very unequal and has often been marred by fragmentation; whereas individual Member States’ action in the region needs to be in synergy with the EU’s objectives; whereas the EU needs to increase its political leverage; whereas long-term political and economic stability in the Maghreb and Mashreq regions is of fundamental strategic importance to the EU, and as such requires a longer-term approach as regards the policy framework and its objectives;
Amendment 89 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Condemns the economic, social and political interference implemented in third countries through the Structural Adjustment Plans of the IMF; stresses that these policies have led to economic, social, political and humanitarian crises;
Amendment 96 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the EU’s efforts to promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms in post-Arab Spring countries, and acknowledges the complexity of such a task; tTakes the view, however, that, despite a fifteen-year EU policy focus on Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries, renewed policy efforts and increased budgetary resources in the wake of the Arab Spring, the failure to work along with the contrasts of the actors involved in the region has led to the EU’s goals and policies have not yet beening achieved;
Amendment 107 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expresses concern about the fact that, in spite of its considerable political and budgetary investments and continuous political and economic outreach, the EU has not been able to gain real political and economic leverage, and is no longer perceived as a game changer by the countries in the region; points to the dissatisfaction felt by civil society and local NGOs at how the EU translates its vision into action on the ground; is concerned about the increasingly complex political situation in the Maghreb and Mashreq regions, and the emergence of new political and economic regional players such as Russia and China, in addition to the competing narratives and financing from the Gulf countries and Iran;
Amendment 134 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Condemns the EU’s connivance and complicity with dictatorships in the region; is highly critical of the role played by the various Western interventions of recent years in exacerbating conflicts in the area; states that there can be no military solution to the conflicts in the region; rejects the use of the notion of ‘responsibility to protect’, as it violates international law and does not offer an adequate legal basis for justifying the unilateral use of force;
Amendment 136 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Strongly condemns the direct or non-direct support (in the form of finance, arms, training, etc.) that the United States, the EU, Turkey and the monarchies of the Gulf region have been providing to terrorist groups; calls in particular on the EU Member States and regional players, especially Saudi Arabia and Turkey, to stop financing all militias and, more specifically, to stop buying oil from oil fields controlled by ISIS/Da’esh and transported by truck through Turkey, as brought to light by reports submitted to the UN Security Council; believes that mechanisms are required to stop the financing of terrorism through offshore entities involving states and financial institutions, and to stop arms trafficking and the buying and selling of energy resources and raw materials which benefit terrorist groups;
Amendment 137 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Strongly condemns the intensive arms trade of Member States with various countries in the region, as in the cases of the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Sweden; calls for an immediate suspension of arms transfers and military support to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners; reiterates its call for the Council to impose an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, given the serious allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, which would mean that the continued licensing of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia is in breach of Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP;
Amendment 138 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Firmly opposes the use of drones in extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings; demands a ban on the use of drones for this purpose pursuant to its abovementioned resolution of 27 February 2014 on the use of armed drones, paragraph 2(a) and (b) of which call on the VP/HR, the Member States and the Council to ‘oppose and ban the practice of extrajudicial targeted killings’ and ‘ensure that the Member States, in conformity with their legal obligations, do not perpetrate unlawful targeted killings or facilitate such killings by other states’ respectively;
Amendment 146 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Is convinced that any long-term solution for the armed conflicts should address the underlying causes of poverty and instability in the countries and also fulfil the legitimate demands and aspirations of the peoples; reaffirms its support for any peaceful political effort to protect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries;
Amendment 149 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Opposes any foreign military intervention in the countries, be it Saudi or Iranian, Arab or Western; is very concerned at the escalation of tensions in the region; denounces the instrumentalisation of religious differences in order to instigate political crises and sectarian wars;
Amendment 161 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls the EU and its Member States to facilitate their access to asylum seekers to European territory and ensure human rights to all migrants; strongly condemns all readmission policies, especially those relating to countries where these people risk their lives and face ill-treatment contrary to the Geneva Convention; criticises the financial support of the EU for policies whose aim it is to externalise border controls without changing the current situation of the people in need in those countries and endangering those most in need of protection; calls for ensuring rights and a safe passage to both migrants and refugees; stresses further that European politics must not be made conditional on cooperation in migration matters such as border management or readmission agreements; recalls its concerns about the increasing use of trust funds, such as limited transparency, lack of consultation and regional ownership;
Amendment 165 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Reiterates that terrorism can only be eradicated by addressing its roots, i.e. poverty, exploitation and society’s inability to address peoples’ needs and create opportunities for the youth; believes that the utmost respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, as well as respect for the multicultural nature of their societies, constitute the sole means of preventing the spread of terrorist ideology;
Amendment 182 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes the view that, as the EU struggles to come up with a renewed vision for the management of migration and assistance to refugees, there is an increasing risk that some countries in the region might use migration containment and their role therein to seek greater leverage in their political and policy dialogue with the EU; stresses, instead, the importance of a policy framework promoting democratic, political and socio- economic inclusion as mutually reinforcing factors; is convinced that, where the prerequisites for the negotiation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements, conditional on democratic progress, are not yet in place, the EU should provide increased access to trade and investment, and assistance for reconstruction and infrastructure modernisation in strict correlation with progressive political and economic reforms;
Amendment 197 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 252 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Is disappointed that the situation of women has not improved in most countries affected by the Arab Spring in spite of their large-scale support for the revolutions; underlines that women’s commitment and empowerment in the public, political, economic and cultural spheres of the countries in the region are vital if long-term stability, peace and economic prosperity are to be achieved; considers that women’s access to education, supported by civil society organisations, is essential in order to accomplish this; emphasises that women can be powerful drivers of change, able to draw up and implement effective strategies for climate adaptation, conflict resolution, anti-radicalisation and reducing the impact of these;
Amendment 262 #
2018/2160(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls once again on the Commission to act on Parliament’s proposal for the creation of an ambitious Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme separate from Erasmus+, with dedicated funds and an ambitious dimension in terms of scope and available resources; reiterates that investing in youth will provide a solid basis for the long-term stabilazation of the region; calls for the Commission and Parliament to increase the scope and participation of their European Union Visitors programme and to facilitate the participation of young people and of women political leaders;
Amendment 58 #
2018/2158(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas new areas of tension between the EU and Russia have arisen since 2015, including: Russian intervention in Syria; large-scale military exercises (Zapad 2017); russian interference aimed at influencing elections and stoking tensions in European societies; restrictions on fundamental freedoms and extensive human rights violations in Russia, including the systemic targeting of human rights defenders and civil society in Russia, discrimination against the Tatar minority in occupied Crimeanon-Russian speaking people in illegally annexed Crimea, which disproportionally affect the Tatar minority, and the politically motivated persecution of Alexei Navalny and many others; cyber attacks and assassinations on European soil carried out by Russian intelligence agents using chemical weapons; the intimidation, arrest and imprisonment of foreign citizens in Russia in breach of international law, including Oleg Sentsov and many others; the organisation of illegal and illegitimate elections in the Donbas; flawed presidential elections lacking any real choice and with restrictions on fundamental freedoms; violations of arms control agreements;
Amendment 131 #
2018/2158(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes therefore that the EU- Russia relationship requires a new framework of cooperation only in those areas that are necessary and in a common interest, and with a view to guaranteeing security in the EU’s neighbourhood and a European peace order; is of the view that the PCA should be discontinued;
Amendment 199 #
2018/2158(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 1 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to its previous resolutions on Turkey, in particular those of 24 November 2016 on EU-Turkey relations1 , of 27 October 2016 on the situation of journalists in Turkey2 , and of 8 February 2018 on the human rights situation in Turkey3 and to its previous resolution of 13 November 2014 on Turkish actions creating tensions in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus, _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0450. 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0423. 3 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0040.
Amendment 8 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
— having regard to the Negotiating Framework for Turkey of 3 October 2005 and to the fact that Turkey’s accession to the EU depends on full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria,
Amendment 13 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the mission report on the Fact-finding Visit to Famagusta, Cyprus adopted on 21/11/18 by the Committee of Petitions,
Amendment 67 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses serious concern about the disproportionate and arbitrary measures curtailing freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information; condemns the closure of more than 160 media outlets and the large number of arrests of journalists in the aftermath of the coup attempt, where increasing restrictions were put in place on the rights of journalists and human rights defenders working on the Kurdish issue while other associations and Kurdish-language media outlets were closed; urges Turkey to guarantee media freedom as a matter of priority and to immediately release and acquit all unlawfully detained journalists;
Amendment 78 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses concern at the shrinking space for civil society and the promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms; notes that a large number of activists, including human rights defenders, were arrested and demonstrations were recurrently banned during the state of emergency; calls on Turkey to protect the fundamental rights of minorities, such as LGBTI people; reminds that legislation on hate speech is not in line with European Court of Human Rights case-law;
Amendment 85 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 6 – point 1 (new)
(1) Deplores the fact that the Venice Commission recommendations on the status of religious communities in Turkey and the right of the Orthodox Patriarch to use the title “ecumenical” have yet to be implemented and that the Halki (Heybeliada) Greek Orthodox Seminary remains closed. Furthermore, regrets the fact that the Council of Europe Resolution 1625 (2008) regarding the islands of Gökçeada (Imvros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) isn’t fully implemented yet and that the electoral regulation for non Muslim foundations is still not published after its annulment in 2013;
Amendment 115 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 7 – point 1 (new)
(1) Expresses concern about tensions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean which are not conducive to good neighbourly relations and undermine regional stability and security; calls for Turkey to avoid any kind of threat or action directed against a Member State, or any source of friction or action that would damage good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes and reminds the need for Turkey to unequivocally commit to good neighbourly relations, international agreements, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is part of the EU acquis, and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice;
Amendment 124 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is deeply concerned at the situation in Turkey’s South-East and the serious allegations of human rights abuses, especially since the collapse of the Kurdish settlement process in 2015; reiterates its firm condemnation of the return to violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002stresses that the inclusion of PKK on the EU's list of terrorist organisations is standing in the way of the establishment of peace, dialogue and negotiations, at the same time that facilitates the infringement of human rights; calls therefore on the Council to revise the list and remove the PKK from the list of terrorist organisations; calls on the Turkish authorities to restart talks with PKK leaders for a peaceful solution for the Kurdish question; stresses the urgency of resuming a credible political process leading to a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish issue; calls on Turkey to promptly investigate serious allegations of human rights abuses and killings and to allow international observers to carry out an independent verification;
Amendment 143 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the state of emergency further constrained the capacity of the Grand National Assembly to fulfil its fundamental role of democratic scrutiny and accountability; notes with great concern the arrest of two members of parliament from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as the way the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has been particularly marginalised, with many HDP lawmakers being arrested on the grounds of alleged support for terrorist activities; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners held without proof of individual involvement in committing crime or without any charges presented against them;
Amendment 144 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the state of emergency further constrained the capacity of the Grand National Assembly to fulfil its fundamental role of democratic scrutiny and accountability; notes with great concern the arrest of two members of parliament from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as the waynine members of parliament from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and how the latter has been particularly marginalised, with many HDP lawmakers being arrested on the grounds of alleged support for terrorist activities;
Amendment 155 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Condemns the continued arrest of Selahattin Demirtas, opposition leader and presidential candidate; pledges to continue to follow his case very closely and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; expects the European Court of Human Rights to deliver without delay its final judgementTurkey to respect the recent final judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the case;
Amendment 173 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, taking all of the above into account and in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the acces not to proceed to the official suspension of negotiations with Turkey; remains, however, committed to democratic dialogue with Turkey; asks the Commission to use, during the formal suspension of negotiations, all funds available under IPA II and the future IPA III to support, through a dedicated envelope directly managed by the EU, Turkey’s civil society, and to increase opportunities for people-to-people contacts, academic dialogue, access for Turkish students to European universities and media platforms for journalists, but to keep accession talks frozen as decided, until Turkey meets the EUs’ legal and institutional system, specially on democracy, human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 183 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that while the EU accession process was at its start a strong motivation for reforms in Turkey, there has been a stark regression in the areas of the rule of law and human rights during the last few years; recalls that Parliament repeatedly called for the opening of Chapter 23 on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom and Security at a time when the Turkish government had pledged to conduct serious reforms; regrets deeply that the accession instruments could not be used to the fullest extent owing to a continued blockage by the Council;
Amendment 208 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that a door should be left open for the modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, to include relevant areas such as agriculture, services and public procurement, which currently are not covered; recalls that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States and that Turkey is an important growth market for the EU; believes that the upgrade would provide a valuable opportunity for democratic conditionality, positive leverage and the possibility of a roadmap where upgrading the Customs Union would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkey on democratic reforms, rule of law and good neighbourly relations; believes further that the upgrading of the Customs Union would provide an important opportunity for policy dialogue on climate change as well as on labour rights in Turkey; calls on the Commission to start preparatory work for the upgrading of the Customs Union as soon as the Turkish Government indicates its readiness for serious reforms;
Amendment 211 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that a door should be left open for the modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, to include relevant areas such as agriculture, services and public procurement, which currently are not covered; recalls that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States and that Turkey is an important growth market for the EU; believes that thec believes that the upgrade can be contemplated provided that Turkey proceeds first to the full and indiscriminate implementation of its obligations deriving from the current Customs Union Agreement between EU- Turkey. Following this, its upgrade wcould provide a valuable opportunity for democratic conditionality, positive leverage and the possibility of a roadmap where upgrading the Ccustoms Uunion would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkey on democratic reforms reinforcing the full compliance of the Copenhagen criteria; believes further that the upgrading of the Ccustoms Uunion would provide an important opportunity for policy dialogue on climate change as well as on labour rights in Turkey; calls on the Commission to start preparatory work for the upgrading of the Customs Union as soon as the Turkish Government indicates its readiness for serious reforms;
Amendment 218 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Deplores Turkey´s refusal to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à-vis all member states, the Republic of Cyprus in particular; reiterates that Turkey's refusal to normalize its relations with all EU Member States has started having a negative impact on its relations with the EU, including its accession process;
Amendment 242 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that visa liberalisation is of great importance for Turkish citizens, particularly for students, academics, business representatives and people with family ties in EU Member States; encourages the Turkish Government to fully comply with the 72 criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap; stresses that the revision of Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation is a key condition for ensuring fundamental rights and freedoms, and that visa liberalisation will be possible once all the criteria have been met fully and in a non-discriminatory manner towards all EU Member States;
Amendment 260 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the important role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that Turkey’s population has shown great hospitality by offering shelter to more than 3 million Syrian refugees; notes that the number of arrivals to the European Union from Turkey has significantly risen in 2018 compared to last year; calls on the EU and its Member States to keep their promise regarding a large-scale resettlement, and to ensure adequate financial resources for the long- term support of Syrian refugees in Turkey;
Amendment 268 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls upon the Turkish government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyuy nuclear power plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey but to the Mediterranean region as a whole; requests accordingly that the Turkish government join the Espoo Convention, which commits parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries; asks the Turkish government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, during any further developments in the Akkuyuy venture;
Amendment 291 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement upon agreement on terms of reference within the framework of the long agreed solution of bicommunal bizonal federation with political equality, as this is set out in relevant UN SC resolutions; recalls the Framework of the UN Secretary General and his appeal for resuming the negotiations from where things were left off at Crans Montana; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement which must guarantee the single sovereignty, the single international legal personality and the single citizenship of the united federal Cyprus and be in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, international law and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of dispuits lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550(1984) and to allow access to experts to explore and evaluate the situation of the city; it also urges Turkey to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law. It praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons and calls on Turkey to allow access to all relevant sites and military zones for exhumation and assist the CMP to the discovery of relocated and other remains by providing all relevant information from its military archives; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone and condemns all the provoking actions of Turkey within the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus which are a source of instability and calls on Turkey to terminate them; urges Turkey to respect the sovereign rights of all EU Member States, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations while at the same time respecting the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes;
Amendment 299 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations; underlines that recognition of all Member States by Turkey is a necessary component of the accession process;
Amendment 307 #
2018/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been signed and ratified by the EU, the 28 Member States and all other candidate countries and forms part of the acquis in line with December 2015 Council Conclusions and other relevant Council Conclusions;
Amendment 49 #
2018/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Prespes Agreement of 17th of June 2018 between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and commends both sides for their significant efforts to reach a commonly satisfying solution to the name issue. Welcomes the ratification by the Parliament of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia of the strategic partnership agreement with Greece on 20 June 2018; urges the parties to duly inform their citizens of the contents and implications of the agreement and to diligently complete all internal procedures for the ratification and implementation of this strategically important agreement, bringing an end to a protracted geopolitical limboreinforcing the peace and stability in the region;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to P8_TA- PROV(2018)0475, European Parliament resolution of 29 November 2018 on the cum-ex scandal: financial crime and loopholes in the current legal framework (2018/2900(RSP))
Amendment 18 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to P8_TA(2016)0453 European Parliament resolution of 24 November 2016 on towards a definitive VAT system and fighting VAT fraud(2016/2033(INI))
Amendment 42 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Stresses that capitalistic globalisation and the free movement of capital created the perfect conditions for the design of base erosion and profit shifting schemes and, at the same time, enshrined a structural bias in policymaking to the benefit of capital owners and multinational enterprises (MNEs), which has served to promote divergences and asymmetries between countries and social classes; emphasises, furthermore, that the free movement of capital, the deregulation and liberalisation of the financial and banking system, and the increasing tax competition among Member States – all promoted by EU institutions and legislation with the support of the European right wing and social democracy –are at the root of the rise of tax evasion and tax avoidance schemes and scandals;
Amendment 46 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Notes that the lowering of wealth taxes, which prioritize the wellbeing of the most privileged casts of the society, can lead to social unrest, as has been the case in the recent episodes in France, as the rest of the society which does not benefit from such tax cuts, but is more and more affected by the reduction of the welfare state, is bound to feel abandoned and neglected by its governing State1a _________________ 1a See comments by Piketty of 9 December 2018; URL: https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2018/ 12/08/thomas-piketty-gilets-jaunes-et- justice-fiscale_5394443_3232.html
Amendment 55 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WelcomNotes the fact that during its current term the Commission has put forward 22 legislative proposals aimed at closing some of the loopholes, improving theallegedly to fight against financial crimes and aggressive tax planning, and enhancing tax collection efficiency and tax fairness; calls for the swift adoption of initiatives that have not yet been finalised andbut which have had in origin sufficient loopholes, or thresholds so high so as not to affect the current level of tax evasion and continue legalising avoidance; calls for careful monitoring of their implementation to ensure efficiency and proper enforcement, in order to keep pace with the versatility of tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning;
Amendment 62 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Recalls the observation of the European Parliament in the interim report on MFF noting that effective measures against corruption and tax evasion by multinationals and the wealthiest individuals would make it possible to return to the Member States’ budgets an amount estimated by the Commission at one trillion euros per year, and that in this field there has been a serious lack of action by the European Union1a; _________________ 1a Par. 49 of theInterim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2027 adopted inPlenary
Amendment 79 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Deplores the fact that the Council has not yet made any progress to enter into negotiations with the Parliament on the proposal for CBCR; notes however that Member States have already started implementation of OECD BEPS Action 13 on Country-by-Country Report, and DAC4; calls for the Commission to request information collected from the Member States under CBCR for quantitative impact assessments;
Amendment 95 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1.3
Subheading 1.3
Tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning (ATP)tax avoidance
Amendment 99 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the fight against tax evasion and fraud tackles illegal acts, whereas the fight against tax avoidance addresses situations that are a priori within the limits of the law but against its spirit;– unless deemed illegal by the tax authorities or, ultimately, by the courts1a– but against its spirit. _________________ 1a 1] ‘Member States' capacity to fight tax crimes, Ex-post impact assessment’, Elodie Thirion and Amandine Scherrer, European Parliamentary Research Service, July 2017
Amendment 106 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that ATP describes the setting of a tax design aimed at reducing tax liability by using the technicalities of a tax system or of mismatchesarbitrating between two or more tax systems that go against the spirit of the law; that such acts, in the same way as tax avoidance, could be deemed illegal by tax authorities or by the courts
Amendment 110 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Understands then that there is no practical difference between tax avoidance, tax planning and aggressive tax planning; and that tax planning can also be considered systemic tax avoidance3a _________________ 3a Jarass, L. and Obermair, G.M. (2015) What an Individual EU Country Can Do Unilaterally to Counteract BEPS. Reprinted from Tax Notes Int’l, August 24, 2015, p. 697
Amendment 117 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission and the Council to propose and adopt a comprehensive definition of aggressive tax planning indicators, building on both the hallmarks identified in the fifth review of the Directive on administrative cooperation (DAC6)26 after being strengthened in order to require the mandatory disclosure of dividend arbitrage schemes and all information on capital gains, including the granting of dividend and capital gains tax refunds1a and the Commission’s relevant studies and recommendations27 ; calls on Member States to use those indicators as a basis to repeal all harmful tax practices deriving from existing tax loopholes; _________________ 1a P8_TA-PROV(2018)0475. European Parliament resolution of 29 November 2018 on thecum-ex scandal: financial crime and loopholes in the current legal framework(2018/2900(RSP)) 26 Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 of 25 May 2018 amending Directive 2011/16/EU as regards mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements, OJ L 139, 5.6.2018, p. 1. 27 https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/ taxation/files/resources/documents/taxation /gen_info/economic_analysis/tax_papers/ta xation_paper_61.pdfand https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/ taxation/files/tax_policies_survey_2017.pd f
Amendment 124 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the similarity between corporate tax payers and high-net-worth individuals in the use of corporate structures and similar structures such as trusts and offshore locations for the purpose of ATPtax evasion and tax avoidance; recalls the role of intermediarieenablers and promoters in setting up such schemes;
Amendment 132 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Regrets that 7 EU Member States have been identified for their tax avoidance by the European Commission in the European Semester, namely, Ireland, The Netherlands, Cyprus, Malta, Belgium, Hungary and Luxembourg, and that little measures have been taken by such Member States to modify their legislation in order to make it less attractive for tax evasion and avoidance;
Amendment 134 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Notes that company restructures can be observed in the macro-economic data of Ireland from 2014-2017, particularly in the first quarter of 2015; notes that major changes occurred in Ireland’s GNP, GDP, exports, imports, investment, external debt and more; regrets that despite the relocation of sales income and intellectual property to Ireland, there was no observable corresponding increase in corporation tax received by Irish Revenue1a _________________ 1a Brehm Christensen, M.; Clancy, E. (2018) ‘Exposed: Apple’s delicious tax deals, Is Ireland Helping Apple Pay less than 1% in the EU?’; GUE/NGL; June 2018.
Amendment 135 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Regrets that even when in Ireland, the capital allowance for depreciation of intangible assets has been lowered from a rate of 100% to 80% from 2017, this reduction was not applied to the intangible assets brought onshore from 2015-2016, which could still benefit from the 100% rate1a _________________ 1a Brehm Christensen, M.; Clancy, E. (2018) ‘Exposed: Apple’s delicious tax deals, Is Ireland Helping Apple Pay less than 1% in the EU?’; GUE/NGL; June 2018.
Amendment 136 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Calls on the Commission to list the EU jurisdictions identified for providing opportunities for aggressive tax planning as tax havens and prepare a proposal on deterrent actions to be applied against such Member States;
Amendment 137 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13 c. Deplores that the Irish government introduced the 100% rate on capital allowances for intellectual property (IP) following a recommendation made by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland in 20141a _________________ 1a Brehm Christensen, M.; Clancy, E. (2018) ‘Exposed: Apple’s delicious tax deals, Is Ireland Helping Apple Pay less than 1% in the EU?’; GUE/NGL; June 2018.
Amendment 138 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13 c. Regrets that the Irish government introduced the 100% rate on capital allowances for intellectual property (IP) following a recommendation made by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland in 20141a _________________ 1a Brehm Christensen, M.; Clancy, E. (2018) ‘Exposed: Apple’s delicious tax deals, Is Ireland Helping Apple Pay less than 1% in the EU?’; GUE/NGL; June 2018.
Amendment 146 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Notes however, that self-regulation cannot be the answer to tackling tax fraud, tax evasion and avoidance; which can only be fought with adequate legislation, transparency, intra and inter institutional cooperation, inter- jurisdictional cooperation,and sufficient personnel and technical equipment employed by tax administrations
Amendment 172 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Notes however, that any debate concerning minimum taxation should make reference to minimum effective taxation, measured by the total income taxes paid by a corporation over its total profits, including in this measurement tax breaks to the base (that is, the income on which taxes are charged), as effective rates can often be much lower, and in many cases half, of the statutory rate;
Amendment 176 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Notes that the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Tax (ICRICT), observed that setting a minimum effective taxation would put a floor under tax competition1a _________________ 1a ICRICT (2016) FOURWAYS TO TACKLE INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITION, November 2016
Amendment 178 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16 c. Notes that a debate that does not consider effective taxation risks ending in lowering statutory rates even more and increasing tax competition;
Amendment 184 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Notes that taxing all earnings without deduction for interest and license fee payments in and by the source country could and should be at the center of any measures against tax avoidance1a _________________ 1a Jarass, L. and Obermair, G.M. (2015) What an Individual EU Country Can Do Unilaterally to Counteract BEPS. Reprinted from Tax Notes Int’l, August 24, 2015, p. 697
Amendment 185 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Notes that any individual EU country can unilaterally enforce both withholding taxes and conditioned limitations on deductions, as comprehensive taxation at the source, including earnings paid for interest, license fees, and the like, is by no means ruled out by the relevant EU directive1a _________________ 1a Jarass, L. and Obermair, G.M. (2015) What an Individual EU Country Can Do Unilaterally to Counteract BEPS. Reprinted from Tax Notes Int’l, August 24, 2015, p. 697
Amendment 186 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17 c. Notes that many countries have introduced withholding taxes, in particular for interest and license fee payments to related parties outside the EU. However, existing tax treaties considerably reduce the withholding tax rate1a _________________ 1a Jarass, L. and Obermair, G.M. (2015) ‘What an Individual EU Country Can Do Unilaterally to Counteract BEPS’, Reprinted from Tax Notes Int’l, August 24, 2015, p. 697; and Hearson M. (2018) ‘The European Union’s Tax Treaties with Developing Countries– Leading By Example?’, September 2018.
Amendment 187 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17 d. Regrets, that within the EU, no withholding taxes are levied on payments between related parties even when the other party is not effectively subject to tax on the income deriving from those payments in that other Member State. Notes however, that recital 3 of the interest and royalty directive1a clearly states that “It is necessary to ensure that interest and royalty payments are subject to tax once in a Member State”. Therefore, the EU directive on interest and royalty payments does not forbid source taxation of all earnings produced by an enterprise, whether declared as profit or transferred to another enterprise domestic or abroad as payment for interest or license fees2a _________________ 1a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE2003/49/EC of 3 June 2003 on a common system of taxation applicable to interest and royalty payments made between associated companies of different Member States 2a Jarass, L. and Obermair, G.M. (2015) What an Individual EU Country Can Do Unilaterally to Counteract BEPS. Reprinted from Tax Notes Int’l, August 24, 2015, p. 697
Amendment 188 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 e (new)
Paragraph 17 e (new)
17 e. Encourages EU Member States to apply withholding taxes to payments within and outside the EU in order to ensure that interests and royalty payments are subject to tax once in a Member State; and to make the necessary re-negotiations of their tax treaties in order to allow for withholding taxes to be applied at source1a _________________ 1a Jarass, L. and Obermair, G.M. (2015) What an Individual EU Country Can Do Unilaterally to Counteract BEPS. Reprinted from Tax Notes Int’l, August 24, 2015, p. 697
Amendment 194 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the G20/OECD 15-point BEPS action plan is being implemented and monitored and further discussions are taking place, in a broader context than just the initial participating countries, through the Inclusive Framework; calls on Member States to support a reform of both the mandate and the functioning of the Inclusive Framework to ensure that remaining tax loopholes and unsolved tax questions such as the allocation of taxing rights among countries are covered by the current international framework to combat BEPS practices;
Amendment 217 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Calls on the Commission to review ATAD I in order to eliminate the 2 alternatives for implementing CFC rules and leave only the stronger, most efficient one in Article 7(2)(a): to tax interest, royalties and other relevant types of income of all low-tax foreign subsidiaries, as the second option (to tax income of low-tax subsidiaries arising from non- genuine arrangements which have been put in place for the essential purpose of obtaining a tax advantage)is very weak and open to abuse, because it only protects against profit-shifting out of the home country and requires the tax authority to analyse many individual transactions of low-tax subsidiaries;
Amendment 229 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls for the definition of a permanent establishment to be more in line with the concept of a permanent establishment as defined in the UN model tax convention considering also the definition in the CCTB proposal, in a way that allows for the definition of permanent establishment not only to comprise tax payers with a fixed place of residence in a Member State, but also economic activities performed without the need of physical presence;
Amendment 233 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recalls its concerns relating to the use of transfer prices in ATP and consequently recalls the need for adequate action and improvement of the transfer pricing framework to address the issue; stresses the need to ensure that they reflect the economic reality, provide certainty, clarity and fairness for Member States and for companies operating within the Union, and reduce the risk of misuse of the rules for profit-shifting purposes, taking into account the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administration 2010;to ensure that taxable earnings reflect the economic reality, and reduce the risk of misuse of the rules for profit-shifting purposes.
Amendment 235 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Notes that as has been highlighted repeatedly by numerous experts and publications, the use of the ‘independent entity concept’ or ‘arm’s length principle’ recommended by the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administrations of 1979, 1995, 2010 and 2017, is at the core of the problem of tax evasion, tax avoidance and double non-taxation;
Amendment 238 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Emphasises that the EU actions aimed at addressing BEPS and ATPtax avoidance have equipped tax authorities with an updatedinsufficient toolbox to ensure fair tax collection; stresses that tax authorities should be responsible for making effective use of the tools without imposing an additional burden on responsible taxpayers, particularly SMEs and to tackle tax avoidance from multinational companies; stresses that tax authorities should be cautious not to end up imposing an additional burden on SMEs, when incapable of taxing multinational companies ;
Amendment 248 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2.2
Subheading 2.2
Strengthening EU actions to fight against corporate aggressive tax planning (ATP)tax avoidance and supplementing BEPS action plan
Amendment 251 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2.2.1
Subheading 2.2.1
Scrutinising Member States’ tax systems and overall tax environment – ATPtax avoidance within the EU (European Semester)
Amendment 291 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33 a. Notes that CCCTB impact assessments have been carried out on the basis of incomplete data at a time when tax administrations will soon have access to more precise and complete information following the Member States’ implementation of country-by-country reporting, and that going ahead without proper analysis would be deeply irresponsible; calls on the European Commission to conduct a new impact assessment based on high-quality data which would allow for a more informed decision to be made between different possible apportionment formulas;1a _________________ 1a ‘Assessing the impact of the CC(C)TB: European tax base shifts under a range of policy scenarios’; a GUE/NGL Study by Alex Cobham, Petr Janský, Chris Jones and Yama Temouri (Tax Justice Network); November 2017;
Amendment 295 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33 b. Believes that, as regards proceeding with the CCTB and CCCTB proposals, if aggregation were to take place without considering the differences between Member States’ accounting rules the inconsistencies in the EU tax base might end up being exploited by those seeking to secure advantage from regulatory arbitrage; calls on the Council to consider that ‘consolidated tax base’ should mean the consolidated net taxable revenue of the corporate group members, as calculated on a consistent accounting basis applicable to all group members;
Amendment 297 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 c (new)
Paragraph 33 c (new)
33 c. As already stressed by the PANA recommendations, implementing the CCCTB at EU level runs the risk of creating a situation in which current losses from Member States to the rest of world could be locked in, as could the exploitation of the rest of the world by some Member States; notes that an EU- only approach could eliminate the incentives to shift profit within the EU, but open the door to further incentives and opportunities to shift profit out of the EU1a _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 298 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 d (new)
Paragraph 33 d (new)
33 d. Calls on the Council to take note of PANA recommendations and consider strengthening the anti-tax avoidance provisions of the CCCTB to eliminate transfer pricing to third-country jurisdictions leading to a reduction in the taxable base of companies in the Union1a; in particular this means considering using the stronger, simpler and most efficient approach regarding the implementation of CFC rules in ATAD I Article7(2)(a); _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion(Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 307 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Notes that digitalisation affects the whole economy with many firms using multi-channel models; thus, instead of creating special regimes for digital businesses, international tax rules should be reformed, based on a principle of neutrality between different business models, both digital and non-digital, and regardless of the extent or form of digitalisation, including multi-channel models, recognising the economic reality businesses operate in today;
Amendment 319 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35 a. Notes that changing the definition of permanent establishment to make it more aligned with that of the UN model tax convention in a way that also includes digital significant presence, would be the optimal solution to tackle problems not only affecting the digital market but rather the digitalization of the economy and the earnings created in jurisdictions where companies do not have any physical presence;
Amendment 336 #
2018/2121(INI)
36a. Notes that the interim solution needs to be swiftly replaced by a change in the definition of permanent establishment; calls for the Council to consider the need for the digital service tax to be set at a level that takes the effective taxation of multinational companies within the scope of this proposal to that of other smaller companies in the same sector and other economic sectors, and that for that reason, the rate should be no lower than 5%;
Amendment 369 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Calls for DAC6 hallmarks to be strengthened in order to require the mandatory disclosure of dividend arbitrage schemes and all information on capital gains, including the granting of dividend and capital gains tax refunds1a _________________ 1a P8_TA-PROV(2018)0475. European Parliament resolution of 29 November 2018 on the cum-ex scandal: financial crime and loopholes in the current legal framework(2018/2900(RSP))
Amendment 402 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Stresses that the proposal for public CBCR was submitted to the co-legislators just after the Panama papers scandal on 12 April 2016, and that Parliament adopted its position on it on 4 July 2017; recalls that the latter called for an enlargement of the scope of reporting and protection of commercially sensitive information; deplores the lack of progress and cooperation from the Council since 2016; urges for progress to be made in the Council so that it enters into negotiations with Parliament;
Amendment 404 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45a. Recalls the position of the European Parliament in the PANA recommendations when it called for ambitious public country-by-country reporting (CbCR) in order to enhance tax transparency and the public scrutiny of multinational enterprises (MNEs) as this would allow the wider public to have access to information about the profits made, subsidies received and the taxes paid by MNEs in the jurisdictions where they operate; urges the Council to reach a common agreement in order to adopt a public CbCR, one of the key measures for achieving greater transparency in relation to companies’ tax information for all citizens; 1a _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion(Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 411 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46a. Notes that tax competition, with its detrimental effects, is not only allowed but encouraged by the European Commission, excluding only ‘special deals’ which are treated as State Aid, in an attempt to attract foreign investment even when the effectiveness of this strategy has been greatly questioned1a; _________________ 1a ICRICT, 'Four ways to tackle international tax competition', December 2016
Amendment 426 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 a (new)
Paragraph 49 a (new)
49a. Is concerned with the fact that the Commission ruled that double-non taxation achieved by McDonald’s stemmed from a mismatch between Luxembourg and US tax laws and the Luxembourg-United States double taxation treaty, a mismatch from which McDonald’s profited by arbitrating between such jurisdictions; and that such tax avoidance is enabled by the current legal framework in the EU to a point that the only means found effective by the European Commission to tackle it is through State Aid rules, something which has proved not to be possible in the case of McDonald’s;
Amendment 432 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Reiterates its calls for guidelines clarifying what constitutes tax-related State aid and ‘appropriate’ transfer pricing, with a view to removing legal uncertainties for both compliant taxpayers and tax administrations, and providing a framework for Member States’ tax practices accordingly;
Amendment 435 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51a. Regrets the fact that the current framework for tackling profit shifting between related parties through transfer pricing is based on the ‘arm’s length’ principle, a principle that grants a higher regard to the contractual arrangement among related parties than to the economic reality of the transactions taking place between one party and another one subject to it; deplores that the generalization of the ‘arm’s length principle’ has resulted in the ‘legalization’ of tax avoidance through transfer pricing; notes that in this context, the only effective solution within the European Union to tackle the tax evasion and tax avoidance of multinational companies has been through the identification of abuses to State aid rules;
Amendment 438 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 b (new)
Paragraph 51 b (new)
51b. Deplores that Apple’s new European tax structure remains shrouded in secrecy, partially due to a lack of financial transparency in Ireland and Jersey; and that most of its financial information remains secret globally1a _________________ 1a Brehm Christensen, M.; Clancy, E. (2018) ‘Exposed: Apple’s delicious tax deals, Is Ireland Helping Apple Pay less than 1% in the EU?’; GUE/NGL; June 2018.
Amendment 439 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 c (new)
Paragraph 51 c (new)
51c. Deplores that with the assistance of the Irish government, Apple has successfully created a structure that has allowed it to gain a tax write-off against almost all of its non-US sales profits; calls on the Commission to further investigate Apple’s case in the context of State Aid rules;
Amendment 440 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 d (new)
Paragraph 51 d (new)
51d. Notes that the law governing the use of capital allowances for IP is not subject to Ireland’s transfer pricing legislation, but it includes a prohibition from being used for tax avoidance purposes; deplores that Apple is potentially breaking Irish law by its restructure and it exploitation of the capital allowance regime for tax purposes; notes that if the same legal reasoning used in the European Commission’s state aid ruling on Apple and Ireland is applied, Apple is in breach of Irish tax law, and owes Irish Revenue at least 2.5 billion additional euros in unpaid tax annually from the period 2015-2017;1a _________________ 1a Brehm Christensen, M.; Clancy, E. (2018) ‘Exposed: Apple’s delicious tax deals, Is Ireland Helping Apple Pay less than 1% in the EU?’; GUE/NGL; June 2018.
Amendment 453 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 a (new)
Paragraph 53 a (new)
53a. Regrets however that the banning of letterbox companies in Latvia cannot be used to ban letterbox companies resident in EU Member States, as that would be considered discriminatory in the current EU legislative framework1a;calls for the European Commission to propose changes in the current legislation that would enable to ban letterbox companies even if resident in EU Member States; _________________ 1a TAX3 Delegation to Riga (Latvia), 30- 31 August 2018, MISSION REPORT
Amendment 462 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Highlights that the high level of inward and outward foreign direct investment as a percentage of GDP in seven Member States (Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands) can only be partially explained by real economic activities taking place in these Member States;40and therefore is a clear indicator of tax avoidance opportunities granted by such Member States; _________________ 40 Kiendl Kristo I. and Thirion E., An overview of shell companies in the European Union, EPRS, European Parliament, October 2018, p.23.
Amendment 470 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55 a (new)
Paragraph 55 a (new)
55a. Recalls that the European Parliament has called on the Commission to assess the role of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) revealed by the cum-ex papers and, where appropriate, to propose limiting the use of these instruments1a;calls on the European Commission to assess the role of the special purpose entities holding foreign direct investment in Malta, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; _________________ 1a P8_TA- (2018)0475European Parliament resolution of 29 November 2018 on the cum-ex scandal: financial crime and loopholes in the current legal framework (2018/2900(RSP))
Amendment 474 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Notes that economic indicators such as an unusually high level of foreign direct investment, as well as foreign direct investment held by special purpose entities are ATPtax avoidance indicators42 ; _________________ 42 IHS, Aggressive tax planning indicators, prepared for the European Commission, DG TAXUD Taxation papers, Working paper No 71, October 2017.
Amendment 481 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Notes that the ATAD anti-abuse rules (artificial arrangements) cover letterbox companies, and that the CCTB and CCCTB would ensure that the income is attributed to where the real economic activity takes place;
Amendment 488 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Deplores that shell companies associated with anonymity, circumvention of the Posting of Workers Directive and treaty abuse, can generate serious risks of tax avoidance, tax evasion, money laundering and abuse of social rights; and that such abuses have an impact in the rise of inequalities and decreased trust in public institutions1a _________________ 1a Kiendl Kristo I. and Thirion E., An overview of shell companies in the European Union, EPRS, European Parliament, October 2018.
Amendment 491 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 a (new)
Paragraph 59 a (new)
59a. Notes that abusive conversions, mergers or divisions constituting artificial arrangements or social dumping, but also reducing fiscal obligations or undercutting social rights of employees are therefore to be avoided in order to respect Treaty principles;1a _________________ 1a OPINION of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs for the Committee on Legal Affairs on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 as regards cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions (COM(2018)0241 – C8 0167/2018 –2018/0114(COD))
Amendment 493 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 b (new)
Paragraph 59 b (new)
59b. Notes that cross-border conversions should be conditioned to the company moving its registered office together with its head office in order to carry out a substantial part of its economic activity in the Member State of destination1a _________________ 1a OPINION of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs for the Committee on Legal Affairs on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 as regards cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions (COM(2018)0241 – C8 0167/2018 –2018/0114(COD))
Amendment 494 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 c (new)
Paragraph 59 c (new)
59c. Calls for Member States to request that a set of financial information be published ahead of the execution of cross- border conversions, mergers or divisions; and for that financial information to be accompanied by public country by country reporting;
Amendment 569 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 a (new)
Paragraph 79 a (new)
79a. Recalls that effective cross checks of the data held by tax authorities with data held by customs authorities are crucial to detect and eliminate VAT fraud linked to imports; and recalls on Member States and on the Commission to act in order to facilitate the flow of information between tax and customs authorities regarding imports under Customs Procedure 42, as recommended by the European Court of Auditors1a ;considering that experience has shown that administrative cooperation between tax authorities is suboptimal;1b _________________ 1a P8_TA(2016)0453European Parliament resolution of 24 November 2016 on towards a definitive VAT system and fighting VAT fraud (2016/2033(INI))[ 1b Study entitled ‘VAT fraud: Economic impact, challenges and policy issues’, European Parliament, Directorate- General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies, 15 October2018.
Amendment 570 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 b (new)
Paragraph 79 b (new)
79b. Notes that among the most used crimes in VAT fraud, the one known as "Missing Trader fraud (MTIC fraud) or Carousel fraud" is the most widespread and most used; notes that a particularity of this fraud is that it is carried out, for the most part, by organized crime; notes that in recent years, this fraud has diversified to include online commerce; notes that the extension of this type of fraud to online commerce is partly due to the suboptimal cooperation between tax administrations1a;calls for EU Member States and the European Commission to keep on developing swift cooperation between tax administrations; _________________ 1a Study entitled ‘VAT fraud: Economic impact, challenges and policy issues’, European Parliament, Directorate- General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies, 15 October2018.
Amendment 571 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 c (new)
Paragraph 79 c (new)
79 c. Notes that the extension of e- commerce is posing an important challenge for the economic and fiscal authorities, to whom, this type of economic transactions, poses enormous difficulties, e.g. absence of registration, VAT declarations well below the real value of the declared transactions, ghost transactions for criminal purposes, fraudulent use of customer data; notes that national legislations continue to present enormous deficiencies in the control of e-commerce; notes that the improvement of cooperation between administrations and a more efficient use of the resources available at European level can help to reduce the impact of this type of crime and its consequences, as well as the improvement of European legislation;
Amendment 572 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 d (new)
Paragraph 79 d (new)
79d. Notes that the "reverse charge mechanism" should be used only and exclusively in exceptional cases, and that the Commission and the Council should encourage countries to use existing resources more effectively; notes that at present, a group of bodies and institutions such as Eurofisc, OLAF, Europol or EPPO (European Public Prosecutor Office) provide a panel of options with a very high potential to combat VAT fraud;
Amendment 576 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80 a (new)
Paragraph 80 a (new)
80a. Deplores that VAT fraud in the European Union reaches colossal magnitudes: approximately 150 billion euros in 2017; notes that the figure hide, however, huge differences between countries, from percentages of fraud of minor importance (less than 2%); to countries with fraud indicators of around 30%;1a _________________ 1a European Parliament; VAT Fraud, economic impact, challenges and policy issues. October2018.
Amendment 579 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80 b (new)
Paragraph 80 b (new)
80b. Notes that the preservation of VAT fraud has, in addition to the negative economic effects, perverse consequences for inadequate social commitment with the payment of taxes and with a view to improving tax justice;
Amendment 580 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80 c (new)
Paragraph 80 c (new)
80c. Regrets that tax fraud has become a crime whose effects are to be managed, rather than a crime to be suppressed; calls on the Commission and the EU Member States to have policy design as a guiding principle, and for such policy design to be driven by efficiency considerations; notes that when efficiency is focused only in the enforcement, but not in the policy design, the credibility of the tax system is undermined, representing a serious risk to the rule of law1a _________________ 1a De la Feria, Rita (2018) ‘Tax Fraud and the Rule of Law’; WP18/02; Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation; January 2018.
Amendment 604 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 a (new)
Paragraph 84 a (new)
84a. Notes that corporation and wealth taxes play a crucial role in reducing inequality through redistribution within the tax system and in providing revenues to fund social provisions and social transfers;
Amendment 606 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 b (new)
Paragraph 84 b (new)
84b. Calls on the Member States to eliminate gender gaps in wealth across the EU in terms of financial assets, property ownership, business assets, insurance entitlements, pension savings and stock options1a; notes that the reduction in capital gains and property taxes primarily benefits men, as they are more likely to control such resources1b; _________________ 1a Action Aid. Making tax work for women’s rights 1b Institute of Development Studies (2016). Redistributing Unpaid Care Work – Why Tax Matters for Women’s Rights. Policy Briefing. Issue 109.
Amendment 607 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 c (new)
Paragraph 84 c (new)
84c. Deplores the fact that, overall, the contribution of wealth-based taxes to overall tax revenues has remained rather limited, at 5.8 % of overall tax revenues in the EU-15 and4.3 % in the EU-281a; _________________ 1a European Parliament Policy Department C, Gender equality and taxation in the European Union, 2017.
Amendment 608 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 d (new)
Paragraph 84 d (new)
84d. Deplores the fact that the share of taxes on capital has shown a declining trend since 2002 as a consequence, inter alia, of the general tendency of no longer applying the regular personal income tax schedule to capital incomes, but rather taxing them at relatively moderate flat rates, observable in many Member States1a _________________ 1a European Parliament Policy Department C, Gender equality and taxation in the European Union, 2017.
Amendment 681 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
93. Urges the Commission to finalise its study on CBI and RBI schemes in the Union; urges the Commission to examine whether, and, if so, which of these schemes posed a threat to EU legislation; in particular AMLD and ATAD;
Amendment 699 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 100 a (new)
Paragraph 100 a (new)
Amendment 713 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103
Paragraph 103
103. RecCalls the need to use amnesties with extreme caution in order not tofor Member States to refrain from using tax amnesties as they encourage tax avoiders to wait for the next amnesty; calls on the Member States which enact tax amnesties to always require the beneficiary to explain the source of funds previously omitted;
Amendment 714 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103 a (new)
Paragraph 103 a (new)
103 a. Recalls the European Parliament’s position in the PANA recommendation whereby it called on the Member States to identify and stop all use of any form of tax amnesties that could lead to money laundering and tax evasion or that could prevent national authorities from using the data provided to pursue financial crime investigations1a _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 717 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103 b (new)
Paragraph 103 b (new)
103 b. Regrets the fact that EU Member States have prioritized short-term revenue benefits over the elimination of tax fraud by providing tax amnesties;1a _________________ 1a De la Feria, Rita (2018) ‘Tax Fraud and the Rule of Law’; WP18/02; Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation; January 2018.
Amendment 718 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103 c (new)
Paragraph 103 c (new)
103 c. Notes that tax amnesties allow tax fraudsters to voluntarily repay all or parts of unpaid taxes without being subject to criminal prosecutions or full penalties; regrets that tax amnesties have become popular in the last few years in the context of the financial crisis1a and the austerity policies; _________________ 1a De la Feria, Rita (2018) ‘Tax Fraud and the Rule of Law’; WP18/02; Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation; January 2018.
Amendment 719 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103 d (new)
Paragraph 103 d (new)
103 d. Notes that tax amnesties are very negative they affect the most affluent sectors of society and extend the idea that having many resources guarantees impunity and makes it easy to circumvent legality; calls for Member States to stop tax amnesties and that economic and penal sanctions against the fraudsters be increased;
Amendment 731 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107
Paragraph 107
107. Stresses that money laundering can assume various forms, and that the money laundered can have its origin in various illicit activities ranging from terrorismdifferent types of crimes such as corruption, weapon and human trafficking and drug dealing to tax evasion and fraud; notes with concern that the proceeds from criminal activity in the EU are estimated to amount to EUR 110 billion per year64 , corresponding to 1 % of the Union’s total GDP; highlights that the Commission estimates that in some Member States up to 70 % of money laundering cases have a cross-border dimension65 ; further notes that the scale of money laundering is estimated by the UN66 to be the equivalent of between 2 to 5 % of global GDP, or around EUR 715 billion and 1.87 trillion a year; _________________ 64 From illegal markets to legitimate businesses: the portfolio of organised crime in Europe, Final report of Project OCP – Organised Crime Portfolio, March 2015. 65 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pre ss-room/20171211IPR90024/new-eu-wide- penalties-for-money-laundering; Commission proposal of 21 December 2016 for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on countering money laundering by criminal law (COM(2016)0826. 66 UNODC - https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/money- laundering/globalization.html
Amendment 732 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107 a (new)
Paragraph 107 a (new)
107 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to report on the effects money laundering on women’s rights, as money laundering impacts on gender inequality by concealing the origin of assets obtained via human trafficking, in which women and girls amount to 70%of the victims, as reported by FATF1a,UNODC2a,among others; _________________ 1a FATF (2011) Money Laundering Risks Arising from Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants. Seehttp://www.fatf- gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/Tra fficking%20in%20Human%20Beings%20 and%20Smuggling%20of%20Migrants.pd f 2a See UNODC’s reports on Trafficking in Persons.
Amendment 760 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112 a (new)
Paragraph 112 a (new)
112 a. Is concerned with the reliance of the AMLD on self-regulation by obliged entities; and notes that this is a matter of concern as all leaks so far have exposed the role of banks, lawyers, traders, insurance companies, and other enablers and promoters, as accomplices in money laundering cases;
Amendment 779 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 a (new)
Paragraph 116 a (new)
116 a. Regrets that no action were taken by EU institutions in relation to the ABLV Bank, in advance of those by the US Fin CEN; is concerned by what seems to be acknowledged by experts in this matter which observe that US standards are much stricter than European ones, that even when EU banks manage to apply EU rules, they are not sufficiently capable of applying US rules, and that the EU system seems to be guaranteed by the US one 1a _________________ 1a TAX3 Delegation to Riga (Latvia), 30- 31 August 2018, MISSION REPORT
Amendment 792 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 a (new)
Paragraph 117 a (new)
117 a. Calls on the Commission to take into consideration the recommendations of the EPRS study on ‘Offshore activities and money laundering: recent findings and challenges’ from 20171a,and consider that in order to reach a harmonized anti- money laundering policy in Europe, it needs to be noted that European countries are too different to all comply in the same way, and therefore different groups of countries within the EU should be targeted differently and some be trained and supported by other Member States; _________________ 1a http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/e tudes/STUD/2017/595371/IPOL_STU(201 7)595371_EN.pdf
Amendment 798 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 b (new)
Paragraph 117 b (new)
117 b. Calls on the Commission to assess the way in which derivatives can be used for money laundering, as ‘mirror trading’ can allow brokers to create multiple trades where it can conveniently locate washed funds1a; calls on the Commission to investigate whether this has been the case in the exposed cum-ex and cum-cum scandals; _________________ 1a EPRS (2017) ‘Offshore activities and money laundering: recent findings and challenges’. See http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/e tudes/STUD/2017/595371/IPOL_STU(201 7)595371_EN.pdf
Amendment 824 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125 a (new)
Paragraph 125 a (new)
125 a. Recalls the request made by the European Parliament resolution of 29 November 2018 on the cum-ex scandal, on ESMA and EBA to assess potential threats to the integrity of financial markets and to national budgets; to establish the nature and magnitude of actors in these schemes; to assess whether there were breaches of either national or Union law; to assess the actions taken by financial supervisors in Member States; and to make appropriate recommendations for reform and for action to the competent authorities concerned;
Amendment 861 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 129 a (new)
Paragraph 129 a (new)
129 a. Calls for the Commission to report on the status quo and improvements in EU Member States FIUs in relation to dissemination, exchange and processing of information, following the PANA Recommendations and the mapping report carried out by the EU FIUs Platform 1a _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 880 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 133 a (new)
Paragraph 133 a (new)
Amendment 923 #
2018/2121(INI)
141. Recalls that EU AML legislation requires Member States to lay down sanctions for breaches of anti-money laundering rules against banks and intermediaries that are knowingly, wilfully and systematically involved in illegal tax or money laundering schemes; stresses that these sanctions must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive;
Amendment 931 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 143 a (new)
Paragraph 143 a (new)
143 a. Recalls the position of the European Parliament in the PANA recommendations regarding the application of sanctions to enablers and promoters involved in illegal, harmful proven to have facilitated illegal, harmful or wrongful corporate tax arrangements; that the sanctions should be targeted towards the companies themselves as well as the management-level employees and board members responsible for the schemes; calling for the stringent application of effective sanctions on banks, providing for the suspension or withdrawal of the banking licence of financial institutions that are proven to be involved in promoting or enabling money laundering, tax evasion or aggressive tax planning; and encouraging Member States to ensure that the fines and pecuniary sanctions imposed on tax evaders and intermediaries are not tax- base deductible; 1a _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 934 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5.7 a (new)
Subheading 5.7 a (new)
An EU anti-money laundering list of high-risk third countries
Amendment 937 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 145 a (new)
Paragraph 145 a (new)
145 a. Notes that EU Member States are not treated in the same way as third countries, when they should be according to the Financial Action Task Force, and that this represents a problem when aiming at having common standards in respect of AML; calls for Member States to be peer reviewed in the same way third countries are in FATF; calls the Commission, as a founding member in 1989 of the Financial Action Task Force, to be peer reviewed by FATF as well1a _________________ 1a TAX3 PUBLIC HEARING“RELATIONS WITH SWITZERLAND IN TAX MATTERS AND THE FIGHT AGAINST MONEYLAUNDERING” held on October 1, 2018.
Amendment 938 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 145 b (new)
Paragraph 145 b (new)
Amendment 952 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 149 a (new)
Paragraph 149 a (new)
149 a. Notes that two FATCA Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) were developed to help FATCA fit with international laws: an IGA Model 1 by which foreign financial institutions report relevant information to their home authorities, which then passes this on to the US IRS, and an IGA Model 2 by which foreign financial institutions do not report to their home governments but directly to the IRS; notes that under Model 1 there are 2 versions, one of which is reciprocal and is the most common one; deplores that reciprocity is highly unbalanced with the US getting far more information from overseas than foreign governments; deplores that even in the best scenario of a reciprocal FATCA, the information compiled by the US institutions is full of loopholes, as it allows for senior managers to be registered if there is no person owning more than 25% of the bank's corporate client1a; calls on the EU Member States, to ensure that they are receiving reliable information when they get into a reciprocal FATCA with the US; _________________ 1a https://financialsecrecyindex.com/PDF/U SA.pdf
Amendment 955 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 149 b (new)
Paragraph 149 b (new)
149 b. Calls on the Commission and EU Member States to demand that the US enters into the CRS instead of following with the exchange of information under FATCA;
Amendment 962 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 150 a (new)
Paragraph 150 a (new)
150 a. Considers that tax havens, tax evasion and tax avoidance have been contributing to the rise in inequalities, by depriving countries of the revenue needed to provide public, quality and free education and healthcare services, social security, and affordable housing and transportation, and to build essential infrastructure for achieving social development and economic growth;
Amendment 968 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151
Paragraph 151
151. WelcomNotes the adoption by the Council of the first EU list on 5 December 2017 and the ongoing monitoring of the commitments made by third countries; notes that the list has been updated several times on the basis of the assessment of those commitments; underlines that this assessment is based on criteria deriving from a technical scoreboard and that Parliament had no legal involvement in this process; calls in this context on the Commission and the Council to inform Parliament in detail ahead of any proposed change to the list; calls on the Council to publish a regular progress report regarding black- and grey-listed jurisdictions as part of the regular update from the CoC Group to the Council;
Amendment 969 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151 a (new)
Paragraph 151 a (new)
151 a. Regrets that given that 2 out of the 3 criteria used by the Council refer to the OECD, the blacklist process seems more an extortive means of getting developing countries to implement standards that they have not participated in setting; than a serious effort to tackle tax evasion and tax avoidance;
Amendment 979 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 152 a (new)
Paragraph 152 a (new)
152 a. Calls on the Council to provide clear information on the specific criteria used to clear 20jurisdictions from the 92 that were originally assessed, as at the moment only the names of such jurisdictions1a and the letters of comfort are available, but those do not allow for a clear understanding on why jurisdictions that are such relevant trade partners of the EU, such as the US who was identified to have a lack of transparency and preferential Corporate Income Tax regimes, were so rapidly cleared and not listed; _________________ 1a Council of the EU.2018, June 8. Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation): Report to the Council/Endorsement. 9637/18
Amendment 993 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 154 a (new)
Paragraph 154 a (new)
154 a. Is concerned with the fact that even when Switzerland does repeal its non-compliant tax regimes, it may create new ones -as noted by some organizations and experts-, and that in that case the Council would still remove Switzerland from the grey list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions1a;calls for the Council to re- consider their assessment on Switzerland and on any other third country that could be having a similar legislative change; _________________ 1a TAX3 PUBLIC HEARING“RELATIONS WITH SWITZERLAND IN TAX MATTERS AND THE FIGHT AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING” held on October 1, 2018; and TAX3 Exchange of views with Fabrizia Lapecorella, Chair of the Code of Conduct Group on Business Taxation, held on October 10,2018.
Amendment 995 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 154 b (new)
Paragraph 154 b (new)
154 b. Notes that as of December 2018 there are only 5 countries remaining in the list; is concerned by what seems to soon end up in an empty listing process similar to that of the OECD which resulted in only Trinidad and Tobago remaining in the list; calls for the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to work on a more serious, and objective methodology,which does not rely in commitments but rather on an assessment of the effects of effectively implemented legislation;
Amendment 999 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 154 c (new)
Paragraph 154 c (new)
154 c. Recalls the European Parliament’s position on the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions regretting that the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions approved and published by the Council focuses only on jurisdictions outside the EU, omitting countries within the EU that have played a systematic role in promoting and enabling harmful tax practices and that do not meet the fair taxation criterion1a;and calls for the Commission and the Council to come up with an EU list of EU tax havens; _________________ 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 1003 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 154 d (new)
Paragraph 154 d (new)
154 d. Points out that for the EU to hold a leading role in the global fight against tax evasion, aggressive tax planning and money laundering, it would be important for the European Commission to get its own house in order by ensuring that those with a commercial or vested interest in promoting tax avoidance and tax evasion should not have a role in guiding or advising the EU’s policy-making on tax avoidance and tax evasion;
Amendment 1013 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156 a (new)
Paragraph 156 a (new)
156 a. Recalls the position of the European Parliament in the interim report on MFF, urging for a genuine fight against tax evasion and avoidance, with the introduction of dissuasive sanctions, for offshore territories and for the enablers or promoters of such activities, particularly and as a first step those operating on the European mainland; believes that Member States should cooperate by establishing a coordinated system for monitoring capital movements in order to fight taxevasion, tax avoidance and money laundering; 1a _________________ 1a Par. 48 of the Interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2027 adopted in Plenary
Amendment 1024 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 158 a (new)
Paragraph 158 a (new)
158 a. Regrets that the current OECD tax committee cannot be nor is sufficiently inclusive, as it is not the United Nations; the OECD is integrated only by 34 countries that tend to be industrialized ones, is not democratically governed and its decisions on recommendations are not guided by democratic rules
Amendment 1026 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 158 b (new)
Paragraph 158 b (new)
158 b. Regrets that the G20/OECDBEPS Action Plan did not intend nor did it resulted in addressing the problem of source and residence taxation which is at the core of the base erosion problem;
Amendment 1027 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 158 c (new)
Paragraph 158 c (new)
158 c. Underlines that given its lack of representation and of democratic governance, the OECD is not the place to discuss the allocation of taxing rights among industrialized and developing countries;
Amendment 1028 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 158 d (new)
Paragraph 158 d (new)
158 d. Calls on Member States to support the creation of a global body within the UN framework, well-equipped and with sufficient additional resources to ensure that all countries can participate on an equal footing in the formulation and reform of global tax policies1a, and for such body to address unsolved tax questions such as the allocation of taxing rights among countries; _________________ 1a European Parliament resolution of 6 July 2016 on tax rulings and other measures similar in nature or effect (Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0310); and European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted,P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 1031 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 a (new)
Paragraph 159 a (new)
159 a. Acknowledges that the G77and China have also called in 2017 for the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters to be upgraded to an intergovernmental UN Global Tax Body;
Amendment 1034 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 b (new)
Paragraph 159 b (new)
159 b. Calls for Member States to revise their positions regarding the creation of a global tax body within the UN in order to incorporate this global call to their agendas
Amendment 1035 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159 c (new)
Paragraph 159 c (new)
159 c. Regrets that the G20/OECD’s inclusive framework is stopping a discussion on international taxation that should take place in the context of the United Nations; calls on Member States to support a reform of the United Nations tax committee to turn it into a UN tax body; and ensure that the such body has sufficient resources to ensure all countries can participate on an equal footing;
Amendment 1048 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161 a (new)
Paragraph 161 a (new)
161 a. Believes that such support can take different forms, but that care should be taken not to impose models thought for tackling the problems of the North, which are convenient for the economic circumstances of the North, into the South; believes that the best cooperation for the South can most generally come from the South, from developing countries that have similar problems and similar economic circumstances; calls for the EU institutions to respect South-South cooperation;
Amendment 1058 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 164
Paragraph 164
Amendment 1079 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 a (new)
Paragraph 168 a (new)
Amendment 1080 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 b (new)
Paragraph 168 b (new)
168 b. Calls for the Commission to strive for a greater degree of specification of the AML/CFT and tax-related requirements in its free trade and association agreements;1a _________________ 1a Ioannides, I., Douma, W. T., Güven, O., Jancic, D., Pantaleo, L., van der Velde, S., de Vries, F. (2016). The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance; EPRS.
Amendment 1081 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 c (new)
Paragraph 168 c (new)
168 c. Calls for the Commission to ensure that all free trade and association agreements contain provisions on tax cooperation and that such provisions guarantee cooperation at the bilateral level in addition to any regional or international instruments or arrangements; 1a _________________ 1a Ioannides, I., Douma, W. T., Güven, O., Jancic, D., Pantaleo, L., van der Velde, S., de Vries, F. (2016). The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance; EPRS.
Amendment 1082 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 d (new)
Paragraph 168 d (new)
168 d. Calls on the Commission to include in its free trade and association agreements provisions aimed at combating mispricing and misinvoicing of internationally traded goods and services;1a _________________ 1a Ioannides, I., Douma, W. T., Güven, O., Jancic, D., Pantaleo, L., van der Velde, S., de Vries, F. (2016). The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance; EPRS.
Amendment 1083 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 e (new)
Paragraph 168 e (new)
168 e. Calls on the Commission to include in its free trade and association agreements provisions on public country by country reporting of corporate tax, the establishment of public registers of beneficial owners, and the establishment of public commercial registers; 1a _________________ 1a Ioannides, I., Douma, W. T., Güven, O., Jancic, D., Pantaleo, L., van der Velde, S., de Vries, F. (2016). The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance; EPRS.
Amendment 1084 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 f (new)
Paragraph 168 f (new)
Amendment 1085 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168 g (new)
Paragraph 168 g (new)
168 g. Calls on the Commission to pursue a strategy of imposing a measure of conditionality during trade negotiations, where structural weaknesses in rule of law enforcement – mainly due to corruption, organised crime and shadow economy – undermine the EU’s trade goals and the trading partner’s legislative and administrative endeavours in combating money laundering and tax evasion; 1a _________________ 1a [1][1] Ioannides, I., Douma, W. T., Güven, O., Jancic, D., Pantaleo, L., van der Velde, S., de Vries, F. (2016). The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance; EPRS.
Amendment 1101 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 a (new)
Paragraph 171 a (new)
171 a. Notes that developing countries need tax revenue, not least from the profits of multinational companies, to achieve their development goals; yet the taxation of most of those profits is regulated by a global network of bilateral tax treaties; notes that more than half of these treaties, and 40 percent of those with developing countries, have an EU Member State as signatory;1a _________________ 1a Martin Hearson(2018) ‘The European Union’s tax treaties with developing countries. Leading by example?’; GUE/NGL; September 2018.
Amendment 1104 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 b (new)
Paragraph 171 b (new)
171 b. Recalls that the European Parliament has resolved that the “global network of tax treaties…often impedes developing countries from taxing profits generated in their territory”1aand that “when negotiating tax treaties, the European Union and its Member States should comply with the principle of policy coherence for development;2a _________________ 1a Tax rulings and other measures similar in nature or effect (TAXE 2) 2a European Parliament resolution of 8 July 2015 on tax avoidance and tax evasion as challenges forgovernance, social protection and development in developing countries(2015/2058(INI)). URL:http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides /getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P8-TA- 2015-0265 uage=EN˚=A8-2015-0184
Amendment 1105 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 c (new)
Paragraph 171 c (new)
171 c. Notes that the European Economic and Social Committee has recommended that “when negotiating double tax agreements with developing countries, EU Member States take more account of the needs of developing countries”1a _________________ 1a European Economic and Social Committee. EU development partnerships and the challenge posed by international tax agreements. REX/487.https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/o ur-work/opinions-information- reports/opinions/eu-development- partnerships-and-challenge-posed- international-tax-agreements
Amendment 1106 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 d (new)
Paragraph 171 d (new)
171 d. Notes that tax treaties place too much emphasis on the taxing rights of the countries of residence of multinational companies, imposing too many restrictions on the countries that are the source of those companies’ income, often developing countries; 1a _________________ 1a Martin Hearson (2018) ‘The European Union’s tax treaties with developing countries. Leading by example?’; GUE/NGL; September 2018.
Amendment 1107 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 e (new)
Paragraph 171 e (new)
171 e. Regrets that on average, the treaties developing countries have concluded with EU Member States impose more restrictions on their source taxing rights than their treaties with other countries, even other OECD members; notes that EU Member States’ treaties with developing countries more closely resemble the OECD model convention, which is not designed with developing countries in mind, than the UN model, which is; notes that a study of 172 treaties signed between EU Member States and developing countries noted that the average EU treaty leaves intact 40% of its developing country signatories’ taxing rights;1a _________________ 1a Martin Hearson(2018) ‘The European Union’s tax treaties with developing countries. Leading by example?’; GUE/NGL; September 2018.
Amendment 1108 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 f (new)
Paragraph 171 f (new)
171 f. Calls on EU Member States and the European Commission to conduct spillover analyses incorporating reviews of EU Member States’ double taxation treaties, based on the principle of policy coherence for development and taking into account the recommendations of the European Parliament and the EESC;1a _________________ 1a Martin Hearson(2018) ‘The European Union’s tax treaties with developing countries. Leading by example?’; GUE/NGL; September 2018.
Amendment 1109 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 g (new)
Paragraph 171 g (new)
171 g. Calls on EU Member States to undertake a rolling plan of renegotiations with a focus on progressively increasing the source taxation rights permitted by EU Member States’ treaties; calls on such renegotiations to introduce development- friendly measures such as anti-treaty shopping.1a _________________ 1a Martin Hearson (2018) ‘The European Union’s tax treaties with developing countries. Leading by example?’; GUE/NGL; September 2018.
Amendment 1110 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 h (new)
Paragraph 171 h (new)
171 h. Calls on EU Member States and the European Commission to formulate and publish an EU Model Tax Convention for Development Policy Coherence, setting out source-based provisions that EU Member States are willing to offer to developing countries as a starting point for negotiations, not in return for sacrifices on their part; 1a _________________ 1a Martin Hearson(2018) ‘The European Union’s tax treaties with developing countries. Leading by example?’; GUE/NGL; September 2018.
Amendment 1120 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 175 a (new)
Paragraph 175 a (new)
175 a. Recalls relevant Member States to make use of the opportunity afforded by their direct relations with the countries concerned to take the necessary steps in order to put pressure on their overseas countries and territories (OCTs) and outermost regions that do not respect international standards pertaining to tax cooperation, transparency and anti- money laundering; takes the view that the EU transparency and due diligence requirements should be effectively enforced in these territories;1a _________________ 1a PANA recommendations adopted on December 13, 2018.
Amendment 1126 #
Amendment 1127 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177
Paragraph 177
177. Welcomes the broad definition of both ‘intermediary’ and regrets the incompleteness of the ‘reportable cross- border arrangement’ in the recently adopted DAC683 ; _________________ 83 OJ L 139, 5.6.2018, p. 1. OJ L 139, 5.6.2018, p. 1.
Amendment 1135 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 a (new)
Paragraph 177 a (new)
177 a. Urges the Commission, Member States and all EU bodies to refer to “enablers” or “promoters” as opposed to "intermediaries", which disguises the agency of the facilitators and promoters of tax avoidance schemes; notes that Ireland has already classified them as “promoters” in legislation (eg, Mandatory Disclosure of Certain Transactions Regulation 2011);
Amendment 1136 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 b (new)
Paragraph 177 b (new)
177 b. Recalls that the EU’s existing definition of control required to create a group of companies should be applied to accountancy firms that are members of a network of firms associated by legally enforceable contractual arrangements that provide for the sharing of a name or marketing, professional standards, clients, support services, finance or professional indemnity insurance arrangements, as anticipated by Directive2013/34/EU on annual financial statements1a; and calls for the European Commission to present a proposal for professional networks subject to these arrangements to be required to file full country-by-country reports, adapted to meet the particular needs of the sector, on public record;2a _________________ 2a Murphy, R.; Stausholm, S.N. (2017) ‘The Big Four, a study of opacity’; GUE/NGL, July 2017. 1a European Parliament recommendation of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Texts adopted, P8_TA- (2017)0491).
Amendment 1137 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 c (new)
Paragraph 177 c (new)
177 c. Calls for the Commission to present a proposal whereby the networks of professional service firms (e.g. accountancy firms, tax and legal advisors) to be required to apply for a single license to provide audit, taxation services or legal advice of any sort in the Member States, and that all abusive tax schemes promoted by the firm that have an impact on the tax revenue of a Member State be reported, whether sold in or outside the EU by a network member; 1a _________________ 1a Murphy, R.; Stausholm, S.N. (2017) ‘The Big Four, a study of opacity’; GUE/NGL, July 2017.
Amendment 1138 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 d (new)
Paragraph 177 d (new)
177 d. Calls on the Commission to present a proposal for all audit firms to be required to be entirely separate from those selling any other service;
Amendment 1139 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 e (new)
Paragraph 177 e (new)
177 e. Calls on the European Commission and member states to recognise that there is an inherent conflict of interest between the commercial interests of the tax avoidance industry and the public mandate of the EU to minimise tax avoidance;
Amendment 1140 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 f (new)
Paragraph 177 f (new)
177 f. Stresses that this conflict of interest can come in several forms, including via public procurement contracts that require the provision of paid advice on these issues; the provision of informal or unpaid advice via official advisory and expert groups; and via the revolving door;
Amendment 1141 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 g (new)
Paragraph 177 g (new)
177 g. Notes that in the same way as has been done by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to reduce the effects of the lobbying powers of the Tabaco industry in health policies, measures can be implemented in national, EU and international institutions to protect fiscal policies from commercial and other vested interests of the accountancy industry;
Amendment 1142 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177 h (new)
Paragraph 177 h (new)
177 h. Calls on the European Commission and member states to put in place a firewall to ensure that those with a commercial or vested interest in promoting tax avoidance and tax evasion should not have arole in advising the EU and member states on action to tackle tax avoidance and tax evasion. Elements of this firewall should include restrictions on the membership of advisory and expert groups, and on the awarding of public contracts for tax-related studies and impact assessments; restrictions on lobbying on tax avoidance and tax evasion; revolving door regulations; and full lobby transparency;
Amendment 1177 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 182 a (new)
Paragraph 182 a (new)
182 a. Deplores that even when in the area of financial services, the added value of sectorial whistleblower protection was already acknowledged by the Union legislator, and measures for the protection of whistleblowers were introduced in a significant number of legislative instruments in this area1a,a number of high profile cases involving European financial institutions have proven that protection of whistleblowers within such financial institutionsstill remains unsatisfactory and that fears of reprisals from both employers and authorities still prevents whistleblowers from coming forward within formation on breaches of law;2a _________________ 1a Communication of 8.12.2010 "Reinforcing sanctioning regimes in the financial services sector".[ 2a A8-0398/2018. Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliamentand of the Council on the protection of persons reporting on breaches of Union law (COM(2018)0218 – C8 0159/2018 – 2018/0106(COD))
Amendment 1181 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 a (new)
Paragraph 183 a (new)
183 a. Notes that it has been proven that keeping a reporting person’s identity confidential is an essential element in avoiding backsliding and self-censorship. The duty of confidentiality should, therefore, only be waived in exceptional circumstances in which disclosure of information relating to the reporting person’s personal data is a necessary and proportionate obligation required under Union or national law in the context of subsequent investigations or judicial proceedings or to safeguard the freedoms of others including the right of defence of the concerned person, and in each case subject to appropriate safeguards under such laws. Appropriate sanctions should be provided for in the event of breaches of the duty of confidentiality concerning the reporting person’s identity; 1a _________________ 1a A8-0398/2018. Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of persons reporting on breaches of Union law (COM(2018)0218 – C8 0159/2018 – 2018/0106(COD))
Amendment 1183 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 b (new)
Paragraph 183 b (new)
183 b. Notes that even when appropriate channels should be allowed for internal reporting, experts have noted that internal reporting should not be mandatory and that ultimately a whistleblower must have the right to be able to report externally1a _________________ 1a TAX3 Public hearing “Combatting money laundering in the EU banking sector”, Panel I: Danske Bank and money laundering allegations.
Amendment 1184 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 c (new)
Paragraph 183 c (new)
183 c. Notes that in addition to guarding the confidentiality of the identity of whistleblowers as it is essential for the protection of the reporting person, anonymous reporting should be further protected against the generalised threats and the attacks that aim to discredit the anonymously reporting person, by those offended;
Amendment 1205 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188 a (new)
Paragraph 188 a (new)
188 a. Deplores that Swiss libel laws are used to silence critics in Switzerland and worldwide because the burden of proof lays on the defendant not the plaintiff; that this not only affects journalists and whistle-blowers, but also reporting entities in the European Union and obliged persons under the beneficial owner register; as in case of having the obligation of reporting a beneficial owner which is Swiss, then the reporting person may end up being sued in Switzerland for libel and slander, being such criminal offences;1a _________________ 1a TAX3 Public hearing “Relations with Switzerland in tax matters and the fight against money laundering”, October 1, 2018.
Amendment 1209 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188 b (new)
Paragraph 188 b (new)
188 b. Calls on EU Member States and the Commission not to recognise the Swiss and British libel laws because they are used for libel tourism if in an EU Member States it were not possible to sue a journalist or a whistleblower;1a _________________ 1a TAX3 Public hearing “Relations with Switzerland in tax matters and the fight against money laundering”, October 1, 2018.
Amendment 1211 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188 c (new)
Paragraph 188 c (new)
188 c. Notes that money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance often involve highly complex international corporate and financial arrangements, which are likely to be within the remit of differing jurisdictions; and recalls the need for provisions to be taken for a unified point of contact for whistleblowers1a _________________ 1a A8-0398/2018. Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of persons reporting on breaches of Union law (COM(2018)0218 – C8 0159/2018 – 2018/0106(COD))
Amendment 1212 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 189
Paragraph 189
189. Welcomes the work done by the Platform for Tax Good Governance; notes that the mandate of the Platform applies until 16 June 2019; calls for it to be extended or renewed to ensure that civil society concerns and expertise are heard by Member States and the Commission; but considers that intermediaries with a commercial interest in tax avoidance should no longer be members; encourages the Commission to broaden the scope of the experts invited to the Expert Group on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (EGMLTF) to include experts from the private sector (business and NGOs) so long as they do not have a commercial interest in these issues;;
Amendment 1217 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192
Paragraph 192
192. NotDeplores that, despite requests to the Council, no relevant documents have been made available to the TAX3 Committee; calls into question, therefore, the political will of the Council to enhance transparency and cooperation in the fight against money laundering, tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning or to comply with the TEU and the principle of sincere cooperation;
Amendment 1242 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 9.5 a (new)
Subheading 9.5 a (new)
Regrets that even when TAXE, TAX2 and PANA committees have managed to make valuable contributions to the legislative discussions, they have not gone in-depth enough to reveal anything new that had not already been said by the media or by the civil society, partly due to the limitations of the powers granted to European Parliament’s special and inquiry committees.
Amendment 13 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the political dialogue and cooperation pillar are still not applied as not all Member States have ratified the AA; whereas the non-application of this two pillars involve an imbalance between trade-related issues and political-issues namely EU´s core values such as promotion of democracy and human rights;
Amendment 21 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the human rights situation in several CA countries is worrying;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is of the opinion that the AA tries to meet one of its key initial aims as it intends to strengthen the process of regional integration among the CA countries by supporting intra-regional institutions, cooperation and dialogues, contributing to the achievement of TEU art 21, the universal UN´s Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and contributing, under the framework of the principle of Policy Coherence for development as stated in TFUE Article 208, to the complementarity of their productive sectors, facilitating fair cross- border exchanges and fostering regional sustainable economic growth; reiterates that the AA contributes to consolidating the broader strategic dimension of the partnership between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); considers it essential to ensure the full entry into force of the AA, which is pending internal ratification by some EU Member States, and the effective and adequate implementation of all the provisions of the trade pillar by both parties;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is concerned of the deterioration of Human Rights situation in CA Countries; Recalls the paramount role that the AA, including its trade pillar, must play in promoting democracy, human rights and good governance; Stresses, in addition, the potentialities of including effective and mandatory human rights sanction based provisions in the AA to combat the deterioration of human rights in the region;
Amendment 46 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Highlights that the development of specific anticorruption and public finance-related provisions are need to surpass the fact that liberalisation of trade in goods and services with developing countries increases the threat of money laundering, and that it is therefore likely to contribute to an increase in illicit financial flows from developing countries to the EU;
Amendment 59 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note of the different country reports carried out by the ILO and of the challenges that still remain; calls on the CA countries concerned to eradicate violence against trade unionists, human rights defenders and indigenous peoples, and to take legislative measures to effectively implement ILO fundamental conventions on freedom of association, collective bargaining and non- discrimination, and child labour; stresses the importance of strengthening labour inspections and enhancing social dialogue; is deeply concerned on the deficits on social standards of garment sector industry of some CA countries;
Amendment 62 #
2018/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that the thresholds established under the Stabilisation Mechanism for Bananas, annexed to the Agreement and applicable until 2020, should not be exceedbe carefully examined, and that once it expires parties should continue to provide statistics, including on Fair Trade and organic produce;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Consensus on Development 2017 highlights the importance of information and communications technologies and services as enablers of inclusive growth and sustainable development; whereas digitalisation, if SDG and people centred and not only private profit driven, may have a positive role on achieving the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the SDGs explicitly mention digital technologies in five of the goals (SDG 4 on education; SDG 5 on gender equality; SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth; SDG 9 on infrastructure, industrialisation and innovation; and SDG 17 on partnerships); whereas the 2030 Agenda makes it clear that securing the natural life-support systems, human well-being, quality of life and societal inclusion can only succeed hand in hand;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas many developing countries and emerging economies – and especially poor people within these countries – have hardly benefited from digitalization up to now;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas digitalisation offers a potential for ensuring sustainability and environmental protection; whereas digitalisation should promote sustainable and low-carbon production methods;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the SDGs stress that providing universal and affordable access to the internet for people in least developed countries (LDCs) by 2020 will be crucial for fostering development, as the development of a digital economy could be a driver of decent jobs and inclusive growth, export volumes and export diversification;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the speed at which the digital economy isf people-centred has the potential to unfolding, and the significant gaps that exist in terms of ability and readiness, point up the urgent need to upscale capacity-building and technical assistance to developing countries, and especially to LDCs;
Amendment 26 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s strategy on D4D, as mainstreaming digital technologies into EU development policy and contributing to the achievement of the SDGs; and insist on the importance of enhancing an SDG-centred digitalization;
Amendment 27 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that about two billion people have no access to information and communication technologies, and therefore, alerts that the rapid pace of digitalization could jeopardize the integration of developing countries, as well as the poor in many societies, into the world economy;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes with concern that digitalization is likely to cause major upheavals in global labour markets and the international division of labour; calls on the Commission to overcome these is risks by promoting an SDG-centred digitalisation;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates the huge potential if properly developed of digital technology and services in the achievement of the SDGs, and recalls that any digital strategy must be fully in line with and contribute to the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably SDG 4 on quality education, SDG 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure; recalls that if the SDGs are to be achieved by 2030, a strengthened global partnership is needed between governmental, scientific, economic and civil society actors;
Amendment 37 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the imperative that any digital trade strategy must be fully in line with the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD); underlines that access to internet connectivity and digital payment methods are pivotal to enabling digital trade, sustainable development and inclusive growth;
Amendment 42 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for sufficient funding under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2017 to enable the streamlining of digital technologies into all aspects of development policy when needed for boosting its effectiveness;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for an SDG-centred digitalisation to be featured prominently in the future post- Cotonou agreement as an enabler of inclusive and sustainable development;
Amendment 53 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for a more concerted and holistic cross-sectoral effort from the international community to ensure that the shift towards a more digital economy leaves no one behind and contributes on the achievement of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 57 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the private sector to responsibly contribute to D4D through technology and innovation, expertise, investment, risk management, sustainable business models and growth;
Amendment 60 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets that less than half of all developing countries have data protection legislation, and calls for the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of data and statistics at local, regional, national and global levels and by all stakeholders in order to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; nNotes that timely and accurate data collection enables proper monitoring during implementation, adjusting policies and interventions when needed, and evaluating their results and impact upon completion;
Amendment 84 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the crucial need for deployment of and access to infrastructure, especially in rural and remote areas, that is adequate in coverage, quality and security; notes that the main causes hampering connectivity include poverty and lack of essential services, together with the underdeveloped terrestrial networks, lack of enabling public policies and regulatory frameworks, high taxation of digital products and services, low market competition and absence of an energy grid;
Amendment 95 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 97 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Notes that digitalization per se is not a tool for sustainable development but it should be developed in an SDG-centred manner and accompanied by robust policies in order to enhance its positive potential for sustainable development;
Amendment 99 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to launch new initiatives with special focus on developing digital infrastructure, promoting e-governance and digital skills, strengthening the digital economy and fostering SDG-centred start-up ecosystems, including funding opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to enable them to interact digitally with multinational enterprises and to access global value chains;
Amendment 103 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to increase investment in digital infrastructure in developing countries in order to bridge the significant digital divide in a development effective principle-based manner;
Amendment 107 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that MSMEs in developing countries make up the majority of businesses and employ the majority of manufacturing and service sector workers; reiterates that facilitating proper and well regulated cross-border e- commerce willhich puts people’s rights in the centre, might have a direct impact on improving livelihoods, fostering higher living standards and boosting economic development; reaffirms the contribution that such endeavours could make to gender equality, since a great number of these companies are owned and run by women;
Amendment 118 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Points out that ICT tools can be used for information dissemination during natural disasters and emergencies; highlights that digital technologies can enable low-income communities and other vulnerable communities to have access to quality basic public services such as health, education, water, sanitation and electricity, as well as to humanitarian relief and other public and private services;
Amendment 123 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that digital technologies such as SMS and mobile phone apps provide new tools for circulating important information, particularly forwhich could be used by poor and isolated people; notes the potential of mobile phone technology, which hasmay have advantages including lower access costs due to increasing network coverage, user- friendliness and falling costs of calls and text messages;
Amendment 130 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Acknowledges the potential role of digital technology in promoting democracy and citizens participation in decision making;
Amendment 133 #
2018/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Acknowledges the cpotentrial role of digital technology in access to public health services, including sexual and reproductive rights, namely abortion and in training for health workers and health and e-health information services; calls, therefore, on policymakers to introduce the appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks to scale up public e-health projects; asks the Commission to provide the necessary financial resources in this regard;
Amendment 32 #
2018/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises the need of expanding and reinforcing the arrangements for preventing, monitoring and verifying environmental and human rights impacts of EU bilateral and multilateral free trade and investment agreements, including via verifiable indicators and independent community-based monitoring and reporting initiatives;
Amendment 11 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The enlargement process is built on established criteria and fair and rigorous conditionality. Each beneficiary is assessed on the basis of its own merits. The assessment of progress achieved and the identification of shortcomings aim to provide incentives and guidance to the beneficiaries listed in Annex I to pursue the necessary far-reaching reforms. For the prospect of enlargement to become a reality, a firm commitment to the principle of the 'fundamentals first'15 remains essential. Furthermore, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are also essential elements of the enlargement process. Progression towards accession depends on each applicant's respect for the Union's values and its capacity to undertake the necessary reforms to align its political, institutional, legal, administrative and economic systems with the rules, standards, policies and practices in the Union. In addition, the Negotiating Framework of each and every candidate country conducting accession negotiations sets out clear requirements against which progress in the accession negotiations is being measured. _________________ 15 The 'fundamentals first' approach links rule of law and fundamental rights with the two other crucial areas of the accession process: economic governance – strengthened focus on economic development and improved competitiveness – and the strengthening of democratic institutions and public administration reform. Each of the three fundamentals is of crucial importance for the reform processes in the candidate countries and potential candidates and addresses key concerns of the citizens.
Amendment 13 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Assistance should also be provided in compliance with the agreements concluded by the Union with the beneficiaries listed in Annex I. Assistance should mainly focus on assisting the beneficiaries listed in Annex I to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, reform the judiciary and public administration, respect fundamental rights and promote gender equality, tolerance, social inclusion and non-discrimination. Assistance should also support the key principles and rights as defined in the European Pillar of Social Rights.17 Assistance should continue to support their efforts to advance regional, macro-regional and cross-border cooperation including across maritime borders, as well as territorial development, including through implementation of Union macro-regional strategies. It should also promote good neighbourly relations, reconciliation and regional cooperation. It should enhance their economic and social development and economic governance, underpinning a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth agenda, including through implementation of regional development, agriculture and rural development, social and employment policies and the development of the digital economy and society, also in line with the flagship initiative Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans. _________________ 17 European Pillar of Social Rights solemnly proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the Gothenburg Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, Gothenburg 17 November 2017.
Amendment 20 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Strengthening the rule of law, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, and good governance, including public administration reform, and transparency remain key challenges in most of the beneficiaries listed in Annex I and are essential in order for beneficiaries to come closer to the Union and later to fully assume the obligations of Union membership. In view of the longer-term nature of the reforms pursued in those areas and the need to build up track records, financial assistance under this Regulation should address the requirements placed on the beneficiaries listed in Annex I as early as possible.
Amendment 21 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In accordance with the principle of participatory democracy, parliamentary oversight and the proactive role of national Parliaments in the EU accession process and compliance with the accession criteria in each beneficiary listed in Annex I should be encouraged by the Commission.
Amendment 30 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) To reinforce the effectiveness of public administration and support structural reforms and good governance at all levels; Better implementation of legislation guaranteeing freedom of expression is needed, including the implementation of the labour code and social rights of the beneficiaries listed in Annex I and demonstrate a positive track record on these matters.
Amendment 37 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) To support territorial and cross- border cooperation, including across maritime borders.
Amendment 51 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex IV – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex IV – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The following list of key performance indicators shall be used to help measure the Union’s contribution to the achievement of its specific objectives and the progress made by the beneficiaries:
Amendment 71 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The enlargement process is built on established criteria and fair and rigorous conditionality. Each beneficiary is assessed on the basis of its own merits. The assessment of progress achieved and the identification of shortcomings aim to provide incentives and guidance to the beneficiaries listed in Annex I to pursue the necessary far-reaching reforms. For the prospect of enlargement to become a reality, a firm commitment to the principle of the 'fundamentals first'15 remains essential. Progression towards accession depends on each applicant's respect for the Union's values and its capacity to undertake the necessary reforms to align its political, institutional, legal, administrative and economic systems with the rules, standards, policies and practices in the Union. _________________ 15In addition, the Negotiating Framework of each and every candidate country conducting accession negotiations sets out clear requirements against which progress in the accession negotiations is being measured. _________________ 15 The 'fundamentals first' approach links The 'fundamentals first' approach links rule of law and fundamental rights with the two other crucial areas of the accession process: economic governance – strengthened focus on economic development and improved competitiveness – and the strengthening of democratic institutions and public administration reform. Each of the three fundamentals is of crucial importance for the reform processes in the candidate countries and potential candidates and addresses key concerns of the citizens.
Amendment 72 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The enlargement process is built on established criteria and fair and rigorous conditionality. Each beneficiary is assessed on the basis of its own merits. The assessment of progress achieved and the identification of shortcomings aim to provide incentives and guidance to the beneficiaries listed in Annex I to pursue the necessary far-reaching reforms. For the prospect of enlargement to become a reality, a firm commitment to the principle of the 'fundamentals first'15. remains essential. Furthermore, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are also essential elements of the enlargement process. Progression towards accession depends on each applicant's respect for the Union's values and its capacity to undertake the necessary reforms to align its political, institutional, legal, administrative and economic systems with the rules, standards, policies and practices in the Union. _________________ 15 The 'fundamentals first' approach links rule of law and fundamental rights with the two other crucial areas of the accession process: economic governance – strengthened focus on economic development and improved competitiveness – and the strengthening of democratic institutions and public administration reform. Each of the three fundamentals is of crucial importance for the reform processes in the candidate countries and potential candidates and addresses key concerns of the citizens.
Amendment 78 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Assistance should also be provided in compliance with the agreements concluded by the Union with the beneficiaries listed in Annex I. Assistance should mainly focus on assisting the beneficiaries listed in Annex I to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, reform the judiciary and public administration, respect fundamental rights and promote gender equality, tolerance, social inclusion and non-discrimination. Assistance should also support the key principles and rights as defined in the European Pillar of Social Rights.17, as well as in other international and EU human rights policy and legislation, such as the UNCRPD, and should not support any action that contributes to segregation or to social exclusion, such as investments in residential institutions for children. Assistance should continue to support their efforts to advance regional, macro-regional and cross-border cooperation as well as territorial development, including through implementation of Union macro-regional strategies. It should also enhance their economic and social development and economic governance, underpinning a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth agenda, including through implementation of regional development, agriculture and rural development, social and employment policies and the development of the digital economy and society, also in line with the flagship initiative Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans. _________________ 17 European Pillar of Social Rights solemnly proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the Gothenburg Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, Gothenburg 17 November 2017.
Amendment 153 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) To strengthen the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights including rights of the child, fundamental rights and international law, civil society and security as well as improve migration management including border management;
Amendment 168 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) To strengthen economic and social development including through increased connectivity and regional development, agriculture and rural development and social and employment policies, to promote social protection and inclusion, to reinforce environmental protection, increase resilience to climate change, accelerate the shift towards a low-carbon economy and develop the digital economy and society.
Amendment 175 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) To support territorial and cross- border cooperation, including across maritime borders.
Amendment 193 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. Assistance under IPA III may be provided to the type of actions provided for under the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund30 , the European Social Fund Plus31 and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development32 . In such case, actions shall follow the criteria set out in the Regulations for these instruments. _________________ 30 COM(2018) 372 final Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund. 31 COM(2018) 382 final Proposal of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 32 COM(2018) 392 final Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Amendment 221 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. In line with the principle of inclusive partnership, the Commission shall ensure that relevant stakeholders in partner countries, including local authorities, civil society organisations and bodies representing service users, are duly consulted and have timely access to relevant information allowing them to play a meaningful role during the design, implementation and associated monitoring processes of programmes.
Amendment 224 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 4 b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. The assistance provided under IPA III must be consistent with international and EU human rights standards and legislation. Activities that do not comply with these standards, such as investments in residential institutions for children, should be excluded from the scope of the Instrument.
Amendment 326 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point a
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) Establishing and promoting from an early stage the proper functioning of the institutions necessary in order to secure the rule of law. Interventions in this area shall aim at: establishing independent, accountable and efficient judicial systems, including transparent and merit-based recruitment and promoting judicial cooperation, evaluation and promotion systems and effective disciplinary procedures in cases of wrongdoing; ensuring the establishment of robust systems to protect the borders, manage migration flows and provide asylum to those in need; developing effective tools to prevent and fight organised crime, trafficking in human beings, migrants smuggling, money laundering/financing of terrorism and corruption; promoting and protecting human rights including the rights of the child, rights of persons belonging to minorities including Roma as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the media and data protection.
Amendment 344 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point g
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) Strengthening access to and quality of education, training and lifelong learning at all levels, and offering support to cultural and creative sectors. Interventions in this area shall aim at: promoting equal access to quality inclusive, non- institutional and community-based early- childhood education and care, primary and secondary education, improving the provision of basic skills; increasing educational attainment levels, reducing early school-leaving and reinforcing teachers’ training. Developing vocational education and training (VET) systems and promoting work-based learning systems to facilitate the transition to the labour market; improving the quality and relevance of higher education; encouraging alumni related activities; enhancing access to lifelong learning and supporting investment in education and training infrastructure particularly with a view to reducing territorial disparities and fostering non-segregated education and including through the use of digital technologies.
Amendment 356 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point i
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) Promoting social protection and inclusion and combating poverty. Interventions in this area shall aim at modernising social protection systems to provide effective, efficient, and adequate protection throughout all stages of a person’s life, fostering social inclusion, promoting equal opportunities and addressing inequalities and poverty. Interventions in this area shall also focus on: integrating marginalised communities such as the Roma; combating discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation; enhancing access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services, such as early childhood education and care, housing, healthcare and essential social services and long term care, including through the modernisation of social protection systems, and the transition from institutions to family- and community-based care.
Amendment 369 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point a
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) promoting employment, labour mobility and social and cultural inclusion across borders through, inter alia: integrating cross-border labour markets, including cross-border mobility; joint local employment initiatives; information and advisory services and joint training; gender equality; equal opportunities; integration of immigrants' communities and vulnerable groups; investment in public employment services; and supporting investment in public health ans well as family- and community-based social services;
Amendment 377 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex IV – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex IV – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The following list of key performance indicators shall be used to help measure the Union’s contribution to the achievement of its specific objectives and the progress made by the beneficiaries:
Amendment 36 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) the export value of the geographical indication and/or their export potential;
Amendment 37 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(b a) the special economic and regional importance of the geographical indication;
Amendment 38 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point e
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point e
(e) the overall numbercurrent or potential misuse of geographical indications originating in the territories of the other members of the Special Union and registered in the register of the International Bureau (’the International Register’).in the third countries concerned;
Amendment 39 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point e a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 3 – point e a (new)
(e a) the protection of geographical indications under other agreements;
Amendment 43 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Where, based on the assessment carried out pursuant to paragraph 1, the Commission considers that the conditions laid down in that paragraph are not fulfilled, it shall take a sufficiently reasoned decision to refuse protection of the geographical indication by means of an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 13(2). In respect of geographical indications covering products not falling within the competence of the Committees provided in Article 13(1) the decision will be adopted by the Commission without application of the examination procedure referred to in Article 13(2).
Amendment 45 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
(1) Within twosix months from the date of publication of the name of the geographical indication in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Article 4(2), the authorities of a Member State or of a third country other than the Contracting Party of Origin, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established in the Union or in a third country other than the Contracting Party of Origin may lodge an opposition with the Commission, in one of the official languages of the Union.
Amendment 46 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) that the protection in the Union of the geographical indication proposed would jeopardise the use of an entirely or partly identical name or the exclusive nature of a trade mark or the economic value of products which have been legally placed on the market for at least five years preceding the date of the publication of the name of the geographical indication in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Article 4(2);
Amendment 48 #
2018/0189(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Amendment 94 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) Such minimum standards for whistle-blower protection shall be developed with regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Article 11 thereof, and to the European Convention on Human Rights, notably Article 10 thereof.
Amendment 107 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) Acknowledging that all major scandals that have been made public since 2014, like LuxLeaks and Panama Papers, are all thanks to whistleblowers.
Amendment 148 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) Whistleblowers are, in particular, important sources for investigative journalists. Providing effective protection to whistleblowers from retaliation increases the legal certainty of (potential) whistleblowers and thereby encourages and facilitates whistleblowing also to the media. In this respect, protection of whistleblowers as journalistic sources is crucial for safeguarding the ‘watchdog’ role of investigative journalism in democratic societies. In view of the variety of situations, this Directive does not establish an order of priority between the different channels of reporting and disclosure. It is for the reporting person to determine the most appropriate channel, taking into account the rights and legitimate interests of concerned persons. Due to their importance for the freedom of expression and the right to receive information, public disclosures, including through the media, should be encouraged.
Amendment 152 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34 a (new)
Recital 34 a (new)
(34a) The Commission should set up the Whistleblower Protection Office (OPLA). OPLA shall be the independent European authority for reports and for whistleblower protection that is responsible for receiving and providing appropriate follow up on reports on breaches falling within the scope of this Directive, and for ensuring the protection of whistleblowers. OPLA shall be accessible through a point of contact in each Member State, as well as via a secure online platform. It shall be a point of contact and information for whistleblowers or potential whistleblowers, to assess the accuracy of information and/or allegations made in the report and process those breaches reported, specifically by launching an investigation and by consulting one of the competent bodies of the European Union upon concluding its investigation (the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Justice of the European Union, etc.). It shall also be a point of contact for national authorities, journalists and civil society organisations involved in whistleblower protection. While fully independent, it will be able to work closely with the competent EU bodies (the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Justice of the European Union, etc.).
Amendment 154 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34 b (new)
Recital 34 b (new)
(34b) OPLA should also have adequate protection procedures for the processing of reports on breaches and for the protection of the personal data of the persons referred to in the report. Such procedures should ensure that the identity of every reporting person, concerned person, and third person referred to in the report (e.g. witnesses or colleagues) is protected at every stage of the procedure. This obligation should be without prejudice to the necessity and proportionality of the obligation to disclose information where this is required by Union or national law, and subject to appropriate safeguards under those laws, including in the context of investigations or judicial proceedings or to safeguard the freedoms of others, including the rights of defence of the concerned person.
Amendment 155 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34 c (new)
Recital 34 c (new)
(34c) Procedures for external reporting must allow national authorities and OPLA to receive reports and to investigate, in full confidentiality, any reports provided by any whistleblower.
Amendment 161 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 40
Recital 40
(40) It should be clear that, in the case of private legal entities which do not provide for internal reporting channels, reporting persons should be able to report directly externally to the competent authoritiesn any case, reporting persons should be able to report directly externally to the national authority or OPLA (hereinafter 'competent authorities'), and to exercise their right to disclose, and such persons should enjoy the protection against retaliation provided by this Directive.
Amendment 165 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 44
Recital 44
(44) Internal reporting procedures should enable private legal entities to receive and investigate in full confidentiality reports by the employees of the entity and of its subsidiaries or affiliates (the group), but also, to any extent possible, by any of the group’s agents and suppliers and by any person who acquires information especially through his/her work-related activities with the entity and the group.
Amendment 170 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) Persons who are considering reporting breaches of Union law should be able to make an informed decision on whether, how and when to report. Private and public entities having in place internal reporting procedures shall provide information on these procedures as well as on procedures to report externally to relevant competent authoritieTo this end, they should be able to consult and seek advice from the national authority or OPLA, which is a first point of information and contact. They should also be able to consult civil society organisations involved in the protection of whistleblowers. Private and public entities having in place internal reporting procedures shall provide information on these procedures as well as on procedures to report externally to relevant competent authorities. They should also provide information on rights guaranteed to whistleblowers, particularly their right to disclosure guaranteed by this Directive, and their right to turn to civil society organisations involved in whistleblower protection to this end, specifically those who provide strategic and legal advice to whistleblowers, as well as to journalists. Such information must be easily understandable and easily accessible, including, to any extent possible, also to other persons, beyond employees, who come in contact with the entity especially through their work-related activities, such as service-providers, distributors, suppliers and business partners. For instance, such information may be posted at a visible location accessible to all these persons and to the web of the entity and may also be included in courses and trainings on ethics and integrity.
Amendment 178 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 58
Recital 58
(58) Protection of personal data of the reporting and concerned person, as well as confidentiality of information, is crucial in order to avoid unfair treatment, any harassment or intimidation, or reputational damages due to disclosure of personal data, in particular data revealing the identity of a person concerned. Hence. Hence, Member States and OPLA shall ensure that, in line with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation, hereinafter also referred to as 'GDPR'), competent authorities should establish adequate data protection procedures specifically geared to the protection of the reporting person, the concerned person and any third person referred to in the report that should include a secure system within the competent authority with restricted access rights for authorised staff only.
Amendment 181 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 60
Recital 60
(60) The reporting persons should enjoy the protection of this Directive when they turn to one of the internal or external reporting channels (either a national authority or OPLA), with no special conditions or hierarchy, or when they exercise their right to disclosure to a journalist or a civil society organisation involved in whistleblower protection. This should apply throughout the procedure, including once the procedure is over, unless there is proven to be no threat of retaliation. To enjoy protection, the reporting persons should reasonably believe, in light of the circumstances and the information available to them at the time of the reporting, that the matters reported by them are true. This reasonable belief should be presumed unless and until proven otherwise. This is an essential safeguard against malicious and frivolous or abusive reports, ensuring that those who deliberately and knowingly report wrong or misleading information do not enjoy protection. At the same time, it ensures that protection is not lost where the reporting person made an inaccurate report in honest error. In a similar vein, reporting persons should be entitled to protection under this Directive if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the information reported falls within its scope.
Amendment 182 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 82
Recital 82
(82) The material scope of this Directive is based on the identification of areas where the introduction of whistleblower protection appears justified and necessary on the basis of currently available evidence. Such material scope may be extended to further areas or Union acts, if this proves necessary as a means of strengthening their enforcement in the light of evidence that may come to the fore in the future or on the basis of the evaluation of the way in which this Directive has operatedUnion law as a whole.
Amendment 185 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 61
Recital 61
(61) The requirement of a tiered use of reporting channels, as a genIt is necessary to ensure that all reporting channels whether internal or external rule, is necessaryare open to the reporting person so as to ensure that the information gets to the persons or entities who can contribute to the early and effective resolution of risks to the public interest as well as to prevent unjustified reputational damage from public disclosure. At the same time, some exceptions to its application are necessary,, by allowing the reporting person to choose the most appropriate channel depending on the individual circumstances of the case. Moreover, it is necessary to protect public disclosures taking into account democratic principles such as transparency and accountability, and fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and media freedom, whilst balancing the interest of employers to manage their organisations and to protect their interests with the interest of the public to be protected from harm, in line with the criteria developed in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights57. _________________ 57 One of the criteria for determining whether retaliation against whistleblowers making public disclosures interferes with freedom of expression in a way which is not necessary in a democratic society, is whether the persons who made the disclosure had at their disposal alternative channels for making the disclosure; see, for instance, Guja v. Moldova [GC], no 14277/04, ECHR 2008.
Amendment 186 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
(a) breaches falling within the scope of the Union legislation, for example those acts set out in the Annex (Part I and Part II) as regards the following areas:
Amendment 187 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) freedom of expression and information as referred to in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and case-law based on that Article;
Amendment 188 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. Where specific rules on the reporting of breaches are provided for in sector-specific Union acts listed in Part 2 of the Annex, those rules shall apply. The provisions of this Directive shall be applicable for all matters relating to the protection of reporting persons not regulated in those sector-specific Union acts. This paragraph shall apply only in cases where the protection foreseen in sector-specific acts is higher than the one guaranteed by this directive.
Amendment 188 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 62
Recital 62
(62) As a rule, reporting persons should first use the internal channels at their disposal and report to their employer. However, it may be the case that internal channels do not exist (in case of entities which are not under an obligation to establish such channels by virtue of this Directive or applicable national law) or that their use is not mandatory (have at their disposal both internal and external reporting channels including media outlets which mplay be the case for persons who are not in an employment relationship), or that they were used but did not function properly (for instance the report was not dealt with diligently or within a reasonable timeframe, or no action was taken to address the breach of law despite the positive results of the enquiry)an essential role in preserving democratic values.
Amendment 191 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 63
Recital 63
Amendment 196 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘breaches’ means actual or potential unlawful activities or abuse of law relating to the Union aor other forms of misconducts and areas falling within the scope referred to in Article 1 and in the Annexwrongdoing that may cause harm to the public interest or the general interest of the Union, or which run contrary to the objectives of Union law;
Amendment 213 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 6 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 6 – point c
(c) municipalities with more than 10 5000 inhabitants;
Amendment 218 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 85 a (new)
Recital 85 a (new)
(85a) This Directive is without prejudice to Member States' freedom to introduce the same or similar rules for breaches of national law, thereby providing a coherent and comprehensive framework for the protection of persons reporting on breaches.
Amendment 221 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. With a view to enhancing the enforcement of Union law and policies in specific areas, tThis Directive lays down common minimum standards for the protection of persons reporting on the following unlawful activities or abuse of law:
Amendment 226 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
(a) breaches of fundamental rights and principles of the EU, as well as breaches falling within the scope of the Union acts set out in the Annex (Part I and Part II) as regards the following areas:
Amendment 228 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
(a) breaches falling within the scope of the Union acts set out in the Annex (Part I and Part II) as regardsincluding but not limited to the following areas:
Amendment 230 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i a (new)
(ia) employment
Amendment 231 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i b (new)
(ib) trade
Amendment 252 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. This Directive shall apply to reporting persons working in the private or public sector who acquired information on breaches in a work-related context including, at least, the following:
Amendment 254 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) persons having the status of worker, or former workers, with the meaning of Article 45 TFEU, including persons having the status of civil servants;
Amendment 260 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) shareholders and persons belonging to the management body of an undertaking, including non-executive members, as well as volunteers and paid and unpaid trainees;
Amendment 273 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
2. This Directive shall also apply to reporting persons whose work-based relationship has ended or is yet to begin in cases where information concerning a breach has been acquired during the recruitment process or other pre- contractual negotiation.
Amendment 276 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. This Directive shall apply to officials as well as to other employees and interns working at the institutions, agencies and bodies of the Union.
Amendment 278 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. This Directive shall apply to individuals falling within the definition laid out in Article 1 of private or public legal entities located within the Union, as well as to private or public European legal entities located outside Union territory.
Amendment 279 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. This Directive shall apply to individuals facilitating the reporting on breaches such as journalists or intermediaries between the reporting person and the person distributing the information.
Amendment 280 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 4
Article 13 – paragraph 4
Amendment 280 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 2 d (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. This Directive shall apply to any individual reporting on breaches of Union law who has evidence of such breaches in the public or private sector.
Amendment 286 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Member States shall take the necessary measures to prohibit any form of retaliation, whether direct or indirect, against reporting persons meetthreatened, attempted or implemented action that could underminge the conditions set out in Article 13, including in particular in the form ofexercise of rights protected by the present Directive. This includes, but is not limited to retaliation measures such as:
Amendment 286 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘breaches’ means actual or potential unlawful activities or, abuse of law relating to the Union acts and areas falling within the scope referred to in Article 1 and in the Annexor activities detrimental to the public interest or the general interest of the Union;
Amendment 290 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘unlawful activities’ means acts or omissions contrary to Union law;
Amendment 307 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 2
Article 17 – paragraph 2
Amendment 317 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart A – point 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart A – point 1 – introductory part
1. Procedures for procurement relating to supplies contracts for defence products and supplies and services contracts for water, energy, transport and postal services and any other contract or service as regulated under Union legislation, including:
Amendment 318 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart A – point 2 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart A – point 2 – introductory part
2. Review procedures regulated, in particular, by:
Amendment 318 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13 a (new)
(13a) ‘national authority’ means any national authority entitled to receive reports in accordance with Chapter III and designated to carry out the duties provided for in this Directive, in particular as regards the follow-up of reports;
Amendment 319 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart B – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart B – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Rules establishing a regulatory and supervisory framework and consumer and investor protection in the Union financial services and capital markets, banking, credit, insurance and re-insurance, occupational or personal pensions, securities, investment funds, payment and investment advice and the services listed in Annex I to Directive 2013/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms, amending Directive 2002/87/EC and repealing Directives 2006/48/EC and 2006/49/EC (OJ L 176, 27.6.2013, p. 338), as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 319 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13 b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13 b (new)
(13b) ‘OPLA’, the authority set up at European level to receive reports in accordance with Chapter III, and to carry out the functions provided for in this Directive;
Amendment 320 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart C – point 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart C – point 1 – introductory part
1. General safety requirements of products placed in the Union market as defined and regulated for example by:
Amendment 320 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13 c (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 13 c (new)
(13c) 'facilitator' means any natural or legal person who contributes to the report or assists a person reporting on breaches with his report.
Amendment 321 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart C – point 2 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart C – point 2 – introductory part
2. Marketing and use of sensitive and dangerous products, as regulated for example by:
Amendment 322 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 1
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 1
1. Safety requirements in the railway sector as regulated in particular by Directive (EU) 2016/798 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on railway safety (OJ L 138, 26.5.2016, p. 102).
Amendment 322 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 14
(14) ‘competent authorityies’ means any national authority entitled to receive reports in accordance with Chapter III and designated to carry out the duties provided for in this Directive, in particular as regards the follow up of reportsor OPLA.
Amendment 323 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 2
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 2
2. Safety requirements in the civil aviation sector as regulated in particular by Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 on the investigation and prevention of accidents and incidents in civil aviation and repealing Directive 94/56/EC (OJ L 295, 12.11.2010, p. 35).
Amendment 324 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 3 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 3 – introductory part
3. Safety requirements in the road sector as regulated for example by:
Amendment 325 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 4 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart D – point 4 – introductory part
4. Safety requirements in the maritime sector as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 325 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that legal entities in the private and in the public sector establish internal channels and procedures for reporting and following up on reports, following consultations with social partners, if appropriateand negotiations with the worker representatives and/or the trade union and/or social partners.
Amendment 326 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart E – point i
Annex I – part I – subpart E – point i
(i) Any criminal offence against the protection of the environment as regulated for example by Directive 2008/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on the protection of the environment through criminal law (OJ L 328, 6.12.2008, p. 28) or any unlawful conduct infringing the legislation set out in the Annexes of the Directive 2008/99/EC;
Amendment 327 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart F – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart F – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Rules on nuclear safety as regulated for example by:
Amendment 327 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Such channels and procedures shall allow for reporting by employees of the entity. They may allow for reporting by other persons who are in contact with the entity in the context of their work-related activities, referred to in Article 2(1)(b),(c) and (d), but t. The use of internal channels for reporting shall not be mandatory for these categories of persons.
Amendment 328 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart G – point 1
Annex I – part I – subpart G – point 1
1. Union food and feed law governed by the general principles and requirements as defined in particular by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1).
Amendment 329 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart G – point 2
Annex I – part I – subpart G – point 2
2. Animal health as regulated in particular by Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1).
Amendment 330 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart G – point 4 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart G – point 4 – introductory part
4. Protection of animal welfare as regulated for example by:
Amendment 330 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. These reporting channels shall be clearly defined by the entity and easily accessible both within and from outside the entity. Such channels shall fully safeguard the anonymity of persons reporting on breaches or their facilitators, provided they wish to, as well as their personal data.
Amendment 331 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 1 – introductory part
1. Measures setting high standards of quality and safety of organs and substances of human origin, as regulated for example by:
Amendment 332 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 2 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 2 – introductory part
2. Measures setting high standards of quality and safety for medicinal products and devices of medical use as regulated for example by:
Amendment 333 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 3
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 3
3. Serious cross-border threats to health as regulated in particular by Decision No 1082/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2013 on serious cross-border threats to health and repealing Decision No 2119/98/EC (OJ L 293, 5.11.2013, p. 1).
Amendment 334 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 4
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 4
4. Patients’ rights as regulated in particular by Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (OJ L 88, 4.4.2011, p. 45).
Amendment 335 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 5
Annex I – part I – subpart H – point 5
5. Manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products regulated in particular by Directive 2014/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products and repealing Directive 2001/37/EC (OJ L 127, 29.4.2014, p. 1).
Amendment 336 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – subpart I – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – subpart I – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Consumer rights and consumer protection as regulated for example by:
Amendment 341 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. Any decision taken by a Member State pursuant to paragraph 4 shall be notified to the Commission and OPLA, together with a justification and the criteria used in the risk assessment. The Commission shall communicate that decision to the other Member States.
Amendment 347 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 6 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 6 – point c
c) municipalities with more than 10 000 inhabitants;
Amendment 348 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 6 – point c a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 6 – point c a (new)
ca) European Union institutions, agencies and bodies.
Amendment 369 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. It shall be ensured that a person considering reporting on breaches is protected to discuss, be accompanied and represented by his/her trade union and/or legal advisor, including throughout the internal process.
Amendment 377 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
ca) guarantee free and independent advice and legal support for persons reporting on breaches, as well as for facilitators and intermediaries;
Amendment 378 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c b (new)
cb) give the reporting person the opportunity, without compelling him/her, to look over, examine and comment on the draft report over the course of the investigation, and the final report before it is published at the end of the investigation and, where relevant, take his/her comments into account;
Amendment 380 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Member States shall ensure that the national authorities can take adequate remedial action.
Amendment 381 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Member States shall ensure that the national authority publishes the final report, ensuring the reporting person's anonymity is maintained unless he/she requests otherwise, and that the national authority ensures this report contains the reporting person's comments as well as remedial action where appropriate.
Amendment 384 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 4
Article 6 – paragraph 4
4. Member States shall ensure that any authority which has received a report but does not have the competence to address the breach reported transmits it to the competent authority within reasonable time and that the reporting person is informed without delay.
Amendment 385 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 a (new)
Article 6 a (new)
Amendment 389 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
ca) they guarantee free and independent advice and legal support for persons reporting on breaches, as well as for facilitators and intermediaries.
Amendment 392 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Such channels shall safeguard the anonymity of the person reporting on breaches when he/she wishes to, as well as their personal data.
Amendment 395 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that competent authorities have staff members dedicated to handling reports, while respecting confidentiality of persons reporting on breaches. Dedicated staff members shall receive specific training for the purposes of handling reports.
Amendment 425 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 1
Article 13 – paragraph 1
1. A reporting person shall qualify for protection under this Directive from the moment that he/she consults internal or external reporting channels described in this Directive, provided he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that the information reported or disclosed was true at the time of reporting or disclosure and that this information falls within the scope of this Directive.
Amendment 431 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. A report should not be discarded because it was made anonymously and full protection should be granted to persons reporting on breaches, who have reported or disclosed information anonymously.
Amendment 434 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Amendment 448 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 4
Article 13 – paragraph 4
Amendment 560 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point E a (new)
Annex I – part I – point E a (new)
Ea Provisions on access to environmental information including: (i) Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC (OJ L 41, 14.2.2003, p. 26); (ii) Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43); (iii) Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and bodies (OJ L 264, 25.9.2006, p. 13); (iv) Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) (OJ L 108, 25.4.2007, p. 1-14).
Amendment 561 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point E b (new)
Annex I – part I – point E b (new)
Amendment 562 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point E c (new)
Annex I – part I – point E c (new)
Ec Provisions on chemicals, including: (i) Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1).
Amendment 564 #
2018/0106(COD)
Rules on nuclear safety as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 566 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point G – point 4 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – point G – point 4 – introductory part
4. Protection of animal welfare as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 568 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point H – point 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – point H – point 1 – introductory part
1. Measures setting high standards of quality and safety of organs and substances of human origin, as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 569 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point H – point 2 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – point H – point 2 – introductory part
2. Measures setting high standards of quality and safety for medicinal products and devices of medical use as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 571 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point I – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex I – part I – point I – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Consumer rights and consumer protection as regulated in particular by:
Amendment 573 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – part I – point J a (new)
Annex I – part I – point J a (new)
Amendment 26 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Close monitoring of sensitive products, if any, should facilitate a timely decision concerning the possible initiation of an investigation and subsequent application of measures. Therefore the Commission should regularly monitor imports of sensitive products, if any, from the date of provisional application or entry into force of the Agreements, if there is no provisional application. Monitoring should be extended to other sectors upon a duly justified request made by the relevant industry, trade union or civil society organisation.
Amendment 28 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Safeguard measures should be applied only to the extent, and for such time, as may be necessary to prevent serious injury and to facilitate adjustment, and should take into account the effects of the extraordinary imports on the performance on the Sustainable Development Goals.' achievement. The maximum duration of safeguard measures should be determined and specific provisions regarding extension and review of such measures should be laid down.
Amendment 49 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the Union industry, or as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the environment, including that of the producing country, due to the increase of imports to the Union; and,
Amendment 50 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the Union industry, or the working conditions in that industry; paying special attention when it affects the SME's on that sector; and,
Amendment 56 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Upon a duly justified request by the concerned Union industry concerned, trade union or civil society organisation, the Commission may extend the scope of the monitoring to other sectors, if any, than those mentioned in the Annex.
Amendment 62 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. An investigation shall be initiated by the Commission upon request by a Member State, by any legal person or any association not having legal personality acting on behalf of the Union industry, by a concerned trade union or civil society organisation, or on the Commission's own initiative, where there is sufficient prima facie evidence, as determined on the basis of factors referred to in Article 6(5).
Amendment 70 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 5
Article 6 – paragraph 5
5. The Commission shall evaluate all relevant factors of an objective and quantifiable nature affecting the situation of the Union industry, in particular, the rate and amount of the increase in imports of the product concerned in absolute and relative terms, the share of the domestic market taken by increased imports and changes in the level of sales, production, productivity, capacity utilisation, profits and losses, and employment, wages, and working conditions. This list is not exhaustive and other relevant factors may also be taken into consideration by the Commission for its determination of the existence of serious injury or threat of serious injury, such as stocks, prices, return of capital employed, cash flow, and other factors which are causing or may have caused serious injury, or threaten to cause serious injury to the Union industry, workers or consumers.
Amendment 77 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the Union industry; or to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the environment, including that of the producing country, due to the increase in imports to the Union; and,
Amendment 78 #
2018/0101(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the Union industry, or the working conditions in that industry; paying special attention when it affects the SME's in that sector; and,
Amendment 22 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the EU’s new approach to investment protection and its enforcement mechanism (ICS), which has replacedis in essential the same as the highly controversial investor- to-state dispute settlement (ISDS); notes that several studies have shown that ICS would bring no changes to the extremely far-reaching rights that are afforded to foreign investors in current investment treaties.
Amendment 28 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 37 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes that there are no safeguards foreseen that would prevent this ICS system from creating regulatory chill effect by threatening a government with an ICS case to prevent unwanted legislation from being developed or passed.
Amendment 39 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Acknowledges the right of both parties to introduce legislation on all governmental levels and to pursue public policy objectives.
Amendment 46 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the transparency rules applying to proceedings before the tribunals, which will help to instil public trust in the systemany and all tribunals;
Amendment 48 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. StresseRegrets that third parties such as labour and environmental organisations can only contribute to ICS proceedings through amicus curiae briefs; urges the EU and Singapore to make it possible for these organizations to join the proceedings as parties affected.
Amendment 52 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that the agreement represents an nominal improvement on the investment protection provisions in CETA, as it incorporates provisions on obligations for former judges, a code of conduct to prevent conflicts of interests and a fully functioning Appellate Tribunal at the time of its conclusion;
Amendment 55 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that the Investment Court System as introduced in CETA is currently pending before the European Court of Justice for an Opinion on its compatibility with the EU treaties and that therefore a signal from the EP on the ICS is at this moment highly counterproductive.
Amendment 58 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. WelcomesTakes note of Singapore’s commitment to the multilateral investment court, a public international court which should be empowered to hear disputes on investments between investors and states that will have accepted its jurisdiction over their bilateral investment treaties, and whose ultimate goal is to overcome the current, unbalanced and fragmented investment protection regime; considers the agreement a crucial stepping . Regrets the fact that there is no respect for domestic courts to hear disputes first. Furthermore, this multilateral investment court is contrary to customary international law and international human rights law, which requires the exhaustione towards that end; of local remedies.
Amendment 65 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the Council’s decision to make public the negotiating directive of 20 March 2018 on the multilateral investment court and calls on the Council to make public all previous and future trade and investment agreement negotiating directives immediately after they are adopted in order to increase transparency and public scrutiny;
Amendment 68 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that the agreement will replace the existing bilateral investment treaties between 13 EU Member States and Singapore, which are based on outdated investment protection provisions and include the controversial ISDS; considers that this constitutes an important step in reforming global rules on investment dispute settlement and, it is hoped, will progressively lead to the removal of ISDS from bilateral investment treaties;
Amendment 87 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 91 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission and Singapore to agree stronger sanctions in the event that a member of the tribunals does not comply with the code of conduct, and to ensure that they are in place as soon asbefore this agreement enters into force;
Amendment 94 #
2018/0095M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 4 #
2018/0095(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GDeclines to gives its consent to conclusion of the agreement;
Amendment 5 #
2018/0095(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Gives its consent to conclusion of the agreementSuspends the consent procedure until the European Court of Justice has delivered its opinion regarding the compatibility of Investment Court System with European Union Treaties, Opinion 1/17;
Amendment 17 #
2018/0093M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
Amendment 25 #
2018/0093M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas more than 10 000 European companies have their regional'letterbox' offices in Singapore;
Amendment 33 #
2018/0093M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the signing in Brussels, on 19 October 2018, of the FTA;
Amendment 39 #
2018/0093M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that negotiations were originally concluded in 2012 and regrets the longtakes note of the delay in bringing forward the agreement for ratification due to a request for an Opinion from the Court of Justice;
Amendment 97 #
2018/0093M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that the Parties committed to make sustained efforts towards ratifying and effectively implementing the fundamental ILO conventions before entering into force of this FTA; welcomes the information provided so far by the Government of Singapore in relation to its compliance with three outstanding ILO conventions, namely those on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, on Discrimination and on Forced Labour, and expects Singapore to further engage with the ILO with a view to progressing towards full alignment with their content and ultimately pursuing their ratification;
Amendment 115 #
2018/0093M(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission to trigger the general review clause of the agreement as soon as possible in order to strengthen the enforceability of labour and environmental provisions including through a sanctions-based mechanism as a last resort;
Amendment 5 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Citation 16
— having regard to special paragraph in the ILO Committee on Application of Standards of the ILO Conference of 2016, the ILO High Level Tripartite Mission Report and the 2017 observations of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations concerning Conventions 87 and 98 - all which demonstrate convincingly the failure of the government to respect the right to freedom of association and to bargain collectively;
Amendment 6 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Citation 16 a (new)
- having regard for the complaint filed in 2017 with the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association concerning the government's crackdown on garment workers in Ashulia in December 2016 and the complaint filed with the UN special mandates concerning the crackdown in Ashulia;
Amendment 8 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital A
Amendment 10 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital C
C. whereas the ready-made industry (RMG) is currently employing 4.2 million people in as many as 5000 factories and indirectly supports the livelihoods of as many as 40 million people – about a quarter of Bangladesh’s population; whereas the RMG industry has importantly contributed to poverty reduction and to empowerment of women; whereas women, mostly from rural areas, represent 80% of the RMG sector in Bangladesh;
Amendment 16 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital D
D. whereas the EU’s generous unilateral trade preference under the so- called “Everything, but arms” initiative for least-developed countries (LDCs) enshrined in the EU GSP regulation granting tariff-free access for Bangladesh textiles under flexible rules of origins have significantly contributed to this success storyBangladesh's sizable exports, including of garments;
Amendment 17 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital E
E. whereas these generous trade preferences are enshrined in the EU’s principle to promote fair and free trade, and, therefore, provide for the EU to suspend GSP benefits in most serious cases of human rights violations on the basis of chapter V article 19 point 1 a) of the GSP regulation, which stipulates that preferential treatments may be withdrawn temporarily for [among others]: serious and systematic violation of principles laid down in the conventions listed in Part A of Annex VIII, including the eight ILO fundamental conventions;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital H
H. whereas the current minimum wage of 5 300 BDT (US $ 67) per month has not been increased since 2013 and continues to provide an income below the extreme poverty line set by the World Bank; whereas the minimum wage board has not been convened;
Amendment 25 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital I
I. whereas since 21st December 2016, following strikes and demonstrations by Bangladeshi garment workers seeking higher wages, the Bangladeshi authorities have arrested or detained at least 1435 unions leaders and worker rights advocatesadvocates, shut union and NGO offices and put them under police surveillance, and suspended or dismissed 1600 workers for protesting the low wages in the garment industry;
Amendment 27 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital K
K. whereas a number of promising initiatives led by a collaboration between labour and the private sector such as the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety (the Accord) have contributed positively to improving supply chain standards and workforce safety over the last 20 years in terms of increasing workers’ rights in the garment supply chain;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital L
L. whereas the conclusions of successive reviews of the Compact in 2014, 2015 and 2016 are reporting tangible improvements achieved by the Bangladeshi authorities, and are recognizinge the contribution of the Compact in improving health and safety in factories and working conditions in the RMG industry; whereas progress relating to worker’s rights has been more challenging and no substantial progress has been witnessed for the last months in this area;
Amendment 33 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Recital L a (new)
L a. Whereas the ILO has indicated that Bangladesh has made no tangible progress in amending the Bangladesh Labour Act of 2006 and adopted Implementing Rules which create obstacles to the exercise of freedom of association; whereas workers in the garment sector continue to face serious obstacles in registering trade unions; whereas workers have been dismissed for trade union activity without recourse and without sanction of any kind for the employer; whereas workers have been repeatedly subjected to acts of violence, including murder, for exercising trade union activities; and whereas workers in Export Processing Zones have been denied the right to join trade unions;
Amendment 36 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that despite the impressive track record on growth and developgrowth experimented in recent years, Bangladesh needs to urgently do sizable efforts over the long run in order to achieve sustainable and more inclusive economic growth; underlines that structural reforms leading to increase of productivity, further diversification of exports , social justice, workers' rights, environmental protectionand fight against corruption would be essential in this sense;
Amendment 38 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) to enhance its level of engagement to improve safety and working conditions and protect workers’ rights in garment sector as a matter of highest priority, to enhance implementation of legislation on building and factory safety; to continue to raise government funding for labour inspectorate, to continue to recruit and to train more factory inspectors, to provide for conditions to lower the turnover of labour inspectors, to set-up an annual work plan for follow-up inspections of factories subject to remediation and to enlarge building and factory inspections to other sectors;
Amendment 39 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. urges the Government of Bangladesh to instate immediately the minimum wage board and institute a shorter frequency of wage review;
Amendment 42 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the international brands/retailers and Bangladeshi private sector to stay engaged in order to promote over the long runrespect the labor laws and to promote responsible business practices andincluding decent working conditions for Bangladeshi garment workers and facilitate transparent and coordinated mechanisms between relevant initiativeinformation on which factories are producing the goods; encourages the continuation of the work of the global retailers and brands to adopt a unified code of conduct for factory audit in Bangladesh;
Amendment 45 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. calls for the Commission to extend corporate social responsibility through binding legislation on due diligence obligations to ensure that EU companies fulfil their obligation to respect both human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 47 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls on the EU to initiate an investigation under the GSP mechanism as a way to ensure meaningful progress on workers’ rights, safety and working conditions, building and factory safety and labour inspections; calls on the EU to commence similar procedures regarding the amendment of 2013 Labour Act to address freedom of association and collective bargaining, promotion of social dialogue, non-arbitrary registration of trade unions, and effective investigation and prosecution of alleged anti-union discrimination, as well as the safeguard of labour legislative frameworks and their full compliance with international standards such as ILO conventions 87 and 89;
Amendment 49 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the Commission's examination of a possible EU-wide initiative on the garment sector-voluntary initiatives and strict codes of c; reminds the European Parliament's call on the Commission to go beyond the presentation of a Staff Working Document and to propose binding legislation on duct shall be its key principlese diligence obligations for supply chains in the garment sector; stresses furthermore that coordination, sharing information and exchange of best practices may contribute to increasing efficiency of private and public value chain initiatives and achieve positive results on sustainable development;
Amendment 51 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the Commission's examination of a possible EU-wide initiative on the garment sector-voluntary initiatives and strict codes of conduct shall be its key principles; stresses furthermore that coordination, sharing information and exchange of best practices may contribute to increasing efficiency of private and public value chain initiatives and achiebut have proven to be insufficient to deliver positive enough results on sustainable development;
Amendment 57 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. supports the efforts of the UN open ended working group with the aim of elaborating a binding UN Treaty on business and human rights; calls upon the Commission and Member States to actively engage in this negotiations;
Amendment 62 #
2017/2636(RSP)
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that the high-quality garment sector is essential for Bangladeshi economic and social development, that its expansion has allowed many workers, especially women, to move from informal economy to formal economy; wais deeply concerns against initiatives that could lead to disengagement of EU and other businesses from Bangladesh which would be damaging not only for their reputation but most importantly for future development perspectives of the countrybout the conditions of garment workers in Bangladesh; shares the concern of the International Trade Union Confederation; Notes with concern how existing voluntary initiatives for garment sector´s global supply chain sustainability have fallen short to effectively address human rights and labour rights related issues in the garment sector; Calls, therefore, on the Commission to present a legislative proposal on binding due diligence obligations for supply chains in the garment sector;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
– having regard to the Human Rights Council Resolution 10/4 - Human Rights and Climate Change of 25 March 2009,
Amendment 5 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the initiative report for the implementation of the 2010 recommendations of Parliament on social and environmental standards, human rights and corporate responsibility of 5 July 2016,
Amendment 9 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2018 on gender equality in EU trade agreements 1a, _________________ 1a Text adopted, P8_TA(2018)0066
Amendment 17 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas among the effects of climatic disturbances are the rise of the oceans, the loss of biodiversity, agricultural crops; whereas the first victims are the most vulnerable countries and populations, in particular those living in the islands;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas according to the 2018 World Bank report “Groundswell - Preparing for Internal Climate Migration” there could be tens of millions of internal climate migrants by 2050 in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia and Latin America if no urgent climate action takes places;
Amendment 32 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the European Parliament resolution of 4 October 2017 on the 2017 UN Climate Change conference in Bonn, Germany (COP23) recognised the nature and extent of climate-induced displacement and migration resulting from disasters caused by global warming; whereas the EU should work towards the adoption of a common approach for the protection of climate refugees aiming to establish in collaboration with the UN of an accepted universal definition of “Climate Refugee”;
Amendment 33 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas mechanisms should be placed to ensure climate justice for all vulnerable groups, women, children, indigenous communities within the framework of the respect of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU sustainable development provisions in free trade agreements;
Amendment 42 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas there is an intrinsic link between climate change and deforestation caused by land grabbing, fossil fuel extraction and intensive agriculture;
Amendment 50 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas there are more than 500 environmental conventions and their application is in fact subject to the principle of non-contradiction with WTO rules; whereas without possible sanctions impunity prevails;
Amendment 51 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas in the key messages of the OHCHR on Human Rights and Climate Change to COP21 (27 November 2015) it is stated that “ Climate change impacts, directly and indirectly, an array of internationally guaranteed human rights”, “climate change is a human rights threat with causes and consequences that’s cross borders; thus, it requires a global response underpinned by international solidarity”;
Amendment 65 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and to the UN Agenda 2030, including the SDGs, and stresses the need to implement the Paris Agreement and the SDGs both in the EU and globally to develop a more sustainable economy and society; reaffirms the need for an ambitious EU climate policy and its readiness to improvesignificantly increase the contribution determined at national level to the existing EU National Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2030 in order to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement, as well the necessity of developing a long-term strategy for 2050 in a timely manner;
Amendment 82 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the US President’s announcement of the country’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement gives the EU the opportunity and reinforces its obligation to assume a leadingn important role in climate action and to step up its climate diplomacy efforts to form a strong alliance of countries and actors that will continue to support and contribute to the objectives of limiting global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C;
Amendment 84 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the credibility of the EU in the fight against climate change depends from the strict and comprehensive implementation of its own climate policy;
Amendment 88 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that mitigating climate change and moving towards a low- emission economy will contribute to enhanced peace and security both within and outside of the EU as climate change often exacerbates existing instabilities and conflicts, even leading to; highlights that EU foreign policy should develop capacities to monitor climate change related risks, including crisis prevention and conflict sensitivity so as to avoid increased migration flows due to the scarcity of resources and lack of economic opportunities as well as a deterioration in living conditions;
Amendment 113 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the importance of the EU speaking with a single and unified voice in all international forums and calls on the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission to coordinate a joint EU effort to ensure its commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement; insists on the need to develop a comprehensive strategy for EU climate diplomacy and to integrate climate into all fields of EU external action, including trade, development cooperation, humanitarian aid and security and defence; highlights the importance of strengthening the social dimension, integrating a gender perspective and the human rights based approach in all future multilateral negotiations;
Amendment 125 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for Parliament’s greater involvement and an annual process, initiated by the Commission and the EEAS and carried out in cooperation with the Member States, linked to a discussion on actual implementation of the climate change obligations by the EU, to identify key priorities for EU climate diplomacy in the year in question and to come forward with concrete recommendations for addressing capacity gaps;
Amendment 146 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses that the EU must continue its efforts to move towards a moratorium of fossil extractions, the end of aids and subsidies for carbon energies, the stopping of investments in the coal industry, including in the case of storage, put an end to the development of agrofuels, responsible for GHGs, thus generating financing for renewable energies;
Amendment 156 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that the EU must be an active player in international organisations and forums (such as the UN, UNFCCC, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HPFL), the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), NATO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the G7 and G20) and closely cooperate with regional organisations (such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and MERCOSUR) to foster global partnerships and ensure the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, while defending, strengthening, and further developing multilateral cooperation regimes; notes that climate can be an entry point for diplomatic relations with partners with whom other agenda items are highly contested, thereby offering an opportunity to enhance stability and peace;
Amendment 164 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Take into account the demands and recommendations of the Group of 77 at the United Nations (G77), a coalition of developing countries “for a new world order through good living”;
Amendment 165 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Supports the establishment of an international climate tribunal; calls on the Member States and the Union to form a coalition of UN Member States committed to amending the Rome Statute in this sense and to work towards a possible international definition of the concept of ecocide; stresses that introducing the possibility of bringing to justice States and companies that do not comply with the pollution standards and the commitments made in terms of emissions (CND) would be an effective way of responding to the climate emergency and strengthening the Kyoto Protocol and the commitments made at COP21;
Amendment 168 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to participate actively in the UN Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises with a view to a sustainable, effective and binding mechanism;
Amendment 174 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to integrate the climate change dimension into international trade and investment agreements and to streamline financial instruments and programmes to ensure coherence, support third countries to tackle climate change and increase the effectiveness of EU climate action; recommends the development and systematic inclusion of a fundamental human rights and climate change clause in international agreements with partners who have signed the Paris Agreement, supporting thereby the European and international decarbonisation process;
Amendment 178 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to give serious consideration to the fact that the increase in GHG emissions from international trade undermines the EU’s climate change strategy, and stresses that the shift to local production and consumption patterns can contribute to supporting the objectives of the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 185 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Recalls its request to the Commission to make faster progress in developing programs to differentiate products by their production and processing methods (TPMs) and sustainability criteria in the framework of trade agreements;
Amendment 194 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. HRecalls the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and that the Union has historically made a major contribution to global warming; highlights the responsibility incumbent on the EU and other developed countries to show greater solidarity towards the vulnerable states and developing countries most affected, particularly islands, by the impact of climate change and to ensure continuous support to help them recover from damage related to climate change, to improve adaptation measures and resilience through important financial support and by means of capacity building; calls on the Member States to support the efforts of developing countries to decrease dependence on fossil fuels and to become low-carbon societies, especially by cooperating within NDC partnerships;
Amendment 201 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the EU to give priority to aid in the form of grants and technology transfers to the poorest countries to take over the energy transition;
Amendment 207 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recommends that the EU deepen its strategic cooperation with emerging economies which have a major impact on global warming, but which are also decisive in terms of global climate action; calls on the EU to create dedicated panels to debate climate and sustainability policies during high-level ministerial meetings; calls onfor the EU to build up partnerships for carbon markets beyond Europerejection of the financialisation mechanisms of environmental policies, such as the carbon market, which has the sole effect of provoking a speculative bubble and of clearing the major polluting industrial groups of their responsibilities;
Amendment 222 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to engage in strategic dialogues on decarbonised energy cooperation and zero-carbon economicrevise and, where appropriate, cancel natural gas supply contracts, via the Common Interest Projects (CIPs) with third countries which only reinforce the Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and regimes that do not respect the Charter of Fundamental Rights, to developm ent models with fossil fuel exporting countrergy independence through energy efficiency and the development of renewable energies ion the EU’s wider neighbourhoodterritory of the Union, in order to enhance peace as well as human security and well- being in Europe and globally;
Amendment 235 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers it important that the EU keep up its efforts to re-engage the US in multilateral cooperation and points out that the Brexit negotiations and the future rel; parliamentary dialogue and cooperationship with the UK must reflect the need for continued cooperation on climate diplomacylocal authorities are key instruments towards this end;
Amendment 237 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Points out that the Brexit negotiations and the future relationship with the UK must reflect the need for continued cooperation on climate diplomacy;
Amendment 244 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the EU to further intensify its relations with local and regional authorities in third countries and overseas countries and territories (OCT’s), to enhance thematic cooperation between cities and regions both within and outside of the EU; notes the role EU delegations in third countries can play in this regard;
Amendment 250 #
2017/2272(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the EU and its Member States to strengthen their ties with civil society and to form alliances and build up synergies with the scientific community, non-governmental organisations, non- traditional actors, local communities and the private sector, to develop export strategies for climate technologies and to encourage technology transfer to and capacity-building in third countries; EU should define climate change action one of the main priorities of the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework;
Amendment 30 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Ia (new)
Recital Ia (new)
Ia. whereas intercultural and inter- faith dialogue in a cosmopolitan Europe is substantial and suitable for tackling racist and cultural exploitation;
Amendment 47 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers the area of access to culture and cultural participation as a cross-cutting issue, and therefore stresses the importance of coordinating cultural policy with other policy areas such as education, social, regional, foreign, digital and media policies;
Amendment 59 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that public funding remains a key instrument for financing cultural activities and stable infrastructure, for instance widespread libraries, archives, museums, cinemas, concert halls, art colleges and cultural centres in cities and in rural areas; Calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States, within their respective spheres of competence, to devote a sufficient part of their budgets to public support for culture;
Amendment 62 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the Commission and the member states that public funding on culture remains on the same level regardless of possible future economic difficulties that a member state might be facing;
Amendment 65 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Regrets that economic downturns have resulted in cuts in public spending in culture especially in the south of the EU; therefore calls on the Commission to make more significant amount of funds available to the member states that were following economic adjustment programmes since 2010, regardless of whether these have come to an end already or not;
Amendment 68 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets that economic downturns usually result, first and foremost, in cuts in public spending on culture; Thus recommends that all Member States make expanding cultural infrastructure a local obligation and that they make culture a special 'state objective';
Amendment 74 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Points out that fragmentation, low added value and the activities of numerous self-employed men and women in the creative sector, seeing as these are generally regarded as interesting pursuits, must not result in the cultural/creative industry being a model for poorly paid work or work with poor social cover; thus proposes developing robust review processes for good work in the creative sector, for instance by introducing a fair work label on commercial products such as books, music, films, games and so on;
Amendment 77 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Draws attention to problems with international income taxation that artists all over Europe have to face, and so recommends a standard model that will be of benefit to employees and self-employed individuals, and which will prevent double taxation;
Amendment 89 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that the level of education is one of the most important factors having a significant impact on the level of participation in culture; stresses that a higher level of education translates into a higher level of participation in cultural events24; stresses that the humanities, language learning in schools and cultural education are an integral part of classical education, they help reduce social disparities and thus require the same funding as STEAM subjects; _________________ 24 Eurostat Culture statistics 2016 edition, pp.116-136 and Eurostat (data from 2015 – EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC).
Amendment 108 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recommends the development of a coherent strategy for supporting educational projects proposed by cultural institutions; stresses that these projects are tools supporting and building awareness and, cultural competences and intercultural knowledge, thus serving as a starting point for the long-term involvement of the public in cultural activities;
Amendment 119 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the need for further action to improve access to a cultural infrastructure with no technological or physical barriers, cultural activities and media for people with disabilities; calls on the Member States and the Commission, within their respective spheres of competence, to continue to work towards the integration of people with disabilities through culture and efforts to remove existing barriers;
Amendment 137 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material in Europe should be carried out in full respect of intellectual property rights;
Amendment 143 #
2017/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recognises the contribution made by Europeana and the Member States' institutions to the digitisation and accessibility of cultural content; Calls, in the context of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, for further supportongoing support and better resources for the project and the promotion of public access to digital cultural heritage resources and services;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of deepening relations between the EU and the Asia-Pacific Rejects the plans of a free trade agreement between N-Zealand and the EU since the EU's pregvion for economic growth within Europe and stresses that this is reflected in the EU’s trade policy; recognises that New Zealand is a key part of this strategy and that widening and deepening trade relationusly negotiated trade agreements show that the interest of large corporations and investors are prioritized over human rights, food safety, the environment, labour rights can help to meet this goald animal rights;
Amendment 49 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible, its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to evaluate thoroughly evaluathe possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- New Zealand trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories; calls on the Commission to also assess the potential impact of such trade deal on the environment and to assess the impact of this trade deal on the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 51 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude as soon as possible its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to thoroughly evaluate possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- New Zealand trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories; asks the Commission to make sure all relevant stakeholders are heard in the process of making the assessment;
Amendment 54 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude as soon as possible its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to thoroughly evaluate possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- New Zealand trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories; calls on the Commission to make this assessment publicly available;
Amendment 70 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Rejects any system that prioritises investors's interests over people's interests;therefore calls on the Commission not to include an Investment Court System in the agreement and rejects the idea to have a separate agreement on Investment Protection;
Amendment 71 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission, when presenting the finalised agreements for signature and conclusion, and on the Council, when deciding on signature and conclusion, to fully respect the distribution of competences between the EU and its Member Statesacknowledge that trade agreements are far-reaching agreements for many sectors and democratic scrutiny in the process is of utmost importance; therefore asks the Commission to ensure the whole agreement will be a mixed agreement;
Amendment 80 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to conduct negotiations as transparently as possible and fully respect best practice as established in other negotiationsby ensuring all negotiating documents will be made publicly available; requests that the Council make the negotiating mandate public;
Amendment 83 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that an FTA must lead to genuine market openness, and trade facilitation on the ground; and may never lead to lower standards on food safety, labour rights, environmental rules and animal welfare, and should ensure the regulatory freedom to enhance standards; also stresses that this free trade deal should not lead to any increase of CO2 emissions;
Amendment 99 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a
Paragraph 14 – point a
a) Real market access opportunities for both sides to each other’s goods and services market through the elimination of regulatory barriers: nothing in the agreement, however, should prevent either side from regulating to achieve legitimate policy objectives; rejects the inclusion of any standstill or ratchet clauses on services that would severely limit the right to regulate of Member States; considering, in this respect, that no EU trade agreement has ever privatised public services, such as water, education, health and social services, nor decreased our high European health, food, consumer, environmental, labour and safety standards, nor constrained public funding of the arts and culture, education, and health and social services;
Amendment 100 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a
Paragraph 14 – point a
a) Real market access opportunities for both sides to each other’s goods and services market through the elimination of regulatory barriers: nothing in the agreement, however, should prevent either side from regulating to achieve legitimate policy objectives; therefore safeguards for public services and services of general interest should be part of the agreement; considering, in this respect, that no EU trade agreement has ever privatised public services, such as water, education, health and social services, nor decreased our high European health, food, consumer, environmental, labour and safety standards, nor constrained public funding of the arts and culture, education, and health and social services;
Amendment 114 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point b
Paragraph 14 – point b
b) The reduction of non-tariff barriers and the strengthening and extension of regulatory cooperation dialogues with binding disciplines to improve respect for international standards and regulatory harmonisation, regulatory harmonisation in particular through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); is of the opinion that regulatory cooperation, as formulated in previously negotiated free trade agreements, is a danger to our democratic system, asks the Commission to make sure regulatory cooperation in this agreement is subject to full transparency by making particular through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)ublicly available the minutes of every meeting including all names of attendees and the organisations they represent; also asks the Commission to ensure balance of stakeholders taking part in the meeting by ensuring civil society organizations like trade unions, environmental organizations and consumer organizations and business representatives have equal access to these meetings;
Amendment 120 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d
Paragraph 14 – point d
d) A separate chapter taking into account the needs and interests of SMEs with regard to market access facilitation issues in order to generate concrete business opportunities; ensure protection of EU small and medium sized service providers from unfair trading practices from service providers from outside the EU, for example by an article ensuring strict supervisory authorities and competition authorities; this article should at least contain the GATS Art. IX on 'Business practices';
Amendment 148 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
g a) An ambitious Sustainable Development chapter that should include standstill clauses setting a minimum level for social, environmental and (food) safety standards, including animal health and welfare;this chapter should also include enforceable anti-corruption and whistle-blower protection provisions;asks the Commission to include effective enforcement mechanisms with the possibility of sanctions in case the commitments in this chapter are not met;
Amendment 24 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of deepening relations between the EU and the Asia-Pacific Rejects the plans of a free trade agreement between Australia and the EU since the EU's pregvion for economic growth within Europe and stresses that this is reflected in the EU’s trade policy; recognises that Australia is a key part of this strategy and that widening and deepening trade relationusly negotiated trade agreements show that the interest of large corporations and investors are prioritized over human rights, food safety, the environment, labour rights can help to meet this goald animal rights;
Amendment 41 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible, its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to evaluate thoroughly the possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- Australia trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories; calls on the Commission to also assess the potential impact of such trade deal on the environment and to assess the impact of this trade deal on the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 44 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible, its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to evaluate thoroughly the possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- Australia trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories; asks the Commission to make sure all relevant stakeholders are heard in the process of making the assessment;
Amendment 46 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible, its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to evaluate thoroughly the possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- Australia trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories; calls on the Commission to make this assessment publicly available;
Amendment 64 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Rejects any system that prioritises corporate interests over people's interests;therefore calls on the Commission not to include an Investment Court System in the agreement and rejects the idea to have a separate agreement on investment protection;
Amendment 65 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission, when presenting the finalised agreements for signature and conclusion, and on the Council, when deciding on signature and conclusion, to fully respect the distribution of competences between the EU and its Member Statesacknowledge that trade agreements are far-reaching agreements for many sectors and democratic scrutiny in the process is of utmost importance; therefore asks the Commission to ensure the whole agreement will be a mixed agreement;
Amendment 75 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to conduct negotiations as transparently as possible and fully respecting best practice as established in other negotiationsby ensuring all negotiating documents will be made publicly available; requests that the Council make the negotiating mandate public;
Amendment 78 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that an FTA must lead to genuine market openness, and trade facilitation on the ground; and may never lead to lower standards on food safety, labour rights, environmental rules and animal welfare, and should ensure the regulatory freedom to enhance standards; also stresses that this free trade deal should not lead to any increase of CO2 emissions;
Amendment 96 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a
Paragraph 14 – point a
a) Real market access opportunities for both sides to each other’s goods and services market through the elimination of regulatory barriers: nothing in the agreement, however, should prevent either side from regulating to achieve legitimate policy objectives;rejects the inclusion of any standstill or ratchet clauses on services that would severely limit the right to regulate of Member States; considering, in this respect, that no EU trade agreement has ever privatised public services, such as water, education, health and social services, nor decreased our high European health, food, consumer, environmental, labour and safety standards, nor constrained public funding of the arts and culture, education, and health and social services;
Amendment 97 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a
Paragraph 14 – point a
a) Real market access opportunities for both sides to each other’s goods and services market through the elimination of regulatory barriers: nothing in the agreement, however, should prevent either side from regulating to achieve legitimate policy objectives;therefore safeguards for public services and services of general interest should be part of the agreement; considering, in this respect, that no EU trade agreement has ever privatised public services, such as water, education, health and social services, nor decreased our high European health, food, consumer, environmental, labour and safety standards, nor constrained public funding of the arts and culture, education, and health and social services;
Amendment 112 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point b
Paragraph 14 – point b
b) The reduction of non-tariff barriers and the strengthening and extension of regulatory cooperation dialogues with binding disciplines to improve respect for international standards and regulatory harmonisation, in particular through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); is of the opinion that regulatory cooperation, as formulated in previously negotiated free trade agreements, is a danger to our democratic system, asks the Commission to make sure regulatory cooperation in this agreement is subject to full transparency by making publicly available the minutes of every meeting including all names of attendees and the organisations they represent; also asks the Commission to ensure balance of stakeholders taking part in the meeting by ensuring civil society organizations like trade unions, environmental organizations and consumer organizations and business representatives have equal access to these meetings;
Amendment 114 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point b
Paragraph 14 – point b
b) The reduction of non-tariff barriers and the strengthening and extension of regulatory cooperation dialogues with binding disciplines to improve respect for international standards and regulatory harmonisation, in particular through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); notes however the differences in regulations and standards between the EU and Australia on many sensitive issues, for example cloning and the use of growth hormones in agriculture, therefore calls on the Commission to set up a list of sensitive issues which are excluded from the regulatory cooperation framework;
Amendment 120 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d
Paragraph 14 – point d
d) A separate chapter taking into account the needs and interests of SMEs with regard to market access facilitation issues in order to generate concrete business opportunities; ensure protection of EU small and medium sized service providers from unfair trading practices from service providers from outside the EU, for example by an article ensuring strict supervisory authorities and competition authorities; this article should at least contain the GATS Art. IX on 'Business practices'.
Amendment 151 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
g a) An ambitious Sustainable Development chapter that should include standstill clauses setting a minimum level for social, environmental and (food) safety standards, including animal health and welfare;this chapter should also include enforceable anti-corruption and whistle-blower protection provisions;asks the Commission to include effective enforcement mechanisms with the possibility of sanctions in case the commitments in this chapter are not met;
Amendment 5 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 144 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 168 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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 #
2017/2083(INI)
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;
Amendment 43 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to ensure that the deepening of relations between the EU and Azerbaijan is undertaken on the basis of mutually agreed ambitions and theconditional on upholding of the core values and principles of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for and good governance, as well as on providing solid legal guarantees in the areas of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, in the interest of both parties and especially their citizens;
Amendment 52 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) to remind the Azerbaijani authorities about the European Parliament’s position as expressed in its resolution of 15 November 2017 on the Eastern Partnership, which unambiguous and clearly states that no comprehensive agreement will be ratified with a country that does not respect EU values, in particular with regard to the non-implementation of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights and the harassment, intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, NGOs and journalists; to ensurge that significant steps are taken as regards the release of political prisonere Azerbaijani authorities to implement the ECtHR decisions; to ensure that all political prisoners, including journalists, activists and prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan are released before any new EU- Azerbaijan agreement; to ensureinclude in the new agreement a dedicated suspension mechanism related to human rights and fundamental freedoms is included in the new agreementwith clear provisions on respect for human rights, rule of law and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 64 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) to ensure that the future agreement with Azerbaijan is ambitious, comprehensive and forward-looking, and will delivering tangible and concrete benefits not only for large companies but also for SMEs and for the citizens of the EU and of Azerbaijan; to include in the new agreement specific supervision and control mechanisms against money laundering schemes, fraud and corruption;
Amendment 68 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) to ensure, in so far as the above conditions are fulfilled, speedy and steady progress in the negotiations with the objective of signing this new agreement before the next Eastern Partnership Summit in 2019, only in so far as the above conditions are fulfilled;
Amendment 74 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) to actively and clearly communicate about the conditions and aims of the new agreement, in order to improve public awareness, both in Azerbaijan and in the EU, about the expected opportunities and benefits that would arise from its conclusion, thereby countering all disinformation campaigns;
Amendment 81 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) to provide for regular and in-depth dialogue, notably on politicalpushing for solid reforms aimed at bolstering institutions, such as the judiciary in order to make them more democratic and independent, onwith a strong focus on the judiciary, upholding of human rights, and onprotecting investigative journalism, fostering a strong civil society and ensuring its involvement in the reform process; to include in the new agreement regular reporting mechanisms on the status of the above- mentioned reforms;
Amendment 90 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) to establish specific measures aimed at implementingnsure that the recommendations by the OSCE/ODHIR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission with a view to ensuring progress towardsare implemented, with a view to establish new legislation guaranteeing the organization of elections and referenda that allow for a free and fair expression of Azerbaijani citizens’ views and aspirations; to put strong emphasis on the effectiveness and impartiality of the election administration, the conduct of the campaign and the respect for fundamental freedoms, media coverage of the elections and the administration of election day procedures, including the vote count and tabulation of results, as called for by the OSCE; to further monitor the organization of future elections until these requirements are met;
Amendment 93 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) to aim for provisions that enhance cooperation in promoting peace and international justice and in particular for Azerbaijan to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC); to calsl upon Azerbaijan to respect its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and abide by the decisions of the ECtHR; to seek stronger cooperation measures in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as tackling illicit trade in small arms and light weapons;
Amendment 98 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) to provide for closer cooperation in foreign and security matters to ensure as much convergence as possible, in particular as regards responses to global threats, conflict prevention, crisis management and regional cooperation;
Amendment 148 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) to provide support for reform of the judiciary aimed at ensuring its independence from the executive and at strengthening the rule of law, as well as developing a strong framework for the protection of human rights and gender equality; to make sure that strong legislation is in place for preventing and sanctioning politically exposed persons´ involvement in corruption, traffic of influence, money laundering, abuse of office and other related offences, particularly within the framework of the recent joint journalistic investigations revealing the involvement of a number of Azeri officials in such activities;
Amendment 160 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) to put in place specific proviclosely monitor and evaluate, before any agreement is in place, Azerbaijan´s progress in fighting corruption, money laundering and tax evasions; to support Azerbaijan in fighting corruption, money laundering and tax evasiontake into account and push for the investigation of all recent disclosures related to the Azeri Laundromat, a money-laundering operation which, according to OCCRP, handled $2.9 billion over a two-year period, between 2012 and 2014, through four shell companies registered in the United Kingdom, as well as for the investigation of the findings related to Azerbaijan in the PANA fact finding EP mission’s report in Malta; to be aware that there is evidence revealing government ministries as the direct source of some of this money, as well as strong connections to high-ranking Azeri officials;
Amendment 164 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point n d (new)
Amendment 171 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) to include provisions related to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms aimed at endingnd ensure that political prosecutions and abductions, the targeting of political dissidents, independent journalists, human rights defenders, NGO representatives and members of some minority groups including the LGBTQ community; to set up a reinforced forum for a human rights dialogue are put to an end by Azeri authorities and to reiterate that these practices are unacceptable for any potential partner country of the EU; to reinforce the dialogue on human rights and fundamental freedoms between the EU and Azerbaijan to encourage and to support in particular the implementation of comprehensive reforms of the judiciary, all in line with EU standards;
Amendment 192 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(qa) to ensure an immediate review of legislation decriminalising online defamation, in particular that of the president, especially as the penalty for this offence has recently been increased to up to 5 years of imprisonment; to urge Azerbaijan to move away from such dictatorial practices and align to EU standards;
Amendment 196 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) to ensure, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan takes significant steps as regards the release ofreleases the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience which, in 2017, exceeded 150 persons, including, among the most emblematic cases, Ilgar Mammadov, Afgan Mukhtarli, Mehman Huseynov, Ilkin Rustamzada, Seymur Hazi, Rashad Ramazanov, Elchin Ismayilli, Giyas Ibrahimov, Beyram Mammadov, Asif Yusifli, Fuad Gahramanli and Aziz Orujov, theand lifting ofs their travel bans, once released, including those of Khadija Ismayilova and Intigam Aliyev; to immediately secure the release and improvement of the situation of these individuals via the judiciary and the application of the rule of law;
Amendment 206 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r c (new)
(rc) to urge Azerbaijan to immediately address the unprecedented infringement proceedings launched by the Council of Europe in 2017 and ensure the unconditional release of opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov, thus complying with a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights from 2014;
Amendment 216 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) to seek, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan commits to investigations intoi authorities investigate into and report on results concerning all cases of mistreatment of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, notably in the case of the late Mehman Galandarov, who died in custody;
Amendment 231 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) to underline the importance of a free and independent media, both off and on-line and to ensure a strengthened EU support for free and pluralistic media in Azerbaijan, with editorial independence and in line with EU standards, and pointing out that ain light of the fact that currently 5 major media outlets are permanently blocked by Azerbaijan under the pretext of national security and that for press freedom, Azerbaijan ranks 162 out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders; to point out that reinforced attention to press and media freedom cshould take the form of a regional initiative encompassing all the Eastern Partnership countries;
Amendment 245 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) to allow for increased cooperation in the energy sector in line with the EU’s and Azerbaijan’s strategic energy partnership, while taking into account that in March 2017, the EITI (The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) suspended Azerbaijan’s membership for failing to comply with the group’s civil society requirements; to push for Azerbaijan to realign to these requirements;
Amendment 251 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) to put in place ambitious provisions on environmental protection and climate change reduction, in line with the Union´s climate change agenda, as part of the new agreement, including through a mainstreaming of these policies as part of other sector policies;
Amendment 7 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 12 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that an increase in the investment in access to sexual and reproductive health careand rights is necessary to help counter the negative impact of the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule;
Amendment 18 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that the EU budget is not the adequate tool for financing migration policies, as most Member States remain reluctant to launch a common policy in this field; stresses that development aid must not be made conditional on cooperation in migration matters such as border management or readmission agreements;
Amendment 26 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Deplores the lack of parliamentary scrutiny over the new trust funds;reiterates the importance of ensuring that trust funds do not respond to specific geopolitical interests of the EU but are pro sustainable development while being fully aligned with the principle of policy coherence for development and the internationally agreed principles of development effectiveness;
Amendment 30 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises that the EU and its Member States must honour their collective commitment, confirmed in 2015, to raise their ODA to 0.7% of their GNI by 2030; calls on the Commission and the Member States to preparesent binding timelines for progressive increases towards this level.
Amendment 4 #
2017/2036(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that EU-Cuban relations, especially in the area of bilateral trade, take a new start withWelcomes the signing of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), which represent a positive turning point in relations between the EU and Cuba that can provide new possibilities and commitments for both signatories, also in the area of bilateral trade;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2036(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls as the blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for over 55 years is not only a violation of the human rights of an entire people and the greatest obstacle to the development of the Cuban economy, but also a violation of principles contained in the United Nations Charter and international law, mainly through its extraterritorial applications. Believes that the blockade should be lifted, as requested in Un General Assembly resolution of October 2016 and in previous several resolutions, to facilitate a modernization of the Cuban economy to the benefit of the Cuban people.
Amendment 20 #
2017/2036(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Condemns all unilateral measures directed against Cuba, which negatively affect third parties' interests, including EU's enterprises and citizens, and thereby violate commonly accepted rules of international trade.
Amendment 22 #
2017/2036(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Welcomes the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, and calls on the US Congress to start working towards the elimination of the blockade; calls on the United States to fully respect and implement the agreement with the EU of May 1998 in London to alleviate the problems with extraterritorial legislation, and its commitment to resist future extraterritorial legislation of that kind;
Amendment 39 #
2017/2036(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the measures that the Cuban authorities have adopted in recent months to encourageWelcomes the adoption by the Cuban Parliament in August 2011 of the guidelines of the economic and social policy, aimed at fostering the economic and social development of the country, including through the promotion of free enterprise and economic liberalisation in generalopening ;
Amendment 53 #
2017/2036(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the ongoing human rights dialogue in the frame of the PDCA, but deplores the insufficient inclusion of civil society; calls on Cuba to ensure the establishment of a transparent and binding roadmap on human, environmental and labour rights, which should be aimed essentially at safeguarding human rights, enhancing and improving trade unionists’and social rights and, protecting the environment; calls for immediate tangible improvem, recognizing the right of Cuban citizents to facilitate the European Parliament’s consentdecide independently on their future.
Amendment 3 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas on 12 May 2016, the Parliament adopted a resolution on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda calling on the Commission to come forward with a proposal for an overarching Sustainable Development Strategy, encompassing all relevant internal and external policy areas, with a detailed timeline up to 2030, a mid-term review and a specific procedure ensuring Parliament's full involvement, including a concrete implementation plan; whereas the Commission has fallen-short to deliver Parliament requests;
Amendment 7 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas, according to the UN[1], climate change presents the single biggest threat to development, and its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable and increases inequality among and within countries; whereas urgent action to combat climate change is integral to the successful implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); [1] https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2016/go al-13/
Amendment 22 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to define a clear and detailed EU-wide Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) implementation plan with specific targets, assessable indicators,deadlines, and methodology for coordination between the EU and its Member States, underpinned by a transparent and robust monitoring, accountability and review framework with the close involvement of Parliament, on the basis of a comprehensive set of indicators covering social, economic and environmental factors;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. With the objective of supporting the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, ensuring the health and wellbeing of all, welcomes the report of the United Nations Secretary General's High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines and requests that the European Commission proposes the implementation of its recommendations in relevant policy areas;
Amendment 33 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the importance of Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a key instrument for eradicating poverty and fighting inequalities; calls on the EU and its Member States to recommit without delay to the 0.7 % of the gross national income target and to submit a timelinen enforceable timeline proposal for gradually increasing ODA in order to reach this target; calls on the Commission to achieve OEDC DAC recommendation of reaching an average grant element in total ODA of 86% and to duly respect the internationally agreed development effectiveness principles;
Amendment 49 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission to develop a binding complaint mechanism to channel the voices of those whose human rights are jeopardised by EU external policies and which will form an essential element of the EU's role in the implementation of the PCD principle and of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 55 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission to spearhead broad international cooperation in building resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change's adverse effects, developing sustainable low-carbon pathways to the future, and accelerating the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions in line with SDG 13 and the 2016 Paris Agreement's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
Amendment 60 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes note of the role of the private sector in implementing the 2030 Agenda, by following the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights and in particular its responsibility for transitioning towards sustainable consumption and production patterns in Europe and globally;
Amendment 72 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the importance of fair and properly regulated trade for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and urges the EU to frame its trade policy strategy in line with the SDGs while respecting third country´s policy space to regulate and to take decisions that are suitable for their own national context, respond to the demands of their populations, and fulfil their human rights obligations and other international commitments;
Amendment 81 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to re-adjust their approach to migration with a view to developing a migration policy in line with the SDG 10 and a positive, evidence-based narrative on migrants and asylum-seekers; opposes any attempts of linking aid with border control, management of migratory flows or readmission agreements;
Amendment 84 #
2017/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Notes that both the present and previous UN Special Rapporteurs on the right to food have condemned industrial agriculture as being damaging to small- scale farmers in the developing world and have instead stressed the benefits of agroecology; calls on the Commission and the Member States not to promote or fund industrial crop and livestock production in the developing world as this undermines small-scale farmers and will make it impossible to meet SDG 2 on ending hunger and achieving sustainable agriculture and food security;
Amendment 84 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Pursuant to the international commitments undertaken in the World Trade Organisation, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and in the trade and investment agreements concluded with third countries, the Union and Members States may adopt restrictive measures relating to foreign direct investment only on the grounds of security or public order, and fundamental rights subject to certain requirements.
Amendment 91 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) There is currently no comprehensive framework at EU-Union level for the screening of foreign direct investments on the grounds of security or public order. There are however several outlying countries which, due to austerity policies which had been imposed on them, were virtually forced to privatise key companies that consequently ended up in foreign ownership.
Amendment 101 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) It is important to provide legal certainty and to ensure EU wide coordination and cooperation by establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investment in the Union on grounds of security or public order. This is without prejudice to the sole responsibility of theshould not interfere with the exclusive competence of Member States for the maintenance ofaining their national security.
Amendment 107 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The framework for the screening of foreign direct investment should provide the Member States and the Commission with the means to address risks to security or public order in a comprehensive manner, and to adapt to changing circumstances, whilst maintaining the necessary flexibility for Member States to screenassess foreign direct investments on grounds of security and public order taking into account their individual situations and national circumstances.
Amendment 111 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) AThe framework for the screening of foreign direct investment could cover a broad range of investments which establish or maintain lasting and direct links between investors from third countries and undertakings carrying out an economic activity in a Member State should be covered, to the extent that they relate to security, public order, environment standards and social risks.
Amendment 122 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To guide Member States and the Commission in the application of the Regulation, it is appropriate to provide a list of factors that may be taken into consideration when screenassessing foreign direct investment on the grounds of security or, public order, environmental standards and social risks. This list will also improve transparency of the screening process for investors considering making or having made foreign direct investments in the Union. This list of factors that may affect security or, public order, environmental standards and social risks should remain non-exhaustive.
Amendment 131 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In determining whether a foreign direct investment may affect security or public order, Member States and the Commission should be able to consider all relevant factors, including the effects on job losses, social risks and environmental standards, critical infrastructure, technologies, including key enabling technologies, and inputs which are essential for security or the maintenance of public order, and the disruption, loss or destruction of which would have a significant impact in a Member State or in the Union. In that regard, Member States and the Commission should also be able to take into account whether a foreign investor is controlled directly or indirectly (e.g. through significant funding, including subsidies) by the government of a third country.
Amendment 140 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) It is appropriate to lay down the essential elements of the procedural framework for the screening of foreign direct investment by Member States to allow investors, the Commission and other Member States to understand how such investments are likely to be screenassessed and to ensure that these investments are screenassessed in a transparent manner and that they are non-discriminatory between third countries. Those elements should at least include the establishment of timeframes for the screenassessing and the possibility for foreign investors to seek judicial redress of screening decisions.
Amendment 144 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) A mechanism which enables Member States to cooperate and assist each other where a foreign direct investment in one Member State may affect the security or public order of other Member States should be set up. Member States should be able to provide comments to a Member State in which the investment is planned or has been completed, irrespective of whether the Member States providing comments or the Member States in which the investment is planned or has been completed maintain a screening mechanism or are screening the investment. The comments of Member States should also be forwarded to the Commission. The Commission should also have the possibility, where appropriate, to issue an opinion to the Member State in which the investment is planned or has been completed, irrespective of whether this Member State maintains a screening mechanism or is screening the investment and irrespective of whether other Member States have provided comments. Those Member States which do not have a screening mechanism already implemented should have the unique right to decide if they decide to implement a screening mechanism.
Amendment 158 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Furthermore, the Commission should have the possibility to screenassess foreign direct investments likely to affect projects and programmes of Union interest on grounds of security or public order. This would give the Commission a tool to protect projects and programmes which serve the Union as whole and represent an important contribution to its economic growth, jobs and competitiveness. This should include in particular projects and programmes involving a substantial EU funding or established by Union legislation regarding critical infrastructure, critical technologies or critical inputs. For greater clarity, an indicative list of projects or programmes of Union interest in relation to which foreign direct investment can be subject to a screening by the Commission should be listed in an Annex.
Amendment 166 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Where the Commission considers that a foreign direct investment is likely to affect projects or programmes of Union interest on grounds of security or public order, the Commission should have the possibility to address an opinion to the Member States in which such investment is planned or completed within a reasonable timeframe . The Member States should take utmost account of the opinion and provide an explanation to the Commission if they do not follow this opinion, in compliance with their duty of sincere cooperation under Article 4(3) TEU. The Commission should also have the possibility to request from those Member States the information necessary for its screening of such investment.
Amendment 175 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) In order to facilitate the cooperation with other Member States and the screening of foreign direct investment by the Commission, Member States should notify their screening mechanisms and any amendment thereto to the Commission, and should report on the application of their screening mechanisms on a regular basis. For the same reasonHowever, Member States that do not have a screening mechanism shouldmay also report on the foreign direct investments that took place in their territory, on the basis of the information available to them.
Amendment 180 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) To that end, it is also important to ensure a minimum level of information and coordination with regard to foreign direct investments falling under the scope of this Regulation in all Member States. This information should be made available by the Member States in which the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed upon request of the Member States or of the Commission. Relevant information includes aspects such as the ownership structure of the foreign investor and the financing of the planned or completed investment, including, when available, information about subsides granted by third countries.
Amendment 198 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Regulation establishes a framework for the screening by the Member States and the Commission of foreign direct investments in the Union on the grounds of security or public order, environmental standards and social risks.
Amendment 212 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
3. 'screening' means a procedure allowing to assess, investigate, authorise, condition, prohibit foreign direct investments; We should have in mind that only Member States have the unique authority to investigate, authorise, prohibit or unwind a foreign direct investments;.
Amendment 214 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – title
Article 3 – title
Amendment 215 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Member States may maintain, amend or adopt mechanisms to screenassess foreign direct investments on the grounds of security or public order, under the conditions and in accordance with the terms set out in this Regulationir own territory on the grounds of national interest, security or public order, or environmental standards and social risks, under the conditions and in accordance with the terms set out in this Regulation. Nationalisation shall be considered a means to employ when job losses, environmental standards and social conditions are at stake.
Amendment 228 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may screenassess, upon justification, foreign direct investments that are likely to affect projects or programmes of Union interest on the grounds of security or public order, job losses, environmental standards and social risks.
Amendment 238 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. Projects or programmes of Union interest shall include in particular those projects and programmes which involve a substantial amount or a significant share of EU funding, or which are covered by Union legislation regarding job losses, environmental standards, social risks, critical infrastructure, critical technologies or critical inputs. An indicative list of projects or programmes of Union interest is included in Annex 1.
Amendment 249 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – title
Article 4 – title
Factors that may be taken into consideration in the screenassessing.
Amendment 307 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall establish timeframes for issuing screening decisions and make them publicly available. Such timeframes shall allow them to take into account the comments of Member States referred to in Article 8 and the advisory opinion of the Commission referred to in Articles 8 and 9.
Amendment 319 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 4
Article 6 – paragraph 4
4. Every screening mechanism shall consist in an ex-ante examination and shall lead to a formal authorisation by the relevant Member States. Foreign investors and undertakings concerned shall have the possibility to seek judicial redress against screening decisions of the national authorities.
Amendment 323 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. No Member State shall be obliged to supply information especially when it considers its disclosure contrary to its essential national interests.
Amendment 332 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. Member States that do not maintain screening mechanisms shall upon justified request be able to provide the Commission with an annual report covering foreign directs investments that took place in their territory, on the basis of information available to them.
Amendment 341 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shallwhen they consider it necessary, may inform the Commission and the other Member States of any foreign direct investments that are undergoing screening within the framework of their screening mechanisms, within 5 working days fromafter the start of the screening. As part of the information, and when applicable, the screening Member States shall endeavour to indicate whether it considers that the foreign direct investment undergoing screening is likely to fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.
Amendment 345 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. In the event of public competitions conducted under the Union law, paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article 8 shall not apply to the Member States whose companies are among the competitors for the specific asset under sale.
Amendment 353 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. Where a Member State considers upon justification that a foreign direct investment planned or completed in another Member State is likely to affect its security or public order, it may provide comments to the Member State where the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed. The comments shall be forwarded to the Commission in parallel.
Amendment 358 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. Where the Commission considers that a foreign direct investment is likely to affect security or public order in one or more Member States, it may issue an advisory opinion addressed to the Member State in which the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed. The Commission may issue an advisory opinion irrespective of whether other Member States have provided comments. However, it must be guaranteed that the Member States shall have the right to pursue with the foreign investment.
Amendment 367 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4
Article 8 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission or a Member State which duly considers that a foreign direct investment is likely to affect its security or public order may request from the Member State where the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed, any information necessary to provide comments referred to in paragraph 2, or to issue the opinion referred to in paragraph 3, while paying utmost attention to the potential sensitivity of the information.
Amendment 376 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 5
Article 8 – paragraph 5
5. Comments pursuant to paragraphs 2 or opinions pursuant to paragraph 3 shall be addressed to the Member State where the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed within a reasonable period of time, and in any case no later than 25 working days following receipt of the information referred to in paragraphs 1 or 4. In cases where the opinion of the Commission follows comments from other Member States, the Commission shall have 25 additional working days for issuing the advisory opinion.
Amendment 394 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. Where the Commission considers that a foreign direct investment is likely to affect projects or programmes of Union interest on grounds of security or public order, the Commission may issue an advisory opinion addressed to the Member State where the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed. However, the Member State shall have the right to pursue with the foreign investment.
Amendment 409 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may request from the Member State where the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed any information necessary to issue the advisory opinion referred to in paragraph 1.
Amendment 414 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall address its opinion to the Member State concerned within a reasonable period of time, and in any case no later than 25 working days following receipt of the information requested by the Commission pursuant to paragraph 2. Where a Member State has a screening mechanism in place as referred to in Article 3(1) and the information on foreign direct investment undergoing screening has been received by the Commission pursuant to Article 8(1), the opinion shall be delivered no later than 25 working days following receipt of such information. Where additional information is needed to issue an advisory opinion, the 25-day period shall run from the date of receipt of the additional information.
Amendment 417 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4
Article 9 – paragraph 4
4. The advisory opinion of the Commission shall be communicated to the other Member States.
Amendment 422 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5
Article 9 – paragraph 5
5. The Member States where the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed shall take utmost account of the Commission's opinion and provide an explanation to the Commission in case its opinion is not followed. However, the Commission's opinon should not be binding.
Amendment 430 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that the information requested by the Commission and other Member States upon justification pursuant to Articles 8(4) and 9(2) is made available to the Commission and the requesting Member States without undue delay.
Amendment 431 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shallmay include in particular:
Amendment 434 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) The ownership structure of the foreign investor and of the undertaking in which the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed, including information on the ultimate controlling shareholder or shareholders;
Amendment 438 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) The products, services and business operations of the foreign investor and of the undertaking in which the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed ;
Amendment 440 #
2017/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) The Member States in which the foreign investor and the undertaking in which the foreign direct investment is planned or has been completed conduct business operations;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
— having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other United Nations (UN) human rights treaties and instruments, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted in New York on 16 December 1966, and the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),
Amendment 12 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on practical recommendations of 11 April 2016 for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society, based on good practices and lessons learned9 , and to the reports of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of peaceful assembly and of association, _________________ 9 A/HRC/32/20.
Amendment 16 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2016 on corporate liability for serious rights abuses in third countries,
Amendment 26 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas civil society encompasses among other civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), social, educational, environmental, gender equality and human rights and community groups, faith-based organisations, social movements and trade unions, indigenous peoples and foundations;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas CSOs have become important players in global development assistance, particularly in the delivery of social services, public awareness, the promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance, and the response to humanitarian crises; and the representation of diverse voices, including the most discriminated against or vulnerable and marginalised people;
Amendment 38 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas there has been an expansion in size, scope and composition of civil society around the world over the past decade; whereas, at the same time, the restrictions against civil society actors and activities have become increasingly repressive and forceful in some developinga large number of countries;
Amendment 44 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas there has been a worrying increase in the number of reports of CSOs, activists and CSO staff members, human right defenders and journalists being persecuted, harassed, arbitrarily arrested or detained, and in the number of victims of abuse and violence, in recent years; whereas in a number of countries, this is being done with complete impunity, and at times with the support or compliance of the authorities;
Amendment 50 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas there is a link between a weakened civil society, reduced political and civic space, increased corruption and low human and socio-economic developmentsocial inequality, including that based on gender;
Amendment 52 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas any credible and effective EU response in addressing shrinking civic space needs to adequately balancerequires a coordinated approach between development and political cooperation, ensuring coherence between all EU external and internal instruments, as well as cooperation at local, regional and international levels;
Amendment 55 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the 2030 Agenda, and in particular SDGs 16 and 17, provide for enhanced cooperation with civil society as key partner and enabler as regards to the promotion, implementation, follow-up and review of the SDGs;
Amendment 58 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that a genuinely independent, diverse, pluralistic and vibrant civil society is pivotal to a country’s development and stability, to ensuring democracy and respect for human rights, and to building inclusive societies; further recalls that civil society is a key actor in achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 63 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the central role played by civil society not only in developing countries, but worldwide, in promoting transparency, accountability and good governance, in particular in the fight against corruption, and its potential implications on country’s economic and human development, and environmental sustainability;
Amendment 67 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is deeply concerned that the closing down of civil society space in developing countries is being carried out in increasingly subtle and sophisticated ways, which are harder to tackle and range from legislation, administrative, reporting and banking requirements, to the criminalisation and stigmatisation of CSO representatives, defamation, administrative harassment, online repression, censorship, arbitrary detention, gender based violence, torture and assassination;
Amendment 78 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and Member States to promote effective, joint implementation of the EU Guidelines for Human Rights Defenders in all third countries where civil society is at risk by taking concrete steps such as the adoption of local strategies for the full implementation of the “EU Guidelines on HRD”, and ensuring the absence of protection gaps, strengthening capacities and tools in EU/MS delegations on human rights and on business and human rights, and the implementation of sanctions on human rights abuses such as concrete measures against institutions, organisations or persons responsible for human rights offences such as travel restrictions, freezing of accounts or use of international criminal law;
Amendment 114 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the EU to establish legal mandatory human rights due diligence for business activities in third countries of companies domiciled in the EU and all of their affiliates or subsidiaries. These obligations should entail the following aspects in order to prevent that no investments which could contribute to threats for human rights defenders or other civil society actors are financially supported by the European Union: human rights risk assessments must be compulsory for companies and include possible threats for human rights defenders and other civil society actors; sanctions for the failure to implement human rights due diligence; effective conditions and compulsory human rights risk assessments for public procurement;
Amendment 119 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Commission to develop a monitoring framework, with special focus on human rights, of the EU external financing instruments;
Amendment 126 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the EU to strengthen its support for the full participation of women- rights organisations, minorities and other vulnerable groups in cultural, social, economic and political processes;
Amendment 133 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the critical role played by women in social progress; calls on the EU to insist on the need for supporting the creation of a safe and enabling environment for women’s CSOs and women’s rights defenders, particularly in conflict-affected regions, and to address specific gendered forms of repression and defamation faced by women activists;
Amendment 135 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights the importance of actively contributing to the support of women-rights related policies and actions, including sexual and reproductive health and rights;
Amendment 145 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the appointment of human rights focal points in EU Delegations dedicated to improving cooperation with local civil society, in particular in providing assistance to vulnerable, marginalised and discriminated-against groups and individuals; calls on the EU Delegations to further engage with CSOs in the programming cycle of EU funds, and in their subsequent monitoring;
Amendment 155 #
2016/2324(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the increased flexibility provided by a number of EU financing instruments relevant to development cooperation, allowing among other things easier registration of grant applicants, and, where needed, confidentiality for recipients; considers, however, that more can be done to provide the most appropriate and tailored response to specific country situations, including more up-stream information on upcoming calls for proposals and updates of the roadmaps, public availability of roadmaps, the harmonisation and simplification of funding modalities, and support to CSOs in their administrative procedures;
Amendment 24 #
2016/2312(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in Albania in 2017the EU accession process and the accession negotiations are powerful incentives for adopting and implementing accession-related reforms; whereas candidate status brings greater responsibilities for the accession countries to deliver on the reform agenda; whereas challenges in Albania still persist and need to be addressed swiftly and efficiently in order to make further progress on its path to EU accession (see 2015, 2016 Resolutions);
Amendment 13 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to Turkey not having implemented for the eleventh consecutive year the provisions stemming from the EC-Turkey Association Agreement and the Additional Protocol thereto; this refusal continues to have a profound negative effect on the negotiation process,
Amendment 14 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
- having regard to the fact that the basis for accession to the EU for Turkey is the full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria and the EU's integration capacity, in accordance with the conclusions of the December 2006 European Council meeting,
Amendment 17 #
2016/2308(INI)
Amendment 57 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, however, that measures taken under the state of emergency had large-scale, disproportionate and long- lasting negative effects on the protection of fundamental freedoms in the country; condemns the collective dismissal of civil servants, the mass liquidation of media outlets, the arrests of journalists, academics, judges, human rights defenders, elected officials and ordinary citizens, and the confiscation of property and passports on the basis of emergency decree laws without individualised decisions, and without the possibility of timely judicial review; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners held without proof of individual involvement in committing crime or without any charges presented against them;
Amendment 63 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, however, that measures taken under the state of emergency had large-scale, disproportionate and long- lasting negative effects on the protection of fundamental freedoms in the country; condemns the collective dismissal of civil servants, the mass liquidation of media outlets, the arrests of journalists, academics, judges, human rights defenders, elected officials and ordinary citizens (over 48 000 according to recent Ministry of Justice figures), and the confiscation of property and passports on the basis of emergency decree laws without individualised decisions, and without the possibility of timely judicial review;
Amendment 150 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Is concerned by the increasingly frequent allegations of torture, in particular in prisons, and calls for the immediate publication of the latest reports by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)1a;
Amendment 151 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Condemns strongly the violations of freedom of expression and the serious infringements of media freedom, including the disproportionate bannings of media sites and social media; notes with concern the closure of around 170 media outlets - including almost all Kurdish-language outlets - and the jailing of more than 150 journalists; recalls that a free and pluralistic press is an essential component of any democracy and urges the Turkish government to release all journalists immediately; condemns, furthermore, the repeated blocking of access to social media, in particular the recent blocking of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia in order to prevent modifications being made to articles about Turkey, and condemns the Turkish courts’ decision to turn down the Wikimedia Foundation’s request for the blocking to stop;
Amendment 174 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses its serious concern at the continuously deteriorating situation in south-east Turkey, especially in the areas where curfews were imposed, where some 2 000 people were reportedly killed in the context of security operations and an estimated half a million people became displaced in the period from July 2015 to December 2016; notes that local prosecutors have consistently refused to open investigations into the reported killings; recalls that the Turkish Government has a responsibility to protect all people living on its territory, irrespective of their ethnic and cultural origin, religion or beliefs; is convinced that only a fair political settlement of the Kurdish question can bring sustainable stability and prosperity both to the area and to Turkey as a whole; notes that a series of laws have created an atmosphere of ‘systematic impunity’ for the security forces; regrets the decision of the Turkish Parliament to waive the immunity of a large number of MPs unconstitutionally, paving the way for the arrests of opposition politicians;
Amendment 220 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the deepening ofNotes that there has not been much progress in the EU- Turkey relations in key areas of joint interest, such as counter-terrorism, migration, energy, the economy and trade; believes EU-Turkey coopbelieves EU- Turkey cooperation in key areas can be an investment in the stability and prosperity of both Turkey and the EU; insists that the Turkish government has to revise in line with Internation in these areas to be an investment in the stability and prosperity of both Turkey and the EUal and European Law the legal framework as regards organised crime and terrorism in order to ensure the freedom and fundamental rights, notably the right to fair trial and freedom of expression, of assembly and association in practice;
Amendment 237 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that strengthening trade relations could bring concrete benefits to citizens in Turkey and the EU, and therefore supports the Commission’s proposal to start negotiations on the upgrading of the Customs Union; reiterates that the EU is Turkey’s main trading partner and tha can be contemplated provided that Turkey proceeds first two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States; ce full and indiscriminate implementation of its obligationsi ders the involvement of social partners in negotiations as crucialiving from the current Customs Union Agreement between EU- Turkey; calls on the Commission to include political benchmarks on human rights and fundamental freedoms inonce the negotiations for the upgraded Customs Union begin;
Amendment 250 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Deplores Turkey´s refusal to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à-vis all member states, the Republic of Cyprus in particular; reiterates that Turkey's refusal to normalize its relations with all EU Member States has started having a negative impact on its relations with the EU, including its accession process;
Amendment 263 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that visa liberalisation is important for the Turkish population and will enhance people-to-people contacts; encourages the Turkish Government to comply with the final outstanding criteria, including revision of its anti-terrorism legislation and to fully and in a non- discriminatory manner meet all the criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap towards all Member States;
Amendment 312 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Commends the engagement by the Turkish Government and the hospitality shown by the population in hosting around 3 million refugees; notes the EU-Turkey statement on migration, and urges the Member States to initiate the voluntary resettlement scheme for the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey; calls on the Commission to ensure, via NGOs and international organisations, long-term investment in both refugees and their host communities in Turkey; encourages the Turkish Government to grant work permits to all Syrian refugees; calls on Ankara to keep up its patrolling efforts in the Aegean and to implement fully the bilateral readmission agreements signed with Bulgaria and Greece;
Amendment 324 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Condemns strongly the recent statements by President Erdogan accusing some EU leaders of ‘Nazi practices’ and warns that the continuation of such unwarranted statements undermines Turkey’s credibility as a political partner; notes with concern the reports of alleged pressure on members of the Turkish diaspora living in the Member States, and condemns the Turkish authorities’ surveillance of citizens with dual nationality living abroad; is concerned at the revocation of a large number of passports, leaving people stateless in contravention of the UN's 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and its 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness;
Amendment 334 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls upon the Turkish Government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyuy nuclear power plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey but to the Mediterranean region; accordingly, requests that the Turkish Government join the Espoo Convention, which commits parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries; to this end, asks the Turkish Government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, during any further developments in the Akkuyu venture;
Amendment 355 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines that a settlement of the Cyprus problem would have a positive impact on the entire region, while first and foremost benefiting both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots; praises the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in Cyprus for having achieved major progress in the settlement talks; welcomes the exchange of preferred maps, thus far unprecedented, and the first international conferenceConference on Cyprus held with the guarantor powers; supports the settlement based on a bi- communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, a single international legal personality, single sovereignty and single citizenship with political equality between the two communities, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and on the basis of respect for international law and the principles on which the Union is founded; welcomes the intensified engagement by the parties to achieve the settlement of the Cyprus problem; expects Turkey to show active support for the negotiations, and reiterates that Turkey’s commitment and contribution to a comprehensive settlement remain crucial; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), and calls on Turkey to allow access to all relevant sites and to assist the CMP by providing information from its military archivemilitary zones for exhumation and to assist the CMP to the discovery of relocated and other remains by providing all relevant information from its military archives; welcomes, in this respect, the appointment of EP standing rapporteur on missing persons;
Amendment 372 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on Turkey to immediately withdraw its troops from Cyprus and to transfer Varosha to its lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550(1984);
Amendment 375 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been signed and ratified by the EU, the 28 Member States and all other candidate countries and forms part of the acquis in line with December 2015 Council Conclusions and other relevant Council Conclusions; also condemns all the provoking actions of Turkey within the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus which are a source of instability and calls on Turkey to terminate them; it recalls that Ankara must respect the sovereign rights of all EU Member States and to refrain from any action damaging good neighbourly relations while at the same time respecting the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes;
Amendment 384 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19 c. Deplores Turkey's policy of illegal settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to revoke relevant threats and terminate all actions aiming to alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;
Amendment 91 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. Whereas in the recent Commission Reflection Paper on Harnessing Globalisation the Commission acknowledges that Europe must act in order to more fairly share the benefits of globalisation in line with the principles of solidarity and sustainability
Amendment 95 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
Notes that the current European trade policy has not led to increased equality worldwide; urges the Commission to work towards a trade policy that first and foremost benefits people and workers by improving the labour, environmental and food safety standards; therefore urges the Commission to stop prioritising investors’ rights over people’s rights;
Amendment 113 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is of the opinion that international binding rules for Multi National Companies (MNCs) are necessary; Welcomes the ongoing negotiations on a binding UN Treaty for Transnational Corporations and Human Rights; calls for the EUuropean Commission and Member States to engage constructively in these negotiations and to put all its efforts into achieving a positive result;
Amendment 124 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)
Subheading 3 a (new)
States that voluntary corporate social responsibility and self-regulatory mechanisms have in too many situations not led to a sufficient due diligence policy of MNCs and a proactive identification and mitigation of human rights and environmental risks;
Amendment 160 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes that the current public procurement directive makes it possible to set up social and environmental criteria; urges the Commission to update the public procurement directive from voluntary to binding obligations on environmental and social standards;
Amendment 161 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes that the Commission and other EU institutions could by their public procurement policies have a major influence on the CSR behaviour of companies and other private partners; urges these institutions to lead by example and to implement a sustainable procurement policy in which they only offer service and product contracts to tenders with the highest environmental and social standards;
Amendment 169 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point a
Paragraph 9 – point a
a) implementing fully Parliament’s recommendations of 2010 and 2016 with respect to TSD chapters in FTAs, including by developing an upgraded TSD chapter model with binding and enforceable provisions and sanctions in case these provisions are not met;
Amendment 185 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point c
Paragraph 9 – point c
c) including standstill clauses fixing a minimum level for social, food safety, environmental and safety standards in all EU FTAs;
Amendment 194 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point e
Paragraph 9 – point e
e) supplementing all these provisions with supporting measures for developing countries and rigorously monitoring their implementation in conjunction with the national parliaments and civil society and including complaint and appeal procedures;
Amendment 260 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of import and supply chain controls to ensure that only child labour- free products enter the EU market; Emphasizes against this background that the aim of child labour free products could only be achieved if this goes hand in hand with the establishment of minimum living wages of the child’s family members;;
Amendment 268 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that GVCs are an opportunity for firms in developing countries to develop a link with the global economy; stresses that complementary policies and accompanying measures are key to making this a reality; States that the application of the current GSP and GSP+, without binding rules on MNCs on human and labour rights and environmental protection, favours especially the MNCs and does not automatically lead to a higher welfare position of the country’s average citizens;
Amendment 281 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expects the GSP mid-term review to clarify definitions and include additional tariff preferences for sustainably produced products; Calls for special attention towards the Export Processing Zones where labour rights and trade unions rights are often violated; urges the Commission in close cooperation with the ILO to address this issue in the review of GSP;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is of the opinion that since the effectiveness of the whistle-blowing environment is affected by cultural values, implementing an identical mechanism in all Member States may result in dysfunctional behaviour and needless costs, and that any measures taken should therefore be tailored to fit national contextTakes note that the Commission, in its EU Anti-Corruption report, stated that EU Member States have in place most of the necessary anti-corruption legal instruments and institutions, however, the results they deliver are not satisfactory across the EU and their capacity and efficiency should be improved; calls, therefore, on the Member States to enforce anti-corruption rules and, at the same time, to properly implement European and international standards and guidelines concerning whistle-blowers' protection in their national laws; insists that whistle-blowers play an essential role in helping Member States and EU institutions and bodies to deter and prevent any breaches of the principle of integrity and misuse of power that threaten public health and safety, financial integrity, human rights, the environment and the rule of law at European and national levels, and undermine the trust of citizens in democratic institutions and processes; notes that whistle-blowers often disclose scandals affecting several Member States; stresses, however, therefore that existing cultural differences do not detract from the need for legal protection of whistle-blowers in Member States;
Amendment 25 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. ReaffirmsObserves that, in the case of whistle-blowers, there is no bilateral conflict between the whistle-blower and the business or authority but polygonal differences of interests, including in some cases across national borders, and that, while efforts should be made to weigh up the entitlement of businesses or authorities to have information kept secret and to expect loyalty, what is at stake is the provision of information in the public interest; reaffirms therefore the need for public and private organisations in the Member States to establish internal and external whistle-blowing procedures for their employees, setting out clear confidential routes for making disclosures; considers that, in this context, the legislature should in advance provide a structure for selecting the whistle-blowing procedure, in order to guarantee comprehensive protection of freedom of expression in accordance with Article 10 of the ECHR;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that, owing to significant gaps in the protection of whistle-blowers against retaliation, the obligation to use internal reporting channels can be risky and act as a deterrent, restricting both freedom of expression and the public’s right to access information; stresses that internal reporting procedures shouldmust not act as a tool for prohibiting the act of informing the wider public of illegal activities and activities that severely harm the public interest; stresses that this must apply equally to the use of external whistle-blowing procedures and that accordingly, as laid down in Article 5 of ILO Convention 158 of 22 June 1982, the filing of a complaint, participation in proceedings against an employer or provision of information to a competent authority do not constitute valid reasons for termination of employment;
Amendment 36 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that whistle-blowing is linked toessential for freedom of the press and is essential in bringing to light illegal activities or activities which evidently severely harm the public interest; stresses that whistle-blowers are an important source of information for investigative journalism, and calls on the Member States to ensure that the right of journalists not to reveal a source’s identity is effectively protected and that authorities refrain from using surveillance in order to ascertain their sources.; observes in this context that the European Court of Human Rights has held, in its case-law, that protection of journalists' sources is not a privilege but a vital component of a free press.1a _________________ 1a European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 27.11.2007, 20477/05, Tillack v Belgium
Amendment 42 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 16 #
2016/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that the EU is a major importer of products resulting from illegal deforestation with devastating impact on biodiversity by deforestation of natural rainforests for the expansion of commodities such as palm oil plantations; Stresses that biodiesel is now the main end product of imported palm oil in Europe; calls for the immediate termination of EU subsidies for biofuels produced from food crops and for a phase- out of such fuels; stresses the inadequacy of voluntary certification schemes, such as the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), in addressing land grabs and human rights violations; calls for binding regulations on agricultural commodity importers’ supply chains; urges the Commission to introduce appropriate due diligence regulation, mandatory certification and traceability mechanisms both upstream and downstream of the Palm Oil supply chain, aligned with globally adopted best standards and practices;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to put in place mechanisms to address the conversion of forests for commercial agriculture within the FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) framework while enhancing the empowering and role of civil society organisations and forest communities, enabling them to play a greater role in policy processes; Highlights that the EUs forest footprint has continued to increase since the FLEGT Action Plan was adopted; calls for increased EU financial and technical assistance to producer countries and their local authorities with a view to combating corruption and improving governance;
Amendment 48 #
2016/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is alarmed by the impacts of palm oil production on theland use, soil fertility, biodiversity, forest degradation and increases in greenhouse gas emissions and by the links of this production to serious land tenure and human rights abuses of indigenous peoples, local communities and small farmers; calls on governments of palm-oil- producing countries to commit to and implement the ILO core labour standards and Decent Work agenda;
Amendment 61 #
2016/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is concerned that many land deals breach the principle of local communities’ free, prior and informed consent in accordance with ILO Convention 169; calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure that EU-based investors adhere fully to international standards on responsible investment in agriculture, and to take steps to ensure access to remedy for victims of corporate abuses.
Amendment 64 #
2016/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls for all trade deals to contain strong and effective sustainable development chapters with enforcement, verification and compliance procedures, complaints and redress mechanisms and rules and sanctions for the protection of indigenous communities and the environment; Stresses that social considerations should be a binding part of sustainability standards contained in the Trade and Sustainable Development chapter, including the requirement for palm oil producers to respect customary rights and the "Free prior and informed consent" principle.
Amendment 11 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines that co-funding transport infrastructure projects should be oriented towards reduction of climate change, accidents and minimising external costs;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of citizens' participation, transparency and sustainability of national general and master transport plans for the effective spending of funds;
Amendment 21 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the need to use European Structural and Investment Funds in synergy with the Connecting Europe Facility and the European Fund for Strategic Investments to complement the gaps that exist between completed infrastructure projects, particularly in cross-border regions;
Amendment 22 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the need to use European Structural and Investment Funds to complement the gaps that exist between completed infrastructure projects, particularly in cross-border regions, including dismantled and abandoned cross-border regional rail connections (missing links);
Amendment 46 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that completion of the core TEN-T network is a European transport policy priority and that structural and investment funds are an important tool in the implementation of this project;olicy priority
Amendment 54 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that funds allocated to financing the 'Connecting Europe' facility were depleted in order to recapitalise the European Fund for Strategic Investments; expresses hope that these funds will be used to finance sustainable transport infrastructure projects;
Amendment 65 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that funding under the cohesion policy is exceptionally important for the development of transport infrastructure in theall countries of Central and Eastern Europe; calls for the necessary resources to be secured and for the level of financing to be maintained in the next multiannual financial framework;
Amendment 75 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that major administrative barriers to accessing European Structural and Investment Funds exist, particularly for SMEs; calls for simple and effective implementation tools
Amendment 84 #
2016/2148(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the broader inclusion of local and regional authorities and active participation of transport unions in the processes of designing national general transport plans and allocating resources for infrastructure projects.
Amendment 2 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the global apparel trade is worth an estimated USD 3 trillion and employs up to 75 million people; whereas about three quarters of these workers are female; whereas the wages paid are not enough to allow workers to provide their family with basic human necessities;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas, despite the national and international initiatives already in place, women workers' rights are ignored in the garment industry, where women workers perform poorly paid jobs, face severe labour rights violations and do not enjoy their legal entitlements; whereas statutory maternity rights are rarely provided, overtime is compulsory and excessively long working days add to the burden of domestic responsibilities, denying women any rest periods or time with their children;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas all recently concluded EU free trade agreements include ‘'Trade and sustainable development’ chapte' chapters; whereas such chapters haven´t stop bad practices or human rights abuses and lack binding obligations relating to multinational environmental and labour agreements, specific provisions on human rights and obligations for foreign investors;
Amendment 26 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. SupportsUrge the Commission’'s examination of a possible EU-wide initiative on the garment sector; notes, in addition, that the current multiplication of existing initiatives could result in an unpredictable environment for companito present an ambitious a EU-wide legislative initiative on the garment sector aligned with OECD Guidelines;
Amendment 28 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Takes notes that the initiatives that followed the Rana Plaza disaster have suffered from slow implementation in particular at ensuring that rights are in fact respected; considers fundamental that the new garment framework contains provisions that EU-based companies to ensure that fundamental labour rights are respected throughout the supply chains trough also the provision of stronger, legally binding tools that will ensure that rights are protected in law and respected in practice;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the 'Realising Long-term Value for Companies and Investors' project being undertaken by the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the UN Global Compact demonstrate that economy is compatible with, and mutually reinforcing to, principles of social justice, environmental sustainability and respect for human rights;
Amendment 34 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the need for a unified approach to the effective collection of data on human rights, social, environmental and labour performance, to be applied along the whole supply chain; points out that the industry-driven Higg Index covers all key impact areas;
Amendment 41 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to take into account the special needs of SMEs and base its approach on the scalability principle by supporting them in their fulfilment of OECD Guidelines requirements;
Amendment 43 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas most human rights violations in the garment sector are labour- rights related and include the denial of workers fundamental right to join or form a union of their choosing and bargain collectively in good faith; whereas this has led to widespread labour rights violations ranging from poverty wages, wage theft, unsafe workplaces, and sexual harassment, to precarious work; whereas despite the widespread violation of key human rights, actual actions for remedy generally remains rare;
Amendment 44 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that thenot only traceability and, but also transparency of the supply chain is the key to achieving sustained change; recommends that trustworthy, clear and meaningful information on sustainability be made available to consumers; stresses that only binding transparency provisions can set up a level playing field which ensures a fair competition between business avoiding social dumping;
Amendment 49 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for the inclusion in the garment initiative of the obligation for EU companies ensure that fundamental labour rights are respected in supply chains trough the introduction of mandatory due diligence aligned with OECD Guidelines as well as a reporting system with, inter alia, information concerning the list of suppliers as well as of the actions adopted to ensure respect for human rights together with progress reports concerning their implementation and effectiveness;
Amendment 50 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas initiatives led by the private sector, such as codes of conduct, labels, self-assessments and social audits, have not proven to be at all effective over the last 20 years in terms of respecting human rights, increasing workers’' rights, respecting environmental standard, gender equality or environmental sustainability in the garment supply chain;
Amendment 51 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Encourages EU and member states to promote trough the garment initiative and other trade policy instruments, the effective implementation of the ILO standards on wages and working hours, with partner countries also in the garment sector. Further to this; calls the EU to provide guidance and support on how to enhance respect for these while helping to build sustainable enterprises and improve sustainable employment prospects;
Amendment 55 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas in order to improve the governance of GVCs, the various instruments and initiatives of policy areas such as trade and investment, private sector support and development cooperation, must be harnessed to contribute to the sustainability and responsible management of GVCs as part of delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognises the crucial impact of trade policies in implementing its goals by covering a number of policy areas such as rules of origin, commodity markets, labour rights and gender equality;
Amendment 56 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the development of industrial relations and collective bargaining and the establishment of easy- to-access and effective non-judicial grievances mechanisms, according to internationally agreed standardt the national level to complement judicial avenues for redress, in line with the framework developed by the UN special representative on business and human rights, are among the main guarantees for the proper respect of labour standards and human rights in supplier countries;
Amendment 58 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for the EU and Members states to support the work of the UN's Human Rights Council and of the UNEP on an international treaty that would also improve the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility in the garment sector;
Amendment 62 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the specific characteristics of the garment sector value chains, such as geographically dispersed stages of the production process, low prices, short lead times, subcontracting and short-term buyer-supplier relationships are conducive to reducing visibility and transparency over an enterprise’'s supply chain and to increasing the risks of human rights and labour abuses and of environmental damage and of inadequate animal welfare; whereas transparency is a prerequisite for a company’'s accountability and responsible consumption; whereas the consumer has the right to know where a piece of clothing was produced, and in which social and environmental conditions;
Amendment 64 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the gender aspect to be takmainstreamed all over the EU garment into account in the EU garment initiative. itiative; Considers, in this regard, fundamental a broad based effective participation of women and women's rights organizations in both consultations and trade negotiations;
Amendment 83 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas victims of human rights abuses involving European companies face multiple obstacles to access judicial remedies; including procedural obstacles on admissibility and disclosure of evidence, often prohibitive litigation costs, absence of clear liability standards for corporate involvement in human rights abuses, and lack of clarity on the application of EU rules of private international law in transnational civil litigation
Amendment 109 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to present ago beyond the presentation of a Staff Working Document and to present a comprehensive legislative proposal on binding due diligence obligations for supply chains in the garment sector aligned with the OECD guidelines on due diligence in the garment and foot-wear sector, the OECD guidelines for multinational companies, the ILO resolution on decent work in supply chains, and internationally agreed standards on human rights and social and environmental standards; this proposal should focus on the core problems garment workers face (occupational health and safety, a living wage, freedom of association, sexual harassment and violence) and should address the following matters: key criteria for sustainable production, transparency and traceability, including collection of data and tools for consumer information, due diligence checks and auditing, access to remedy; gender equality, supply-chain due diligence reporting; awareness raising; notes, however, with concern that a lot more needs to be done and urges the Commission to take further actions which have a direct impact on workers’' lives;
Amendment 120 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its call on the Commission to extend corporate social responsibility and binding due diligence initiatives beyond existing frameworks for the garment sector so as to ensure that the EU itself and its trading partners and operators live up to the obligation to respect both human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 128 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Encourages the EU and its Member States to promote, through policy dialogue and capacity building, the take-up and effective enforcement of international labour standards and human rights by partner countries based on ILO Conventions and recommendations; stresses in this context that respecting the right to join and form a union and engage in collective bargaining is a key criterion for business accountability; deplores that Freedom of Association is often violated in many production places and encourages states to strengthen labour laws;
Amendment 145 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises the need to enhance codes of conduct, labels and fair trade schemes, and of by ensuring alignment with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the upcoming OECD due diligence guidance for the garment and footwear sector;
Amendment 152 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to put in place specific measures for small and medium-sized European enterprises to have access to tools to invest in the sustainability and fairness of their supply chains by, inter-alia, supporting match- making business platforms to connect them with responsible manufacturers, fair trade and ethical fashion importers and suppliers in the EU and in its partner countries;
Amendment 164 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that it is crucial to ensure increased access to information on the conduct of enterprises; considers it fundamental to introduce a mandatory reporting system and due diligence for EU companies that outsource their production within the EU or to third countries; believes that responsibility should extend throughout the entire supply chain to include all facilities producing for the buyer, including sub- contractors in the formal and informal economy, and commends existing efforts to this effect; believes, however, that the EU is best placed to develop a common framework through legislation on mandatory transnational due diligence, remedy for victims , and supply chain transparency and traceability, while paying also attention to the protection of whistle-blowers;
Amendment 167 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the need for comprehensive data on corporate sustainability performance; in this context, the elaboration of common definitions and standards for the collection, comparison and assessment of statistical data notably onf general imports, ands welcomes the holistic approach of the Higg Index in measuring enterprises’ environmental, social and labour impactl as individual production locations, and requests the Commission to take an initiative to mandatory disclose the production locations;
Amendment 178 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Is convinced that public procurement is useful tool for the promotion of a responsible garment industry; Calls, in this regard, to the European institutions, including the European Parliament, to ensure that all their public procurement, including merchandising of the institutions and of political groups, in the case of the European Parliament, promote recycling and fair and sustainable garment supply chain;
Amendment 183 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Welcomes the approach of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact; launched by the Commission together with Bangladesh and the ILO following the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013; stresses the importance of continuing to monitor the pact's objectives in order to improve workers' rights, as well as the need for more responsible management of supply chains at international level and asks the commission of a thorough evaluation of progress or lack thereof with eventual modifications to the trade regime if needed, especially in light of the reports of the ILO supervisory mechanisms; calls on the Commission to pursue similar programmes and measures with other garment producing EU trade partners such as Sri Lanka; suggest operationalising the EU garment initiative through a number of pilot projects focussing on key exporting countries to the EU ('hot spots');
Amendment 185 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Reiterates its strong call for the systematic introduction of human rights binding clauses in all international agreements, including trade and investment agreements concluded and to be concluded between the EU and third countries; sees a need, moreover, for exante monitoring mechanisms before any framework agreement is concluded, and on which such conclusion is made conditional as a fundamental part of the agreement, and for expost monitoring mechanisms that enable tangible action to be taken in response to infringements of these clauses, such as appropriate sanctions as stipulated in the human rights clauses of the agreement, including the suspension of the agreement;
Amendment 187 #
2016/2140(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14 c. Invites the European Commission to undertake a thorough examination, in consultation with civil society, of existing barriers to justice in cases brought before Member State courts for alleged abuses to human rights committed by EU enterprises or within their supply chain in Third countries. This assessment should be geared towards identifying and promoting the adoption of effective measures that remove or alleviate these barriers;
Amendment 9 #
2016/2099(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls the importance of EIB lending outside the EU to be fully consistent with EU development framework, aligned with FTEU Article 21 and 208, the SDGs and Development Effectiveness Principles, including additionality, the recipient country ownership, alignment with recipient country developing strategies, as well as transparency requirements;
Amendment 18 #
2016/2099(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned that the EIB’s funding may be biased in favour of larger enterprises by targeting the number of jobs sustained (which includes pre-existing jobs); asks that the EIB target and report not only decent jobs sustained but also jobs created by its funding activities;
Amendment 23 #
2016/2099(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Deplores that many EIB´s investments funds are located in tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions; calls, therefore, the EIB to enhance the transparency of its operations through financial intermediaries and implement effective measures to tackle tax evasion and tax dodging on its operations aligned with EU country-by-country reporting requirements for private banks and transnationals;
Amendment 24 #
2016/2099(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls the EIB to take into account the European Court of Auditors report on the effectiveness of blending on external cooperation[1], which calls to "ensure that the allocation of grants is based on a documented assessment of the added value resulting from the grants in terms of achieving EU development"; [1] http://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocu ments/SR14_16/SR14_16_EN.pdf
Amendment 12 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), signed and ratified by the EU in 2011 and to the UN Concluding Observations on the implementation of the CRPD,
Amendment 13 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission communication entitled 'Trade for All: towards a more responsible trade and investment policy' (COM(2015)0497),
Amendment 14 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
– having regard the Communication on "Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change" released in October 2011,
Amendment 15 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
– having regard the October 2012 Council Conclusions on "The roots of democracy and sustainable development: Europe's engagement with Civil Society in external relations",
Amendment 16 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 d (new)
Citation 8 d (new)
– having regards to the EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 and to the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2015-2019),
Amendment 21 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 5th July 2016 on a new forward-looking and innovative future strategy for trade and investment,
Amendment 27 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a revision of the European Consensus on Development is timely and necessary considering the changed external framework - including the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris COP 21 Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction ,the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, new or increasing global challenges such as climate change and migration, partner countries which increasingly have diverse and specific development needs, independently of their income status, appalling shrinking space for independent civil society in all regions of the world, militarisation of entire regions of the world, more diversified developing countries, emerging donors and new global actors, and internal EU changes including those arising from the Treaty of Lisbon, the Agenda for Change and the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the right to development, according to UN Resolution 41/128, is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized;
Amendment 55 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the importance of the European Consensus on Development in providing a joint and coherent position at both EU and Member State levels on the objectives, values and principles and main aspects of development cooperation; believes that the Consensus acquis and in particular its holistic approach and the clear primary objective of fighting poverty, and at long term, eradicating poverty, combating inequality, and boosting policy coherence for sustainable development must be safeguarded in its revision; recalls that Member State and EU-level development policies should reinforce and complement each other;
Amendment 59 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Warns against the dilution of ODA criteria with the aim of covering expenses other than those directly linked to the previously mentioned objectives;
Amendment 63 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the importance of a clear European external strategy requiring coherence of policies, notably on human rights, support to civil society and the rule of law, fight against inequality peace and security, migration, trade, the environment and climate change, humanitarian assistance and development cooperation; reiterates, however, that development objectives are goals in their own right; recalls the treaty-based obligation enshrined in Article 208 TFEU to ‘'take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries’'; recalls the principles of EU external action under Article 21(1) TFEU, namely democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law;
Amendment 70 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2030 Agenda and the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development to cut across all internal as well as external EU policies and to be put at the heart of the Consensus; calls for the fight against poverty and hunger, and at long term eradicating, poverty and hunger, combating inequality, and boosting policy coherence for sustainable development to remain the overarching and primary goal for EU development policy;
Amendment 73 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the crucial importance of internationally agreed principles on development effectiveness, concretely ownership, harmonization, alignment, results and mutual accountability; notes that development policies and programs yield a double dividend when development effectiveness are fulfilled; Calls all development actors to fully align all their actions with these principles;
Amendment 79 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses the need to fulfil EU's commitment to allocate 20% of its ODA to human development and social inclusion, with a focus on health and education;
Amendment 83 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for a continued strong EU commitment to and promotion of rules- based global governance, whereby developing countries have an equal say and weight in multilateral bodies making decisions impacting them and notably the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 85 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that combating inequalities in and between countries, discrimination, injustice and strife and promoting peace, participatory democracy, good governance and human rights as well as inclusive societies and sustainable growth must be objectives cutting across every area and every action of EU development policy;
Amendment 101 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for EU development policy to continue to prioritise support to least developed and low-income countries (LDCs and LICs) while also finding neweffective ways of cooperation and support with the middle- income countries (MICs) in which the majority of the world’'s poor live in line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda;
Amendment 104 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of the principle of democratic ownership, giving developing countries the primary responsibility for their own development but also allowing national parliaments and political parties, regional and local authorities, civil society and other stakeholders to fully play their respective roles alongside national governments; stresses that all developing actors, including the private sector, shall align their actions with the development effectiveness principles in order to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 116 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines the importance of plural and inclusive democracy, and calls for the EU to promote a level playing field for political parties and a dynamic civil society in all its actions, including through capacity-building and through dialogue with partner countriessupport civil society necessary participation in all its actions, including through dialogue, and to allow sufficient civil society space;
Amendment 119 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the promotion of gender equality and women’s's rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, to be a cross-cutting goal in EU development policy in accordance with the EU Gender Action Plan, coupled with specific policy-driven action to target challenges in this area; calls for further EU efforts to promote the important role of women and youth as agents of development and change; underlines in this regard, that gender equality comprises women and men and girls and boys and that programmes should encourage equal co-participation of rights and services, for example as in the case of access to education; gender-responsive public services, for example as in the case of the right to education, health or unpaid care work;
Amendment 125 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for specific EU development strategies to better target, protect and support vulnerable and marginalised groups such as women and children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, small producers, linguistic and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, in order to offer them the same opportunities and rights as everyone else, in line with the principle of Leaving No- one Behind;
Amendment 126 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for specific EU development strategies to better target, protect and support vulnerable and marginalised groups such as women and children, LGTBI people, the elderly, persons with disabilities, linguistic and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, in order to offer them the same opportunities and rights as everyone else, in line with the principle of Leaving No- one Behind;
Amendment 132 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines the ongoing importance of the objectives set out in the human development chapter of the current European Consensus; stresses the need to connect these objectives to the SDGs and to put horizontal health system strengthening (other than support for vertical programmes for specific diseases), at the core of health development programming, also in order to strengthen resilience in the case of health crises such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa of 2013-2014; calls in this regard for a more coherent innovation and development of medicines policy that guarantees access to medicines to all;
Amendment 133 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the EU and its Members States to strengthen efforts to achieve a universal 'right to health'; underlines that this cannot be reached through direct services alone; stresses that ensuring equitable access to quality health services provided by skilled, qualified and competent health staff is critical to ensuring equitable access to quality care; therefore, the new Consensus should promote investment in and empowerment of frontline healthcare workers, who are often the backbone of the healthcare system and play a critical role in ensuring coverage of healthcare services in remote, poor and underserved areas;
Amendment 140 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. In the light of demographic growth, most notably in Africa and in the LDCs, taking into account the fact that of the 21 countries with the highest fertility, 19 are in Africa, that Nigeria is the country with the world’s fastest-growing population, and that by 2050 more than half of global population growth is expected to be in Africa and this is a problem for sustainable development; suggests that EU development cooperation should put more emphasis on programmes that address this topic; calls on the EU to champion sexual and reproductive rights worldwide as well as to promote scale-up of universal access to voluntary contraception and family planning services;
Amendment 149 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses the importance of addressing the underlying and systemic factors, including gender inequality, policy barriers, and power imbalances that have an impact on health in order to achieve a universal right to public health care;
Amendment 162 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines that for an EU development strategy to be effective, it must promote a better distribution of prosperity through national budgets, i.e. within as well as between countries and between the North and the Global South; highlights that European development aid should first and foremost differentiate between individual countries’ situations and development needs, and not on the basis of a signed political agreement;
Amendment 168 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recognises that official development aid and older concessional finance is still important for a number of MICs and has a role to play for targeted results, taking into account the specific needs of these countries, as enshrined in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda; Calls for specific strategies to be developed for cooperation with MICs in order to consolidate their progress and fight inequality, exclusion, discrimination and poverty, especially through the promotion of fair and progressive tax systems, while underlining that MICs are not a homogenous group and therefore each has specific needs that should be met by tailor- made policies; underlines the need to phase out financial aid to MICs and focus on other forms of cooperation, such as technical assistance, share of industrial know-how and knowledge, exchange of best practices and promotion of regional, South- South and triangular cooperation; highlights the importance of alternative sources of finance, such as domestic revenue mobilisation, non-concessional or less concessional loans, cooperation in technical, taxation, trade-related and research-related matters, and public- private partnerships;
Amendment 173 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the EU and its Member States to lead the way among development actors and to recommit to the full implementation of the principles of effective development cooperation, namely country ownership of development priorities, alignment with partner countries national development strategies, focus on results, transparency, sharedmutual accountability and democratic inclusiveness of all stakeholders;
Amendment 174 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Reiterates the importance of increasing the understanding and the active engagement of the European public in major development debates and attempts to eradicate global poverty and promote sustainable development; to this end non-formal development education and awareness raising, including through continuation and expansion of the Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) programme, must remain integral parts of the EU and Member States' development policies;
Amendment 180 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the progress made but calls for further efforts by the EU and its Member States towards joint programming and implementation in order to pool resources, improve the in-country division of labour, reduce transaction costs, avoid overlaps and aid fragmentation, and promote country ownership of development strategies; calls on the EU and its Member States to further coordinate their actions with other donors and organisationsall donors and organisations; notes with concern that as of mid-2015, only five EU Member States had published Busan implementation plans; urges Member States to publish implementation plans and report on their efforts on development effectiveness annually;
Amendment 186 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates that Official Development Assistance (ODA) should remain the backbone of EU development policy; recalls the EU’'s commitment to achieving the ODA target of 0.7 % of GNI by 2030 through the development of a binding roadmap; stresses the importance of other countries, developed and emerging, also scaling up their ODA provision; underlines the important role of ODA as a catalyst for change and a lever for the mobilisation of other resources, in order to boost its effectiveness calls the European Union and its Member States to avoid inflated aid and not to report imputed student cost, refugee costs in donor countries, tied aid, debt relief, interest of concessional loans, and climate finance as ODA; ; recalls the EU's commitment to mobilizing new and different resources for climate action in developing countries towards developed countries' commitment to mobilizing USD 100 billion per year by 2020 and through to 2025 from a variety of sources;
Amendment 194 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recognises that general budget support promotes national ownership, but underlines thaalignment wit should only be considered when and where the conditions are right and effective control systems are in placeh partner countries national development strategies, focus on results, transparency, mutual accountability;
Amendment 198 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that addressing the SDGs will require financing and action for development going beyond ODA and public policies; stresses the need for domestic as well as international and for private as well as public financing, and for policiehighlights linking public and private pro- development action and inducing an environment promoting growth and its equitable distribution through national budgets this regard the paramount importance of fair and progressive taxation and of social corporate accountably;
Amendment 202 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Recognising that GDP is not an adequate measure of progress as it does not reflect inequalities or environmental degradation; calls for alternative measures of progress to be developed as agreed in the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 206 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the EU and its Member States to support developing countries in creating fair, progressive, transparent and efficient tax systems, as well as other means of domestic resource mobilisation, in order to increase the predictability and stability of such financing and reduce aid dependency; calls for such support in areas such as tax administration and public financial management, anti-corruption, and fighting transfer mispricing, tax evasion and other forms of illicit financial flow also by EU Member States;
Amendment 208 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to establish a compulsory country- by-country reporting on multinational companies, together with the compulsory publication of comprehensive and comparable data on companies activities to ensure transparency and accountability; calls on the EU and its Member States to consider the spill over effect on developing countries of their own tax policy, and undertake reforms needed to ensure European companies making profits in developing countries pay their fair share of tax in those countries;
Amendment 211 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. StressUnderlines the need for blending and public-private partnerships in order to leverage financing beyond ODA, but underlines the need for these toto effectively follow development effectiveness principles and to be limited to certain sectors in order not to erode universal access for all to quality essential public services; they must. be based on transparent criteria and to clearly demonstrate their additional development impact; underlines that financed projects should respect national development objectives, internationally recognised social and environmental standards in a binding manner, the needs and rights of local populations, and the principles of development effectiveness; recognises in this regard that traditional land use, for example by smallholders and pastoralists, is usually not documented but needs to be respected and protected; reiterates that enterprises involved in development partnerships shouldshall respect the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the UN Guiding Principles and OECD Guidelines throughout their operations;
Amendment 213 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need for blending and public-private partnerships in order to leverage financing beyond ODA, but underlines the need for these to be based on transparent criteria and to clearly demonstrate their additional development impact; underlines that financed projects should respect national development objectives, internationally recognised social and environmental standards, the needs and rights of local populations, and the principles of development effectiveness; recognises in this regard that traditional land use, for example by smallholders and pastoralists, is usually not documented but needs to be respected and protected; reiterates that enterprises involved in development partnerships should respect the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR); reiterates that enterprises involved in development partnerships should respect the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and promote ethical business practices;
Amendment 217 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that development funds used for the proposed External Investment Plan (EIP), as well as for existing Trust Funds, must comply with ODA-compatible development objectives; calls for mechanisms to be established allowing Parliament to fulfil its oversight role when EU development funds are being used outside the normal EU budget procedures, notably by granting it observer status on EIP, Trust Fund and other strategic boards that decide on the priorities and scope of programmes and projects; 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 224 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recognises the role of local small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, inclusive business models and democratically-owned organisations, as engines of growth and employment; calls for the promotion of an enabling environment for investment and business activity in order to stimulate and accelerate domestic economic development, as well as of training programmes and regular public- private dialogues;
Amendment 225 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recognises the role of localat local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises asnd cooperatives could be engines of growth and decent employment if properly regulated; calls for the promotion of an enabling environment for investment and business activity in order to stimulate and accelerate domestic economic development, as well as of training programmes and regular public- private dialogues;
Amendment 229 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to promote binding measures to ensure that multinational corporations pay taxes in the countries in where value is extracted or created and to promote compulsory country-by-country reporting by the private sector, thus enhancing the domestic resource mobilisation capacities of countries; Calls for spill over analysis to study possible profit shifting practices;
Amendment 231 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Call for a human needs-based approach to debt sustainability through a binding set of standards to define responsible lending and borrowing, debt audits and fair debt workout mechanism, which should assess the legitimacy and the sustainability of countries' debt burdens and possible cancellation of unsustainable an unjust debt;
Amendment 243 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls on to include the ratification of international human rights instruments - including the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural rights (ESCR's) and it Optional protocol to ensure a right base for resilience, ILO core labour Standards and ILO Recommendation 202 on Social protection;
Amendment 245 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Underlines the importance of fair and properly regulated trade in promoting regional integration, contributing to sustainable growth and combating poverty;among equal partners in where democratic right to regulate for ensuring human rights and peoples dignity in promoting 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 stresses that EU trade and investment policy must be part of the sustainable development agenda and reflect EU development policy objectives; in particular, trade policy should not put at risk global public goods such as access to medicines by making sure that partner countries can take full advantage of the flexibilities in the WTO Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), while no country should be prevented from taking measures to protect public health as enshrined in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda;
Amendment 249 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Welcomes the recognition of the strong contribution of fair trade to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda; calls on the EU to implement and further develop its commitment to support the uptake of fair trade schemes in the EU and partner countries in order to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns through its trade policies;
Amendment 252 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Supports EU efforts to increase transparency and accountability in natural resource management and in the extraction of and trade in natural resources, and to prevent illegal trade in sectors such as minerals, timber and wildlife; strongly believes that further global efforts are needed in order to develop regulatory frameworks for supply chains, so as to ensure sustainable management of and trade in such resources, to promote sustainable consumption and production and to allow resource-rich countries and their populations to further benefit from such trade; Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and calls the EC to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the EC to enhance corporate social responsibility and due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, on the proposed EU regulation on conflict minerals, for other sectors; thereby bindingly ensuring the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 257 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. 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 for the EU and Member States to engage actively in the work of the UN's Human Rights Council and of the UNEP on an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses and violations of environmental standards;
Amendment 259 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Reaffirms the importance of coordinated and accelerated actions to address malnutrition to fulfil the 2030 Agenda and to reach SDG 2 to end hunger; stresses that privatization of seeds through IPR clauses and GMOs threaten countries food sovereignty;
Amendment 264 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Believes that synergies between the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and development instruments need to be fostered in order to find the right balance between conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation and development; sStresses that external policy programmes and measures to this end have to be comprehensive, tailor-made to the country situation and, when financed through means foreseen for development policy, correspond to core development objectives as defined under ODA; underlines that the core tasks of development cooperation remain to support countries in their endeavour to create stable and peaceful states that respect good governance, the rule of law and human rights, and to seek to establish sustainable functioning market economies with the purpose of bringing prosperity to the people; stresses the need for EU policies to respect the political and economic policy space of developing countries to regulate in order for them to establish the necessary policies to promote sustainable development, fulfil their human rights obligations and boost dignity for their people;
Amendment 268 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses the central role of development cooperation in addressing the root causes of forced migration, such as state fragility, conflicts, insecurity and marginalisation, poverty and human rights violations; calls therefore for migration- linked development assistance to focus on promoting inclusion and economic opportunities, democracy-building, good governance and the rule of law, and policy space for civil society; calls therefore for migration-linked development assistance to focus on promoting inclusion and economic opportunities through people centred businesses, democracy-building, good governance and the rule of law, and policy space for civil society;
Amendment 270 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses the central role of development cooperation in addressing the root causes of forced migration, such as state fragility, conflicts, climate change, insecurity and marginalisation, poverty, inequality and human rights violations; calls therefore for migration- linked development assistance to focus on promoting humans rights and peoples dignity, social inclusion and cohesion, economic opportunities, democracy- building, good governance and the rule of law, and policy space for civil society; recalls that development financing cannot be used for migration management or externalization of borders control;
Amendment 274 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Recalls, as stressed by the UN Agenda 2030, the positive contribution of migrants to the development; calls for more effective and innovative cooperation in migration policy between origin and destination countries; draws attention to the significant and growing financial flows represented by remittances, which according to the world bank represent three times total ODA; calls for further efforts to bring down transfer costs, as remittances are an important source of financing for development;
Amendment 282 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Underlines the need for close parliamentary scrutiny and monitoring ofagreements linked to migration management and migration-linked use of development funds; stresses the importance of close cooperation and the establishment of a good practice of formal and informal exchange of information between institutions, notably in the field of migration and security;
Amendment 283 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Points out that, given the recent European policy measures to fight the root causes of forced migration, European development policy must fall within the OECD-DAC definition and must be based on development needs and human rights; stresses further that development aid nor trade preferences must not be made conditional on cooperation in migration matters such as border management or readmission agreements;
Amendment 290 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Stresses the need for closer links between humanitarian assistance and development cooperation in order to address financing gaps, avoid overlaps and the creation of parallel systems, and create conditions for sustainable development with built-in resilience and tools for improved crisis prevention and preparedness;
Amendment 300 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Strongly believes that the global presence of the EU and its Member States makes them well placed to continue to play a leading international role in addressing global public goods and challenges (GPGC); cCalls for a GPGC chapter to be included in the revised Consensus, clearly outlining the priority areas to be tackled, among them the fight against all forms of inequality, health and education, women's rights, including their reproductive health rights insecurity and state fragility, migration, public health and education, access to public drinking water demographic challenges and urbanisation, the environment, sustainable energy and climate change, food security, and new technological challenges, barriers and opportunities which are essential elements for the fulfilment of basic need and people dignity;
Amendment 304 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Recalls that the 'private sector' is not a homogenous set of actors; when dealing with the private sector, EU and Member State development policy should therefore be comprised of differentiated strategies to engage the various types of private sector actors, including producer- led private sector actors; micro, small and medium enterprises; cooperatives; social enterprises and those in the solidarity economy;
Amendment 311 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40b. Calls for EU development policy to incorporate a broad understanding of the concept of sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12) which goes beyond circular economy principles and addresses environment, social and human rights impacts;
Amendment 50 #
2016/2059(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Takes a critical view of the expansion of liquefied gas use in shipping and ports, and instead advocates expanding shore-side electricity for ships while they are in port, which would make it possible to use regionally produced renewable energy;
Amendment 2 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental right of every human being; Recalls that Sustainable Development Goal 3, with nine quantitative and four qualitative targets, clearly states that by 2030 everyone should have access to good mental and physical health throughout their lives; underlines that, each year, 100 million people fall into poverty because of health costs which are disproportionate to their incomes, and that, according to the WHO, over one third of the world’s population, with over 50 % in Africa, does not have access to medicines;
Amendment 14 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that a high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities, as stated by Article 168 of the TFEU;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges not to use free trade agreements with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to introduce TRIPS- plus intellectual property (IP) rules that extend monopoly protection and limit people's rights to health, and not to introduce new IP enforcement rules or investment protection to the detriment of access to medicines; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to safeguard the right of countries to regulate and preserve policy space in order to guarantee universal access to medicines; urges the Commission to ensure that trade agreements and policies do not undermine developing countries' strategic policies to guarantee people's right to health;
Amendment 51 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Deplores that the current biomedical R&D system has proven, far from presenting incentives for research, to materialise in patent monopolies; compartmentalised and overlapping groups of multiple patents over single goods or technologies (thickets), lack of knowledge transfer and an obscure manipulation of the scientific method, all of which hinders innovation;
Amendment 57 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that, without transparency of research and development costs to originator companies and information on the actual prices paid for medicines across the EU, any discussion on fair medicine prices remains impossible; recalls the Commission’'s commitment to greater transparency of EU positions, specific legal proposals, and negotiating texts in the TTIP negotiationall trade agreements; De-linkage in biomedical R&D shall imply separating research and development costs from the final price of the medicine, thus broadly facilitating access and generic production in the developing world; calls in this regard for enhancing instruments such as price incentives for open source medical research, patent pools, socially responsible licences, imposing strict conditions on the use and exploitation of public research by private corporations to assure a return for public interest, open access to scientific research developed and financed with public funds and transparency on trial results;
Amendment 10 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls for an effective post-Cotonou framework adapted to global challenges, based on ownership by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and in line with human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals; stresses that a revised general framework agreement, together with the regional Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and other trade instruments, must support fair and sustainable trade and, ultimately, sustainable development and inequality and poverty reduction;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly report on the participation of non-state actors and local actors in JPA activities on 05 April 2009,
Amendment 19 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 d (new)
Citation 15 d (new)
- having regard to the Joint Staff Working Document on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Transforming the Lives of Girls and Women through EU External Relations 2016-2020 (SWD(2015) 182 final) and to the Council Conclusions of 26 October 2015 in which the respective Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 is endorsed,
Amendment 20 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 e (new)
Citation 15 e (new)
- having regard to Article 21 of the Treaty on the European Union and must contribute to sustainable development goals, human rights and gender equality; having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which reaffirms that the Union must take account of the objective of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries,
Amendment 24 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the post-Cotonou process should offer a framework within which to discussair and balanced framework among equal partners within which to discuss, among other important issues, fair trade issues with all the ACP countries; calls for a strengthening of fair and balanced trade cooperation, with a valuehuman rights-driven approach and improved Policy Coherence for Development; believes that sustainable inclusive growth, decent job creation, the development of thewell-regulated local private sector and regional integration must be central in a future economic partnership;
Amendment 36 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for strong, legally binding sustainable development and human rights provisions; asks for the human rights 'essential elements' clause to remainbe bindingly reinforced and aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the future agreement so that the linkage clauses in the EPAs continue to function after 2020;
Amendment 40 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Cotonou Agreement addresses new global challenges such as climate change, inequalities, migration and terrorism, but has produced few concrete results in these areas;
Amendment 45 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas political dialogue on essential elements, as referred to in Articles 8 and 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, is a concrete and legal means of upholding the common values of the ACP-EU partnership and promoting democracy and human rights, gender equality and meeting of basic needs, which are fundamental for sustainable development;
Amendment 52 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the involvement of national parliaments, local authorities, civil society and othe private sectorr stakeholders in political dialogue has been rather limited, despite existing recognition of its importance; whereas the role of the ACP Group as such has been limited to cases where Article 96 is invoked; whereas political dialogue, and Article 96 in particular, have mostly been used at a late stage of political crises and not in a preventative manner;
Amendment 53 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that civil society involvement is a must throughout the implementation of the EPAs and the post- Cotonou process; notes the importance of a renewed ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and defends strong parliamentary oversight of the future framework; asks for results-oriented monitoring of ACP-EU cooperation, especially with regard to trade andhuman rights, sustainable development and fair trade;
Amendment 64 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Insist on the paramount importance of respecting, as stated on SDG 17.15, partner countries 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 67 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Raise awareness of the pervasive link between free trade agreement with developing countries and illicit financial flows (IFF) and tax fraud increase; calls the future EU - ACP framework to effectively tackle IFF by enhancing cooperation on tax matters and boosting domestic resource mobilization on partner countries;
Amendment 68 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Deplores the current debt distress in several ACP 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 ACP countries;
Amendment 69 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Affirms that ACP-EU cooperation is a valuable and unique achievement that has strengthened bonds between ACP and EU countries and their parliaments throughout the last 40 years; underlines - provided theboth EU and ACP countries demonstrate their commitment to taking joint action as a group - that in order to improve the effectiveness of cooperation and adapt it to new challenges, a new structure has to be adopted that keeps those parts of the ACP- EU acquis that are universal in character, such as commitment to human rights, human development, gender equality, good governance and democracy, the objective of the rule of law, and exchange of best practice in a common framework, while the main work has to be done according to the principle of subsidiarity and solidarity, that is, it must take place in regional agreements that are tailored to specific regional needs and to the mutual interests existing between the EU and the respective region;
Amendment 76 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the future ACP-EU relations must be articulated on a fair and balanced framework among equal partners and based on the respect and promotion of human rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 83 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that both the common framework and the regional agreements should be legally binding; underlines that, in order to strengthen effectiveness and reduce duplication, the regional agreements with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific should be designed in a way that takes into account existing regional and sub-regional organisations, e.g. the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, and regional agreements such as the Economic Partnership Astrategies and agreements (EPAs), and should allow the inclusion of additional countries, such as northern African countries, or the creation of groupings in accordance with specific interests or needs (e.g. development status, as in the case of LDCs, or geographical peculiarities, as in the case of small island developing states);
Amendment 87 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for human rights and the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be placed at the centre of a new agreement, and for the creation of strong monitoring mechanisms to bindingly ensure that implementation of the agreement contributes to and promotes the SDGs;
Amendment 91 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for an ACP-EU peer monitoring, accountability and review mechanism to scrutinise SDG implementation in member states on a regular basis, with ACP and EU representatives not only from governmental institutions but also from parliaments and civil society, drawing up yearly conclusions and recommendations for national, regional and global review processes and follow-up;
Amendment 98 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the fight against poverty and inequalities and the promotion of sustainable development and peoples dignity to remain an overarching objective of ACP-EU cooperation; believes, however, that a new agreement must primarily be a political project and clearly leave behind the donor-recipient mentality; stresses that the new agreement must be rooted in a rights-based and sustainable development approach that is people centred and takes into account the three pillars of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental), leaving no one behind; considers that cooperation should take place in areas of common interest where common gains can be expected, not just in economic terms but also with regard to peace and security, human rightsand that should be focused on the future of the new generations, human rights, gender equality, human development, good governance and democracy, the environment, climate change and other areas related to the prosperity of both ACP and EU populations;
Amendment 109 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its view that policy coherence for development (PCD) is a key element for achieving the new universal sustainable development agenda and the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights; believes that the comprehensive nature of the Cotonou Agreement promotes PCD and should therefore be safeguarded in a binding and effective way in a new agreement;
Amendment 116 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the essential elements in the Cotonou Agreement regarding human rights, democratic principles, gender equality, human development, peoples dignity and the rule of law to continue to form the value-based foundation of a new agreement; calls for good governance to be added as an essential element;
Amendment 124 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that political dialogue among equal partners is a fundamental part of the Cotonou Agreement, and that Articles 8 and 96 are a concrete and legal means to uphold the essential elements of ACP-EU relations, though they have not always been used effectively in the past; calls for political dialogue to remain a central and legal pillar in the overarching framework and on the regional level of the new agreement; calls for political dialogue to be used more effectively and systematically and in a proactive way in order to prevent political crises;
Amendment 128 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines in this regard that political dialogue is a valuable basis for improving the situation of the peoples of the partner countries; regrets the insufficient use of this instrument and its weak effectiveness so far; calls, therefore, for improved monitoring of the human rights situation and of the other essential and fundamental elements of the Agreement, based on inclusive and participatory processes, and for a regular biennial or multiannual evaluation and joint reports on the respect of these elements by all ACP- EU member states with the purpose of naming, shaming and praising; calls for the results of these reports to be presented at the overarching ACP-EU meetings and used as a basis for political dialogue; and to be referred to in the national, regional and global reviews and follow-up of the SDG implementation;
Amendment 136 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for stronger participation of national parliaments and, local authorities and CSOs at all stages of ACP-EU policies and activities, from future planning and programming to implementation, evaluation and monitoring, particularly from the viewpoint of the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 140 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for stronger involvement in political dialogue, in programming and implementation and support for capacity- building by civil society, especially for local groups that are directly concerned by policies; specific attention should be paid to the involvement of women's organizations and organizations working with populations suffering from discriminations; stresses that civil society in all its diversity should remain recognized as an official actor of the partnership as it can foster participation of those communities that otherwise would remain marginalised and excluded; underlines in this regard the danger of shrinking space for civil society in some countries, and the need also to include those groups that are unable to organise their interests or that are, despite a legitimate democratic interest, not recognised by their government;
Amendment 144 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that the private sector can play a pivotal role inould, if properly regulated and bindingly aligned with development effectiveness principles, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the SDGs, contribute to the development process and can contribute to financing development, provided investment occurs with respect for the people and for traditional ownership or use, and for the environment; calls, therefore, for private investment to be supported under the auspices of the European Investment Bank (EIB) provided it is in line with international human rights law and social and environmental protection rul, in line with the UN guiding principles on business and human rights;; underlines that the priority of the new partnership should be given to local small scale producers and farmers and on securing an enabling environment for micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives; recalls, furthermore, for local and national private sectors to be allowed to participate in policymaking, programming and implementation that any EU and Member States' support for private sector development should be based on the Busan commitments;
Amendment 156 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for the new ACP-EU agreement to include a strong parliamentary dimension, through a Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), that will provide for a democratic and comprehensive parliamentary dialogue, including on difficult and sensitive subjects, advance common (regional) political projects, and provide a democratic underpinning for them through the participation of multi-stakeholders, scrutinise the executive’'s work as well as development cooperation, promote democracy and human rights, and thus make an important contribution to an ACP- EU partnership on an equal footing;
Amendment 162 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that the JPA should ensure the adequate democratic and proportional representation and participation of all political forces in its debates; calls, therefore, for the ACP national delegations to the JPA to include representatives of their national political spectrum, including the opposition;
Amendment 178 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for further efforts to be made to improve JPA scrutiny of development programming bearing in mind the development effectiveness principles and follow-up to such scrutiny; calls on the Commission and ACP governments to promote the involvement of ACP national parliaments, local authorities and civil society actors in the pre- and post-all the different scrutiny phases of development programming, and to supply all available information in a timely and transparent manner to ACP national parliaments in order to assist them in their exercise of democratic scrutiny;
Amendment 186 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates its call for budgetisation of the EDF in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, transparency, democratic scrutiny, and accountability and the visibility and coherence of EU development financing; stresses, however, that this budgetisation should be conditioned by i) a guaranteed ring-fencing of developing funds to maintain the level of financing for developing countries that is tailor-made; and ii) a permanent solution for EU financing of security expenses linked to development cooperation; underlines that all Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in need should also in the future be eligible for EU development aid; stresses that even if budgetised the EDF should include benchmarks that are aligned with EU development cooperation, such as the current ones on human development and climate change;
Amendment 201 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates that the EPAs constitute a basis for regional cooperation and that they must be instruments for development and regional integration; highlights, therefore,Highlights the need for legally binding sustainability provisions (on human rights and social and environmental standards) in all EPAtrade agreements, and underlines the importance of creating effective monitoring systems that include a wide range of civil society in order to avoid the negative effects of trade liberalisation;
Amendment 208 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Insist on the paramount importance of respecting, as stated on SDG 17.15, partner countries 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 209 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Raise awareness of the pervasive link between free trade agreement with developing countries and illicit financial flows (IFF) and tax fraud increase; calls the future EU - ACP framework to effectively tackle IFF by enhancing cooperation on tax matters and boosting domestic resource mobilization on partner countries;
Amendment 210 #
2016/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
Paragraph 22 d (new)
22d. Deplores the current debt distress in several ACP 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 ACP countries;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the European Parliament report on implementation of the 2010 recommendations of Parliament on social and environmental standards, human rights and corporate responsibility (2015/2038(INI))
Amendment 12 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Turkey has been implementing an ever increasing number of tariff and non-tariff barriers over time; as well as keeping a discriminatory position against any given EU Member - state, including the Republic of Cyprus;
Amendment 18 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 28 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. having regard to the will of the parties to expand and improve trade relations and the decision to launch negotiations to modernise the Customs Union and extend its scope; whereas this cannot proceed when Turkey has not fully and effectively implemented the existing Customs Union towards all Members states of the EU including the Republic of Cyprus;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. Whereas the European Parliament resolution of 24 November 2016 on EU- Turkey relations (2016/2993(RSP)), requests for the freezing of the accession talks with Turkey due to the serious and persistent breach of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law by the Turkish government in recent years, and especially since the failed coup attempt in July 2016;
Amendment 37 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas external policies and trade relations should contribute to: sustainable development, eradication of poverty, support of democracy, the rule of law and protection of human rights.
Amendment 39 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas 9000 HDP members have been detained in the past one and a half years, including 12 Members of the Parliament and the co-chair of HDP Selahattin Demirtaş;
Amendment 54 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) while recognising Turkey’s strategic role due to its geographical proximity and to its historical, cultural, political and commercial ties with the EU, the development of a new trade framework has to be an integral, albeit specific, part of the EU’s global policy and, in particular, of the principles and objectives of its external action; the negotiation on this new framework should be consistent with Turkey's accession negotiations and its European perspective;
Amendment 57 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i – point 1 (new)
1) Stresses that no actions to accelerate the modernisation of the Customs Union should be taking place until the respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law are respected and implemented;
Amendment 78 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point v
Paragraph 1 – point a – point v
(v) the agreement on the modernisation of the Customs Union and the strengthening of trade relations between the EU and Turkey will have to be applied fully and equally to all Member States; given that Turkey fulfils its obligations towards all EU member states including the Republic of Cyprus and respects the rule of law;
Amendment 95 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i a (new)
(ia) Considers that Turkey has to align with the "acquis communautaire" before the modernisation of the Customs Union can become a reality;
Amendment 96 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i b (new)
(ib) Considers that the Commission should conduct a sustainability impact assessment (on economic, social, human rights and environmental impacts) before the opening of trade negotiations with Turkey;
Amendment 108 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point v
Paragraph 1 – point b – point v
(v) it is important to introduce a dispute settlement mechanism that is able to operate within a framework of impartiality and legal certainty in keeping with the rules and practice of the WTOnvestors must be submitted to the same national justice systems that any other citizens, recognizing their rights and obligations. In case clear abuses are detected, a dialogue must be established and if no solution is found, the cases must be solved by a state to state dispute settlement;
Amendment 114 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Amendment 122 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
(vii) in relation to the negotiation of trade agreements between the EU and third countries in which Turkey does not participate, possible methods of involvement that respect the sovereignty and negotiating independence of the EU need to be considercould be examined;
Amendment 126 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
(i) when major sectors such as agriculture, services and public procurement are included in the new framework for trade relations between the EU and Turkey, it is important that the new structure is defined on the basis ofit is important that the new framework for trade relations between the EU and Turkey and any modification of the sectors involved are defined on the basis of the procedures laid down in Articles 207 and 218 TFEU;
Amendment 128 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i a (new)
(ia) The Commission should include a political clause in the Customs Union between Turkey and the EU on human rights and fundamental freedoms, media freedom, minorities rights;
Amendment 129 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Amendment 155 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v a (new)
(va) The new EU-Turkey trade framework should ensure a solid and rigorous level of protection and enforcement of Geographical Indications
Amendment 177 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ix
Amendment 190 #
2016/2031(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
1a. Asks the Council and the Commission not to start any negotiation on Customs Union modernisation until the respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law are respected and implemented and the situation redressed, with the liberation of political opposition leaders and Members of Parliament..
Amendment 12 #
2016/2020(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the UN´s Human Rights Council work towards a legally binding international instrument on business and human rights; calls the whole UN System to fully support this process; calls the EU and its Member States to actively engage in this process;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2020(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Urges the EU to work towards the reinforcement of international fiscal cooperation, supporting the creation of an international tax body within the United Nation system;
Amendment 14 #
2016/2020(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Welcomes the UN General Assembly adoption of the landmark Resolution 68/304 of 9 September 2014, which recognised “the sovereign right of any State to restructure its sovereign debt, which should not be frustrated or impeded by any measure emanating from another State”, and noted “with concern that the international financial system does not have a sound legal framework for the orderly and predictable restructuring of sovereign debt” and launched a process to adopt “a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring processes”; calls the whole UN System to fully support this process; calls the EU and its Member States to actively engage in this process;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2012(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that promoting the equal access of women to public and private goods and services must be based on the recognition of women's and girls' distinct choices, needs and experiences, and must be guaranteed without undermining their fundamental rights.
Amendment 33 #
2016/2012(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights that, although official statistics show that mobility needs and travel patterns of women and men differ widely, very little attention is paid to this issue both in the European Commission legislative proposals and in most of Member States’ public transport policies; recalls that women are the main users of public transport services all around the EU; calls on local, regional and national authorities to specifically take into account the mobility needs of women when designing and developing their public transport services; calls on the Commission to properly include the gender dimension in its main approach to transport legislation in the EU.
Amendment 53 #
2016/2012(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses serious concern that many cases of verbal and physical violence against women, including sexual harassment often occur o, are reported in public transport, but are also reportedlso in the context of the sharing economy, and; underlines the need for a proper definition of liability for such acts and calls on the competent authorities to urgently address this major issue; recalls that promoting safe public spaces and safe public transit for everyone is a shared responsibility of all actors at all levels.
Amendment 9 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas between 2012 and 2013 letter post services shrank by 4.85 % on average in the EU according to the European Commission Postal Statistics Database; whereas this is part of the fast declining trend of letter volume all around the EU during the last 10 years;
Amendment 15 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas new competitors have mainly focused on large business customers and highly populated areas;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the parcel delivery market is a highly competitive, innovative and fast-growing sector which attained growth of 33 % between 2008 and 2011 in terms of volume, and whereas e-commerce is a driving factorere e-commerce is a driving factor; whereas statistics show that the express mail and parcels services international market is currently dominated by few global players;
Amendment 18 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas, according to European Commission estimations, the overall EU postal sector has experienced a net loss of jobs during the last 10 years, while low- quality and atypical forms of employment have substantially increased;
Amendment 38 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 50 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that that the Postal Services Directive provides Member States with the flexibility necessary to address local specificities and to ensure universal service provision long-term sustainability while meeting the needs of users and adapting to the changes in the technical, economic and social environment;
Amendment 69 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the importance of providing a high-quality universal service under affordable conditions, comprising at leastthe general obligation of five delivery and five collection days a week for every EU citizen; notes that in some Member States national regulation exceeds the flexibility provided for, as stated in the Postal Services Directive;, calls on the Commission to reaffirm that low population density does not constitute grounds for reducing the frequency of delivery witertain flexibility is needed in order to ensure long-term sustainability of the universal service and appropriate adaptation to the specific geographical characteristics and demographinc the universal service obligationrends in each Member State;
Amendment 82 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to monitor the provision of postal services as a public service in order to ensure a common level playing field among providers and prevent cross- subsidisation, and to review whether public service compensation is implemented in a manner that is proportionate, transparent and fairs well as a proportionate, transparent and fair implementation of public service compensation;
Amendment 104 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to work on a harmonisedand Member States to respect the current definition of universal service, which stipulates a minimum level of service for consumers; calls on the Member States to further harmoniseimplement licensing procedures according to the current Directive in order to reduce unjustified barriers within the internal market;
Amendment 122 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 148 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that service quality should be assessed on the basis of minimum Europe-wide standardthe Postal Services Directive requirements with a view to creating a fully integrarconnected European postal sector;
Amendment 155 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recognises the investments made by the European universal postal service operators to upgrade the interconnectivity of their networks in order to offer wide and easy-to-use cross-borders services; considers that these investments should be protected with fair access conditions;
Amendment 194 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Asks the Member States and the Commission to improve transparency as regards pricing conditions and service performance (delivery options, final delivery, reliability), especially when it comes to e-commerce; stresses the importance of setting affordable cross- border delivery prices in closing the gap between domestic and cross-border prices; calls on the Commission to explore whywhile internalizing economic and environmental costs; calls on the National Regulatory Authorities to assess affordability of prices oin some cross- border routes are higher in one directiin cases of apparent unreasonable anomalies on than the otherad-hoc basis;
Amendment 221 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Member States to ensure decent working conditions for all employees in the postal services sector; recommends close monitoring of whether labour-market-related developments in the postal services sector comply with Union and national law, administrative provisions and collective agreements negotiated by social partners;
Amendment 234 #
2016/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that increased competition should not generate illegal social practices or lead to the degradation of working conditions;Acknowledges the current trends showing a significant increase of low- quality and atypical forms of employment; considers that addressing these unfair competition practices in the EU postal sector shall be a major priority for the Commission and the Member States; calls on the Member States to introduce appropriate control devices and ensure effective implementation of EU and national existing social requirements.
Amendment 36 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) Money laundering counter- measures should be balanced in order to protect interests that are perceived to be threatened by organised crime and terrorism; legislative and judicial efforts in that regard should focus on achieving the highest level of legal certainty and respect for all the fundamental rights (such as the right to privacy and data protection, or the right to be presumed innocent).
Amendment 46 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) This Directive should not apply to money laundering as regards property derived from offences affecting the Union’s financial interests, which is subject to specific rules as laid down in Directive 2017/XX/EU36 . In accordance with Article 325(2) TFEU, the Member States shall take the same measures to counter fraud affecting the financial interests of the Union as they take to counter fraud affecting their own financial interests. This Directive should not apply to any person who receives proceeds as normal payment for ordinary consumer goods or services, as long as the consideration for such goods or services is adequate. _________________ 36 Directive 2017/XX/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of x x 2017 on the protection of the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law (OJ x L, xx.xx.2017, p.x).
Amendment 48 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Where money laundering activity does not simply amount to the mere possession or use, but also involves the transfer or the concealing and disguise of property through the financial system and results in further damage than that already caused by the predicate offence, such as damaging the integrity of the financial system, that activity should be punished separately. Member States should thus ensure that such conduct is also punishable when committed by the perpetrator of the criminal activity that generated that property (so-called self-laundering), if there is a previous conviction or if the predicate offence is tried at the same time, if the actions have the intention to hide the illegal origin of the property.
Amendment 56 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order for money laundering to be an effective tool against organised crime, it should not be necessary to identify the specifics of the crime that generated the property, let alone require; a prior or simultaneous conviction for that crime should be required. Prosecutions for money laundering should also not be impeded by the mere fact that the predicate offence was committed in another Member State or third country, provided it is a criminal offence in that Member State or third country. Member States may establish as a prerequisite the fact that the predicate offence would have been a crime in its national law, had it been committed there.
Amendment 69 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to deter money laundering throughout the Union, Member States should lay down minimum types and levels of penalties when the criminal offences defined in this Directive are committed. Where the offence is committed within a criminal organisation within the meaning of Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA37 8 or where the perpetrator abused their professionaldominant position, e.g. as an official or poslitioncal decision maker, to enable money laundering, Member States should provide for aggravating circumstances in accordance with the applicable rules established by their legal systems. _________________ 37 Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA of 24 October 2008 on the fight against organised crime, (OJ L 300, 11.11.2008, p. 42)
Amendment 73 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) Knowledge of the beneficial ownership of companies and bank accounts is fundamental, among others, for the purposes of taxation and preventing prosecuting crime
Amendment 75 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 b (new)
Recital 12 b (new)
(12b) Transparency and openness, which are core elements of the Union legal framework, require European and international efforts. In order to facilitate those efforts, Member States should maintain publicly searchable registries of the beneficial owners of all corporations, trusts foundations, or other relevant entities.
Amendment 76 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 c (new)
Recital 12 c (new)
(12c) Competent authorities, which supervise the compliance of credit and financial institutions with this Directive, should be able to cooperate, coordinate and exchange in due time confidential information to the widest extent possible, in accordance with the applicable international standards in this field, regardless of their respective nature or status; tax information involving registries of beneficial owners should be the basis of the automatic exchange of information between tax authorities and other relevant government regulatory and enforcement authorities.
Amendment 77 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 d (new)
Recital 12 d (new)
(12d) Competent authorities, which supervise the compliance of credit and financial institutions with this Directive, should have an adequate legal basis for promptly exchanging confidential information.
Amendment 78 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 e (new)
Recital 12 e (new)
(12e) Information of prudential nature relating to credit and financial institutions, such as information relating to the fitness and properness of directors and shareholders, internal control mechanisms, governance or compliance and risk management, is often indispensable for an adequate anti-money laundering supervision of such institutions; conversely anti-money laundering information is essential for the prudential supervision of such institutions.
Amendment 79 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 f (new)
Recital 12 f (new)
(12f) The exchange of confidential information and cooperation between competent authorities, which supervise credit and financial institutions with this Directive, and prudential supervisors should not be hampered by legal uncertainty, which can stem from a lack of explicit provisions in this field; clarification of the legal frame work is even more important since prudential supervision has been entrusted, in a number of cases, to non anti-money laundering supervisors, such as the European Central Bank.
Amendment 80 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 g (new)
Recital 12 g (new)
(12g) Delayed access by Financial Intelligence Units and other competent authorities to information on the identity of holders of bank and payment accounts and safe deposit boxes, hampers the detection of transfers of funds relating to money laundering and the associated financing of terrorism and organised crime.
Amendment 81 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 h (new)
Recital 12 h (new)
(12h) National data allowing the identification of bank and payment accounts and safe deposit boxes belonging to one person is fragmented, and therefore, not always accessible by Financial Intelligence Units and other competent authorities in a timely manner; it is therefore essential to establish centralised automated mechanisms, such as a register or a data retrieval system in all Member States as an efficient means to get timely access to information on the identity of holders of bank and payment accounts and safe deposit boxes, their proxy holders, and their beneficial owners.
Amendment 82 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 i (new)
Recital 12 i (new)
(12i) The principle of professional secrecy as well as the right to privacy and fair trial should not be undermined or violated by the collection and transmission of data or information on transactions based on a suspicion, of the private sphere of individuals.
Amendment 83 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 j (new)
Recital 12 j (new)
(12j) Financial centres, both onshore and offshore, or bank secrecy havens should not be allowed in any way facilitate corruption or illicit activities, such money laundering; such centres should be effectively cut off from the union and international financial community; a European and/or national “knowledge bank” should be established in order to fight money laundering by increasing the knowledge and transparency of such centres and their structures1. 1 van Konigsveld, T. Jan (2015), De offshore wereld, ont maskend
Amendment 84 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 k (new)
Recital 12 k (new)
(12k) Stresses the importance to make legislation on correspondence banking clearer and stricter, especially regarding remittance of funds to offshore and non- cooperative jurisdictions, with the obligation to cease activities if beneficial information is not provided.
Amendment 85 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 l (new)
Recital 12 l (new)
(12l) Stresses that by failing to enact anti-money laundering controls and proper supervision on investments of foreign investors, some EU member states actually serve as “laundromats”.
Amendment 87 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
This Directive shall fully respect the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Amendment 93 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point m
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point m
(m) murder, grievous bodily injury;
Amendment 107 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the conversion or transfer of property, knowing that such property is directly derived from criminal activity or from an act of participation in such activity, for the purpose of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the property or of assisting any person who is involved in the commission of such an activity to evade the legal consequences of that person’s action;
Amendment 111 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) the acquisition, possession or use of property, knowing at the time of receipt, that such property was directly derived from criminal activity or from an act of participation in such an activity.
Amendment 116 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. In order for an offence referred to in paragraph 1 to be punishable, it shall not be necessary to establish:
Amendment 118 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) the actions have the intention to hide the illegal origin of the property
Amendment 119 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Amendment 123 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
Amendment 128 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. The offences referred to in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 1 shall also apply to persons who committed or participated in the criminal activity from which the property was directly derived.
Amendment 135 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall ensure that the conduct referred to in Articles 3 and 4 shall be punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties in full respect for fundamental rights.
Amendment 139 #
2016/0414(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. Each Member State shall ensure that the offences referred to in Article 3 shall be punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least four years, at least in serious cases, corresponding to the gravity of the offence.
Amendment 51 #
2016/0382(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3 a) There are over 1,250 energy cooperatives serving over 650,000 users in the Union in a business model where citizens jointly own and participate in community-based renewable energy or efficiency projects, some of which receive Horizon 2020 funding and are aligned with the European Agenda for the Collaborative Economy.
Amendment 52 #
2016/0382(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) It is thus appropriate to establish a Union binding target of at least 27a 45% share of renewable energy. Member States should define their contribution to, to be accompanied by national binding targets together with specific roadmaps and empirically measurable indicators to assess the effective accomplishment of targets. Member States should demonstrate their policies and the measures that they have adopted for the achievement of this target as part of their Integrated National Energy and Climate Plans through the governance process set out in Regulation [Governance].
Amendment 53 #
2016/0382(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7 a) In order to help meet established targets, and in line with the European Agenda for the Collaborative Economy, 2016 Council Conclusions on Open Science and Data, and Directive 2013/37/EU, the Commission should consider the development of voluntary social collaboration and co-creation schemes for renewable energy through the promotion of open-networks creating social environmental value in academic research related to energy production, distribution and consumption, and nature protection.
Amendment 105 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Considering the need to act swiftly in order to ensure a proper functioning of the internal market by making it, on the one hand, friendlier to trade and investment and, on the other hand, more resilient to tax avoidance schemes, it is necessary to divide the ambitious CCCTB initiative into two separate proposals. At a first stage, rulesimplement the legislative proposal on a Common Corporate Tax Base (CCTB) and on a cCommon cConsolidated Corporate tTax bBase should be enacted, before addressing, at a second stage, the issue of consolidation(CCCTB) simultaneously, as loss consolidation has potentially large and immediate revenue costs, with no likely offsetting benefits approaching anything like the same scale. Loss consolidation without a contemporary move to a unitary basis would thus be illogical, and also costly.
Amendment 139 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) It is necessary to define the concept of a permanent establishment situated in the Union and belonging to a taxpayer who is resident for tax purposes within the Union. The aim would be to ensure that all concerned taxpayers share a common understanding and to exclude the possibility of a mismatch due to divergent definitions. On the contrary, it should not be seen as essential to have a common definition of permanent establishments situated in a third country, or in the Union but belonging to a taxpayer who is resident for tax purposes in a third country. This dimension should better be left to bilateral tax treaties and national law due to its complicated interaction with international agreements.
Amendment 241 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. A taxpayer shall be considered to have a permanent establishment in a Member State other than the Member State in which it is resident for tax purposes when it has a fixed or virtual place in that other Member State through which it carries on its business, wholly or partly, including in particular:
Amendment 245 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(fa) a virtual platform.
Amendment 310 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 6
Article 13 – paragraph 6
6. Exceeding borrowing costs that cannot be deducted in a given tax year shall be carried forward without time limitationfor a maximum of five years.
Amendment 313 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 7
Article 13 – paragraph 7
7. Paragraphs 1 to 6 shall not apply to financial undertakings, including those that are part of a consolidated group for financial accounting purposes for a duration of five years starting on the date of entry into force of this directive.
Amendment 342 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 53 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 53 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
By way of derogation from points (c) and (d) of Article 8, a taxpayer shall not be exempt from tax on foreign income that the taxpayer received as a profit distribution from an entity in a different Member State or a third country or as proceeds from the disposal of shares held in an entity in a third country or another Member State where that entity in its country of tax residence is subject to a statutoryn effective corporate tax rate lower than half90 % of the statutoryeffective tax rate that the taxpayer would have been subject to, in connection with such foreign income, in the Member State of its residence for tax purposes.
Amendment 379 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 61 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 61 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
To the extent that a hybrid mismatch involving a third country results in a double deduction of the same payment, expenses or losses, the Member State concerned shall deny the deduction of such payment, expenses or losses, unless the third country has already done so. The burden of proof of this denial shall be on the taxpayer.
Amendment 384 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 61 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 61 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
(b) if the payment has its source in a third country, the Member State concerned shall require the taxpayer to include such payment in the taxable base, unless the third country has already denied the deduction or has required that payment to be included. The burden of proof of this denial of deduction or requirement of inclusion shall be on the taxpayer.
Amendment 385 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 61 – paragraph 4
Article 61 – paragraph 4
4. To the extent that a payment by a taxpayer to an associated enterprise in a third country is set off directly or indirectly against a payment, expenses or losses which due to a hybrid mismatch are deductible in two different jurisdictions outside the Union, the Member State of the taxpayer shall deny the deduction of the payment by the taxpayer to an associated enterprise in a third country from the taxable base, unless one of the third countries involved has already denied the deduction of the payment, expenses or losses that would be deductible in two different jurisdictions. The burden of proof of this denial shall be on the taxpayer.
Amendment 386 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 61 – paragraph 5
Article 61 – paragraph 5
5. To the extent that the corresponding inclusion of a deductible payment by a taxpayer to an associated enterprise in a third country is set off directly or indirectly against a payment which, due to a hybrid mismatch, is not included by the payee in its taxable base, the Member State of the taxpayer shall deny the deduction of the payment by the taxpayer to an associated enterprise in a third country from the taxable base, unless one of the third countries involved has already denied the deduction of the non-included payment. The burden of proof of this denial shall be on the taxpayer.
Amendment 388 #
2016/0337(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 61a – paragraph 1
Article 61a – paragraph 1
To the extent that a payment, expenses or losses of a taxpayer who is resident for tax purposes in both a Member State and a third country, in accordance with the laws of that Member State and that third country, are deductible from the taxable base in both jurisdictions and that payment, those expenses or losses can be set-off in the Member State of the taxpayer against taxable income that is not included in the third country, the Member State of the taxpayer shall deny the deduction of the payment, expenses or losses, unless the third country has already done so. The burden of proof of this denial shall be on the taxpayer.
Amendment 78 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The Union's ambitious External Investment Plan (EIP) is needed to support investments starting in Africa and the Union's Neighbourhood as a means to promote the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ('the 2030 Agenda') as well as the commitments under the recently revised European Neighbourhood Policy thus addressing root causes of migration. It should also contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP 21), essentially poverty and inequality reduction, in alignment with the internationally agreed development effectiveness principles (ownership, alignment with national strategies, harmonization, democratic accountability and results). It should also contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP 21). The EU external investment should focus in the people more in need and on those areas more affected or likely to be affected by climate change.
Amendment 94 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
Amendment 101 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The EIPFSD should provide an integrated financial package to finance investments starting in regions of Africa for countries that are signatories to the Pafoster decent job creation, sustainable and equitable economic opportunities for all, with particular focus on youth and on furtnhership Agreement betweening gender equality and the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 200022 and the Neighbourhood countries, thereby creating growth and employment opportunities, maximising additionality, delivering innovative products, and crowding-in private sector fundspowerment of women in line with the EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020, while strengthening the rule of law, good governance, and human rights and respect for equitable access to and use of natural resources in any country. __________________ 22 OJ L 317, 15.12.2000 as last amended by OJ L 287, 4.11.2010
Amendment 173 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) In order to fulfil the political commitments of the EU on renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change mitigation and adaptation, a minimum share of 240% ofor the funding should be allocated under the EFSD should be devoted to financing and investment operations relevant for these sectors thus contributing to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. When investments under the EFSD, the European Commission should also mainstream environmental sustainability criterion in all projects.
Amendment 184 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. A goal to be achieved is to reinforce the development cooperation policies focused in those most in need with a special focus on combating poverty and reducing inequalities. The funds have to be provided to feasible investment projects which in alignment with TEU Art 21 and the sustainable development goals, while following internationally agree development effectiveness principles and including local communities wills, without any detriment against the freedom of people's mobility.
Amendment 185 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The EFSD shall contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda with a particular focus on sustainablprinciples underpinning the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, such as that of leave no one behind, as well as all the Goals and targets therein, with an especially focus on combating poverty and inequalities, and shall be guided by the objectives set out in Articles 21 TEU and 208 TFEU and the internationally agreed development effectiveness principles- especially ownership, alignment, harmonisation, democratic accountability and results-, thus contributing to the Union's development objectives, with a particular focus on poverty eradication, inequality reductions, long-term sustainable and inclusive growth, decent job creation, technology transfer and the sharing of knowledge, socio-economic sectors and on the support to micro, small and medium sized enterprises, thus addressing. In so doing, the EFSD shall, inter alia, contribute to addressing specific socio-economic root causes of forced migration and contributing to sustainable reintegration of returned migrants in their countries of origin while maximising additionality, delivering innovative products and crowding in private sector fund(poverty, inequality, demographic growth, lack of employment and economic opportunities and climate change among others) and foster sustainable reintegration of migrants when voluntarily willing to return to their countries of origin or transit, as well as strengthen resilience of host communities.
Amendment 202 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The management of the EFSD shall be ensured by the Commission., taking into account the guidelines and criteria proposed by the European Parliament and, with the democratic participation in the process of people and local communities from the regions where the investment would take place
Amendment 212 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The strategic board shall be composed of representatives of the Commission and of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (High Representative), of the Member States and of the EIB. The European Parliament and representatives of local communities shall be invited as observers in order to enhance transparency and democratic accountability; The Commission may invite other contributors to become membobservers of the strategic board having regard where appropriate to the view of the board. Partner Countries and relevant regional organisations, the eligible counterparts and the European Parliament may be given observer status, where appropriate. The strategic board shall be co-chaired by the Commission and the High Representative. The recommendations of the European Parliament shall be guide the priority lines of the Strategic Board. The European Parliament has to shall be duly informed about the accomplishment of them with an annual report.
Amendment 236 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) contribute to economic, endogenous and social development, with particular focus on sustainability and job creation (in particular for youth and women), thus addressingthe achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, having its essential focus on poverty eradication and inequality reductions; This operations shall be guided by the objectives set out in Articles 21 TEU and 208 TFEU and the internationally agreed development effectiveness principles- especially ownership, alignment, harmonization, democratic accountability and results-, thus contributing to the Union's development policy objectives, with a particular focus on poverty eradication, inequality reductions, long- term sustainable and inclusive growth, decent job creation, technology transfer and the sharing of knowledge, socio- economic sectors and on the support to local micro, small and medium sized enterprises. In so doing, the EFSD shall, inter alia, contribute to addressing specific socio-economic root causes of forced migration and contributing to sustainable reintegration of returned migrants in their countries of origin; (poverty, inequality, demographic growth, lack of employment and economic opportunities and climate change among others), and foster sustainable reintegration of migrants when voluntarily willing to return to their countries of origin or transit, as well as strengthen resilience of host communities by boosting the creation of sustainable and decent jobs, in particular for youth and women;
Amendment 242 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) The financing and investment operations eligible for support through the EFSD Guarantee shall never be used as a form of conditionality for beneficiary countries cooperation with the EU on migration issues;
Amendment 244 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) targetstrengthen socio-economic sectors, in particular infrastructure including sustainclean and renewable energy, water, transportlow-carbon mobility, green technology, information and communications technologies, environment, sustainable use of natural resources and blue growth, social infrastructure, human capital, in order to improve the socio-economic environment;ustainable consumption and production, human capital, with the objective of promoting an inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development that benefits all and leaves no one behind
Amendment 260 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) provide finance in favour of local micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises with a particular focus on private sector developmentsustainably boosting local community economy;
Amendment 266 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) provide sustainable financial instruments aimed at addressing the bottlenecks to privatelocal investments, including first loss guarantees to portfolios guarantees to private sectorlocal projects such as loan guarantees for small and medium-sized enterprises and guarantees for specific risks for infrastructure projects and other risk capital;
Amendment 269 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point e
Amendment 278 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) are technically viable and are sustainable from an environmental and social point of view while respecting human rights; and
Amendment 279 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) maximise the mobilisation of private sector capitallocal investment capacity, ensuring that private investment aligns with democratically agreed socially useful public projects, while being also responsible of the investment in order to avoid the privatization of profits and the socialization of loses which could derivate from the investments.
Amendment 305 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point e
Amendment 306 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point e
Amendment 308 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point f
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point f
Amendment 315 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
11a. An assessment of the additionality and of compliance with the internationally agreed development effectiveness principles, the mobilisation of private sector resources, the estimated and actual outputs and the outcomes and impact of the financing and investment operations covered by the EFSD Guarantee on aggregated basis, including the impact on sustainable development, especially on poverty and inequalities reduction and decent job creation, climate change, gender equality and eradication of poverty in the long term; This assessment shall be complemented by a publicly available online platform containing the disaggregated data in an open source, machine readable format and the open publication of other related documents, including project plans, environmental, gender, and social impact assessments, reports and impact evaluations. The platform should include the names of beneficial owners of EFSD project promoters and that all final beneficiaries are disclosed to the public.
Amendment 318 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 11 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Aggregate net payments from the general budget of the Union under the EFSD Guarantee shall not exceed EUR 1 5000 000 000. Payments for guarantee calls shall be made, where necessary, by the contributing Member States or other contributors on pari passu basis with the Union, without prejudice to paragraph 4.
Amendment 357 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) An assessment of the compliance of EFSD projects with the principles of EU External Action as set out in Article 21 of EU Treaties.
Amendment 360 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point h b (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point h b (new)
(hb) An assessment of the compliance of EFSD projects with the internationally agreed development effectiveness principles.
Amendment 372 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Grievance and redress mechanism The guarantee should be granted in priority to counterparts who have in their governance structure an efficient and independent grievance mechanism. The European Commission shall establish during the first year of operations of the EFSD an EU centralised Grievance Mechanism for all EFSD supported projects. This grievance mechanism shall be contacted directly by stakeholders affected by EFSD operations, and by stakeholders dissatisfied with how their complaints are addressed by the grievance mechanisms of EFSD counterparts. The European Commission shall assess the possibility for the European Ombudsman to host this Grievance Mechanism.
Amendment 382 #
2016/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 20 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. In order to be eligible for financing under the EFSD, all beneficiaries, whether corporations or financial intermediaries, that are incorporated in different jurisdictions have to disclose country level information about their sales, assets, employees, profits and tax payments in each country in which they operate in their audited annual reports.
Amendment 4 #
2016/0205(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GDeclines to gives its consent to conclusion of the agreement;
Amendment 33 #
2016/0170(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point d a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point d a (new)
Directive 2009/45/EC
Article 2 – point q – subparagraph 1
Article 2 – point q – subparagraph 1
Amendment 46 #
2016/0170(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Directive 2009/45/EC
Article 4 – papagraph 1 – table – lines 3 and 4
Article 4 – papagraph 1 – table – lines 3 and 4
"1. Passenger ships are divided into the following classes according to the sea area in which they operate: "Class C means a passenger ship engaged on domestic voyages in sea areas or sea routes where the probability of exceeding 2,5 metres significant wave height is smaller than 10 % over a one-year period for all-year-round operation, or over a specific restricted period of the year for operation exclusively in such period (e.g. summer period operation), in the course of which it is at no time more than five miles from the line of coast, corresponding to the medium tide height. "Class D means a passenger ship engaged on domestic voyages in sea areas or sea routes where the probability of exceeding 1,5 metres significant wave height is smaller than 10 % over a one-year period for all-year-round operation, or over a specific restricted period of the year for operation exclusively in such period (e.g. summer period operation), in the course of which it is at no time more than three miles from the line of coast, corresponding to the medium tide height. ((the words ¨ or sea routes ¨ are added in the table lines 3 and 4))
Amendment 47 #
2016/0170(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Directive 2009/45/EC
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a – subparagraph 1 a (new)
(a) establish, and update when necessary, a list of sea areas under its jurisdiction, delimiting the inner border of the sea area in which ships of Class D may operate, zones for all-year-round operation and, where appropriate, restricted periodical operation of the classes of ships, using the criteria for classes set out in paragraph 1;; Where, for geographical reasons, it is not possible to establish a list of sea areas, a list of sea routes, covering all routes within a Member State, shall be established using the criteria for classes set out in paragraph 1.
Amendment 442 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) that a Member State may decide to apply the discretionary clauses under Article 19, as well as of the specific modalities relating to this procedure;
Amendment 472 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The competent authorities of the Member States shall keep the applicants informed upon their own request on the progress of the procedures carried out under this Regulation with regard to their application. In the case of minors, the competent authorities shall inform both the minor and the guardian.
Amendment 524 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4
Article 8 – paragraph 4
4. Before transferring an unaccompanied minor to the Member State responsible or, where applicable, to the Member State of allocation, the transferring Member State shall make sure that the Member State responsible or the Member State of allocation takes the measures referred to in Articles 14 and 24 of Directive 2013/33/EU and Article 25 of Directive 2013/32/EU without delay. Any decision to transfer an unaccompanied minor shall be preceded by an assessment of his/her best interests. The assessment shall be based on the factors listed in paragraph 3. The assessment shall be done swiftly by staff with the qualifications and expertise to ensure that the best interests of the minor are taken into consideration.
Amendment 605 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. Where, on account of pregnancy, a new-born child, serious illness, severe disability, severe trauma or old age, an applicant is dependent on the assistance of his or her child, sibling or parent legally resident in one of the Member States, or his or her child, sibling or parent legally resident in one of the Member States is dependent on the assistance of the applicant, Member States shall normally keep or bring together the applicant with that child, sibling or parent, provided that family ties existed in the country of origininsofar as the family ties already existed before the applicant arrived on the territory of the Member States, that the child, sibling or parent or the applicant is able to take care of the dependent person and that the persons concerned expressed their desire in writing.
Amendment 619 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The Member State in which an application for international protection is madelodged and which is carrying out the process of determining the Member State responsible, or the Member State responsible, may, at any time before a Member State responsible has been determined , request another Member State to take charge of an applicant in order to bring together any family relations , on humanitarian grounds based in particular on family or cultural considerations even where that other Member State is not responsible under the criteria laid down in Articles 10 to 13 and 18. The persons concerned must express their consent in writing.
Amendment 662 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 5
Article 22 – paragraph 5
5. The Member State with which the application is lodged shall search the VIS pursuant to Article 21 of Regulation (EC) 767/2008. Where a hit in the VIS indicates that the applicant is in possession of a valid visa or a visa expired less than six months before lodging the first application, the Member State shall indicate the visa application number and the Member State, the authority of which issued or extended the visa and whether the visa has been issued on behalf of another Member State.
Amendment 678 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Where a Member State with which an application for international protection has been lodged considers that another Member State is responsible for examining the application, it shall , as quickly as possible and in any event within onthree months of the date on which the application was lodged within the meaning of Article 21(2), request that other Member State to take charge of the applicant.
Amendment 700 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – title
Article 26 – title
Submitting a take back notificationrequest when a new application has been lodged in the requesting Member State
Amendment 703 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1
Article 26 – paragraph 1
1. In a situation referred to in Article 20(1)(b), (c), (d) or (e) the Member State where the person is present shall make a take back notificationrequest at the latest within two weeks after receiving the Eurodac hit, and transfer that person to the Member State responsible .
Amendment 708 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 26 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Where the take back request is not made within the periods laid down in paragraph 1, responsibility for examining the application for international protection shall lie with the Member State in which the new application was lodged.
Amendment 713 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 3
Article 26 – paragraph 3
3. The Member State responsible shall confirm immediately the receipt of the notificationrequest to the Member State which made the notificationrequest.
Amendment 715 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 4
Article 26 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, adopt uniform conditions for the preparation and submission of take back notifications requests. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 56(2).
Amendment 719 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 a (new)
Article 26 a (new)
Article 26 a Replying to a take back request 1. The requested Member State shall make the necessary checks and shall give a decision on the request to take back the person concerned as quickly as possible and in any event no later than one month from the date on which the request was received. When the request is based on data obtained from the Eurodac system, that time limit shall be reduced to two weeks. 2. Failure to act within the one month period or the two weeks period mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be tantamount to accepting the request, and shall entail the obligation to take back the person concerned, including the obligation to provide for proper arrangements for arrival.
Amendment 835 #
2016/0133(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 35 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 35 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) the unemployment rate
Amendment 1 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
– having regard to the proposal for a Council decision (COM(2016)0018) and accompanying declarations and statements,
Amendment 2 #
2016/0005(NLE)
The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible, to recommend that Parliament decline to give its consent to the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the SADC EPA States, of the other part.
Amendment 2 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GDeclines to gives its consent to conclusion of the agreement;
Amendment 3 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the Statement by the Commission to achieve the best level of protection especially for PDO Feta and to take all measures necessary to protect the PDO Feta under ongoing or future negotiations for a fair and legal framework among partners;
Amendment 4 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls the Statement by the Commission to achieve the best level of protection of Greek PDO and to take all measures necessary to protect the Greek PDO under ongoing or future negotiations for a fair and legal framework among partners;
Amendment 5 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Deplores the fact that the Chapter on Development is non-binding. Stresses the need to have a legally binding “Development Chapter”;
Amendment 6 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls the Statement by the Commission, and especially its commitment therein to start the process of revision of Protocol 3 on Geographical Indications, within five (5) years from the entry into force of the Agreement, with a view to achieve for all EU GI’s therein, including Feta, the same level of protection;
Amendment 7 #
2016/0005(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls the Statement by the Commission, and especially its commitment therein to ensure the strict implementation of the GI protection foreseen in Protocol 3 and to analyse the outcome of the Agreement particularly with regard to the level of GI protection.
Amendment 3 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes the massive scale of the global needs for humanitarian aid and for disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and the building of resilience in developing countries; also notes the upward pressure on these needs stemming from effects of conflicts and wars, human rights violations, economic and social inequality, bad governance and corruption, as well as climate change and competition for scarce resources; insists that the EU’s financial means for responding to humanitarian and development issues require strengthening, and is convinced that this is also essential for the defence of the EU’s own interests, including its security in a broad sensefulfilling the principle of policy coherence for development;
Amendment 10 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the need for security- related expenditure in the current efforts to comprehensively address the security/development nexus and deliver on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16jects any use of development aid for non-development objectives, which are clearly stated in TFEU article 208; believes that promoting peace, security and justicegood governance and rule of law in developing countries is crucialnecessary for poverty reductionand inequality reduction, and at long term the eradication of poverty; emphasises that the funding concerned, which does not constitute Official Development Assistance (ODA), must come from other instruments than the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) or the European Development Fund (EDF);
Amendment 16 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls that untying aid is a necessary condition for opening up opportunities for developing country socio-economic actors; calls for boosting the use of developing country procurement systems as the first option for aid programmes in support of activities managed by the public sector to enhance local private sector;
Amendment 17 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 21 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 25 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes that according to the OECD, in-donor refugee costs (expenditure on refugees' transport, food, shelter and training) spent during the first twelve months of stay can be reported as ODA; equally notes that many EU countries include all the costs relating to asylum seekers, regardless of whether they are granted refugee status or not, as refugee costs; is concerned that this practice has a huge opportunity cost against effective development aid programmes which aim at combating root causes of migration in developing countries; calls, therefore, on the EU and its member states not to report refugee costs as ODA;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Urges the EU and its Member States to stop inflating aid, and exclude inflated aid items from ODA reporting: refugee costs, imputed student costs, tied aid, interest on loans and debt relief;
Amendment 24 #
2015/2348(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
EU logistics and the need for additional measures in the TEN-T programme: a logistics coordinator
Amendment 29 #
2015/2348(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that TEN-T should be considered as a crucial instrument to meet the decarbonisation objective of the European transport policy; urges, therefore, that every single transport project funded with EU money should contribute to the decarbonisation i.e. reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, established through a transparent and open methodology;
Amendment 54 #
2015/2348(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – indent 4
Paragraph 4 – indent 4
- aimed at accelerating uptakedeployment of new technologies that will strengthen the sector’s performance and accelerate the shift towards low-carbon transport system;
Amendment 74 #
2015/2348(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that while the comprehensive network is mainly a responsibility of the Member States, both layers are crucial to EU logistics, bringing capillarity to the core network, feeding the corridors with traffic, and performing last- mile distribution; takes the view that secondary networks should not be left outside the European purview, including in terms of financing and regulatory measures, in particular those pertaining to access to the network, slot allocation and charges;
Amendment 110 #
2015/2348(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Asks the Commission to report back to the European Parliament regularly on the conclusions and measures taken in the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum in order to further supporting digitalisation of freight transport and logistics.
Amendment 14 #
2015/2345(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls EU support for the 2011 International Framework for CSO Development Effectivenessadherence to the 2011 Busan Partnership for Development Effectiveness, and in particular its commitments to enable CSOs to exercise their roles as independent development actors with a long term results-oriented perspective facilitated by an enabling environment and institutional support, and the commitments made to help civil society organisations (CSOs) achieve results- oriented outcomes;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2345(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls the Council Conclusions on a rights-based approach to development cooperation, encompassing all human rights, and urges the European Commission to step up its efforts in ensuring the effective implementation of a rights-based approach in order to strengthen the impact of EU's development and cooperation assistance. Future funding in terms of design and indicators should reflect more clearly a rights-based approach and take measurable steps towards women rights and gender equality;
Amendment 22 #
2015/2345(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the European Commission to ensure full transparency and accountability in the management of all public finances from the EU budget, which include not only NGOs but also other entities, such as international organisations, as beneficiaries;
Amendment 40 #
2015/2345(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that NGOs differ in terms of size and activities; urges that a range of grants be offered to NGOs which respect and promote human rights including gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); asks the Commission to make administrative burdens proportional to grant size;
Amendment 60 #
2015/2345(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission, in its proposal for a revision of the financial regulations, to recognise the direct link between organisational costs and project implementation costs in terms of quality and accountability, and thus increase the ceiling for indirect expenditure to at least 15%;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to Article 21 of the Treaty of the European Union, which states that the Union's action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law,
Amendment 2 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
– having regard to the European Consensus on Development of December 2005,
Amendment 3 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
– having regard to the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness outcome document of December 2011 on partnership for Effective Development Co-operation,
Amendment 3 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that trade and finance is one of the five priority areas of policy coherence for development, a concept enshrined in article 208 TFEU; recalls that all EU external policies, including trade and investment, must be aligned with Article 21 of the TEU and must not undermine sustainable development goals, human rights and gender equality; recalls the principles mentioned in article 24, paragraph 2 of the Council Regulation No 260/2009;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas 1.5 billion people are still living in poverty with deprivation in health, education and living standards; whereas most of them are women;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the EU has a direct and historical responsibility in its dealings with partner countries;
Amendment 10 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that trade liberalisation is not positive, per se, in terms of reducing poverty and could have negative effects on sustainable development if it is not accompanied by re-distribution through fair and progressive tax systems; urges the EU to work towards the reinforcement of international fiscal cooperation, supporting the establishment of a new intergovernmental body under the auspices of the UN on international cooperation on tax matters and provide the resources necessary to allow the body to operate effectively;
Amendment 12 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers PCD as a key element of the EU´s responsibility for delivering and achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 14 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls that fair and properly regulated trade if aligned with SDGs could have potentialities for development; calls the Commission to strengthen the binding enforceability of SDGs and include comprehensive sustainable development chapters in all trade agreements;
Amendment 17 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Notes that Brazil has introduced in the WTO working group on Trade, Debt and Finance a demand to deal with the effects of persistent currency exchange rate misalignments and the impact on the level of protection of ad valorem duties;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points to the fact that only 8% of the impact assessments of Commission proposals that could affect developing countries address the potential impact on these countries;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission to develop a binding complaint mechanism as a basis for sanctions to channel the voices of those whose human rights are jeopardised by EU trade policies, and which will form an essential element of the EU's role in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to take measures to prevent the potential negative effects of mega trade deals, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), on developing countries; urges, in this regard to revise EPA´s and EGA´s ensuring they are negotiated in a balanced manner and taking into account the views and concerns of CSOs and trade unions, from both the EU and the partner country;
Amendment 28 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Urges the Commission to step up efforts to advance in democratic multilateral fora on trade issues in where all countries are represented on equal footing and to position itself as the defender of the interest of developing countries on trade issues;
Amendment 31 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and calls the EC to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the EC to enhance corporate social responsibility and due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, on the proposed EU regulation on conflict minerals, for other sectors; thereby ensuring the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 34 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls for EU Aid for Trade and technical assistance to have an aim to empower poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women equality and women empowerment and cooperatives in order to boost their benefits from trading in local and regional markets;
Amendment 42 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to safeguard the right of countries to regulate and preserve policy space in order to develop infant industries; urges the Commission to ensure that trade agreements and policies do not undermine developing countries’ strategic economic sectors and do not challenge partner countries efforts to increase the domestic value added in order to upgrade along the global value chains;
Amendment 47 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. 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 development finance institutions (DFIs), and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to effectively track and monitor the money flows, debt sustainability and the added value for sustainable development of their projects;
Amendment 49 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Acknowledges that the EU is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War II; stresses that strengthening the link between migration and development policies is essential to address the root causes of this phenomenon; welcomes the adoption of the European Agenda on Migration, which develops a comprehensive response to the crisis (COM(2015)0240); stresses that any common migration policy needs to put its foremost focus on legal routes to Europe and on the reception of migrants;
Amendment 51 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of participation through broad and transparent consultations of civil society organisations and trade unions, both from the European Union member states and from third countries, in the negotiation, implementation and monitoring of EU trade and investment agreements and policies;
Amendment 52 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recalls that the current migration crisis is partly a consequence of EU external action which has impoverished people and increased insecurity;
Amendment 58 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. In order to enhance coherence between migration and development policies, calls the European Union and its Member States not to report refugee cost as ODA as doing so has a huge opportunity cost at the expense of development programmes which effectively tackle root causes of migration;
Amendment 59 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. CPoints to the fact that only 8% of the impact assessments of Commission proposals that could affect developing countries address the potential impact on these countries; calls on the Commission to develop a complaint mechanism as a basis for sanctions to channel the voices of those whose human rights are jeopardised by EU trade policies stakeholders and which will form an essential element of the EU’s role in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 61 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Highlights the positive contribution of migrants to the development of their countries of origin and calls for more effective and innovative cooperation in migration policy between origin and destination countries; draws attention to the significant and growing financial flows represented by remittances; calls for further efforts to bring down transfer costs, as remittances are an important source of financing for development;
Amendment 63 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines that the EU and its Member States remain the most important Aid for Trade donor in the world (EUR 11.7 billion in 2013 - SWD(2015)0128); suggests that EU Aid for Trade and technical assistance must aim to empower poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women's equality and empowerment and cooperatives in order to boost the benefits of trading in local and regional markets; welcomes the Commission’s aims to make trade agreements development-friendly, while recognising that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a key source of financing for sustainable development, if mobilised efficiently;
Amendment 64 #
2015/2317(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EU and its Member States to follow UNCTAD´s Comprehensive Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development recommendations to stimulate more responsible, transparent and accountable investments and to actively engage with the UN Human Rights Council in its work towards an international treaty that would hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses.
Amendment 67 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recalls that trade liberalisation is not, per se, positive for poverty eradication because it can have negative effects on sustainable development;
Amendment 70 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Stresses that the potential benefits of trade, in order to contribute to poverty reduction, must be accompanied by a distribution of positive impacts and the redistribution of wealth through fair and progressive tax systems;
Amendment 71 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Recalls that fair and properly regulated trade respects the needs of the developing countries, and if aligned with SDGs can have potentialities for development;
Amendment 72 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Calls the Commission to strengthen the binding enforceability of SDGs and include comprehensive development chapters in all trade and investment agreements;
Amendment 73 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 e (new)
Paragraph 14 e (new)
14e. Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and calls the EC to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the EC to extend corporate social responsibility and due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, on the proposed EU regulation on conflict minerals, to other sectors, thereby ensuring that the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 74 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 f (new)
Paragraph 14 f (new)
14f. 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 in order effectively to track and monitor the flows, debt sustainability and the added value for their projects of sustainable development;
Amendment 75 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 g (new)
Paragraph 14 g (new)
14g. Recalls ODA´s unique role in achieving effective development results; calls for the development focus and nature of ODA, including a transparent and accountable reporting system, to be protected; recalls that untying aid is a necessary condition to opening up opportunities for developing country socio-economic actors, such as local firms or technical assistance experts, and calls for boosting the use of developing country procurement systems as the first option for aid programmes in support of activities managed by the public sector to enhance the local private sector;
Amendment 76 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 h (new)
Paragraph 14 h (new)
14h. Urges the EU and its Member States to re-commit without delay or negotiation to the 0.7 % of GNI target and set binding timeframes to achieve this historic commitment; calls for achieving the OEDC DAC recommendation of reaching an average grant element in total ODA of 86%;
Amendment 77 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls, however, that aid alone is not sufficient; believes that innovative and diversified sources of financing must be considered and be always aligned with development effectiveness principles and that coherence should be strengthened between public, private, international and domestic financing; recognises the essential role of the local private sector, when properly regulated, in this regard;
Amendment 83 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the EU to set up a mandatory and enforceable regulatory framework to govern the way corporations comply with human rights and obligations with respect to social and environmental standards; regrets that current human rights clauses in free trade agreements and other economic partnership agreements are usually not respected; reiterates its call for the European Commission to be more committed to promoting binding and non-negotiable human rights and social and environmental clauses in the negotiation of international agreements;
Amendment 85 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. 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 for the EU and Member States to engage actively in the work of the UN's Human Rights Council and of UNEP on an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses and violations of environmental standards;
Amendment 97 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls for the EU and its Member States to take effective actions actively to crack down on tax havens, tax evasion and illicit financial flows; supports the setting-up of an intergovernmental body for tax cooperation under the auspices of the UN with the effective participation of developing countries, rather than seeing OECD as the only relevant forum, and calls for the provision of the necessary resources to allow the body to operate effectively;
Amendment 99 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to promote binding measures to ensure that multinational corporations pay taxes in the countries in which value is extracted or created and to promote compulsory country-by-country reporting by the private sector, thus enhancing the domestic resource mobilisation capacities of countries; calls for spill-over analysis to study possible profit-shifting practices;
Amendment 102 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses the need for EU trade and development policy to respect the political and economic policy space of developing countries in order for them to establish the necessary policies to promote sustainable development and dignity for their people;
Amendment 103 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls for a human needs-based approach to debt sustainability through a binding set of standards to define responsible lending and borrowing, debt audits and a fair debt workout mechanism, which should assess the legitimacy and the sustainability of countries' debt burdens and the possible cancellation of unsustainable and unjust debt;
Amendment 104 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Asks the EU to engage constructively in the UN negotiations on a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring with a view to alleviating debt burdens and avoiding unsustainable debt;
Amendment 106 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that achieving global food sovereignty and nutrition security will require PCD at all levels, particularly if the more ambitious targets of Agenda 2030, namely to fully eradicate hunger and end all forms of malnutrition, are to be met;
Amendment 107 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the EU to evaluate systematically the impact of EU agricultural, trade and energy policies – such as biofuel policy – on food security in the developing world; urges the Commission to continue to concentrate on cooperatives, micro, small- and medium- scale farming, and to promote sustainable and agro-ecological practices; stresses that substantive issues of policy coherence and impact need to be addressed in the ongoing monitoring of the EU’s Food Security Policy Framework (COM(2010)0127);
Amendment 119 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Underlines that climate change poses a major threat to poor and least developed countries (LDCs); stresses that failure to limit global warming to below 2°C may undermine development gains such as poverty eradication, inequality reductions and sustainability;
Amendment 122 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Recognises that private finance in the context of climate finance cannot replace public finance; emphasises the need for transparent reporting and accountability and to ensure the implementation of relevant social and environmental safeguards regarding private climate finance, and calls for a framework in which any infringement has to be prosecuted, without accepting impunity;
Amendment 123 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Calls on the EU to assume a pro- active role in addressing the global climate crisis by establishing climate challenges as strategic priorities at all levels and across all sectors in domestic and external policies and actions;
Amendment 124 #
Amendment 125 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Calls for women to be recognised as development actors and enablers, therefore, insists on the need to adopt gender budgeting principles and methodologies, in order to address the different needs and interests of women and men so gender equality and women's empowerment is boosted;
Amendment 126 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19e. Calls on the EU to effectively mainstream gender equality and women's empowerment through all its policies, in order to guarantee women's rights, including their right to free and safe abortion;
Amendment 127 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)
Paragraph 19 f (new)
19f. Calls on the EU to promote the equality of LGTBi people and combat their discrimination worldwide through all EU external policies;
Amendment 128 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 g (new)
Paragraph 19 g (new)
19g. Notes that the majority of people living in poverty are women; recalls that international trade agreements should not undermine poor people's livelihoods and should instead support the gender equality agenda;
Amendment 129 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recognises that there can be no sustainable development or poverty eradication without securitypeace; recognises, moreover, that the security-development nexus is an important element in ensuring the effectiveness of EU external action which can only be achieved through civilian means; stresses that political, humanitarian and development policy efforts shall only be supported by civilian means;
Amendment 132 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the EU to strengthen its capacities for crisis prevention and to reinforce the synergies between the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and development instruments, finding a balance between short-term responses to crises and longer-term development strategies; suggests that creating a new instrument dedicated to the development-security nexus might limit incoherencies and increase the efficiency of PCDRejects security policy decisions that are motivated by the geopolitical interest of the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 137 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 6 #
2015/2284(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that EGF is a solidarity tool established to provide support to workers made redundant as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns due to globalisation
Amendment 16 #
2015/2284(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission and Member States, to simplify the decision-making process of the EGF in order to have the full potential of this European Fund.
Amendment 22 #
2015/2284(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the EGF to be coordinated with other (European, National, Regional and social) Funds and EU programs in order to help more people to find new employments, creating new jobs, promoting entrepreneurship; especially in the sectors and regions which already suffer from the globalisation or economic crisis. Member states should be duly informed and assisted during the whole procedure of the Fund application.
Amendment 24 #
2015/2284(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission, to extend the "Young Employment Initiative" derogation further than the end of 2017.
Amendment 26 #
2015/2284(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to lower the threshold for EGF eligibility, which currently stands at 500 redundancies. This has the effect that in practice only large corporations -which are often globally profitable - are eligible. To make sure that employees of smaller companies in sectors that are directly hurt by the effects of globalisation are assisted, the threshold should be lowered to 150 redundancies; Since it is more difficult for small Member States to reach the actual threshold of 500 redundancies;.
Amendment 29 #
2015/2284(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to increase the annual budget accorded to the EGF tool, since the global financial and economic crisis still continue.
Amendment 111 #
2015/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the need to revitalise public investment in African agriculture and to prioritise investment in agro-ecology, and humane and extensive animal farming, so as to sustainably increase food security and food sovereignty and reduce poverty and hunger while conserving biodiversity and respecting indigenous knowledge and innovation;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2275(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the aim of clarifying EU engagement boundaries on Peace Support Operations (PSOs) with the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU); recalls that the EU budget cannot be used to directly finance military or defence operations (Article 41(2) TEU); underlines the importance of EU support for AU peacekeeping operations approved by the UNcriticises that many (military) peacekeeping missions are being financed by the African Peace Facility with its clear priority for security and deployment of military forces and is mainly funded from the European Development Fund; recalls that the primary objective of EU development policy (article 208 TFEU) is the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty;
Amendment 10 #
2015/2275(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Rejects robust peacekeeping missions, as past (robust) missions have not been successful at all in terms of long-term stability and peace; opposes that the responsibility-to-protect-mechanism is used as a pretext for military intervention; highlights that sustainable peace can only be achieved with civilian peace-building measures, not militarily; stresses that poverty and social, political and economic inequalities are root causes of conflict evolvement; recalls to truly implement measures to eradicate poverty, implement DDR-programs, arms control, favouring balanced economic relations and increasing humanitarian and development aid to ensure sustainable socio-economic development;
Amendment 15 #
2015/2275(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes concern over the possible lack of transparency in EU PSOs; stresses that full investigations should be carried out if grievances arise; recalls the need to improve current EU funding for PSO, including concerning human rights abuses e.g. sexual-violence, human trafficking, as recent cases have also shown also the involvement of EU- Peacekeepers; underlines that African security should, in the future, be monitored by the AU, supported by the international community;
Amendment 42 #
2015/2275(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that political, humanitarian and development policy efforts should be used initially, supported by civilian peacekeeping operations, and should be transformed into military operations only when necessary; demands that military peacekeeping should be supported by humanitarian and development policy both during operations, to aid peaceful resolution of the conflict, and afterwards, so as to make the settlement sustainable.only civilian peacekeeping operations;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2272(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the aim of the new EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy to be comprehensive, enhance coherence between internal and external policies and improve coordination between institutions and with Member States; recalls in this context the Treaty obligation to considerRecalls the Treaty obligation to respect the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) and minimiseavoid any contradictions between development and non-development policies that have an impact on developing countries; calls on the Member States and the EC therefore to establish and consolidate systems of coordination between respective Ministries and among the whole College of Commissioners respectively, and to further involve national Parliaments in the PCD agenda, and calls on the EU to reinforce a coordination mechanism for identifying the potential implications of policies on development objectives, integrating development aspects into policy initiatives from the outset and introducing a more systematic measurement of impacts and progress as regards PCD calls, in this regard, the EC to develop complaint mechanism for human rights abuses resulting from any EU external policy;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2272(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the development cooperation goals – in particular those of promoting good governance, human rights, democracy and justice, combating poverty, reducing inequalities and social exclusion, tackling barriers to economic growth, and improving health and education – all contribute to addressing the root causes of recent security and migration challenges; stresses in this context that in ordersustainable and inclusive economic growth to the profit of the whole population by respecting social, environmental rights and labour rights, gender equality and women empowerment, including right to save abortion, and improving public health and public education – all contribute to addressing the security-development nexus properly, dedicated mechanisms with flexible financing must be developedroot causes of recent migration challenges;
Amendment 14 #
2015/2272(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for a revision of the European consensus on development as an important contribution to an updated, coherent global EU strategy; underlines that such a revision should take into consideration new global challenges, address EU implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and reiterate underlying values such as respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, but also key development effective principles such as ownership of development strategies by partner countries, enhance of partner countries country systems accountability and differentiation based on needs but also performance criteria based on sustainable development objectives;
Amendment 15 #
2015/2272(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes with concern the increase of debt unsustainability bout in developed and developing countries; calls the EC to enhance the principle of common responsibility of borrowers and lenders, recalls the EC to effectively follow and promote the UNCTAD Principles on responsible borrowing and lending in all its policy areas; calls, in this regard, the EU and its Member States to constructively engage on the UN work towards a sovereign debt workout international mechanism;
Amendment 16 #
2015/2272(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. 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 for the EU and Member States to engage actively in the work of the UN's Human Rights Council and of the UNEP on an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses and violations of environmental standards;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2272(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Supports the idea of redefining the EU relationship with Africa by enhancing an equal partners policy, respecting the democratic policy space of sovereign countries governments to take policy decisions in favour of their populations and upgrading the principle of good governance as an essentials elements of the post-Cotonou agreement and by building strongereffectively enhancing links between EU development, objectives on trade, security and migration policies for mutual reinforcement; reiterates its call for budgetisation of the European Development Fund; calls for a post-2020 EU-ACP partnership that better focuses on common challenges and interests and that is better adapted to make a real change to the security and prosperity of both partieswills of both parties and the challenges they face.
Amendment 2 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3
Citation 3
Amendment 3 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that EU trade and investment policies are interlinked with EU development policies and have an impact on developing countries; calls for the Commission to respect the principle of Policy Coherence for Development in all trade negotiations; stresses the need to focus on the effective implementation and monitoring of the sustainable development chapters in trade agreements, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals; calls the Commission to guarantee in all trade agreements the highest global standards on human rights, ILO standards, social protection, social dialogue, gender equality, public and universal health coverage, universal access to medicines, and food security;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of Treaty on European Union and to Article 8 of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union that promote equality between women and men as one of the underlying values of the EU,
Amendment 8 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
- having regard to Directorate-General for External Policies' "The EU's Trade Policy: from gender-blind to gender- sensitive?",
Amendment 12 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to Article 8 on the right to Protection of personal data of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
Amendment 13 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to Principle of Coherence for Development as stated on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Amendment 14 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) within the WTO, including cultural diversity, adopted on 12 March 2003,
Amendment 15 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution on 8 September 2015 on the follow-up to the European Citizens' Initiative Right2Water,
Amendment 16 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 b (new)
Citation 15 b (new)
- having regards to the Draft Opinion on the local and regional dimension of the Trade in Services Agreement, adopted unanimously by the Commission for Economic Policy of the Committee of the Regions
Amendment 18 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Commission to increase transparency and democratic accountability on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiation process, and on all trade policies, by duly taking into account concerns expressed by trade unions and civil society organisations, including the CSOs of developing countries; urges the Commission to increase accessibility to all consolidated negotiation documents, as the only democratic possibility for civil society and citizens concerned to be informed and involved into the process; request the Commission to commission an independent study of TiSA's impact on developing countries from the Sustainable Development Goals perspective to effectively assess the impact TiSA would have in third countries;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the currently available documents of the TiSA negotiations are aimednot aiming at achieving betterthe highest international regulation, nobut lower domestic regulation;
Amendment 27 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Rejects TiSA and other macro-trade agreements on the basis that they are a tool to bypass multilateral and democratic fora in which developing countries are properly represented in order to set global standards; recalls that TiSA, contrary to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), does not currently have special and differential treatment provisions; urges the Commission to immediately propose such a clause based on GATS Article IV; believes that the multilateralization of TiSA is an unrealistic prospect and is therefore concerned that TiSA will undermine the multilateral framework for negotiations, thereby fully excluding developing countries; Reminds that standstill and ratchet clauses prevent countries from adopting more restrictive regulation or reintroducing monopolies; Considers this particularly problematic for developing countries whose public services may still be at an infant stage; Urges the Commission to step up efforts to advance in democratic multilateral fora, following UNCTAD comprehensive Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development and to position itself as the defender of the interest of developing countries;
Amendment 37 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls TiSA’s risks of increasing asymmetric international trade relations between countries; ask the Commission to respect developing countries governments and parliament's policy space on investment regulations in order to ensure obligations and duties on all investors, including foreign, so that human rights, labour and environmental standards are respected;
Amendment 40 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas any trade agreement must provide more rights and lower prices to European consumers and level the playing fieldbetter social and environmental standards for Europe an companiesd any other involved party ;
Amendment 46 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas any trade agreement must be a market opener for our companies abroad and a safety net for our citizens at homepush for the social responsibility of our companies abroad, while respecting social and environmental standards and Human Rights in the EU and its partner countries;
Amendment 47 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Rejects TiSA and other macro-trade deals, taking the view that they are a tool for the privatisation of public services and liberalisation of public procurement, such public services and public procurement being key elements for sustainable development and for ensuring respect for people’s dignity; Calls the EC to ensure TiSA do not increase debt unsustainability and economic volatility in developing countries; asks the Commission to respect the policy space of developing countries’ governments and parliaments to take decisions in order to ensure internationally agreed standards on labour, the environment and human rights;
Amendment 48 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. While financial inflows to developing countries are increasing but so are outflows, in the absence of binding responsible financing and investment standards, private capital inflows to developing countries are still offset by debt repayments, foreign investment profit repatriation, and illicit financial flows, call the Commission to ensure TiSA´s financial services aspects safeguard the highest transparency and accountability standards, ensure debt sustainability and guarantee the principle of common responsibility of lenders and borrowers;
Amendment 56 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the globalisation, servicification and digitalisation both of our economies and of international trade call for more just and fair policy action to enhance international rules through the existing multilateral framework, particularly in areas like tax evasion and social dumping;
Amendment 63 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 66 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the general EU public is confronted with a big lack of transparency in the TiSA negotiations since the Commission has only made a couple of documents public; whereas the European Commission has published less about the TiSA negotiations than they did for negotiations about trade agreements like TTIP or CETA; whereas Commissioner Malmstrom stated that the transparency model used in the TTIP negotiations would be implemented for all negotiations for trade agreements;
Amendment 67 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls Uruguay’s decision to withdraw from the negotiations on the basis of concerns that TiSA could threaten the country’s policy space on strategic sectors and services; urges the Commission to take this withdrawal into serious consideration; considers this decision an important step back in the multilateralisation of TiSA.
Amendment 73 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas trade in services iscould be an engine for decent jobs and inclusive growth in the EU;
Amendment 77 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas not all negotiating countries have ratified the core labour standards from the ILO which include freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; the effective abolition of child labour; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation;
Amendment 79 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 84 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas several legal studies has put in question the compatibility of TISA with the existing WTO multilateral system;
Amendment 85 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas there is a growing public concern about the consequences of TiSA and other free trade agreements, which resulted in the 3.2 million signatures that are collected by the European Initiative against TTIP and CETA;
Amendment 89 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas non-tariff barriers, which on average represent more than 50 % of the cost of cross-border services, disproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to overcome those obstacles; whereas the elimination of unnecessary barriers would facilitate their internationalisationdisproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises, when exporting, but represent also a protection for their local or national business; and given that only the 13% of the small and medium- sized enterprises are exporters;
Amendment 95 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the globalisation of value chains increases the import content of both domestic output and exportslevel of service liberalisation is already sufficient and further negotiation on liberalisations is not necessary;
Amendment 98 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas a reduction or cuts in public services and provisions usually shifts labour, costs and risks to the unpaid care and household economy, which is predominantly female and will consequently hinder gender equality;
Amendment 107 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas citizens’ trust in EU’s trade policy is a must, which can only be restored by ensuring the highest level of transparency, full access to negotiating documents, by maintaining constant and formal dialogue with civil society, and by setting clear guidelines in the negotiations;
Amendment 114 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas the position of the corporate lobby and their influence on the negotiations is not necessarily in agreement with the interests of European citizens and their rights; whereas the corporate lobby seems to have more influence on the negotiation process than civil society;
Amendment 120 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas data protection is not an economic burden, but a source of economic growth; whereas restoring trust in the digital world is crucial; whereas data flows are indispensable to trade in servicesdata protection is indispensable to trade in services and to ensure the people's right to privacy;
Amendment 126 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas the European Parliament issued a resolution on 2013 (2013/2583(RSP) in which it was requested to the Commission to "follow up on its intention to prepare a sustainability impact assessment";
Amendment 127 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
M. whereas in most developing countries government is the main source of procurement for services, accounting for as much as 20% GDP, and can hence be an important tool for development of local micro, small and medium enterprises;
Amendment 128 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
N. whereas most part of the available information on TiSA has been leaked instead of being made available by the Commission;
Amendment 129 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
O. whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly called for overcoming the lack of transparency in negotiating processes related to international trade agreements such as GATS, TTIP and TiSA;
Amendment 143 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
i. to consider the TiSA negotiations as a stepping-stone towards renewed ambitions at WTO levelrisk that TiSA represent for the multilateral agenda of the WTO;
Amendment 151 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i a (new)
ia. Calls on the Commission to stop the negotiations for a TiSA agreements since an agreement like this will endanger EU services standards, public services for EU citizens and the right to regulate of Member States;
Amendment 158 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
ii. to reiterate its support for a comprehensive and balanced agreement, whichthat any agreement on services should unleash the untappedpossible potential of a more integrated global services market, while fully guaranteeing compliance with the EU acquis; to shape globalisation and to create international standards, while fully preserving the right to regulate; to secure increased market access for European services suppliers in key sectors of interest, while accommodating specific carve-outs for sensitive sectors;
Amendment 164 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii a (new)
iia. to guarantee democratic and accountability principles during the negotiations; to improve transparency on the negotiation process by making public all consolidated documents; calls on the EC to guarantee that citizens are duly informed and consulted during the negotiating process and before the initialling of the Agreement and to reject the US proposal to classify the negotiations documents for 5 years after the entry into force of TiSA
Amendment 165 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii b (new)
Iib. to guarantee that decisions and negotiations are taken as closely as possibly to the citizens and assure a consultation by the European Parliament;
Amendment 173 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
iii. to push for multilateralisation by crafting GATS-compatible provisions like the exclusive use of a positive list approach for all modes of services, market access and national treatment disciplines and by accepting new parties conditional on their acceptance of the agreed rules and level of ambitions; to incentivise wider participation in the talks by granting interested parties observer status; to note that both the highest barriers and the highest growth potential regarding trade in services are to be found in the BRICS and the MINT countries; to recognise the importance of those countries for the EU, as export destinations with a rising middle class, as sources of intermediate inputs and as key hubs in global value chains; to open the way for the participation of China, to ensure that any new trade agreement does not aim to go further that GATS in liberalisation, but to improve GATS by ensuring fair labour, social and environmental standards;
Amendment 179 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii a (new)
iiia. to ensure that negotiations maintain and strengthen fundamental role played by public services in the European Union;
Amendment 188 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point a – point vi
Amendment 202 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii
viii. to publish aconduct an independent ex-ante sustainability impact assessment and, study on TiSA, during and once the negotiations are finalised, to update it accordingly, taking specific account of its impact on citizens and workers; to request Parliament’s research services to publish a comprehensive and informative study of the scope and potential impact of the TiSA negotiations;
Amendment 203 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii
viii. to publish a sustainability impact assessment and, once the negotiations are finalised, to update it accordinglywith the greatest urgency and involve the outcomes in the negotiations, taking specific account of its impact on citizens and workers; to request Parliament’s research services to publish a comprehensive and informative study of the scope and potential impact of the TiSA negotiations;
Amendment 206 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii
viii. to publish a sustainability impact assessment and, once the negotiations are finalised, to update it accordingly, taking specific account of its impact on citizens and workers; to request Parliament’s research services to publish a comprehensive and informative study of the scope and potential impact of the TiSA negotiations also from a gender perspective and the need to tackle phaenomena such as the crystal ceiling and the gender pay gap;
Amendment 208 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii a (new)
viiia. to develop for a credible methodology in the social impact assessments promoted by the European Commission;
Amendment 209 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point viii b (new)
viiib. to ensure that developing countries have the prerogative of obtaining a differentiated treatment, such as it is recognized in art. IV of GATS, particularly regarding the dispositions on public procurement, market access and national treatment;
Amendment 227 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
i. to exclude, in the body of the negotiating texts, all public services and cultural services from the scope of the negotiations, and to seek the further opening of foreign markets in telecommunications, transport and professional services;
Amendment 228 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
i. to exclude public services and services of general interest, financial and cultural services from the scope of the negotiations, and to seek the further opening of foreign markets in telecommunications, transport and professional services;
Amendment 232 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i a (new)
i a. to clarify the definition of public services and cultural services so that this carve-out is comprehensive;
Amendment 235 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i b (new)
ib. to ensure that the carve-out of public services is applied not only to the European Union's services, but also to any other party;
Amendment 240 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ii
ii. to ensure reciprocity at all levels, reciprocity with equal partners respecting similar social standards, but asymmetry with other players, while keeping flexibility for Developing Countries by including a specific provision on a special and differential treatment based on GATS Article IV; to condition any further commitments beyond the EU’'s current level of openness on the other parties’' proportionate offers; to support the while respecting other Parties' sensitivities; to support the use of making limited and cautious use of horizontal commitment- related provisions as a means to set a common level of ambitions, and to take note that such minimum requirements would set clear parameters for countries interested in participating as these would prevail over exclusions and reservations in the Parties' schedules of commitments and would make TiSA depart too much from GATS, thereby undermining multilateralisation prospects;
Amendment 250 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
iv. to acknowledge thatexclude any standstill and ratchet clauses do not apply to market access commitmentsfrom the Treaty and recognize to all regional, national and local governments the full policy space to legislate;
Amendment 252 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
iv. to acknowledge that standstill and ratchet clauses do not apply to market access commitments; calls on the Commission to oppose any type of standstill or ratchet clauses in the whole agreement the ensure the right to regulate of Member States;
Amendment 269 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Amendment 272 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
vi. to take an ambi cautious approach in Mode 3 by seeking the removal of third-country barriers to establishment, such as foreign equity caps and joint venture requirementecause sectors like education, care and other primary needs should always be in public hands;
Amendment 278 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
vii. to take a cautious approach in Mode 4, while bearing in mind that the EU has an offensive interest in the inward and outward movement of highly-skilled labour; to bear in mind the need for sufficient policy space in this sensitive area; to acknowledge that the labour clause maintains the legal obligation of foreign service providers to comply with EU and Member State social and labour legislation, as well as with collective agreements; to enter into ambitious commitments for those cases which underpin Mode 3 commitments;
Amendment 292 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ix
ix. to exclude, in line with Articles 14 and 106 of as well as protocol 26 to the TFEU, current and future Services of General Interest as well as Services of General Economic Interest from EU commitments (including but not limited to water, water treatment, health, social services, social security systems and e, education, energy producation) and supply; to ensure that European, national and local authorities retain the full right to introduce, adopt, maintain or, repeal or extend any measures with regard to the commissioning, organisation, funding and provision of public services; to apply this exclusion irrespective of how the public services are provided and funded; to acknowledge that social security systems are entirely excluded from the scope of the negotiations;
Amendment 303 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
x. to introduce an unequivocal ‘'gold standard’' clause, which couldthat compiles with ILO core labour standards, and that explicitly excludes public services from the general scope of the agreement by a comprehensive and unequivocal exclusion in the core text of the agreement; this gold standard must be included in all trade agreements and would clarify that the public utilities clause applies to all modes of supply and to any services considered as public services by European, national or regional authorities and irrespective how these services are founded, organised and provided;
Amendment 312 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi
xi. to ensure, in line with Article 167(4) TFEU and with the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, that the parties preserve their right to adopt or maintain any measure with respect to the protection or promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity; to explicitly exclude cultural, audiovisual services, media, broadcasting and publishing from the scope of the agreement, irrespective of the technology or distribution platform used;
Amendment 317 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi a (new)
xia. to make the ratification, implementation and effective application of all ILO-Core labour standards imperative for any participant of the agreement;
Amendment 318 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi a (new)
xia. calls to carefully assess TiSA's impact on gender equality in Europe and women´s rights, in particular on those sectors such as education, household works, which will foremost affect women who are predominant in these sectors, and who are more dependent on public services in particular on child and elderly care, family counselling and abortion facilities;
Amendment 319 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi b (new)
xib. to ensure that the agreement does not limit the policy space for national, regional and local governments to respond to negative liberalisation experiences and to meet democratic demands for re-regulation (including re- municipalisation);
Amendment 320 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi c (new)
xic. to ensure that the agreement includes a simplified withdrawal procedure;
Amendment 324 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
i. to ensure cross-border data flows, only if they are in compliance with the universal right to privacy therefore demands the exemption of data flows from the market access and national treatment commitments;
Amendment 325 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
i. to ensure cross-border data flows, only if they are in compliance with the universal right to privacy;
Amendment 339 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
ii. to acknowledge that data protection is not a trade barrier, but a fundamental right, enshrined in Article 39 TEU and Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; to acknowledge that to incorporate, as a key priority, a comprehensive and unambiguous horizontal self-standing provision GATS Article XIV, which fully exempts the existing and future EU legal framework for the protection of personal data from these negotiations, will be replicated in the TiSA core textthout any condition that it must be consistent with other part of TiSA will be replicated in the TiSA core text; to apply such provisions to all other TiSA annexes;
Amendment 343 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii a (new)
iia. to reaffirm that the European Law on data protection will prevail over any disposition on the treaty and that the European Court of Justice can intercede if any data flow damages or could damage data protection;
Amendment 347 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
iii. to ensure that European citizens’' personal data flow globally can be transferred outside the EU only if in full compliance with the data protection and security rules in force in Europe is guaranteed and respected; to ensure that citizens remain in control of their own data; to immediately formally reject, therefore, any ‘'catch-all’' provisions on data flows which are disconnected from any reference to the necessary compliance with data protection standards; to mirror the language used in the WTO Understanding on financial services;
Amendment 351 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii a (new)
iiia. to immediately and formally oppose the US proposals on movement of information and prohibition and local infrastructure in the e-commerce annex;
Amendment 360 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v
v. to recognise that digital innovation is a driver of economic growth and productivity in the entire economy; to recognise the need forat data flows; to seek, therefore, a comprehensive prohibition of forced data localisation requirementscalisation requirements can be in certain situations the only reliable way to assure data protection, and, therefore, must be allowed;
Amendment 368 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point c – point vi
vi. to ensure that the provisions of the final agreement are consistent with existing and future legislation at EU level, including the Connected Continent Package, the General Data Protection Regulation and the 16 measures embedded in the communication on the Digital Single Market; to safeguard net neutrality and to guarantee that the EU retains its ability to limit prohibit the transfer of data from the EU to third countries where the rules of the third party do not meet EU adequacy standards and where alternative avenues, such as binding corporate rules or standard contractual clauses, are not used by companies;
Amendment 379 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point vii
vii. to address persistent regulatory asymmetries regarding the telecommunications sector, by preventing parties from imposing foreign equity capsto consider that still in the EU member states there exists limitations concerning foreign equity caps and to apply a special and differential treatment of developing countries in this respect, by laying down pro-competitive wholesale access rules for incumbent operators’' networks, by providing clear and non- discriminatory rules for licensing, by guaranteeing the independence of regulators, and by supporting an extensive definition of telecommunications services covering all types of network;
Amendment 387 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point i
Paragraph 1 – point d – point i
i. to ensure that nothing will prevent the EU and its Member States from maintaining, improving and applying their labour and social regulations, as well as their legislation on entry and temporary stay;
Amendment 397 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ii
ii. to recall that Mode 4 commitments only apply to the movement of high-level professionals for a specific purpose, for a limited period of time and under precise conditions stipulated by a contract and by domestic legislation and compelling with all ILO Core Standards and collective bargaining;
Amendment 411 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d – point iv a (new)
iva. to ensure that citizens will not be forced by the authorities or by medical insurance companies to receive medical treatment abroad, unless the medical treatment is not available in the home country;
Amendment 413 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point v
Paragraph 1 – point d – point v
Amendment 416 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vi
Amendment 428 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i
i. to aim at reinforcing financial stability, ensuring adequate protection for consumers and guaranteeing fair competition between financial services providers; to bear in mind that the lack of regulation in the financial services was among the main causes of the 2008 financial crisis;
Amendment 431 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i a (new)
ia. to ensure the respect of UNCTAD principles on responsible sovereign lending and borrowing; to ensure the mutual responsibility of lenders and borrowers in all financial services; to ensure debt sustainability; to take all measurements to avoid tax evasion, tax avoidance and money laundry through tax heavens; not to take further commitments to liberalise financial services and provision for their regulations in trade agreements;
Amendment 432 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
ia. to exclude financial services from the TiSA negotiations;
Amendment 433 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i b (new)
ib. to ensure that, in the area of financial services, no new commitments will be taken on that would jeopardise any existing or future financial regulation, and that regulators retain the ability amongst others to authorise or deny any new financial product and to impose certain legal forms (e.g. restructuring requirements);
Amendment 439 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iii
iii. to replicate the GATSset a prudential carve- out so as tomechanism that allows parties to deviate from their trade commitments when this is necessary for prudential reasonsey judge that the financial stability is at stake; to take into account that GATS prudential carve-out wording did not allow enough flexibility to be enforceable;
Amendment 452 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point v
Paragraph 1 – point e – point v
v. while stressing the need to increase worldwide access to financial services, to exclude cross-border financial services from the EU’'s commitments until there is convergence in financial regulation at the highest level, except in very limited and justified cases;
Amendment 463 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f – point i
Paragraph 1 – point f – point i
i. to ensure a high level of ambition in the transport sector, which is critical to the development of global value chains; to increase the speed, reliability, security and interoperability of transport services, to the benefit of business customers and individual users;
Amendment 469 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point f – point ii
ii. to seek improved access to foreign markets and a reduction in anti- competitive regulatory practices, most importantly those which are harmful to the environment and reduce the efficiency of transport servicebut to ensure the right to regulate all signatories, whereas regulation is needed to protect workers, environment and the privacy of citizens; to address restrictions in the cabotage sector and to avoid carriers returning empty from their host country, in particular in the Annex on maritime transport;
Amendment 470 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point f – point ii
ii. to seek improved access to foreign markets and a reduction in anti-competitive regulatory practices, most importantly those which are harmful to the environment and reduce the efficiency of transport services; to address restrictions while preserving the cabotage sector and to avoid carrright of public authoritiers returning empty from their host country, in particular in the Annex on maritimeto regulate over transport and guarantee public transportation;
Amendment 482 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point f – point vi
vi. to strike the right balance between the liberalisation of the competitive postal sector and the protection of national monopolies; therefore to prevent anti- competitive cross-subsidisation and to ensure the recognition of universal service obligations as defined by each partyimportance of public postal sector and to ensure universality of postal services;
Amendment 488 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point i
Paragraph 1 – point g – point i
i. to fully preserve European, national and local authorities’ right to regulate; calls on the Commission to make sure that the right to regulate is ensured in all negotiation documents, not only in the preamble;
Amendment 491 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g – point i a (new)
ia. to oppose the classification of municipal, regional or national provisions of land use and regional development or land-use plans as non-tariff barriers to trade, and to oppose restrictions to cross- subsidisation of undertakings under the same local authority where they exceed the restrictions existing under EU and national laws;
Amendment 499 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ii a (new)
iia. to ensure policy space to implement regulation for the protection of civil society;
Amendment 507 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point g – point iii
iii. to recognise that the domestic regulation chapter is necessary to prevent parties from implementing disguised trade barriers and imposing unnecessary burdens on foreign companies, in particular when they apply for different types of permitsright to regulate should not be endangered by the domestic regulation chapter; and reject the introduction of "necessity tests" for domestic regulation;
Amendment 510 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g – point iii a (new)
iiia. to reject the domestic regulation annex
Amendment 520 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g – point v a (new)
va. recalls the superiority of the European Human Charter on Human Rights over any international treaty and calls the European Court of Justice to effectively guaranty this juridical supremacy;
Amendment 527 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point viii
Paragraph 1 – point g – point viii
viii. to ensure that administrative fees charged to foreign companies are fair, that remedies making it possible to file a complaint in national courts exist, and that rulings are delivered in a reasonable period of time; while assuring that licencing fees can be used for socially legitimate goods such as cross-financing or shaping an economic sector or social practice;
Amendment 529 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ix
ix. to maintain the EU practice of carrying out public consultations prior to legislative proposals; to ensure that the outcomes of these consultations will be observed closely during the negotiations;
Amendment 530 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ix
ix. to maintain the EU practice of carrying out public consultations prior to legislative proposals, without giving privileged access to trade and other commercial interests;
Amendment 536 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point x a (new)
xa. to ensure that universal service is safeguarded, so that for instance people living in remote regions, border areas, islands or mountainous areas enjoy the same standard service and do not pay more that people living in urban areas;
Amendment 544 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point h – point ii
Amendment 552 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point ii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h – point ii a (new)
iia. to ensure protection of EU small and medium sized service providers from unfair trading practices from services providers from outside the EU. For example by an article ensuring strict supervisory authorities and competition authorities. This article should at least contain the GATS Art. IX on 'Business practices'.
Amendment 557 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h – point iii a (new)
iiia. to ensure that upcoming procurement commitments do not overcome any local or national law of any party;
Amendment 558 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h – point iii a (new)
iiia. to acknowledge that TiSA will be a danger for workers’ rights in Europe since some of the negotiating countries haven't ratified the core labour standards of the ILO; ensure that all signatories of the TiSA agreement have ratified the core labour standards from the ILO which include freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; the effective abolition of child labour; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation;
Amendment 559 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point iii b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h – point iii b (new)
iiib. to ensure that the public procurement to ensure that the recently adopted EU rules on public procurement are shielded and supported in the framework of the negotiations, in particular regarding SMEs' access to public contracts, eligibility criteria based on the best quality-price ratio instead of the cheapest price, reserved markets allocated to social economy undertakings, the possibility for contractual authorities to foster inter- community cooperation, and the preservation of thresholds for tendering exclusion from EU and international rules;
Amendment 581 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point i – point iv
iv. to welcomelimit the continuous engagement of the EU institutions with a wide range of stakeholders throughoutlobby groups throughout the negotiation process, and to ensure that other stakeholders are not any more left from the negotiation process;
Amendment 582 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point i – point iv
iv. to welcome the continuous engagement of the EU institutions with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the negotiation process; to ensure that the negotiators allow equitable access and engagement to all relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 586 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point v
Paragraph 1 – point i – point v
v. to encourage the Member States to involve their national parlia, regional and local parliaments by granting access to all negotiating documents and to keep them adequately informed about the ongoing negotiations;
Amendment 587 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point v
Paragraph 1 – point i – point v
v. to encourage the Member States to involve their national parliaments and to keep them adequately informed about the ongoing negotiations; call on the Council to ensure that TiSA will be a mixed agreement;
Amendment 591 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
to withdraw from TiSA negotiations if all the above recommendations are not respected;
Amendment 593 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
to oppose any intent of ratcheting up the coverage of the Agreement through the implementation of a ‘most favoured nation’ status, thereby ensuring that the worst aspects of the eventually ratified CETA, TTIP and TPP could be incorporated into the text;
Amendment 596 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
to strongly oppose any possibility of ratcheting up the coverage of the Agreement through the implementation of ‘most favoured nation’ status, thereby ensuring that the worst aspects of the eventually conclude CETA, TTIP or TPP could be incorporated in TiSA;
Amendment 597 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
to strongly oppose any intent of ratcheting up the coverage of the Agreement through the implementation of ‘most favoured nation’ status thereby ensuring that the worst aspects of the eventually approved CETA, TTIP and TPP could be incorporated into the text;
Amendment 598 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 (new)
to ensure that legal disputes affecting compliance with this agreement to be referred to the public courts of the place of the defendant's registered office, and for proceedings to be conducted in the defendant’s language and governed by the laws in force in the defendant's country; to ensure that the right of appeal is safeguarded;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2203(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. NotWelcomes that much of the EU's development assistance is provided as budget support; welcomes the evidence in the Court's Annual Report that overall, the conditions for the choice of this implementation modality are well respected by the Commission, but; recalls that the effectiveness of budget support tends to be extremely difficult to assess; asks the Commission to avoid budget support in countries where risks are high and oODA delivered through budget support programmes has a proven-track record on performance on Development Effectiveness Principles as it boosts partner countries' ownership and country systems; recalls that budget support can deliver real results from increases in public expenditure and expanded service delivery to improved pro-poor outcomes; recalls that budget support is effective because, if delivered well, it can respond directly to the finance needs of recipient countries using their modalities are better suited; own systems and development indicators and that can help strengthen government institutions and build the domestic transparency and accountability that reduces corruption;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2203(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is highly concerned by the growing role the Commission is giving to the private sector in development cooperation;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2203(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Commission to ensure a robust, transparent and accountable framework which ensures alignment with development effectiveness principles and development objectives in all blending programmes to ensure its development additionally is guaranteed, as recommended by the Court of Auditors’ special report "The effectiveness of blending regional investment facility grants with financial institution loans to support EU external policies";
Amendment 22 #
2015/2203(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Notes with concern Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly promoted as a way to finance development projects; recalls PPPs are, in most cases, the most expensive method of financing, significantly increasing the cost to the public purse; recalls that PPPs often reduce the already limited access to public services, for example in health, and go ahead with a reduction of public investment; regrets PPPs are all too often a risky way of financing for public institutions.; recalls that evidence of impact of PPPs on efficiency is very limited and weak; notes that PPPs face important challenges when it comes to reducing poverty and inequality, while avoiding negative impacts on the environment; recalls that PPPs suffer from low transparency and limited public scrutiny, which undermines democratic accountability;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Draws attention to the EU's collective commitment to raise the EUnion's and its Member States' official development assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of their Gross National Income (GNI) and calls for a predictable and binding timetable to achieve it; fully supports a steady increase in EU climate finance, which must be new and additional, as committed to by the EU; criticises all erosion of non-climate ODA and calls on the Commission and the Member States to follow the Court's recommendations in its Special Report 17/2013 on EU climate finance in the context of external aid;
Amendment 9 #
2015/2154(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that expenditure relating to security canould be important, but emphasises that such funding which does not constitute ODA must come from the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and other appropriate new or existing sources, not from the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) or the European Development Fund (EDF);
Amendment 8 #
2015/2137(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for the removal of environmentally harmful subsidies, in line with the EU’s 2020 Strategy and the Aichi biodiversity target 3;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2137(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the importance of maintaining climate change below 2 degrees to prevent biodiversity loss;
Amendment 37 #
2015/2137(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that trade agreements, land grabbing, monoculture, meat overconsumption and industrial livestock farming are exerting growing pressure on climate change and biodiversity worldwide, as they result in on-going rise of CO2, land fragmentation and loss of habitats;
Amendment 41 #
2015/2137(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the EU to reduce its biodiversity footprint worldwide and to bring it within the ecological limits of ecosystems by making its trade and other relevant policies consistent with its commitments on biodiversity protection and to assist developing countries – with new and additional resources – in their efforts to conserve biodiversity and ensure its sustainable use;
Amendment 11 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that combining measures to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy and to develop innovative energy technologies is of crucial importance in order to achieve an environmentally sustainable energy mix for European transport system; considers that the use of varied renewable energy sources should be encouraged, including liquefied natural gas for heavy load vehicles and in the maritime sector;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that 70 % of Europeans live in cities and calls for targeted measures from the Member States towards smooth, cost- effective and energy-efficient urban transport; emphasises, therefore, that responsible land use and planning and sustainable transport solutions in urban areas contribute efficiently to reduction of CO2 emissions; urges Commission to take measures needed to strongly promote public transport, shared mobility solutions and walking and cycling, especially on densely populated areas, and to give proposals to modernize EU regulation, if needed, to promote multimodality and new mobility and logistics services;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2113(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for comprehensive legislation that stimulates investments in a technology- neutral way in research, production and distribution of renewable fuels and modern engine technology; emphasises the need to reduce emissions by replacing fossil fuels by renewable fuels, electricity or low carbon alternatives; considers that support for the early deployment of liquefied natural gas is needed; recalls that opening up the market to renewable fuels in aviation would help the EU maintain its leading role in renewable energy; reiterates that research and innovation are key to the development of environmentally sustainable, innovative energy technologies and are vital in order to make the already available indigenous renewable energy technologies more affordable and competitive; calls for more investments, speeded up, if needed, by EU support, for innovation and pilot projects in the field of sustainable energy solutions to strengthen Europe´s position as a global leader in renewable energy technologies;
Amendment 4 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that climate change poses a major threat to poor and least developed countries (LDCs); stresses that failure to limit global warming to below 2°C may undermine development gains, such as poverty eradication, inequality reductions and sustainability;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points to the links between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate change and abnormal weather conditions, and the incidence and gravity of natural disasters, land degradation, food crises, large-scale migratory flows and conflicts; notes that such phenomena have a negative impact on the global effort to achieve the sustainable development goals and have a more dramatic impact on the poorer and vulnerable groups;
Amendment 15 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that without a greater focus on emissions from the transport sector, the overall climate targets will be impossible to reach, as transport is the only sector where greenhouse gas emissions have continued to grow: by 30% over the last 25 years; only a more fully integrated transport policy that incorporates modal shift policies together with technological advancement as well as transport avoidancea strong effort to reduce unnecessary traffic (e.g. through green logistics and integrated mobility management) will be able to achieve this;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that in order to reduce GHG emissions in developing countriesthe globe, it is necessary to put in place mechanisms that would increase the use of efficient energy sources and industrial capacities with zero or low carbon footprint in all countries taking into account the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that urban transport accounts for about 25 % of the CO2 emissions responsible for climate change; therefore emphasises that responsible land use and planning and sustainable transport solutions in urban areas contribute efficiently to the aim of reducing CO2 emissions; calls on the Commission to take measures needed to strongly promote public transport, shared mobility solutions and walking and cycling especially in densely populated areas, and to make proposals to modernise EU regulation, if needed, to promote multimodality and new mobility and logistics services;
Amendment 25 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that 94% of transport – mainly road, air and shipping sectors – is dependent on fossil fuel and therefore urgently need measures to accelerate progress towards early achievement of the White Paper targets by 2030; is of the opinion that improving the energy efficiency of transport should be one of the top priorities of European transport policy; stresses the need to strongly develop the distribution channels of new sustainable and emission-free sources of energy to support the ambitious shift to greener energy and to diminish the unwelcome dependency on fossil fuels and imported energy;
Amendment 33 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Insists that efforts to tackle global climate change should be undertaken jointly by both developed and developing countries taking into account the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility; stresses that the EU must intensify its pursuit of a legally binding international agreement ensuring that mitigation and adaptation efforts are increased; believes that innovative sources such as carbon pricing or international transport and allocations of revenues from a financial transaction tax would help meet the increasing financial needs for climate action globally;
Amendment 36 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Strongly encourages local public transport authorities and transport operators to become frontrunners to introduce low-carbon fleet and technologies; stresses that all policies to strengthen the electrification of transport need to accent railways, trams, electrified busses, e-bicycles, need to incorporate the entire lifecycle perspective and need to be based on renewable sources of electricity;
Amendment 38 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its call on the EU and the other developed countries to honour their collective commitment to provide climate finance – from public and private bilateral and multilateral sources – amounting toquest the EU to agree on a binding roadmap for scaling up predictable, new and additional finance towards their fair share of USD 100 billion a year by 2020; stresses that country ownership and the integration of climate objectives into national development strategies are key to an effective use of climate finance; recognise that private finance in the context of climate finance cannot replace public finance; emphasises the need for transparent reporting and accountability and to ensure the implementation of relevant social and environmental safeguards regarding private finance climate, and calls for a framework in where any infringement has to be sued, without accepting impunity;
Amendment 44 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recognises the need to make further progress on the issue of loss and damage.; calls upon the EU to assume a pro-active role in addressing the global climate crisis in particular by establishing climate action as a strategic priority at all levels and across all sectors in domestic and external policies and actions;
Amendment 45 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that in line with the principle of Policy Coherence for Development, public incentives for the production of crop-based biofuels (such as the binding 10% EU target for renewable energy in transport or subsidies) must be removed, as such measures could act as incentive to deforestation, which is already responsible for 20% of GHG emissions, other land use changes and land grabbing while affecting the right to food in third countries.
Amendment 46 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Considers it important for the EU to promote low carbon development pathways across all relevant areas and sectors and calls the EU to propose sustainable production and consumption patterns, including indicators on ways the EU plans to reduce consumption and decouple economic activity from environmental degradation;
Amendment 47 #
2015/2112(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Recalls on the importance of ensuring food sovereignty and nutrition security and on the importance sustainable agriculture and fisheries;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the mandate given in June 2014 to the UN Open Ended inter-Governmental Working Group (OEIGWG) to develop a legally binding international instrument on Transnational Corporations and other business enterprises,
Amendment 44 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU’s trade and investment policy must be bolstered not only by ensuring beneficial outcomes in terms of employment and wealth creation for citizens and businesses, but also by guaranteeing a coherence with the EU policies to guarantee and strengthen citizens' social and environmental rights, cultural diversity and development co- operation, the highest level of transparency, engagement and accountability, by maintaining constant dialogue with social partners, stakeholders and local and regional authorities, and by setting clear guidelines in the negotiations;
Amendment 62 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the Commission’s new strategy ‘Trade for all – Towards a more responsible trade and investment policy’; regrets the Commission’s delay in presenting a new strategy, given that Parliament requested that a revised mid- and long-term trade strategy be presented by summer 2012 but deeply deplores that, despite the growing criticism of the current EU international trade policy by the European citizens, Commission is not redirecting this policy it and proposing concrete steps in order to ensure that international trade is contributing to defend and guarantee, -and not to undermining in favour of corporate companies and investors-, the citizen's social and environmental rights, job creation and defence of quality jobs, public services including health services, family and middle scale farming, food security and sovereignty, cultural diversity and coherence with the development cooperation goals and SDGs;
Amendment 68 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that trade liberalisation is not positive per se, in terms of reducing poverty inequalities, and could even have negative effects on sustainable development if it is not properly regulated and accompanies by binding control mechanism for corporations and by re- distribution through fair and progressive tax systems;
Amendment 75 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the new EU trade policy will not endanger the level of intra EU exchanges, that are more sustainable, ecologically and socially, instead of weakening it through liberalization and trade deals in benefit of corporate companies interests and investors such as TTIP, CETA, TiSA and EPAs;
Amendment 78 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to regularly update its trade and investmentinternational trade strategy and to publicly present a detailed annual implementation report to Parliament; assessing the impact of this strategy on citizens' rights and interests;
Amendment 87 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s attempts to increase transparency and openness at all stages of trade negotiations, such as the Commission’s TTIP transparency initiative; acknowledges that, after a number of requests from Parliament, the Commission enhanced the transparency of negotiations by providing all Members of the European Parliament and of the national parliaments access to classified negotiating documents and providing more information to stakeholders; recalls that enlarged access to classified information by Members of Parliament in the TTIP negotiations has strengthened parliamentary scrutiny, thereby allowing ParliamentEncourages the Commission to guarantee to all Members of the European Parliament and of the national parliaments and to the public in general, full access to all negotiating documents; recalls that this access would allowing Parliaments and stakeholders to assume itstheir responsibility under the CCP even better; calls therefore for a widening of the Commission’s transparency initiative to extend its key elementsfull transparency and possibility for public scrutiny to all ongoing trade negotiations;
Amendment 95 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that theCalls on the Commission to ensure a strong and balanced involvement of civil society and stakeholders, including through appropriate public online consultations, is crucial in order to strengthen the legitimacy of trade policy and to improve its contentdeeply transform and improve the content of the EU's international trade policy and orient it to the defence of citizen's rights, and thereby strengthen its legitimacy;
Amendment 108 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that the CCP is toshould be conducted in the context of the principles and objectives of the Union’s external action as set out in Article 21 TEU; recalls that the EU’s trade and investment policy must be consistent with other external policies; stresses that the EU has a legal obligation to respect human rights, and should foster the sustainable economic, social and environmental development of trading countries; points out that in somemost cases trade and investment agreements may have negative effects contrary to the EU’s external objectives as enshrined in the Treaties; is of the opinion that the EU has a responsibility to help tackle anythe negative impact caused by its CCP;
Amendment 115 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. RecognisesTakes note of the Commission’s efforannouncements to strengthen sustainable development and promote human rights, labour and social standards and environmental sustainability worldwide through its trade and investment agreements and calls on to present soon concrete and ambitious proposals in this direction; shares the Commission’s view that the EU has a special social responsibility as regards the impact of its trade policies on developing countries and in particular on least-developed countries (LDCs);
Amendment 117 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers forced migration to be one of the main challenges the EU is facing in the 21st century, and is related to trade and investments policies; emphasises that the EU’s trade and investment policy choices are fundamental in order to tackleavoid it to be a push factor of migration; regrets that this has not been sufficiently reflected in the ‘Trade for All’ strategy;
Amendment 146 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that the ILO estimates that 865 million women around the world, if better supported, could contribute more robustly to economic growth; noteregrets that women-owned businesses represent an underutilised lever to boost competitiveness, accelerate business and sustain growth; statesthe Commission does not address the gender dimension of trade agreements in its ‘Trade for All’ communication, especially regarding the impact of thate trade policy can have differing gender impacts across the various sectors of the economy; regrets that the Commission does not address the gender dimension of trade agreements in its ‘Tradon women's and girls' rights such as the rights to health -and associated rights, including reproductive health- access to education, training, food, work, safe fwor All’ communication;king conditions and water, and calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to ensure that both women and men can take advantage of the benefits of trade liberalisation andto be protected from its negative effects;
Amendment 150 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Commission to include in any new or already existing trade agreement the necessary rules to guarantee a successful fight against money laundering, tax evasion and tax elusion, -instead of facilitating them through finance service liberalization;
Amendment 156 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Recognizes that universal access to quality public services and common goods such as water and sanitation, education, healthcare and access to medicines is a key component of Member States capacity to guarantee Human and social Rights; therefore calls on the Commission and Member States to refrain from including negative lists in trade deals, nor standstill and ratchet clauses, that threaten states' capacity to reverse achieved liberalisation floors;
Amendment 173 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Demands that Aid for Trade and technical assistance to focus on the empowerment of poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women equality and women empowerment and cooperatives in order to boost their benefits from trading in local and regional markets;
Amendment 178 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Council to meet their commitments to the Doha Declaration by ensuring that the Commission's mandate explicitly excludes pharmaceutical related TRIPS plus provisions which negatively affect access to medicines such as data exclusivity, patent extensions and limitation of grounds for compulsory licences within the framework of futures bilateral and regional trade agreements with developing countries and when developing countries engage in accession to the WTO;
Amendment 182 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Calls on the Commission to provide full transparency of the content of its IP related assistance programmes for LMICs, and ensure that parallel assistance on intellectual property does not undermine other health-related development projects supported by the Commission's Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development;
Amendment 183 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls on the Commission to generate data of better quality on the economic and social impacts of Intellectual property protection and enforcement, including on the adverse impact on generic competition and public health; calls on the Commission to ensure that ISDS or ICS existing and eventual future clauses clearly exclude pharmaceutical intellectual property from the scope of dispute settlement;
Amendment 189 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission not to request provisional application of trade agreements, including trade chapters of association agreements, before Parliament gives itsthe European Parliament and the national parliaments give their consent; recalls that it could seriously undermine Pparliament’s' rights and create potential legal uncertainty vis-à- vis the agreement’s other signatory and the economic operators concerned;
Amendment 218 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Considersriticizes the increase of plurilateral negotiations at the margin of the WTO or within the WTO such as ACTA, TiSA, the Information Technology Agreement and the Environmental Goods Agreements to be the second-best option; emphasises that trade policy should also be used as a tool for increasing the competiveness ofaccessibility of socially and environmentally beneficial products; stresses the importance of multilateralising the ‘green goods’ initiative and of considering whether bilateral or unilateral trade agreements could provide premium preferences for environmental goodplurilateral negotiations at a stage and with a method that gives a chance to all countries to provide inputs on the content of the agreements;
Amendment 247 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Underlines, in the context of the current talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the EU- Japan FTA, the high importance of focusing on core sensitive issues such as thedecent and quality jobs, on small and middle sized agriculture, on safeguarding public services, on maintaining the right to regulate, on protection ofng geographical indications (GIs) and public procurement, respect of democratic bodies, health and educational services, data protection and public procurement for SMEs, and with adequate social and environmental conditions, when negotiating FTAs;
Amendment 328 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. WBelcomieves the Commission’s intentiat more could be done to use trade policy to tackle new forms of digital protectionism and to set rules for e-commerce and cross-border data flows in compliance with EU data protection and privacy law; believes that much more needs to be done to create a climate favourable to e-commerce and entrepreneurship within the EU; stresses that ensuring regulatory cooperation, mutual recognition and harmoncreate a more favourable and secured digital climate for consumers and entrepreneurship within the EU; notes that it should start by delivering tangible benefits for consumers such as reducing monopolies and abuses of monopolistic positions in the telecom market, reduced geo-blocking practices and concrete redress solutions; calls for more co- operation between enforcers, especially on unfair commercial practices carried on- line; urges to systematically incorporate comprehensive horizontal provisions that fully exempts exisation of standardng and future UE rules ion the digital trade sector is vitalprotection of personal data from all agreements;
Amendment 371 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to actively support the UN Open Ended Inter-Governmental Working Group (OEIGWG) developing a legally binding international instrument on Transnational Corporations and other business enterprises launched in June 2014;
Amendment 385 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Emphasises that access to resources on equal terms is of vital importance for fair competition on the global markenatural resources are limited and should be used in an economically and environmentally sustainable way, giving priority to recycling, and helping developing countries and especially LDCs to use part of their raw materials for their own industrialization and development; recalls that common goods such as air, water, and energy are limited and producers should compensate their cost for consuming these resources by paying to public funds for sustainable development; recalls that European trade policy needs to pursue a consistent, sustainable, comprehensive and cross- policy strategy concerning raw materials as already outlined by Parliament in its resolution on a new trade policy for Europe under the Europe 2020 strategy;
Amendment 403 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Shares the OECD’s view that open and fair trade and investment policies need a range of effective flanking policies in order to maximise the gains and minimise the lossescompensate the impact of trade liberalization on the populations, in Europe and abroad, and on the economy ; urges the Members States and the Commission to do much more to complement trade opening by a range of supporting measures in order to ensure inclusive growth – such as educationsustainable development, – such as reinforcement of public service for education and health, active labour market policies, supporting research and development, and infrastructure for development, and social protectiondequate rules to guarantee social and environmental rights;
Amendment 414 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and, the Committee of the Regions, to UNCTAD and to the WTO.
Amendment 9 #
2015/2103(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. takes view that the impact of automated vehicles on enhancing transport safetyautomation and robotics, especially autonomous driving, might potentially bhave a major oneimpact on enhancing transport safety, since human errors are currently responsible for about 90% of road accidents; notes however that it will be impossible for automated vehicles to eliminate all accidents, which raises questhat liability questions related to automated transport need to be promptly addressed at international level to ensure the protections of responsibility for car accidentcitizens and consumers;
Amendment 28 #
2015/2103(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. notes that automated vehicles can play an important role in developing sustainable transport (for example, through the potential for making savings in emissions) and callsthe impact of automation on the safety and sustainability of the transport system is partly unpredictable; calls therefore on the Commission and Member States to pay attention tomonitor the upcoming technical progress closely and evaluate its environmental and safety impacts carefully;
Amendment 42 #
2015/2103(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. calls on the Commission and Member States to conduct further research to assess the safety and environmental implications of automated vehiclestransport, and invites them to create a knowledge-sharing system to record the outcomes of tests and pilot schemes;
Amendment 54 #
2015/2103(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. underlines that automated carstransport will require a high level of safe interaction with the transport infrastructure and that the high volume of data will need to be securely and reliably transferred in real time between automated vehicles and such infrastructure in all conditions;
Amendment 62 #
2015/2103(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. underlines that it is necessary to focus on ensuring and strengthening the security of ICT regarding automated carssystems to ensure the full compliance with the demands of safe, secure and reliable automated transport systems and data protection;
Amendment 76 #
2015/2103(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. calls on the Commission to propose a single roadmap for automated and connected vehicles and other transportation and for closer collaboration of all relevant stakeholders, including a careful analysis and recommendations regarding the dynamics and the development of the market;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the current migration crisissituation can be addressed only within the context of a European holistic approach and not by bilateral meetings among Members States; calls for a new European agenda on migration under the leadership ofdesigned by the European Parliament, the Commission and the European Council and with the direct involvement in the decision-making process of relevant stakeholders, such as migrants organizations, underpinned by solidarity among the Member States. This agenda mighust include the replacement of the Dublin regulation with a centralised European asylum system; which takes into account family reunification and the own will of asylum seekers and refugees;
Amendment 12 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 1 (new)
(1) Condemns the fact that the Commission has had to wait until the unprecedented humanitarian crisis, which was followed by a strong reaction of protest and solidarity by civil society, to re-think its failed migration policies with a holistic approach that includes development, cooperation and respecting the principle of Policy Coherence for Development;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 2 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 2 (new)
(2) Rejects any approach towards migration based on treating it as a problem, not granting that migrants’ human rights are respected and ignoring that migration is a phenomenon that has occurred throughout human history and contributes positively to the development of societies;
Amendment 14 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 3 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 3 (new)
(3) Recalls the responsibility of the EU and the Member States to refugees and migrants struggling at the risk of their lives to escape from war, chaos, economic misery, hunger and death; emphasises that the EU is responding to its historical responsibility for the impoverishment of third countries, which derives from both the colonial past of its Member States and the neo-colonial policies currently being pursued, under which European companies are exploiting the natural and human resources of those countries;
Amendment 16 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Rejects the plans presented to date by the European Commission to tackle the current migrant situation, since they are insufficient, have proven not to respect migrants’ fundamental rights, and do not target its root causes; condemns the actions of the leaders of different Member States which have indicated that the solution to this situations must be militaristic and not based on dialogue and cooperation;
Amendment 31 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
(1) Points out that from a development perspective it is not possible to distinguished between vague categories of people such as migrants or asylum seekers; rejects development policies promoting directly or indirectly any kind of discrimination between those categories;
Amendment 62 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers the issues and problems faced by women migrants in the migration process and within the European Union and its impact on women’s empowerment and human rights to be of major importance; stresses that an explicit gender perspective in migration policies is vital and calls for it to be included in all policies directed towards migrants; calls in particular for gender discrimination to be removed in the legal aspects of migration; insists on the need to respect the human and individual rights of the weakest among the migrants, namely women and children (including the need for education for migrating and refugee children), and on the need to include these rights in the post- 2015 development agenda;
Amendment 65 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
(1) Calls on the European Union and its Member States to ensure that migrants have access to rights and services which guarantee their equity and prevent the growth of racism and xenophobia within the EU;
Amendment 68 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers the issues and problems faced by LGBTI migrants in the migration process and within the European Union and its impact on LGBTI people’s empowerment and human rights to be of major importance; stresses that an explicit LGBTI perspective in migration policies is vital and calls for it to be included in all policies directed towards migrants;
Amendment 78 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to coordinate its development policies with its economical ones, in order to end exploitation of human and natural resources in third countries, thus undermining the purpose of any kind of development aid; thus calls on the EU and its Member States to strictly regulate the activities of transnational companies of European origin operating in third countries;
Amendment 82 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the EU to stop the construction of detention centres or so-called information centres in third countries; calls on the EU to stop all cooperation and funding which enables the construction of walls in third countries aimed at preventing migrants from reaching the EU or other territories; is dismayed that the funding used for these centres and walls is disguised as development aid;
Amendment 85 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Is dismayed that because of public procurement contract awards and debt servicing, inter alia, 61% of official development assistance goes back to donor countries; thus calls for an increase in real aid reverting positively on the needs of the peoples;
Amendment 89 #
2015/2095(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to review together with relevant stakeholders such as migrant organisations Europe Aid’s evaluation and results- oriented monitoring systems, which are essential for planning, designing and implementing EU policies and interventions, and for enhancing transparency and democratic accountability.
Amendment 1 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Draws attention to the upcoming adoption, in the UN, of a framework for global development action until 2030, centred on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as of a framework for global climate action until the same year; notes that this makes 2015 a crucial year for the future of mankind and the planet; stresses that the EU must help set the scene for a solid outcome of the Addis Ababa conference on financing for development, taking place on 13-16 July 2015, and for the successful adoption and implementation of the SDGs, including through budgetary decisions that make full use of existing possibilities to mobilise resources for development assistance; bears in mind the importancobligation to comply with the principle of Policy Coherence for Development;
Amendment 10 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls the need to respect the principle of Policy Coherence for Development in all European Union external actions so that the impact of development programs is maximized;
Amendment 16 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that untying aid is necessary for opening up opportunities for developing country socio-economic actors, such as local firms or technical assistance experts; calls for boosting the use of developing country procurement systems as the first option for aid programmes in support of activities managed by the public sector to enhance local private sector;
Amendment 17 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to promote an aid effectiveness agenda by boosting partner country ownership, alignment with partner countries development strategies, mutual accountability and reduction of aid fragmentation through greater coordination between different aid mechanisms and donors;
Amendment 18 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Calls for achieving OEDC DAC recommendation of reaching an average grant element in total ODA of 86%;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Calls for protection of the development focus and nature of ODA, including through a transparent and accountable reporting system;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
– having regard to the recent report of Oxfam "Wealth: Having it all and wanting more",
Amendment 7 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas IFFs represent roughly ten times the amount of aid money received by developing countries which should be aimed for poverty allevieradication and economicwelfare development, representing an annual illicit capital flight from developing countries of an estimated USD 1 trillion;
Amendment 8 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the current globalized economy, based in economic deregulation, facilitates tax evasion for transnational corporations and encourages tax competition among countries;
Amendment 11 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the international tax architecture has allowed a massive haemorrhaging of public revenues;
Amendment 14 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas fair and progressive taxation with welfare and social justice criteria plays an important role in reducing inequalities by shaping the redistribution of wealth from higher income citizens to those most in need in a country;
Amendment 17 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas global wealth is increasingly being concentrated in the hands of a small wealthy elite and is expected that the richest 1% percent will own more than half of the global wealth by 2016;
Amendment 24 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas taxation can be a reliable and sustainable source of development finance and offers the advantage of stability in comparison with traditional development financing mechanisms like concessional loans if there is a progressive taxation regime, an effective and efficient tax administration to promote tax compliance, and transparent and accountable use of public revenue, boosting, therefore, good governance as it allows the government more policy space and capacity to be responsive and accountable to national objectives that are not tainted by the conditionalities of foreign aid;
Amendment 27 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas fair and progressive tax regimes provide vital finance to governments to cover citizens’ rights to basic public services, such as healthcare and education for all, and whereas effective redistributive fiscal policies are essential in decreasing the effect of growing inequalities;
Amendment 41 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas bilateral trade agreements between EU Member States and developing countries, such us double tax treaties or double tax agreements, restrict the right of States to tax foreign investors and foreign-owned companies minimizing their domestic resource mobilizations capacities;
Amendment 53 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas developing countries have been offering various tax incentives and exemptions as the only possibility to attract investments, leading to harmful tax competition and a ‘race to the bottom’ that brings greater benefit to multinational corporations (MNCs) than to developing countries;
Amendment 82 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to promptly put forward an ambitious action plan, in the form of a communication, on supporting developing countries in fighting tax dodging and setting up fairer and progressive tax systems, taking into account the work undertaken by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD in advance of the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to be held from 13 to 16 July 2015, and the impact of international tax treaties on developing countries;
Amendment 86 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to promote concrete measures so transnationals are taxed by the jurisdiction of the country in whey they source or produce the income;
Amendment 95 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the Commission to take concrete and effective measures to support developing countries and regional tax administration frameworks in the fight against tax dodging, in developing fairer and progressive tax policies, in promoting administrative reforms and in order to increase the share, in terms of aid and development, of financial and technical assistance to the national tax administrations of developing countries;
Amendment 103 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Asks the Commission to give good governance in tax matters and fair and progressive tax collection a high place on the agenda in its policy dialogue (political, development and trade) and in all development cooperation agreements with partner countries;
Amendment 134 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses than when negotiating tax treaties, the European Union and its Member States should comply with the principle of policy coherence for development established in Article 208 TFEU; The European Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries;
Amendment 143 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for creating an intergovernmental body on tax matters, to ensure a forum where all countries could participate on equal footing; Urges the EU and the Member States to ensure that the UN taxation committee is transformed into a genuine intergovernmental body equipped with additional resources, ensuring that developing countries can participate equally in the global reform of existing international tax rules;
Amendment 153 #
2015/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the EIB toand other EU Member States´ Development Financial Institutions to urgently ensure that companies that receive EIBtheir support do not participate in tax evasion via offshore centres and tax havens;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty establishing the Principle of Policy Coherence for Development, requiring that the objectives of development cooperation be taken into account in policies that are likely to affect developing countries;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the majority of humanitarian crisis have human-related, and not natural, courses;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas climate change will increase planet´s temperature, desertification, sea level, and consequently inequalities, conflicts and migrations and humanitarian crisis;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas women and girls suffer the most of humanitarian crisis; whereas Women and girls are disproportionately exposed to risk, increased loss of livelihoods, security, and even lives, during and in the aftermath of disasters; whereas women and girls face heightened risks due to displacement and the breakdown of normal protection structures and support; whereas in humanitarian crisis the likelihood of rape, sexual exploitation and risky behaviour greatly increases the likelihood of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and complications regarding reproductive health; whereas 80 per cent of the more than 42 million refugees and people displaced by conflict worldwide are women, children and young people;
Amendment 10 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas humanitarian aid and development are interlinked; whereas the EU confirmed already in 2004 their commitment to reach the 0.7 target by not later than 2015 (council conclusions 24 May 2005);
Amendment 53 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Insists that without comprehensive and substantial means such a Global action will not be successful; underlines that addressing new and chronic disasters and vulnerabilities requires long term predictable investments and the compliance of the new sustainable development agenda, mainly by promoting joint risk assessment, planning and financing between humanitarian, development, civil action for peacebuilding and climate change actors;
Amendment 54 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls the importance of ensuring the Principle of Policy Coherence for Development in all EU external action by ensuring EU policies do not undermined development countries effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goals; In this regard and in order to prevent future humanitarian crisis, calls the European Commission to conduct independent ex- ante analysis on the impact Free Trade Agreements and other economic partnerships it may have in developing countries;
Amendment 55 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls the Commission to effectible ensure through a legally binding mechanism European transnationals do not mine gender equality and women empowerment, food security, social and environmental standards and human rights in developing countries;
Amendment 56 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls the EU to effectively increase climate change mitigation and adaptation policies in developing countries and to mainstream this perspective into all humanitarian action; In this regard, call on the EU to take more courageous political decisions to combat climate change;
Amendment 57 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Call the EU and Member States to boost work sex- and age-disaggregated data (SADD) and gender analysis as one of the most effective ways to promote gender equality in humanitarian efforts;
Amendment 60 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the EU to place protection at the heart of humanitarian action by creating a compliance system and by mainstreaming it into programming; stresses the need for the institutionalisation of the role of protection officers and for the development of strategic and integrated approaches with sufficient funds for protection activities in the first phase of emergencies; urges the EU to commit more strongly to a human rights-based approach in humanitarian action to ensure that both the needs and rights of specific vulnerable groups, especially women, youth, migrants, people living with HIV, LGBTI persons and persons with disabilities are respected;
Amendment 64 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the need to expand the Refugee Convention and the Kampala Convention to protect and assist displace people around the world as well as the population affected by other forms of violence, such as human trafficking, gender violence and economic violence since they may have a well-founded fear of persecution or be at risk of serious harm;
Amendment 100 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Emphasises the need to adapt, under the universal framework of the Human Right Declaration and de Sustainable Development Goals, the humanitarian response system to local, national and regional requirements, and the need to empower affected populations, and women and children in particular, by building on their capacities;
Amendment 110 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes that the provision of humanitarian aid by the EU and the Member States should not be subject to restrictions imposed by other partner donors regarding necessary medical treatment, including access to safe abortion for women and girls who are victims of rape in armed conflicts, but should instead comply with international humanitarian law; Welcomes in this context the letter with reference 3757306 sent on 11 September 2015 by High Representative Mogherini to the Member of the European Parliament;
Amendment 111 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Calls for further efforts to increase women and girls' access to health and sexual health education, family planning, prenatal care and sexual and reproductive health and rights, including safe and free abortion services, notably to address the largely unachieved MDG 5 on maternal health, including reduce infant and child mortality and avoidance of high-risk births;
Amendment 115 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that innovation should draw from multiple sources and in particular from the knowledge of affected people, civil society and local communities in the front line of response, but also from the business sector; believes that public-private partnerships can be a means to improve the response to growing humanitarian needs; notes that cash-based assistance is an example of innovation in humanitarian assistance; ; stress the importance of boosting essential public services, such as education, health, water and sanitation, in humanitarian responses; believes that public-private partnerships, in some cases and if regulated according to the Development Effectiveness Principles might be a means to complement the public response to growing humanitarian needs; notes that cash-based assistance is an example of innovation in humanitarian assistance which has proved many times a poor performance regarding the Development Effectiveness Principles 1 a; __________________ 1a http://www.eurodad.org/files/pdf/520a38c a1b330.pdf
Amendment 119 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recalls that, to run smoothly, humanitarian aid in emergency situations and development assistance must be linked by each other; in this regard recalls that if the EU and the member states had reached their commitment of the 0.7% target, public financing would not be a problem;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness outcome document of December 2011 on partnership for Effective Development Co-operation,
Amendment 3 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the UN General Assembly Resolution 'Towards the establishment of a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructurings' of September 2014,
Amendment 18 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
- having regard to the European Consensus on Development of December 2005,
Amendment 24 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EU has a direct and historical responsibility in its dealings with partner countries, particularly on tax, debt, trade and investment, not to undermine the policy space of these countries to take decisions that are suitable for their own national context, respond to the demands of their populations, and fulfil their human rights obligations and other international commitments;
Amendment 75 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas ODA loans could increase debt vulnerabilities of developing countries;
Amendment 76 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas many developing countries continue to be debt distress, and new debt vulnerabilities are emerging which make a modernized and more effective debt restructuring framework necessary;
Amendment 84 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s Synthesis Report and its transformative, universal, holistic and integrated approach to an ambitious global partnership;
Amendment 91 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that this should be a transformative people-centred partnership with poverty elimination, gender equality and human rights as basic principles;
Amendment 102 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recognises however that most of the world's poor people are now in middle- income countries, and a new development paradigm must reflect this new reality and the implementation of development programmes should be target both poor people and poor countries;
Amendment 116 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls to protect the development focus and nature of ODA including a transparent and accountable reporting system;
Amendment 117 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Invites EU member states to use revenues from innovative financing mechanisms, such as the EU Financial Transaction Tax, to invest in key global public goods, such as health, education and climate change;
Amendment 118 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls for EU and its member states to recognise the added value provided by pooled funding mechanism, including in terms of reduced fragmentation and transaction costs and increased impact and predictability of international aid, and promote their role in the future SDGs framework;
Amendment 122 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that ODA should remain the standard measure of financial efforts made; supports the inclusion of concessional loans based on calculation of their grant equivalents, despite due consideration of total official support for development, further recognises that concessional loans might not be suitable for investments in social sectors such as health and education, and encourages the need of impact assessments before accepting respective use;
Amendment 125 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls for achieving OEDC DAC recommendation of reaching an average grant element in total ODA of 86%;
Amendment 126 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes that scarce ODA resources should be targeted at where they have the greatest development additionality, not to where they can make the greatest financial return;
Amendment 127 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Commends efforts in developing a new statistical measure that focuses on sustainable development, and stresses the need of including poverty, gender and age markers as statistical tools to measure the impact of aid activities;
Amendment 132 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the EU and its Member States to promote an aid effectiveness agenda by reducing aid fragmentation through greater coordination between different aid mechanisms and donorsboosting partner country ownership, alignment with partner countries development strategies, mutual accountability and donor harmonization by reducing aid fragmentation through greater coordination between different aid mechanisms and donors; a clear timetable to meet their commitments on development effectiveness, including commitments to untying aid must be promote;
Amendment 145 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that domestic resource mobilisation must be a key source of financing for all developed and developing countries; emphasises the need for robust, far and progressive tax systems that are pro-poor and aligned with human rights and gender equality obligations;
Amendment 158 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for the EU and its Member States to take effective actions to actively crack down on tax havens, tax evasion and illicit financial flows; supports the setting-up of an intergovernmental body for tax cooperation under the auspices of the UN with effective participation of developing countries, rather than seeing OECD as the only relevant forum;
Amendment 176 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the decisive importance of good governance, the rule of law, institutional framework and regulatory instruments; especially supports investment in capacity-building, education, health - including of existing commitments, such as the Abuja declaration-, public services, social protection and the fight against poverty and inequality, including in terms of gender; recognises the need for infrastructures and selective public investments, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources, including by the extractive industries; urges the need to finish the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals and give priority to those areas that were not sufficiently resourced or advanced;
Amendment 177 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls for spill over analysis to study possible profit shifting practices;
Amendment 190 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls for greater financing of research and development in science, technology and innovation in developing countries; urges the promotion of research and development that can advance progress against complex challenges and towards global public goods, such as technology and innovation for health;
Amendment 198 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 206 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Underlines that current EU practices to leverage private finance with ODA have proved to be ineffective due to lack of clarity on additionally, transparency, accountability, ownership and alignment with country priorities, debt sustainability and consequently development impact; the development impact of blended finance has not yet been sufficiently demonstrated and increasing the loan component in development finance can lead to serious debt later on;
Amendment 207 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Notes that the role of private sector in development has increased to support political priorities in a period of diminishing aid budgets and considers that EU engagement with the private sector in development must be subject to internationally agreed development effectiveness principles;
Amendment 222 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 228 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 232 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that PPPs may be problematic as the financial risks are often disproportionately carried by the public sector, whereas profits are enjoyed by private investors;
Amendment 234 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports increased market access for developing countries, especially LDCs, while respecting developing country policy space for the maintenance of robust import tariffs as it can strengthen the private sector and create incentives for reform; urges the Commission to ensure that trade and investment agreements, especially with developing countries, LDCs and fragile states, are aligned with the SDGs; emphasises that such agreements should be subjected to SDG impact assessments; supports the Commission’s suggestion of updating its Aid for Trade Strategy in light of the outcomes of the post-2015 negotiations;
Amendment 238 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls that untying aid is a necessary for opening up opportunities for developing country socio-economic actors, such as local firms or technical assistance experts and calls for boosting the use of developing country procurement systems as the first option for aid programmes in support of activities managed by the public sector to enhance local private sector;
Amendment 239 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. CHighlights the positive contribution of the migrants to the development of their countries of origin and calls for more effective and innovative cooperation in migration policy between origin and destination countries; draws attention to the significant and growing financial flows represented by remittances; calls for further efforts to bring down transfer costs, as remittances are an important source of financing for development;
Amendment 254 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls to not undermine the policy space of those countries to take development-related decisions that are suitable for their own national context and respond to the demands of their populations;
Amendment 256 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Insists that sustainable debt solutions must be facilitated through a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring processes with a view to alleviating the debt burden; and urges the EU to engage constructively in the UN negotiations leading to this framework; also urges the EU to push for the implementation of the UNCTAD principles of responsible sovereign debt transactions for both borrowers and lenders;
Amendment 259 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Call for a human needs based approach to debt sustainability through a binding set of standards to define responsible lending and borrowing, debt audits and fair debt workout mechanism, which should assess the legitimacy and the sustainability of countries’ debt burdens and possible cancellation of unsustainable an unjust debt;
Amendment 263 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for a review of international organisations’ programmes and instruments of financial assistance for development in order to align them with the new SDGs; urges, notably, the European Investment Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to increase low-income countries’ levels of access to their concessional facilities and to gear their resources more closely to the needs of developing countries, including through mutually effective pro-poor lending facilities without imposing any conditionality to the developing countries that could undermine their sovereignty on macro-economic policy;
Amendment 266 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls for women being recognised as development actors and enablers, therefore, insist on the need to adopt gender budgeting principles and methodologies, in order to address the different needs and interests of women and men so gender equality and women empowerment is boosted;
Amendment 267 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Encourages the adequate representation of developing countries in global economic governance that is gender-balanced;
Amendment 268 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Recalls that international trade agreements should not undermine poor people’s livelihoods and should instead support the gender equality agenda;
Amendment 269 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Calls for policy areas that impact upon development, including trade, security, migration, energy, environment and climate change, agriculture and fisheries policy, to respond to Policy Coherence for Development and be aligned with development objectives.
Amendment 285 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Defends that the new global partnership can only be inclusive and universal through the disaggregation of data by sex, age and other relevant characteristics; urges the need of investing in the capacities of national statistics offices and in filling key data and research gaps, for institutionalising data disaggregation and analysis;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stress that EU trade and investment policies are interlink with social protection, development, human rights and environment policies; Calls on the Commission to respect the principle of Policy Coherence for Development in all external policies and specifically to include it in all treaties and develop legally binding mechanisms to ensure it;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development, which confirms the right to development as an inalienable human right; calls on the EU to respect the sovereignty of developing countries in setting policies aimed at responding to the demands of their populations, for human rights and dignityensuring people dignity and obligations and duties of all investors in order to guarantee internationally agreed social, environmental and human rights standards;
Amendment 8 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to promote binding measures to ensure that multinational corporations pay taxes in the countries in which their profits are generated and to promote compulsory country-by-country reporting by the private sector, thus enhancing domestic resource mobilisation capacities of countries;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Finds regrettable the significant lack of adequate information and transparency as regards the actions of corporations and their impact on social and environmental standards and human rights; calls for an effective increase in the transparency of corporations and for independent ex-ante impact analysis prior to the signing of any trade agreement; calls for a new monitoring and enforcement mechanism to ensure corporations comply with social, environmental and human rights standards;
Amendment 27 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. 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; finds it regrettable that current human rights clauses in free trade agreements and other economic partnership agreements are ineffective and are usually not respected; urges the Commission to further promote binding initiatives for responsible mining, logging and sourcing of commodities so as toand private sustainability-bound schemes throughout supply chains and to step-up environmental and social product and process life cycle analysis so as to improve consumers information and to effectively ensure the accountability of companies;
Amendment 29 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls for the EU to follow UNCTAD´s Comprehensive Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development recommendations to ensure responsible transparent and accountable investments to not undermine social and environmental standards, human rights, development and people´s dignity, while guarantee respect of human rights, gender equality, decent work, union rights, environmental protection, social protection, universal access to quality goods and public services (paying particular attention to public and universal health coverage), social protection, universal access to medicines, and food and product safety;
Amendment 32 #
2015/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the EU and Member States to engage actively in the work of the UN’s Human Rights Council on an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses.
Amendment 9 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) National authorities carrying out coastguard functions are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including but not limited to maritime safety, security, search and rescue, border control, fisheries control, customs control, general law enforcement and environmental protection. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency should therefore strengthen their cooperation both with each other and with the national authorities carrying out coastguard functions to increase maritime situational awareness as well as to support coherent andcy, cost-efficient actioncy and full respect of human rights in their actions and activities.
Amendment 10 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) This cooperation, which is based on exchange of information and the provision of technical support and equipment to the national authorities carrying out coast guard functions, should be subject to close supervision of the European Commission.
Amendment 12 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 1
Article 1 – point 1
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002
Article 2 – paragraph 4 a
Article 2 – paragraph 4 a
4a. The Agency shall cooperate with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the European Fisheries Control Agency to support the national authorities carrying out coastguard functions by providing services, information, equipment and training, as well as by coordinating multipurpose operations. In doing so, the Agency must ensure full compliance with human rights, migration and asylum obligations and commitments.
Amendment 14 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002
Article 2 b – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 2 b – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) capacity building by elaborating guidelines, recommendations and best practices as well as by supporting the training and exchange of staff, with a view to enhancing the exchange of information and cooperation on coastguard functions, the search and rescue operational capability and the compliance with human rights, migration and asylum obligations and commitments;
Amendment 16 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002
Article 2 b – paragraph 2
Article 2 b – paragraph 2
2. The modalities, conditions and limits of the cooperation on coastguard functions of the Agency with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the European Fisheries Control Agency shall be determined in a working arrangement, in accordance with tby the Commission and submitted to the European Parliament and the Council for approval. The financial rules generally applicable to theUnion agencies shall apply to the Agency.
Amendment 17 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002
Article 2 b – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 2 b – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The complete compliance with human rights, migration and asylum obligations and commitments, as well as the safety and security of commercial ships, crew and passengers must be guaranteed in every activity of the agencies involved.
Amendment 18 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002
Article 2 b – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 2 b – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. To this end, the European Asylum Support Office and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights shall elaborate an action protocol, evaluate the compliance with Union and international law and cooperate in staff training.
Amendment 19 #
2015/0313(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002
Article 2 b – paragraph 2 c (new)
Article 2 b – paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Additionally, the guidelines issued by the International Maritime Organisation and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on the treatment of people rescued at sea shall be fully respected 1a . __________________ 1a Resolution MSC.167(78) of the International Maritime Organisation and ‘Rescue at Sea: A guide to principles and practice as applied to migrants and refugees’.
Amendment 18 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) National authorities carrying out coast guard functions are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including but not limited to maritime safety, security, search and rescue, border control, fisheries control, customs control, general law enforcement and environmental protection. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the European Fisheries Control Agency established by Council Regulation (EC) No 768/2005 and the European Maritime Safety Agency established by Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council should therefore strengthen their cooperation both with each other and with the national authorities carrying out coast guard functions to increase maritime situational awareness as well as to support coherent andce, cost-efficient actioncy and full respect of human rights in their actions and activities.
Amendment 38 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 51 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 51 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Agency shall cooperate with the Commission, other Union institutions, the European External Action Service, Europol, the European Asylum Support Office, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Eurojust, the European Union Satellite Centre, the European Maritime Safety Agency and the European Fisheries Control Agency as well as other Union, agencies, bodies, offices in matters covered by this Regulation, and in particular with the objectives of ensuring the fulfilment of human rights, migration and asylum obligations and commitments, and preventing and combating irregular immigration and cross-border crime including the facilitation of irregular immigration, trafficking in human being and terrorism.
Amendment 41 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 52 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 52 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) capacity building by elaborating guidelines, recommendations and best practices as well as by supporting the training and exchange of staff, with a view to enhancing the exchange of information and cooperation on coast guard functions;, the search and rescue operational capability and the compliance with human rights, migration and asylum obligations and commitments.
Amendment 43 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 52 – paragraph 2
Article 52 – paragraph 2
2. The modalities, conditions and limits of the cooperation on coast guard functions of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency with the European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency shall be determined in a working arrangement, in accordance with the fby the Commission and submitted to Parliament and the Council for approval. Financial rules applicable to the Agencies shall apply.
Amendment 44 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 52 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 52 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The complete compliance with human rights, migration and asylum obligations and commitments, as well as the safety and security of commercial ships, crew and passengers must be guaranteed in every activity of the agencies involved.
Amendment 45 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 52 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 52 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. To this end, the European Asylum Support Office and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights shall elaborate an action protocol, evaluate the fulfilment of EU and international law and cooperate in staff training.
Amendment 46 #
2015/0310(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 52 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Article 52 – paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Additionally, the guidelines issued by the International Maritime Organisation and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on the treatment of people rescued at sea shall be fully respected1a. __________________ 1aResolution MSC.167(78) of the International Maritime Organisation and ‘Rescue at Sea: A guide to principles and practice as applied to migrants and refugees’.
Amendment 249 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) A high and uniform level of civil aviation safety and environmental protection should be ensured at all times through the adoption of common safety rulesand environmental rules based on the precautionary principle and by measures ensurguaranteeing that anyll goods, persons and organisations involved in civil aviation activity in the Union comply with such rules and with those adopted to protect the environment.
Amendment 252 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Ambitious measures are required to ensure the aviation sector contributes to the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Amendment 279 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Union should also lay down essential requirements for the safe provision of ground handling services., based on existing standards and guidelines. (identical to rapporteur's amendment 7.)
Amendment 322 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45
Recital 45
(45) In the interests of transparency, interested parties, including civil society and trade union representatives, should be given observer status within the Management Board of the Agency.
Amendment 336 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 57
Recital 57
(57) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission should consult the Agency, the experts from the voting States represented on the Management Board and the advisory body established under Article 85. It should take into account the opinion expressed by those consultative bodies and refrain from adopting accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament delegated act in cases where a majority of the experts and of the Council15 Agency object. __________________ 15 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).
Amendment 364 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new)
(ha) promoting social sustainability and addressing interdependencies between aviation safety and socio-economic factors
Amendment 371 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
(ga) identifying measures to mitigate, where is the case, socio-economic risks to aviation safety
Amendment 427 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) lay down, where possible and appropriate, requirements in a manner which focuses on objectives to be achieved, while allowing different means of achieving compliance with these objectiveslaying down conditions for organizations to allow them making use of defined different means of achieving compliance with these objectives; In preparing and enacting such measures, the Member States, the Commission and the Agency shall: - assess the system maturity at European, national and organisation level, prior to implementing a performance-based scheme; - ensure that the safety culture of the organisations concerned is assessed, including the organisation's adherence to Just Culture principles and the full involvement of front-end safety professionals; - ensure that the organisations concerned allocate adequate resources in terms of safety management and reporting systems and that the competent authority concerned allocates adequate resources to guarantee effective performance-based oversight;
Amendment 433 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) take into account interdependencies between aviation safety and socio-economic factors in aviation; (To be a new point e;)
Amendment 488 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 1
Article 20 – paragraph 1
1. Unless otherwise established by delegated acts adopted pursuant to Article 25, pPilots shall be subject to certification and shall be issued with a pilot licence and a pilot medical certificate appropriate to the operation to be performed.
Amendment 491 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 1
Article 21 – paragraph 1
Cabin crew involved in commercial air transport operations shall be subject to certification and shall be issued with an attestation. certificate. (Identical to rapporteur's amendment 64.)
Amendment 495 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Where the delegated acts adopted pursuant to Article 25 so provide, cabin crew involved in operations other than commercial air transport shall also be subject to certification and shall be issued with an attestation. certificate. (Identical to rapporteur's amendment 65.)
Amendment 496 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 3
Article 21 – paragraph 3
Those attestationcertificates shall be issued upon application, when the applicant has demonstrated that he or she complies with the rules established by delegated acts adopted pursuant to Article 25 to ensure compliance with the essential requirements referred to in Article 19 on theoretical knowledge, practical skill and medical fitness. (Identical to rapporteur's amendment 66.)
Amendment 601 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 39 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 39 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. For the provision of ATM/ANS, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts or implementing acts in accordance with Article 117 to lay down detailed rules with regard to:
Amendment 608 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 41 – paragraph 2
Article 41 – paragraph 2
2. The air traffic controller licence referred to in paragraph 1 shall be issued upon application, when the applicant for the licence has demonstrated that he or she complies with the rules established by delegated acts or implementing acts adopted pursuant to Article 44 to ensure compliance with the essential requirements referred to in Article 40 regarding theoretical knowledge, practical skill, language proficiency and experience.
Amendment 610 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 41 – paragraph 3
Article 41 – paragraph 3
3. The medical certificate referred to in paragraph 1 shall be issued upon application, when the air traffic controller has demonstrated that he or she complies with the rules established by delegated acts or implementing acts adopted pursuant to Article 44 to ensure compliance with the essential requirements referred to in Article 40 on medical fitness.
Amendment 613 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 2
Article 42 – paragraph 2
That certificate shall be issued upon application, when the applicant has demonstrated that it complies with the rules established by delegated acts or implementing acts adopted pursuant to Article 44 to ensure compliance with the essential requirements referred to in Article 40.
Amendment 615 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 43 – paragraph 2
Article 43 – paragraph 2
That certificate shall be issued upon application, when the applicant has demonstrated that he or she complies with the rules established by delegated acts or implementing acts adopted pursuant to Article 44 to ensure compliance with the essential requirements referred to in Article 40.
Amendment 619 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 44 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 44 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. For air traffic controllers, as well as persons and organisations involved in the training, testing, checking or medical assessment of air traffic controllers, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts or implementing acts in accordance with Article 117 to lay down detailed rules with regard to:
Amendment 625 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 44 – paragraph 2
Article 44 – paragraph 2
2. As regards air traffic controllers, persons and organisations involved in the training, testing, checking or medical assessment of air traffic controllers, as well as synthetic training devices, the Commission shall be empowered, by means of delegated acts or implementing acts adopted in accordance with Article 117, to amend or supplement Annex VIII, where necessary for reasons of technical, operational or scientific developments or safety evidence related to the training organisations and air traffic controllers, in order and to the extent necessary to achieve the objectives laid down in Article 1.
Amendment 692 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 53 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 53 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
In relation to the exercise of that responsibility, the provisions of Chapters II and IV and Articles 120 and 121, as well as the applicable provisions of the national law of the Member State to which the responsibility is transferred shall apply. The national law of the state that the responsibility has transferred from shall continue to apply in respect of any criminal proceedings against any organisation, operator, personnel, aircraft, flight simulation training devices or aerodromes.
Amendment 695 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 53 – paragraph 3
Article 53 – paragraph 3
3. The Agency or a Member State, as applicable, shall only agree to the transfer of responsibilities referred to in paragraphs 1 or 2 when it is satisfied and demonstrates that it can effectively exercise the transferred responsibility in compliance with this Regulation and the delegated and implementing acts adopted on the basis thereof, and has the necessary resources to do so.
Amendment 710 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 53 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
Article 53 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
The Agency shall make available, through the repository established under Article 63, a list of Member States that have transferred certain responsibilities in accordance with this Article. That list shall include details about the responsibilities transferred, allowing for the clear identification of the responsibilities after the transfer and of the affected organisations, operators, personnel, aircraft, flight simulation training devices or aerodromes, as applicable. The list shall also detail appropriate points of contact and detailed procedures on how it intends to discharge those responsibilities transferred within the state concerned.
Amendment 727 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 54 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 54 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Where the organisations referred to in the first and second subparagraph make such a request, they shall informconsult the national competent authorities of the Member States in which they have their principal places of business.
Amendment 731 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 54 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 54 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 732 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 54 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 54 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Where the Agency considers and demonstrates that it can effectively exercise the responsibilities for the certification, oversight and enforcement, as requested, in compliance with this Regulation and the delegated acts adopted on the basis thereof, and demonstrates that it has the necessary resources to do so, it shall establish, jointly with the Member State or Member States concerned, as applicable, a transition plan that ensures an orderly transfer of those responsibilities. The organisations that requested the transfer, including the stakeholders concerned, shall be consulted on this transition plan before it is finalised.
Amendment 758 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 59 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 59 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Where the duration of the measures referred to in paragraph 1 exceeds eighttwo consecutive months or where a Member State has taken the same measures repetitively and their total duration exceeds eight months, the Agency shall assess whether the conditions of paragraph 1 have been met and issue, within three months from the date of the reception of the notification referred to in paragraph 1, a recommendation to the Commission as regards the outcome of that assessment. The Agency shall include that recommendation in the repository established under Article 63.
Amendment 764 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 60 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 60 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Where the duration of the exemptions referred to in paragraph 1 exceeds eighttwo consecutive months or where a Member State has granted the same exemptions repetitively and their total duration exceeds eighttwo months, the Agency shall assess whether the conditions of paragraph 1 have been met and issue, within three months from the date of the reception of the notification referred to in paragraph 1, a recommendation to the Commission as regards the outcome of that assessment. The Agency shall include that recommendation in the repository established under Article 63.
Amendment 769 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 60 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 60 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Where a Member State considers that the compliance with the applicable essential requirements set out in the Annexes can be demonstrated by other means than those laid down in the delegated and implementing acts adopted on the basis of this Regulation, and that those means present significant advantages in terms of civil aviation safety or of efficiency for the persons subject to this Regulation or for the authorities concerned, it may submit to the Commission and the Agency, through the repository established under Article 63, a reasoned request for amendment ofto grant a derogation from the delegated or implementing act concerned so as to allow for the use of those other means.
Amendment 775 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 61 – paragraph 2
Article 61 – paragraph 2
2. The Agency shall coordinate at Union level the gathering, exchange and analysis of information on matters falling within the scope of this Regulation. For that purpose, the Agency may enter into administrative arrangements with legal and natural persons subject to this Regulation, or associations of such persons, on information gathering, exchange and analysis. The arrangements should provide, as far as possible, existing channels, avoiding additional burden. (Identical to rapporteur's amendment 152.)
Amendment 799 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 65 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Article 65 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
The Agency may grant exemptions to any legal or natural person to whom it has issued a certificate in the situations and subject to the conditions set out in Article 60(1). In such a case, the Agency shall immediately notify the Commission and the Member States, through the repository established under Article 63, of the exemptions granted, the reasons for granting them and, where applicable, the necessary mitigation measures applied. Where the duration of an exemption exceeds eighttwo consecutive months or where the Agency has granted the same exemption repetitively and their total duration exceeds eighttwo months, the Commission shall assess whether those conditions have been met, and where it considers that this is not the case, it shall adopt an implementing decision to that effect, which shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and entered into the repository established under Article 63. The Agency shall immediately revoke the exemption upon the notification of that implementing decision.
Amendment 804 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 65 – paragraph 6
Article 65 – paragraph 6
6. The Agency shall react without undue delay to an urgent safety problem falling within the scope of this Regulation and its area of competence by determining corrective action to be taken by national competent authorities or legal and natural persons subject to the provisions of this Regulation and by disseminating relto safeguard the objectives set out in Article 1. The Agency shall disseminated information on the corrective action to those national competent authorities and persons, including directives or recommendations, where this is necessary to safeguard the objectives seto those persons for which it is the competent oaut in Article 1hority.
Amendment 826 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 72 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 72 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The fines and periodic penalty payments referred to in paragraph 1 shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. They shall be set taking account ofcalculated on the basis of the turnover achieved by the legal or natural person concerned through the activities concerned by the violation, and shall be proportionate to the gravity of the case, and in particular the extent to which safety or protection of the environment has been compromised, and to the economic capacity of the legal or natural person concerned. (Identical to rapporteur's amendment 191)
Amendment 827 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 72 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 72 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
The amount of the fines shall not exceed 4 % of the annual income or turnover ofachieved by the legal or natural person concerned through the activities concerned by the violation. The amount of the periodic penalty shall not exceed 2.5 % of the average daily income or turnover of the legal or natural person concerned.
Amendment 830 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 72 – paragraph 3
Article 72 – paragraph 3
Amendment 832 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 72 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 72 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Prior to any of the provisions of this article being enacted an assessment of the Text Proposed by the Commission Proposed Amendment The Agency shall make available, through the repository established under Article 63, a list of Member States that have transferred certain responsibilities in accordance with this Article. That list shall include details about the responsibilities transferred, allowing for the clear identification of the responsibilities after the transfer and of the affected organisations, operators, personnel, aircraft, flight simulation training devices or aerodromes, as applicable. The Agency shall take account of the transferred responsibilities when conducting inspections and other monitoring activities in accordance with Article 73. The Agency shall make available, through the repository established under Article 63, a list of Member States that have transferred certain responsibilities in accordance with this Article. That list shall include details about the responsibilities transferred, allowing for the clear identification of the responsibilities after the transfer and of the affected organisations, operators, personnel, aircraft, flight simulation training devices or aerodromes, as applicable. The list shall also detail appropriate points of contact and detailed procedures on how it intends to discharge those responsibilities transferred within the state concerned. The Agency shall take account of the transferred responsibilities when conducting inspections and other monitoring activities in accordance with Article 73. infringement of para 1 shall be made against the content and principles regulation 376/2014 and article 62. This shall include an assessment against the principles of Just Culture.
Amendment 838 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 73 a (new)
Article 73 a (new)
Article 73a Common certification and oversight culture The Agency shall play an active role in building a common certification and oversight culture and consistent authority practises in order to ensure that the Objectives of Article 1 are fulfilled. The Agency shall carry out, taking into consideration the results of its monitoring activities, at least the following activities: a) organise a system of peer reviews of competent authorities aimed at capability building and knowledge transfer b) provide the necessary coordination to enable personnel exchanges between national authorities c) consult all the relevant stakeholders as necessary on the progress of this process (To be a new Article 73.)
Amendment 840 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 74 – paragraph 1
Article 74 – paragraph 1
1. The Agency shall assist the Commission to recognize the priority research themes in order to contribute to the continuous progress of aviation safety and security and to facilitate the free movement of goods and persons and improving the competitiveness of the Union's aviation industry. In addition, the Agency shall assist the Member States and the Commission in identifying key research themes in the field of civil aviation to contribute to ensuring consistency and coordination between publicly funded research and development and policies falling within the scope of this Regulation.
Amendment 895 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 76 a (new)
Article 76 a (new)
Article 76a [NEW Article 77] Socio-Economic Factors 1. The Member States, the Commission, the Agency and other bodies, shall, within their respective fields of competence, cooperate on social and employment matters, with a view to ensuring that interdependencies between civil aviation safety and socio-economic factors are taken into account, among others in regulatory processes, as well as with a view of identifying measures to mitigate socio-economic risks to aviation safety. 2. The Agency shall consult and involve EU social partners when addressing such interdependencies, as well as other relevant stakeholders. In order to inform interested parties and the general public, the Agency shall, every three years, publish a social sustainability review, which shall give an objective account of the actions and measures undertaken, in particular those addressing the interdependencies between civil aviation safety and socio-economic factors. (TO BE A NEW ARTICLE 77.)
Amendment 911 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 80 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 80 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The Agency shall, upon request, and within its field of competence provide technical assistance to the Commission, where the Agency has the relevant expertise, in the implementation of the Single European Sky, in particular by:
Amendment 921 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 85 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 85 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) adopt its Rules of Procedure and the Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board;
Amendment 926 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 85 – paragraph 4
Article 85 – paragraph 4
4. The Management Board shall establish an advisory body representing the full range of interested parties affected by the work of the Agency, including trade union and civil society representatives, which it shall consult prior to making decisions in the fields referred to in paragraph 2(c), (e), (f) and (i)covered by the regulation. The Management Board may also decide to consult the advisory body on other issues referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3. The Management Board shall not, in any case, be bound by the opinion of the advisory body.
Amendment 936 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 90
Article 90
Amendment 942 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 91 – paragraph 3 – point l
Article 91 – paragraph 3 – point l
(l) preparing an action plan following up conclusions of internal or external audit reports and evaluations, as well as investigations by OLAF, and reporting on progress twice a year to the Commission and regularly to the Management Board and the Executive Board;
Amendment 952 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 104 – paragraph 2
Article 104 – paragraph 2
2. When the Agency, pursuant to Article 65(1) and (3), develops opinions, certification specifications, acceptable means of compliance and guidance material, it shall establish a procedure for the prior consultation of the Member States. To that effect, it may create a working group in which each Member State is entitled to designate an expert. When consultation relating to military aspects is required, the Agency shall also involve the European Defence Agency. When consultation relating to the possible social impact of those measures of the Agency is required, the Agency shall involve stakeholders, includEU social partners and other relevant stakeholders and consult them ing the EU social partnerassessment of the possible social impact of those measures.
Amendment 955 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 104 – paragraph 2
Article 104 – paragraph 2
2. When the Agency, pursuant to Article 65(1) and (3), develops opinions, certification specifications, acceptable means of compliance and guidance material, it shall establish a procedure for the prior consultation of the Member States. To that effect, it may create a working group in which each Member State is entitled to designate an expert. When consultation relating to military aspects is required, the Agency shall also involve the European Defence Agency. When consultation relating to the possible social impact and/or occupational health and safety of those measures of the Agency is required, the Agency shall involve stakeholders, including the EU social partners.
Amendment 957 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 108 – paragraph 3
Article 108 – paragraph 3
3. The Agency shall translate safety- relevant material into the official languages of the Union where appropriatincluding Executive Director Decisions, Certification Specifications and Acceptable Means of Compliance. National competent authorities shall assist the Agency by effectively communicating relevant safety information within their respective jurisdictions and in their respective languages.
Amendment 979 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 113 – paragraph 1
Article 113 – paragraph 1
1. Not later than [five years after the date referred to in Article 127 – OP please insert the exact date], and every five years thereafter, the Commission shall commission an evaluation in compliance with the Commission guidelines to assess the Agency's performance in relation to its objectives, mandate and tasks. It shall also assess the impact of this Regulation, the Agency and its working practices in establishing a high level of civil aviation safety. The evaluation shall, in particular, address the possible need to modify the mandate of the Agency, and the financial implications of any such modification. The evaluation shall take into account the views of stakeholders at both European and national level.
Amendment 983 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 113 – paragraph 3
Article 113 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall forward the evaluation findings together with its conclusions, to the European Parliament, the Council and the Management Board. The findings of the evaluation and the recommendations shall be made public.
Amendment 991 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 117 – paragraph 2
Article 117 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 2(3)(d), Article 18, Article 25, Article 28, Article 34, Article 39, Article 44, Article 47, Article 50, Article 51(10), Article 52(5), Article 72(4) and Article 115(1) shall be conferred on the Commission following approval by the Agency and experts on the Management Board to ensure appropriate use of Delegated Acts. This power shall be conferred for an indeterminate period of time.
Amendment 1005 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 123 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point a
Article 123 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point a
Regulation 1008/2008
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Amendment 1009 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 125 – paragraph 1
Article 125 – paragraph 1
376/2014
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
However, this Regulation shall not apply to occurrences and other safety-related information involving unmanned aircraft for which a certificate or declaration is not required pursuant to Article 46(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) YYYY/N [ref. to new regulation], unless the occurrence or other safety-related information involving such unmanned aircraft resulted or could have resulted in a fatal or serious injury to a person or it involved aircraft other than unmanned aircraft.
Amendment 1058 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex V – point 7 – point 7.2
Annex V – point 7 – point 7.2
7.2. The pilot in command must have the authority to give all commands and take any appropriate actions for the purpose of securing the operation and the safety of the aircraft and of persons and/or property carried therein. The pilots must be able to exercise this authority without interference of economic or commercial considerations that could influence the operational safety decisions.
Amendment 1059 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex V – point 8 – point 8.1 – point b
Annex V – point 8 – point 8.1 – point b
(b) the operator must use only suitably qualified and trained personnel and implement and maintain training and checking programmes for the crew members and other relevant personnel; the operator must provide crew members with the training and checking necessary to ensure the currency of their licenses and to obtain and maintain the license ratings and the experience needed to operate the aircraft in which they perform their duties. Without prejudice to proportionate systems to ensure the operator a return on training investments, crewmembers must not operate an aircraft in commercial service while having to pay directly to the operator or indirectly to third parties for training that is necessary for the maintenance of their license and of the ratings required for the operation of the operator's aircraft.
Amendment 1081 #
2015/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex VIII – point 6 – point 6.2 a (new)
Annex VIII – point 6 – point 6.2 a (new)
6.2a. Personnel involved in safety related duties for the provision of air traffic management/air navigation services must be trained and checked on a regular basis to attain and maintain an adequate level of competency in order to perform their assigned safety duties. (To be a new point 7.)
Amendment 30 #
2015/0218(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
An annual duty free tariff quota of 35 000 tons is opened for imports into the Union of virgin olive oil originating in Tunisia and falling within CN codes 1509 10 10 and 1509 10 90. If this measure represents a threat to the Union olive oil market, the European Commission should have the right to suspend the Duty Free tariff rate quota of 35 000 tons of Tunisian olive oil imports and undertake measures to repair the distortion. The suspension should last, as long as needed for a return to normal conditions within the Union market.
Amendment 42 #
2015/0218(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The European Commission shall have an independent impact assessment carried out and conduct a mid-term review to analyse the impact of this measure and if there is any distortion in the Union olive oil market. The European Commission shall also assess the need for compensatory measures for Union producers.
Amendment 53 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, in the absence of a widely accepted definition, public-private partnerships (PPPs) can be defined as multi-stakeholder arrangements between private actors, public bodies and civil society organisations (CSOs), which seek to achieve a mutually beneficial public objective by means of sharing resources and/or expertise;
Amendment 55 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 57 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
Amendment 83 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)
Recital I c (new)
Ic. whereas global wealth is increasingly being concentrated in the hands of a small wealthy elite and it is expected that the richest 1% percent will own more than half of the global wealth by 2016;
Amendment 85 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I e (new)
Recital I e (new)
Ie. whereas fair and progressive taxation with welfare and social justice criteria plays a key role in reducing inequalities by shaping the redistribution of wealth from higher income citizens to those most in need in a country;
Amendment 86 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 95 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that EU trade, investment and development policies are interlinked and have a direct impact in the developing countries; reminds that Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty establishes the principle of policy coherence for development, requiring that the objectives of development cooperation be taken into account in policies that are likely to affect developing countries;
Amendment 99 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Reminds that Private finance cannot replace public finance as the private sector cannot substitute the role of governments in their obligation to safeguard human rights and to in providing public services like health, education, housing, sanitation and access to water;
Amendment 100 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Calls for more public investment in public services accessible for all, especially in the transport sector, access to drinking water, health and education;
Amendment 101 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
1h. Emphasises that the future partnerships within the post-2015 development agenda must have a greater focus on tackling poverty and inequality;
Amendment 102 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 i (new)
Paragraph 1 i (new)
1i. Highlight that although further finance is needed to face sustainable development challenges, the private sector potentialities for helping the achievement of sustainable development goals are limited since the pursuit of profits in social and basic services is incompatible with a sustainable development, especially in countries where market regulations and governments are weak and corruption is common;
Amendment 103 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 j (new)
Paragraph 1 j (new)
1j. Underlines that current EU practices to leverage private finance with official development aid (ODA) have proved to be ineffective due to lack of clarity on additionally, transparency, accountability, ownership and alignment with country priorities and debt sustainability risk;
Amendment 104 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that all partnerships and alliances with the private sector must focus on shared valuebe properly regulated, comply with international standards on development effectiveness, allying with developing countries development priorities thatand align business goals with the EU's development objectives; be co-designed and co-managed to ensure that risks, responsibilities and profits are shared; be cost-effectivewith developing countries; be pro-poor; and have precise development targets, clear accountability and transparency;
Amendment 109 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to develop a clear and concrete strategy to ensure private sector alignment to development priorities of national governments and civil society;
Amendment 110 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Calls on the European Commission to promote, support, and finance public- public-partnerships as the first option and to include mandatory and publicly available ex-ante poverty and social impact assessments when development programs are implemented together with the private sector;
Amendment 111 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Calls on the European Union to include formal consultation with civil society organisations and with communities directly and indirectly impacted by development projects;
Amendment 112 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Calls on the European Union to develop a robust due diligence mechanisms to enhance private sector role in development accountability;
Amendment 122 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Stress the risks of supporting EU companies through development aid given the need for additional development resources and the risk of increasing aid tied to the delivery of European goods and services;
Amendment 123 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 127 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EU to promote nationally-owned development strategies shaping private sector contribution to development by engaging with private sector in development framework that focuses on domestic cooperatives and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), micro enterprises, in particular, smallholder farmers as they offer the greatest potential to drive equitable development in countries;
Amendment 129 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Call on the EU to strengthen capacity of developing countries for domestic revenue mobilisation and fighting tax fraud and tax evasion;
Amendment 130 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 153 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 160 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up their efforts to promote the economic empowerment of women; notes that a savings-led approach to the financial inclusion of women has a proven track record; recommends a gender mainstreaming approach in all partnership programmes, combined with entrepreneurship training for women and youth;
Amendment 167 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights that the potential of the private sector's contribution to long-term sustainable development goes beyond its financial resources, and includes its experience and expertise, and the local establishment of value chains and distribution channels, resulting in job creation, increased reach and effectiveness, and increased access to commercially available and affordable products, services and technologyonly a properly regulated and accountable private sector could contribute to long-term sustainable development;
Amendment 184 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 188 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 194 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 205 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 214 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 218 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses that the use of PPPs have been problematic due to a lack of contract transparency, lack of assessing methodologies and lack of clear and transparent regulatory framework to prevent corruption;
Amendment 219 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Underlines that developing governments' capacities as regulators must be strengthened to successfully achieve a sustainable development based on distributive and social justice; stresses that, opposite to the negative impacts of PPPs, which allow private partners to have their risk almost completely covered by governments by transferring the business risk to the public sector, the increase of the public-public partnership is a mechanism to rehabilitate or improve government-operated infrastructure enterprises;
Amendment 220 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Notes that PPPs must not be the way to transfer the risk from rich private companies to taxpayers in poor countries;
Amendment 221 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16f. Rejects public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a mechanism which is used to enforce developing countries to privatise state-run utilities and transfer the responsibility for improving public services into private hands;
Amendment 224 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights that engagement with the enterprisprivate sector requires a flexible approach; recommends a differentiated approach with regards to least developed countries and fragile statewell regulated and accountable framework which ensures the compliance with the policy coherence for development principle, development effectiveness principles and with development policy objectives, concretely poverty and inequality reductions;
Amendment 228 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the criteria outlined in the Commission's communication on private sector and development, for the provision of direct support to the private sector; calls for the setting up of a clearly defined mandatory framework agreement governing all partnerships with the private sector that can confer the implementation benchmarks that need to be followed, and which are currently lacking in the Communicamust ensure the compliance with the policy coherence for development principle, development effectiveness principles and with development policy objectives, concretely poverty and inequality reductions;
Amendment 247 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the European institutions and bodies to establish a clear and, structured, transparent and accountable framework for governing partnerships and alliances with the private sector in developing countries;
Amendment 248 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls the EU and its Member States to develop a clear and concrete strategy to ensure private sector alignment to development priorities of national governments of developing countries;
Amendment 249 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls for the review of existing trade and investment agreements in order to identify all areas, especially intellectual property rights provisions, that may negatively affect development;
Amendment 250 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to promote concrete measures so transnational companies are taxed by the jurisdiction of the country where they source or produce the income;
Amendment 252 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for the setting up at EU level of sectorial, multi-stakeholder platforms, bringing together the private sector, CSOs, NGOs, think tanks, partner governments, donors and other stakeholders, in order to overcome the reservations and the lack of trust among partners; underlines in this respect the important role of EU delegations in the respective countries as a facilitator of such dialogues;
Amendment 258 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. WelcomeRejects the Commission's intention to expand the scope of blending to include areas beyond infrastructure, such as sustainable agriculture, social sectors and local private sector development; insists, however, that all blending operations must be fully consistent with development policy, making sure that it pursue the SDGs; calls on the Commission to strengthen its management capacities with regard to blending projects,without a robust, transparent and accountable framework which ensures alignment with development effectiveness principles and development objectives to ensure its development additionally is established as recommended by the Court of Auditors;
Amendment 260 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the EIB and other EU Member States´ Development Financial Institutions to urgently ensure that, in case companies receive their support, they do not participate in tax evasion by using offshore centres and tax havens;
Amendment 265 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for an expansion review of the current EIB external lending mandate, to increase its role in achieving sustainable development and, in particular, to take a more active part in the new private sector strategy – through blending, co-financing of projects and local private sector development – with a focus on low- income countries and fragile states; calls, furthermore, for greater transparency and accountability in partnerships and projects associated with the EIB in order to ensure alignment with development effectiveness principles and development objectives in order to increase its role in achieving sustainable development;
Amendment 268 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 269 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
Amendment 110 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) In order to address the challenges facing the maritime transport sector, it is essential that the actions on administrative simplifications set out in the Commission communication entitled 'Ports: an engine for growth' on administrative simplification be implemented in tandem with this Regulation. The complexity of administrative procedures for customs clearance, resulting in delays at ports, represents a major obstacle to the competitiveness of short sea shipping and the efficiency of Union ports.
Amendment 126 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
Amendment 131 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
Amendment 139 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In the interest of efficient, safe and environmentally sound port management, the managing body of the port should be able to require that port service providers can demonstrate that they meet minimum requirements to perform the service in an appropriate way. These minimum requirements should be limited to a clearly defined set of conditions concerning the professional qualifications of the operators, including in terms of training, and the the equipment needed in order to provide the relevant port service, and compliance with maritime safety requiprement required insofar as these requirements are transparent, non- discriminatory, objective and relevant for the provision of the port services. These minimum requirements should also take into account environmental requirements as well as national social standards and the good repute of the port service provider regarding the respect of social and labour rights, and compliance with the applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Amendment 145 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
Amendment 152 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
Amendment 168 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Member States should retain the power to ensure an adequate level of social protection for the staff of undertaking providing port services. This Regulation shall not affect the application of the social and labour rules of the Member States. In cases of limitation and should take into account Article 28 of the numbCharter of port service providers, wFundamental Rights of the European Union. Where the conclusion of a port service contract may entail a change of port service operator, it should be possible for the competent authorities to askthe Member States shall require the chosen service operator to apply the provisions of Council Directive 2001/23/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses11 . __________________ 11 OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 16. OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 16.
Amendment 175 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19 a (new)
Recital 19 a (new)
(19a) In a highly complex and dangerous sector such as port services, training of new recruits as well as lifelong training of staff are essential for ensuring dockworkers' health and safety, as well as the quality of services. Adequate training shall be a right for every worker entering the port sector. The EU-level Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Ports should be able to develop guidelines for the establishment of training requirements to ensure a high quality of education and training of dockworkers, to minimise the risk of accidents and to meet future skill requirements.
Amendment 177 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19 b (new)
Recital 19 b (new)
(19b) Developments in the maritime industry, such as the increasing size of vessels and overcapacity, aggravate the already fluctuating demand for dockworkers. In many ports this has resulted in an increase of casual work arrangements, which lead to precarious and unsocial working conditions. The Member States, together with the social partners, shall take measures to ensure employment continuity and social protection, despite the fluctuations in demand for dock labour, in accordance with the principles set out in the ILO Convention concerning the Social Repercussions of the New Methods of Cargo Handling in Docks (ILO Convention No. 137).
Amendment 228 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
Amendment 247 #
Amendment 280 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point 2
Article 2 – point 2
2. ‘cargo handling services’ means the organisation and handling of cargo between the carrying waterborne vessel and the shore be it for import, export or transit of the cargo, including the processing, lashing, unlashing, securing transporting and temporary storage of the cargo on the relevant cargo handling terminal and directly related to the transporting of the cargo, but excluding warehousing, stripping, repackaging or any other value added services related to the handled cargowithout prejudice to the definitions in place in the Member States;
Amendment 324 #
Amendment 327 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3
Article 3
Amendment 341 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. The managing body of the portWithout prejudice to the possibility of imposing public service obligations as provided for in Article 8, the managing body of the port or the competent national authority may require that providers of port services, including subcontractors, comply with minimum requirements to perform the corresponding port service.
Amendment 344 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The minimum requirements provided for in paragraph 1 may only relate, where applicable,relate to:
Amendment 347 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) the compliance with requirements on the maritime safety or the safety and security of the port or access to it, its installations, equipment, workers and persons;
Amendment 357 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
(da) the compliance with social and labour laws, including applicable collective agreements, and agreements on the protection of health and safety of workers;
Amendment 360 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point d b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point d b (new)
(db) the good repute of the port service provider with regard to the respect of social and labour rights, including the compliance with applicable Union and national law, with standards set by collective bargaining agreements and with agreements to protect health and safety, including accidental prevention.
Amendment 368 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. When a managing body of a port provides port services itself or through a legally distinct entity which it directly or indirectly controls, the competent national authority shall exercise the powers provided for in paragraph 1.
Amendment 383 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. BWithout prejudice to the different models for the organisation of port services and by way of derogation from Article 3, the managing body of the port or the competent national authority may limit the number of providers of port service for a given port service for one or several of the following reasons:
Amendment 393 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) the need to ensure the health and safety of workers, or the provision of secure or environmentally sustainable port operations;
Amendment 419 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 4
Article 6 – paragraph 4
4. When a managing body of a port provides port services itself or through a legally distinct entity which it directly or indirectly controls, the Member State may entrust the adoption of the decision limiting the number of providers of port services to an authority which is independent from the managing body of the port. If the Member State does not entrust the adoption of the decision limiting the number of providers of port services to such an authority, the number of providers shall not be less than two except if any of the reasons laid down in paragraph 1 justifies a single provider.
Amendment 425 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7
Article 7
Amendment 459 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) the health and safety of workers and the safety, security or environmental sustainability of ports operations.
Amendment 462 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(cb) the compliance with social and labour law, including applicable collective agreements.
Amendment 465 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. TWhile the obligations referred to in paragraph 1 shall be clearly defined, transparent, non- discriminatory, verifiable and shall guarantee equality of access to all port service providers established in the Union, they are not subject to restrictions by the Union.
Amendment 479 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 6
Article 8 – paragraph 6
6. In the event of a disruption of port services for which public service obligations are imposed or when an immediate risk of such a situation occurs, the competent authority may take an emergency measure. The emergency measure may take the form of a direct award so as to attribute the service to a different provider for a period up to one year. During that time period, the competent authority shall either launch a new procedure to select a provider of port service in accordance with Article 7 or shall apply Article 9.
Amendment 480 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Collective actions do not constitute a disruption of port services for which emergency measures can be taken.
Amendment 510 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation shall not affect the application of the social and labour rules of the Member States, including applicable collective agreements, of the Member State in which the port is located.
Amendment 517 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. Without prejudice to national and Union law including collective agreements between social partners, the managing bodies of the port may require the designated provider of port services appointed in accordance with the procedure established by Article 7, in the case where this provider is different from the incumbent provider of port services, to grant staff previously taken on by the incumbent provider of port servicesat European, national, regional or local level, the Member States shall require the designated provider of port services, in the case where this provider is different from the incumbent provider of port services and where the incumbent provider ceases its commercial operations, to respect the rights in terms of information and consultation of workers and to grant staff previously taken on by the incumbent provider of port services, irrespective of whether they perform their tasks on board vessels or on land for the services in question, the rights to which they would have been entitled if there had been a transfer within the meaning of Directive 2001/23/EC.
Amendment 520 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Article 10 – paragraph 3
3. Where mManaging bodies of the port require all providers of port services to comply with certainall social and labour standards as regards the provision of relevant port servicesset out in Union or national law including applicable collective agreements. To this end, tender documents and port service contracts shall list the staff concerned and give transparent details of their contractual rights and the conditions under which employees are deemed to be linked to the port services.
Amendment 521 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Working arrangement shall ensure the protection and continuation of employment in accordance with Member States rules and applicable collective agreements, and in line with ILO Convention No 137. Member States, in full cooperation with the social partners, shall take actions to ensure a balance between the fluctuation in demand for port work and the continuity and protection of employment.
Amendment 526 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10a Training and labour protection 1. The employer shall ensure that its employees receive the necessary training to acquire a sound knowledge of the conditions in which their work is conducted and that they are properly trained to tackle the hazards which the work may entail. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that such a principle is properly enforced. 2. In full respect of the autonomy of social partners, the EU-level Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Ports is invited to develop guidelines for the establishment of training requirements to prevent accidents and ensure the highest level of safety and health for dockworkers. Such training requirements shall be regularly updated in order to reduce on an ongoing basis the occurrence of accidents at the workplace. 3. Member States, in full cooperation with social partners, shall take measures in order to set up arrangements which ensure a balance between the fluctuation in the demand for port work and flexibility required by port operations, on the one hand, and continuity and protection of employment, on the other hand. 4. Without prejudice to national law and applicable collective agreements, the employer shall ensure that working time arrangements safeguard the health and safety of its employees and are in line with Directive 2003/88/EC.
Amendment 537 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
This Chapter, with the exception of Articles 4(2), 8(6), 10, and the transitional provisions of Article 24 shall not apply to cargo handling services and, passenger services, pilotage and towage.
Amendment 632 #
2013/0157(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The managing body of the port shall regularly consult stakeholders such as trade unions, the local community, environmental organisations, the local business community, undertakings established in the port, providers of port services, operators of waterborne vessels, cargo owners, land transport operators and public administrations operating in the port area on the following: