384 Amendments of Hannah NEUMANN
Amendment 11 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to the EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in External Action 2021- 2025 (GAP III),
Amendment 16 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders ; adopted in 2004, updated in 2008 and further specified with a 2020 guidance note on the Guidelines' implementation,
Amendment 60 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the geopolitical context in which the EU is operating has accentuated the need for more ambitious, credible and unified EU action on the world stage and has highlighted the necessity for Member States to demonstrate the required political will to redefine the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) into a fully fledged EU policy; whereas the EU should be guided in its external action by the values and principles enshrined in Article 2, Article 3 (5) and Article 21 TEU, which have inspired the EU’s own creation, development and enlargement; whereas the EUuropean Union should correspondingly stand up for the universal values, norms and principles such as freedom and democratic standards worldwide, as well as the universality of human rightshuman rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 66 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas this report first reviews the VP/HR’s annual CFSP report and subsequently complements it with Parliament’s positions on the CFSP objectives in 2025; whereas in so doing, the report expands particularly on (1) the global consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, (2) conflict and peace in the Middle East, (3) cooperation with like-minded partners and (4) the general visibility of EU action abroad; whereas Parliament’s forward- looking CFSP position is ultimately underlined by key demands concerning the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and the parliamentary oversight of the MFF; whereas there is a need to defend and strengthen the rules-based international order, the universal norms, values and principles of the UN Charter such as human rights and international justice, multilateralism, and the Helsinki Final Act in particular as regards the non-violation of international borders;
Amendment 74 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) are our main allies when it comes to defending and promoting human rights abroad; whereas HRDs are increasingly at risk of attacks and threats from state and non-state actors; whereas Parliament has consistently called for a proper and coordinated implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders (2008); whereas the Member States, alongside the EU institutions, should implement the Guidelines, which include a range of specific commitments, such as regular reporting, coordination and action in support of HRDs;
Amendment 106 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – indent 1
Paragraph 2 – indent 1
– the successful finalisation of the screening process for Albania at the end of 2023; reiterates the call for entering into the next phase of negotiations without further delay; highlights the need to further intensify reforms to address deficiencies that persist regarding the ‘fundamentals’; commends the country’s consistent, full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy and promotion of the rules-based international order, including EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus;
Amendment 117 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – indent 2
Paragraph 2 – indent 2
– the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina; encourages the authorities to take all of the relevant steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 12 October 2022, including bringing the Constitution in line with the European Convention on Human Rights, complying with the Sejdić-Finci and related rulings, such as the Kovačević ruling; deplores the recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist laws and policies of the leadership of the entity ‘Republika Srpska’ and recalls in this context the importance of EUFOR Althea being visibly presen entity and reiterates in this context its call for a thorough assessment of the security situation and capabilities on the ground and for the consideration of deploying personnel and additional capacities for EUFOR Althea also to the Brčko district;
Amendment 125 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – indent 3
Paragraph 2 – indent 3
– the progress in the Belgrade- Pristina Dialogue, especially in the areas of freedom of movement and energy; regrets the lack of progress in the implementation of the path to normalisation and calls for efforts to be made and capacity to be put into normalising relations and developing the EU-facilitated dialogue; regrets that the unjustified sanctions against Kosovo have not been lifted despite the HRVP’s recommendation to do so and urges the Member states to lift the sanctions immediately; regrets the biased approach of the EU towards Serbia despite its yearlong roll-back on rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, thus further transforming into an authoritarian regime, its numerous disruptive actions in the region and its non-alignment with the CFSP sanctions; reiterates its position that accession negotiations with Serbia should advance only if the country makes significant progress on its EU-related reforms, in particular in the area of the ‘fundamentals’ (judiciary and fundamental rights, justice, freedom and security, public procurement, statistics, financial control) and aligns with EU sanctions against Russia;
Amendment 140 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – indent 5
Paragraph 2 – indent 5
– the successful finalisation of the screening process for North Macedonia at the end of 2023; and calls for entering into the next phase of negotiations without further delay; calls on the North Macedonia Government to work constructively with neighbouring countries to remove remaining obstacles to move forward with accession negotiationgovernment and the neighbouring countries to work constructively together to remove remaining obstacles to move forward with accession negotiations, while reiterating that bilateral issues must be kept separate from the accession process;
Amendment 142 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – indent 5 a (new)
Paragraph 2 – indent 5 a (new)
– the constructive role that the local vibrant civil society plays in the EU integration processes; encourages the enlargement countries to provide an enabling space and appropriate framework for cooperation to ensure their meaningful involvement; underlines that civil society is vital in fostering democracy and pluralism and promoting good governance and social progress;
Amendment 233 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 4
Paragraph 3 – indent 4
– the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed by Hamas across Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered a conflict in Gaza that has a disproportionate and the disproportionate Israeli military response to these attacks, which have dramatic effects on civilians and caused a catastrophic humanitarian situationcrisis in Gaza;
Amendment 266 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 7
Paragraph 3 – indent 7
– the recent adoption of the law on the ‘promotion of virtue and prevention of vice’ in Afghanistan, as well as the systematic violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the extreme interpretation of sharia which erases women from public life, bars them from working, hinders their access to healthcare without being chaperoned by a male relative and to education beyond the sixth grade; demands from the de facto authorities of Afghanistan that all gender- based restrictions on women and all forms of gender apartheid be lifted and stresses that this must be a key condition for any engagement of the international community with the Taliban; insists on maintaining strict, conditional engagement with the Taliban based on the five benchmarks set by the Council for engaging with the de facto authorities and by holding the perpetrators of these grave violations of girls’ and women’s rights accountable, including through restrictive measures;
Amendment 300 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 9 a (new)
Paragraph 3 – indent 9 a (new)
– the fact that the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Iran and other totalitarian or authoritarian regimes use information manipulation and malign interference as integral instruments to exert pressure on multilateral institutions and democratic values and norms, to abuse power, to increase the incidence and severity of human rights violations, to constrict spaces for civil society, independent media and democratic opposition movements, to spread anti- Western disinformation and to use various forms of transnational repression to intimidate and constrict spaces for civil society, independent media and democratic opposition movements in the diaspora;
Amendment 303 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 9 b (new)
Paragraph 3 – indent 9 b (new)
– the increasing attacks, harassment, arbitrary detention, torture, and killings of human rights defenders (HRDs) worldwide, especially those advocating for environmental, indigenous, women’s, LGBTQI+, and anti-corruption rights; further notes the increasingly sophisticated tactics by state and non-state actors, including digital surveillance and smear campaigns, aimed at silencing HRDs;
Amendment 306 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 9 c (new)
Paragraph 3 – indent 9 c (new)
– attempts to circumvent EU and international sanctions, seeing these strategies as direct threats to the international rules-based order;
Amendment 314 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 10
Paragraph 3 – indent 10
– the authoritarian regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who are systematically undermining Nicaragua’s democratic structures; recalls that the regime in Nicaragua maintains strong ties with other autocracies, such as those in Iran, Venezuela and Cuba; condemns, in the strongest terms, the systematic human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by the Cuban regime; strongly condemns and fully rejects the electoral fraud orchestrated by the regime in Venezuela and demands that the Maduro government cease its policy of repression and attacks on civil society and the opposition;
Amendment 415 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – indent 7 a (new)
Paragraph 4 – indent 7 a (new)
– the urgent and ongoing need to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through all EU external action, in line with the 2021-2025 Gender Action Plan, especially in light of the current global rollback of women's rights; emphasizes that at the current rate of progress, achieving gender equality worldwide will take another 131 years, underscoring the critical importance of accelerating efforts to safeguard and advance women's rights and opportunities;
Amendment 417 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – indent 7 b (new)
Paragraph 4 – indent 7 b (new)
– the urgent need to protect human rights defenders (HRDs), who play a critical role in upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law globally; calls for enhanced support and protection mechanisms for HRDs facing threats, harassment, and violence, especially those in high-risk areas or working on sensitive issues such as environmental, indigenous, and women’s rights;
Amendment 420 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that the rise of China remains one of the primary geopolitical challenges of the 21st century and notes that the relationship between the EU and the PRC is increasingly characterised by economic competition and systemic rivalry; reiterates its requests for a renewed, more assertive, comprehensive and coherent EU-China strategy that shapes relations with the PRC in the interest of the EU as a whole and takes full account of the challenges stemming from the PRC’s rise as a global actor and its increasingly oppressive domestic policies and assertive foreign policy; highlights that the credibility of the EU’s approach to China very much depends on the willingness of the Member States to show a united position;
Amendment 421 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the VP/HR to promote a convincing, durable and targeted democratic narrative that demonstrates that democracy delivers for individuals and societies across the globe and is capable of withstanding autocratic pressure and influence; encourages, in this context, to further strengthen democratic resilience in EU Member States via combatting Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and the subsequent strengthening of EU’s strategic communication toolbox and welcomes in this vein the invest in the resilience of democracies in Member States as well as strategic communications and the fight against foreign interference and the spread of disinformation, and welcomes the EEAS’s engagement with the UN on a global code of conduct for information integrity;
Amendment 428 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the EU’s response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is being closely watched by autocratic actors around the world and will have a decisive influence in shaping their behaviour on the international stage; stresses that the Russian aggression against Ukraine violates the rules-based international order, fundamental principles of international law as enshrined in the UN Charter and key conventions and resolution;
Amendment 454 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the EU and its Member States to provide humanitarian assistance, military support, economic and financial aid and political support in every possible way until Ukraine’s victory in order to ultimately stop Russia’s war of aggression and allow Ukraine to liberate all its people and re-establish full control within its internationally recognised borders; underlines in particular the urgent need to provide Ukraine with increased air defence capacities to defend its critical energy infrastructure ahead of the forthcoming winter, and calls on the Member States to immediately lift restrictions on the use of Western weapons systems delivered to Ukraine against legitimate military targets on Russian territory which would be fully in line with Ukraine’s right to self- defence according to the UN Charter;
Amendment 477 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the EU and the Member States to reinforce the effectiveness and strict implementation of its 14 sanction packages adopted so far and adopt new ones as soon as the need arises; calls for effective cooperation with like- minded partners across the globe to increase the pressure on Russia as well as to further assess and fight sanction circumvention;
Amendment 495 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Unwaveringly supports the 10-point peace plan put forward by Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy and recalls that any initiative aimed at ending the Russian war of aggression needs to be based on input provided by UkraineUkraine’s terms and ultimately accepted by the Ukrainian people;
Amendment 499 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates that Ukraine, as a victim of aggression, has the legitimate right to self-defence in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter; calls on the VP/HR, the Commission the Council and the Member States concerned to enable effective Ukrainian countermeasures against Russia within the confines of international law; recalls that Russia has violated international law and that the full seizure of the frozen Russian assets is an appropriate step towards enforcing Russia’s obligation to abide by international law, and to compensate Ukraine and other injured parties for the losses caused by Russia’s war of aggression; stresses that use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine financially is at the moment still a theoretic proposal; notes that such funds should be considered additional and cannot replace funding for Ukraine from existing state budgets;
Amendment 511 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Deeply deplores that Hungary is blocking both the newly established EUR 5 billion Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF) set up in March 2024 within the European Peace Facility (EPF) and the eighth tranche of EPF reimbursements for Member States that delivered military aid to Ukraine over more than 18 months; urges the HR/VP and the Member States to urgently overcome this and to guarantee that the EU’s only instrument in support of military aid to Ukraine becomes fully-functional again and that such blockades are prevented in the future or to find an alternative mechanism that is fully reliable;
Amendment 532 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Commends the Commission’s proposal to establish the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, worth an estimated EUR 35 billion, which respondscontributes to answering to Parliament’s call and builds upon the decision of the Council to direct extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian state assets to the Ukraine Assistance Fund and the Ukraine Facility, as well as upon the G7’s decision to offer Ukraine a USD 50 billion loan secured through immobilised Russian state assets;
Amendment 543 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls the fact that the security of the Republic of Moldova is inextricably linked to the security of Ukraine and deems the Republic of Moldova the second line of defence of the European way of life; believes that both Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession to the EU would be a geostrategicmutually beneficial investment in a united and strong Europe; encourages the VP/HR to enhancedeepen the CFSP partnership with Ukraine and Moldova through concrete measures and, in particular, through measuresthose ensuring the inviolability of the state borders of and between both countries;
Amendment 561 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Expresses concern about rising tensions in the Middle East and the destabilising role that the Iranian regime and its network of non-state actors play in the region; urges all parties to show maximum restraint and de-escalation and refrain from any further escalation; calls upon the VP/HR and the Member States to continue and step up their diplomatic efforts with international partners, including with the Gulf countries to encourage urgent de-escalation and meaningful dialogue; strongly deplores the escalation in the Middle East and the loss of thousands of civilian lives;
Amendment 570 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Affirms the right of Israel to defend itself as enshrined in and constrained by international law; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and a subsequently imminent and permeanent ceasefire to address the risk of mass starvation and the outbreak of a health epidemic in Gaza; recalls that Israel also has the obligation to protect the civilian population and that military operations must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law;
Amendment 601 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates its unwavering support for a negotiated two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, with two sovereign, democratic states as peaceful neighbours and with Jerusalem as their shared capital; condemns the acceleration of the illegal Israeli settlement of Palestinian land, which constitutes a violation of international law; expresses concern overcondemns the rising violence committed by Israeli forces and extremist settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; in this context, supports the sanctions enacted by the Council against violent settlers; expresses support for US President Biden’s three-phase Peace Plan and regrets the lack of will on both sides to ensure its implementation; regrets, further,further regrets that the latest rounds of peace talks did not bring any tangible results;
Amendment 608 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 642 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Highlights the strong links between Iran and among Iran/the IRGC, its proxies such as the Houthis, Iraqi and Syrian militias, and organisations on the EU terrorist list, namely Hamas and Hezbollah’s military wing; calls on the Council and the VP/HR to add Hezbollah in its entirety to the EU list of terrorist organisations; deplores Hezbollah’s attacks against Israeldeplores Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel; is gravely concerned about Israeli military actions in Lebanon, which have resulted in man Israeli ground invasion in Lebanon; is deeply concerned about the situationy civilian casualties and many more displaced; condemns the Israeli attacks on the UN, including UN staff, especially the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and(UNIFIL); recalls the need for a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible to create space for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, as the only path to durably de- escalate tensions and, stabilise the Israel- Lebanon border in a durable manner;
Amendment 671 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that the EU needs to increase its effective presence in the region, by all means at its disposal, and calls on the VP/HR to make this a priority for his office and the forthcoming MFF;
Amendment 674 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Is concerned about the legislation approved by the Israeli Knesset regarding the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); reiterates the importance of EU’s continued political and financial support to the Agency due to its important mandate of providing critical services including humanitarian relief during an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza; welcomes the third disbursement of EU support for 2024 to the Agency in line with agreed conditions to enhance its neutrality processes and controls systems;
Amendment 675 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Underlines the need to strengthen civil society organisations in the region, particularly organisations working on the protection of human rights and peacebuilding;
Amendment 699 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights that the world is becoming more multipolar and less multilateral; emphasises that multilateral forums, chief among them the United Nations and its agencies, should be considered the EU’s format of cooperation of choice and should therefore be granted sufficient EU funds and support to protect the United Nations and the multilateral system as a whole; expresses concern, in this respect, about the increasing relevance of exclusive formats of cooperation, which experiencebear witness to increasing competition; observes, at the same time, that international institutions and norms are increasingly being instrumentalised; stresses that this trend puts the EU in a delicate position, which balancesing the need to appeal for a broad and inclusive concept of multilateralism while prioritising cooperation with selected, like-minded partners at the same time;
Amendment 771 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 800 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Reiterates that Taiwan is a key EU partner and a democratic ally in the Indo- Pacific region; recognises the importance of Taiwan in securing global supply chains, especially in the high-tech sector, and urges the EU and its Member States to engage in closer cooperation with Taiwan; underlines that preserving peace, stability and the freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region remains of critical importance to the interests of the EU and its Member States; calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure, through clear and consistent signalling, that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by means of force or coercion, cannot be accepted and will have high costs; highlights that China’s territorial claims have no basis in international law; denounces, furthermore, China’s blocking of Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organisations; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international organisations;
Amendment 894 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to make full use of their diplomatic toolbox and financial instruments to support and protect Human Rights Defenders against threats and attacks by governmental and non-governmental actors, including businesses or groups acting on behalf of them, criminal groups and armed groups, as well as threats in conflict and transition settings;
Amendment 898 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)
Paragraph 37 b (new)
37b. Calls for taking the lead in strengthening multilateral partnerships on global priorities, most notably on democracy, human rights, gender equality and climate change; stresses the need to further develop regional strategies, including on climate action, human rights and security cooperation;
Amendment 900 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 c (new)
Paragraph 37 c (new)
37c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to better tackle sanctions circumvention, focusing on, inter alia, on strengthening international cooperation in this regard;
Amendment 941 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Calls for the further development of the EU’s preventive diplomacy, including peace mediation and dialogue, as a proactive foreign policy tool; urges the EEAS to conduct ‘lessons learnt’ exercises; stresses the urgent need to boost and double the relevant EU budget within NDICI and strongly increase EU action on mediation, dialogue and reconciliation in order to take into account the high demand for such measures and approaches in various regions and countries, in particular in the Middle East, Sahel region, East Africa, Caucasus etc;
Amendment 952 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Reaffirms the role of the EU Special Representatives, who promote the EU’s policies and interests in specific regions and countries and play an important role in the development of a stronger and more effective CFSP by providing the EU with an active political presence in key countries and regions, acting as a ‘voice’ and ‘face’ for the EU and its policies; stresses the need to strengthen strategic communications and the EU’s work on countering disinformation via dedicated resources and offices in strategically relevant regions and countries;
Amendment 963 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – indent 1
Paragraph 43 – indent 1
– to work with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, NATO and the other partners concerned, to enable robust constabulary forces to assume all key tasks of internal security in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo as from 2026, and to prepare the proposals for the necessary CFSP missions to be launched in 2025, using the EU’s Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC) as preventive military reinforcement; recalls that the expenditure for these measures, including the RDC’s standby expenditure, should be charged to the EU budgetestablish the EU’s Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC);
Amendment 984 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Calls on the VP/HR to follow up on the examples of the successful evacuation actions in Sudan and of the stepped-up consular protection, and to work towards a comprehensive system of protection for EU citizens abroad as well as the local staff in EU Delegations and CFSP missions and operations;
Amendment 985 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Welcomes the EU’s efforts as a global frontrunner in the fight against climate change and urges the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to propose new initiatives such as the externalisation of the European Green Deal; believes that the implementation of the European Green Deal will have significant geopolitical consequences and will influence the EU’s relations with its partners and that the EU should support ambitious CO2 reduction targets in third countries and stresses the need for climate diplomacy to play a crucial role; highlights the relevance of economic resilience and of building Paris- compatible decarbonized economies; highlights that connectivity investments need to focus on economic resilience and a Paris-Climate-Agreement compatible decarbonisation of the economy;
Amendment 1003 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Recalls that all CFSP and CSDP expenditure should be charged to the EU budget, unless the Council decides otherwise on a case-by-case basis, or when the expenditure concerns operations with military or defence implications; recognises that it falls to the Council to determine whether an EU action abroad is an operation with military or defence implications; underlines that in all other cases of CFSP or CSDP decisions entailing expenditure, the Council should consider charging the expenditure to the EU budget;
Amendment 1005 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Recalls point 1(m) of its recommendation of 8 June 2022 to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its call to urgently launch a discussion with a view to establishing another off-budget financial facility which would address the entire life-cycle of military capabilities at EU level from collaborative R&D and joint procurement to joint maintenance, training and security of supply;
Amendment 1006 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Regrets the fact that the CFSP budget for civilian CSDP missions has only marginally increased from the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2014-2020 to the MFF 2021-2027 (from a starting point of approximately EUR 350 million per year), while at the same time the number and tasks of missions have increased, the security environment has become more challenging, the cost of operations has increased; urges therefore the Member States for a substantive increase of funding for the CFSP budget, while at the same time ensuring the efficient use of the funds allocated to the CSDP civilian missions, in order to make sure that they effectively respond to crisis situations and unforeseen events;
Amendment 1007 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
Amendment 1009 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
Amendment 1014 #
2024/2080(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Calls on the Commission to present its proposals for the next MFF in the first semester of 2025 to allow for sufficient time to negotiate the programmes; underlines the need for a more detailed budgetary nomenclature both in the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument, CFSP and the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, which allow the budgetary authority to set policy and geographic priorities in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that NGOs and CSOs working for the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law play an importantessential role in societies around the world; highlights, in this regard, the crucial work of these organisations in collecting public interest information, exploring and proposing new ways of promoting human rights and democracy, informing individuals, especially the most vulnerable, about their rights and standing up for them when those rights are violated, promoting civic engagement and public participation, countering disinformation and hate speech, holding governments and elected representatives accountable to citizens, and fighting corruption and impunity for human rights abuses;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the need to make moreimportance of ensuring transparent and accessible to the public, the available information on the beneficiaries, including NGOs, of EU external action funds dedicated to human rights and democracy support and to the related EU-funded projects which are implemented worldwide; acknowledges the precarious conditions faced by some human rights defenders and NGOs in non- EU countries; believes, in this regard, that confidentiality and data protection must be ensured in order not to put them at risk;
Amendment 24 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to improve the clarity and organisation of information and data available in the Financial Transparency System on the beneficiaries of EU-funded projects to be implemented, in particular, in the field of human rights and democracy support;
Amendment 28 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recommends that the legal obligations on transparency and financial accountability be applied identically to all human rights NGOs benefiting from EU funding, independently of whether they take on the role of coordinator or memberto all NGOs beneficiaries of an EU- funded project consortiuming;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that human rights NGOs receiving EU funding give visibility to the EU’s support in different ways, and sometimes incompletely, through various communication channels, including official websites; calls for the establishment of harmonised approaches to make EU funding for human rights and democracy support more transparent and visible to the public;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that the funding by non- EU countries of EU-based legal entities, including human rights NGOs, while also carrying out lobbying or advocacy activities within the EU and aiming to influence EU foreign policymaking, raises questions as to their objectives; denounces the use of organisations sponsored by non- EU country governments (government- organised NGOs (GONGOs)) to spread disinformation and false narratives related, in particular, to human rights issues; highlights that, in the context of recent corruption allegations against some Members of the European Parliament, an NGO, whose stated purpose was to carry out advocacy activities on human rights, is suspected to have been used as a vector of foreign interference; considers that there is a public interest in knowing the financial sources, including non-EU funding, of the stakeholders active in the fields of lobbying or advocacy, while any measures in this regard need to be proportional, preventing any unintended limitations on fundamental rights;
Amendment 49 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recognises, however, that the EU institutions, including Parliament, should have beenbe more diligent in ensuring greater transparency, integrity and accountability regarding their framework for interaction with entities listed in the EU Transparency Register; calls in this regard for an increased scrutiny by Parliament's services in order to enforce the amended rules on integrity and transparency as adopted by Parliament on 13 September 2023; highlights that resources should be provided for this as a matter of priority; also acknowledges that further resources in general are needed to strengthen the transparency and accountability of theall lobbying or advocacy activities of legal persons or entities, including human rights NGOs;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recommends that legal entities engaging in lobbying, including NGOs, be required to register in the EU Transparency Register as a condition for applying for EU grants and receiving EU funding; calls on the Commission to present proposals to enhance the transparency of interest representation bodies and to ensure that lobbying or advocacy activities, in particular on behalf of non-EU country governments, their budgets and their policy scope are properly disclosed under the EU Transparency Register and that false declarations are subject to sanctions., while thoroughly assessing new measures, which shall not create disproportionate burdens nor have unintended limitations on fundamental rights;
Amendment 18 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Union has extensivea long standing experience in deploying multinational missions abroad via 19 completed and 18 ongoing civilian missions and military operations since 2003 in order to promote peace, security and progress stability in Europe and in the world; whereas these common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions regularly operate alongside with and complement missions of the Member States’, United Nations’, international organisations and third countries’ missions and implement UN Security Council mandates;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas CSDP missions regularly depend on a good operationalisation of the EU’s integrated approach, but also the effective performance of third- party missions, on reliable cooperation, and on timely information sharing as well as ond sincere host nation support and the respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law as well as democratic and transparency standard; whereas the lackabsence of any of theose canould jeopardisze the implementation of a CSDP mission’s mandate and could ultimately lead to the withdrawal of EU forces;
Amendment 38 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas in light of the recent experiences in the Sahel region, there is the need to draw lessons and put the security interests of the local population at the heart of a true human security approach;
Amendment 40 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the premature termination of CSDP missions leaves populations unprotected and makes weak host nation authorities vulnerable, thereby opening up opportunities for state and non-state actors, including terrorists and extremists, and including those sponsored by our global competitors; whereas there is also the need to adopt a more cooperative approach, which is less centred around European interest regarding counter- terrorism and migration control and which has a strong emphasis on the overall development of democratic governance and a democratically controlled security sector which respects human rights law and humanitarian law while combatting impunity;
Amendment 46 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the European Union and its Member States should strive for autonomy win then preparingation, conducting and sustaining theirment of its CSDP missions, which do not fall under the Berlin Plus arrangements; whereas the Union should be capable of rapidly deploying multidimensnational forces, swiftly reinforcinge them wherein the case of needed, and sustaining them as long as required and without dependingency on third- party support;
Amendment 78 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the Battlegroup Concept has helped developto a deplorably low degree to increase multinational defence cooperation and interoperability, as well as transformation for rapid deployment and force modernisation; whereas in general, Member States have not mobilised sufficient political will over years to make important instruments such as the Battle Groups a reliable and well-functioning capability;
Amendment 84 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas in cases when EU bBattlegroups havwere not been used, often due to lack of political will of the Framework Nation or a lack of financial solidarity, it was instead often individual EU Member States have oftwho then acted outside the EU framework instead, either on their own, or with other EU or non-EU states;
Amendment 102 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas on 14 November 2022 the Council has adopted conclusions on women, peace and security whose paragraphs 7 and 14 explicitly highlight the importance of meaningful leadership of women, throughout full conflict cycle, and the implementation of the WPS agenda in CSDP missions and operations;
Amendment 105 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas joint declarations on EU- NATO cooperation should define areas of cooperation and coordination, establish the tasks to be fulfilled within each framework and be accompanied by roadmaps for their implementation and put a strong emphasis on a high level of precision as regards common technical interoperability standards and norms;;
Amendment 123 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas Article 44 has never been used, and is ambiguous in terms of how it would work in practice in specific cases; in particular as regards the dilemma between decision-making autonomy of a specific group of Member States and the Council as representation of all 27 Member States;
Amendment 137 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas, in line with Article 41 of the TEU, the administrative and operating expenditure for the RDC should be charged to the Union budget except for expenditure that is covered by the European Peace Facility, notwithstanding the possibility for participating Member States to make free- of-charge contributions to the RDC;
Amendment 140 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital P a (new)
Recital P a (new)
Pa. whereas it would be urgent to either enlarge the European Peace Facility to cover all costs related to the Rapid Deployment Capacity, or to establish another well-equipped financial off-budget facility for this purpose;
Amendment 143 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas the relevant Union acts should be updatedit could be necessary to update EU secondary law or to propose new acts to reflect all of the foregoing;
Amendment 155 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the VP/HR’s proposal, enshrined in the Strategic Compass, to establish an RDC; stresses the importance of the EU having the necessary capabilities and structures to take action rapidly and decisively during crises in order to serve and protect the Union’s citizens, interests and values, principles and values of Article 21 TEU across the world;
Amendment 166 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – introductory part
Paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. SIn line with point (r) of its recommendation of 8 June 2022, strongly encourages the VP/HR to propose a Council Decision on establishing an EU RDC to protect the Union’s values and serve its interests along the following lines:
Amendment 178 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point a
Paragraph 2 – point a
(a) The RDC should be established as a European Union structure with its own legal and institutional identity in 2024;
Amendment 186 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point b
Paragraph 2 – point b
(b) TIn line with Article 43(1) TEU, the RDC’s tasks should include, but not be limited to, rescue and evacuation operations, initial entry and initial phase of stabilisation operations, temporary reinforcement of other missions, and acting as a reserve force to secure exit; the Council could assign further tasks as referred to under Article 44 of the TEU, and the duration and scope of the assignments should be consistent with resources allocated to the RDC;
Amendment 195 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point c
Paragraph 2 – point c
(c) The RDC should number at least 5 000 troops, excluding strategic enablers such as air and sea lift personnel, intelligence assets, special operations forces and medical evacuation and care units; the target number for the RDC should be at least between 7 000 and 10 000 troops in total and should be ready to move within two or three days;
Amendment 209 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point d
Paragraph 2 – point d
(d) The RDC should frequently simulate scenarios and hold joint exercises following uniform training and certification standards such as those in NATO and it could generalise and use the French Guépard readiness system;
Amendment 220 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point e
Paragraph 2 – point e
(e) All force elements of the RDC should be assigned exclusively to it and not to any other international high-readiness forces such as NATO's VTFJ, notwithstanding the possibility for Member States to call them up for national duty in the event of an emergency;
Amendment 225 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point f
Paragraph 2 – point f
(f) In line with Article 41 of the TEU, the RDC’s administrative expenditure shcould be funded from the Union budget provided that the CFSP budget is considerably increased and that ongoing civilian CSDP missions would not see their budget being reduced as a consequence;
Amendment 235 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point g
Paragraph 2 – point g
(g) Similarly, its operating expenditure should be funded from the Union budget with the exception of expenditure that is charged to the European Peace FacilityIn line with the strict provisions of Article 41(2) TEU, its operating expenditure should be funded via a new and dedicated off-budget facility or a revised European Peace Facility with an increased budget;
Amendment 238 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
(ga) The Union’s Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) should be established as the preferred command and control structure; its Full Operational Capability (FOC) should be reached immediately in line with the Council conclusions of 19 November 2018, which foresaw a 2020 deadline; the MPCC's staff level should be increased considerably up to 250 personnel and as there is a need to upgrade related infrastructure and equipment; one of the existing four national Operational Headquarters (OHQ) should be designed as fall-back option;
Amendment 255 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Member States to transform the EU battlegroup system to match the needs of the RDC; considers that the EU battlegroups should be funded from the Union budget, during their stand-up, stand-by and stand- down phases, via a revised and increased EPF or a new off-budget facility;
Amendment 288 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that the RDC should have permanent operational headquarters under the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) in order to ensure its effectiveness; and one of the existing four national Operational Headquarters (OHQ) should be designed as fall-back option;
Amendment 304 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that women’s participation in CSDP contributes to the effectiveness of the mission and is a driver of the EU’s credibility as a proponent of equal rights for men and women worldwide; calls for meaningful gender mainstreaming in the formulation of the CSDP, notably via a better gender balance in the personnel and leadership of CSDP missions and operations and specific training of the personnel deployed; calls for all EU deployed military personnel to be sufficiently trained on gender equality and the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, and specifically on how to integrate a gender perspective into their tasks;
Amendment 325 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 – point b
Paragraph 7 – point b
(b) acting by qualified majority after deliberation in the Council and endorsement of its mandate by unanimity;
Amendment 331 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that the political and economic incentives need to change in order to improve the prospects for using Article 44 and financial solidarity needs to be implemented via EPF or a new off- budget financial facility;
Amendment 341 #
2022/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the CommissionVP/HR to propose the appropriate changes to the EU’s Financial and Staff Regulations, to the relevant interinstitutional agreement on budgetary mattersuropean Peace Facility, or to propose a new such facility, and to other Union acts as necessary;
Amendment 40 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Title 1
Title 1
Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcementinstrument for the strengthening of the Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) through common Pprocurement Act
Amendment 54 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) The security situation in Europe requires urgent reflection on how to prevent further fragmentation of the defence sector via stand-alone EU initiatives and how to strategically link existing and future instruments.
Amendment 56 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 b (new)
Recital 2 b (new)
(2b) Data shows that Member States are not meeting the 35% European collaborative defence equipment procurement benchmark. Despite incentives that use EU budget co-funding such as PADR, EDIDP (2019-2020) and EDF (since 2021), rates of collaborative investments have not changed significantly from 13% in 2019, to 11% in 2020 and 18% in 2021 which suggests that EU budget co-funding had no strong impact on the mobilisation of political will in Member States in the past.
Amendment 57 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 c (new)
Recital 2 c (new)
(2c) In response to this situation and in light of the positive experience with the new European Peace Facility, the European Parliament, in its resolution of 8 June 2022 on ‘The EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine’, called to urgently launch a discussion with a view to establishing another off-budget financial facility which would address the entire life-cycle of military capabilities at EU level from collaborative R&D and joint procurement, to joint maintenance, training and security of supply.
Amendment 78 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In the current defence market context, marked by an increased security threat and the realistic perspective of a high intensity conflict, Member States are rapidly increasing their defence budgets and aiming at similar purchases. This results in an amount of demand which exceeds European Defence Technological and Industrial Base manufacturing capacities, currently tailored for peace time. The lack of coordination and cooperation regarding procurement risks contributing to rising prices, which could have the effect that increasing national defence budgets would not lead to stronger military capabilities.
Amendment 81 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) Underlines the importance of security of supply arrangements for the development of long-term planning and cooperation, and for the functioning of the European defence equipment market. The European Council, already in 2013, called on the Commission to develop a roadmap for a comprehensive EU-wide security of supply regime which has, unfortunately, never been presented.
Amendment 99 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Short Term Instrument should offset the complexity and risks associated with such joint actions while allowing economies of scale in the actions undertaken by Member States to reinforce and, inter alia, modernise the European Technological and Industrial Base, increasing thereby the Union’s capacity resilience and security of supply. Incentivizing common procurement would also result into diminished costs in terms of exploitation, maintenance and withdrawal of the systems.
Amendment 125 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16 a (new)
Recital 16 a (new)
Amendment 139 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Grants under the Instrument may take the form of financing not linked to cost based on the achievement of results by reference to work packages, milestones or targets of the common procurement process, in order to create the necessary incentive effect provided that the Union does not co-finance the defence product itself which would be non-compliant with the Instrument’s legal base and primary law.
Amendment 143 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Where the Union grant takes the form of financing not linked to costs, the Commission should determine in the work programme the funding conditions for each action, in particular (a) a description of action involving cooperation for common procurement with a view to addressing the most urgent and critical capacity needs, (b) the milestones for the implementation of the action, (c) the rough order of magnitude expected from the common procurement and (d) the maximum Union contribution available.
Amendment 157 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27 a (new)
Recital 27 a (new)
(27a) Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP of 8 December 2008 defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment sets eight criteria to govern Member State’s arms export decisions.
Amendment 158 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27 b (new)
Recital 27 b (new)
Amendment 159 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Regulation establishes the European Defence Industry Reinforcementan instrument to strengthen the Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) through common Pprocurement Act (the ‘Instrument’).
Amendment 182 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to foster the competitiveness and efficiency of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) for a more resilient Union, in particular by speeding up, in a collaborative manner, the adjustment of industry to structural changes, including ramp-up of its manufacturing capacities and the opening of the supply chains to companies of all sizes and located throughout the Union;
Amendment 213 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The amount referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be used to co- finance defence products.
Amendment 224 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The EU funding shall incentivize the cooperation between Member States to fulfil the objectives referred to in Article 3. The financial contribution shall be set up taking into consideration the collaborative nature of the common procurement plus an appropriate amount to create the incentive effect necessary to induce cooperation without co-financing the defence products.
Amendment 300 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a Requirements for common procurement of defence product subject to a restriction by a third country 1. The requirements for the defence product subject to a restriction by a non- associated third country or a non- associated third country entity shall not apply, when the following conditions are all met: (a) Common procurement procedures and contracts refer to urgent and critical defence products that are needed to replenish stocks that have been reduced as a result of the response to the Russian military aggression against Ukraine; and (b) the capacity of the EDTIB to fill the most urgent and critical gaps in the stocks of the Member States is not sufficient or is not able to provide the defence products in an adequate timeframe; and (c) Member States or associated countries participating in the common procurement have carefully assessed the feasibility of replacing the components that cause the restriction by an alternative restriction- free component of EU origin; and (d) the procured products were in use prior to 24 February 2022 within the armed forces of all the Member States participating in the common procurement.
Amendment 303 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall, by means of an implementing delegated act, adopt the work programme referred to in paragraph 1. The implementingdelegated act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 14 paragraph 3a.
Amendment 306 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3
Article 11 – paragraph 3
3. The work programme shall set out: (a) the minimum financial size of the joint procurement actions and determine; (b) the indicative amount of financial support for actions carried out by the minimum number of Member States as referred to in point c) of Article 7 paragraph 1 as well as; (c) incentives for procurement of higher value and inclusion of additional Member States or associated countries; (d) the funding priorities in line with the needs referred to in Article 3 paragraph 2; (e) a description of actions involving cooperation for common procurement; (f) the estimated value of the common procurement; (g) the procedure for evaluation and selection of the proposals.
Amendment 309 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
4. The work programme shall set out the funding priorities in line with the needs referred to in Article 3 paragraph 2overall amount of Union contribution for each funding priority and a precise description of the milestones needed to measure progress in implementing the respective action or results as well as the associated amounts for disbursement.
Amendment 318 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. The report shall build on consultations of Member States and key stakeholders and shall, in particular, assess the progress made towards the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 3 and be based on a set of key performance indicators that the Commission must adopt by delegated act, no later than 3 months after the entry into force of this Regulation .
Amendment 332 #
2022/0219(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 a (new)
Article 13 a (new)
Amendment 20 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas since March 2020, around 194 countries have closed schools nationwide because of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting more than 1.8 billion school learners globally and cutting off their access to education and to other vital benefits that schools provide; whereas the pandemic, leading to school closures worldwide, has had an acute and long- lasting impact on the mental health of children including anxiety, fear and depressive symptoms; whereas one third of children globally do not have access to the internet;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas according to UNICEF, 1,3 billion (or two thirds) of the world's school-age children lack internet connection at home, creating a key barrier for remote learning;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the pandemic has compounded the critical situation of children in a number of conflict regions, often characterised inter alia by increasing insecurity, higher vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and attacks on educational institutions, leaving children at a heightened risk of being recruited into conflict, posing a serious violation of children's rights and international humanitarian law
Amendment 40 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas an estimated additional 825 million children will not reach adulthood with the secondary-level skills they need for work and life by 2030; whereas millions of children and young people who regularly attended schools are not developing the skills they need to get a job, start a business and contribute to their communitiesand knowledge to achieve their full potential;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas according to UN, there are 11 million primary and secondary school learners worldwide – 5.2 million of whom are girls – at risk of not returning to education following COVID-19-related school closures5 ; whereas this situation risks undermining the results obtained in the area of girls' education and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular those related to poverty reduction, health and well-being, quality education and gender equality; _________________ 5 UNESCO (30 July 2020), How many students are at risk of not returning to school?.
Amendment 46 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas school closures have distinct gendered impacts with risks of widening inequalities; whereas it is estimated that school closures during crises may lead to increases in teenage pregnancy of as much as 65 %6 ; whereas girls out of school are disproportionally exposed to the risk of child marriage; whereas it is estimated that one million girls in Sub- Saharan Africa may be blocked from returning to schools once they reopen given the existence of certain policies that ban pregnant girls and young mothers from school; whereas the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have warned that two million more cases of female genital mutilation could occur over the next decade because COVID-19 is forcing schools to close and disrupting programmes that help protect girls from these harmful practices; _________________ 6World Vision (2020), COVID-19 Aftershocks: Access Denied.
Amendment 56 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas according to several national and regional law enforcement authorities, children out of school – in particular girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as children of minorities, rural, indigenous and migrant children, children with disabilities and children in care, among others – are disproportionally vulnerable to exploitation, child labour and domestic violence, including the witnessing of violence, online bullying and other crimes such as sexual exploitation and abuse7 ; _________________ 7Press release of 19 June 2020 by Europol entitled ‘Exploiting Isolation: Sexual Predators Increasingly Targeting Children during COVID Pandemic’.
Amendment 69 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Urges the EU to promote a child rights-based approach to global efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to education for children, and which is based on the principles of non-discrimination, best interests of the child and child participation;
Amendment 73 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that improving domestic resource mobilisation, protecting and increasing domestic expenditure on social sectors, notably education and health, lowering barriers to girl's education, and improving the quality of this expenditure is essentialmust be prioritized in national recovery plans and assistance programmes by European and International Financial Institutions worldwide; insists, in this context, on ensuring equitable allocation and financing so that marginalised children and young people especially girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds are not left behind;
Amendment 76 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Underscores that the best interests of the child must guide all efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to education and that such measures must respect the children's rights to be informed, empowered and provided with opportunities to have their voices heard and to participate on an equal footing in all decision-making processes affecting them, in their communities and in society at large;
Amendment 79 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. CallsReiterates its call for a temporary waiver of the WTO TRIPS Agreement on COVID vaccines, aiming to enhance global access to affordable COVID-19- related medical products and to address global production constraints and supply shortages; calls also 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 94 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to support the authorities of third countries in establishing risk mitigation and management plans through resilience planning; highlights the importance of developing contingency planning and crisis response plans now to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools and to better anticipate the impact of school closures on children, especially on the poorest and most marginalised children; in this regard, highlights the need to prioritise children in conflict region and their access to quality and free education;
Amendment 100 #
2021/2209(INI)
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, rural, indigenous and migrant children, marginalised children and children with disabilities or learning difficulties, children in alternative care, children in places of detention, 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 ofpotential for digital learning as a great equaliser thato 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; insists however that investment in digital learning must seek to reduce the digital divide and be context-specific, consistent with the best interests of the child and not be to the detriment of supporting basic education infrastructure and staff as well as in-person learning;
Amendment 107 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to support the governments of third countries in building stronger gender- responsive education systems accompanied by the eradication of all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls; recalls the need for girls to be able to complete their education and have access to age appropriate information and services, without discrimination, free of gender bias and with an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential;
Amendment 123 #
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, gender- responsive 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 134 #
2021/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Deplores that the United States of America remains the last UN Member State not to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and calls on the US administration to take urgent action in order to make this core human rights convention effectively universal;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
Amendment 11 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the adoption of the 2012 Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy and the three successive Action Plans have provided a vision, principles and actionable measures for the EU’s support to the promotion of human rights globally and the implementation of the Guidelines;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU has developed a wide range of instruments to support HRDs, from coordination tools to financial aid; whereas the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) was previously the main EU financial instrument used to support HRDs, including through both emergency grants and the EU’s HRD protection mechanism, ProtectDefenders.eu; whereas the EIDHR has been replaced by a thematic programme on human rights and democracy as part of the Global Europe: Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI); whereas the respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law is a cross-cutting objective throughout the whole NDICI – Global Europe Instrument;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the European Consensus on Development commits the EU and its Member States to implementing a human rights-based approach to development cooperation, encompassing all human rights, and hence also those who defend them;
Amendment 16 #
2021/2204(INI)
F. whereas the EU, as a powerful economic actor, has the capacity to influence the situation of human rights and HRDs worldwide by integrating a human rights-based approach into its trade and investment policies in a coherent manner; whereas the 2021 trade policy review commits the EU to take a more assertive stance in defending its interests and values, ‘notably the promotion and protection of human rights’;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the new EU global human rights sanctions regime allows the EU to target serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide; whereas the fate of HRDs should be an integral dimension of the EU’s global monitoring of human rights abuse worldwide, including in relation to the designation of sanctions;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas there has been a substantial increase in the number, range and severity of attacks on HRDs and their families and lawyers in recent years; whereas the global analysis published by the NGO Front Line Defenders reported that 358 HRDs had been killed across 35 countries in 2021 alone, and since under-reporting is common, the actual figure is likely to be much higher; whereas 227 environmental defenders were killed in 2020, with more than half of those killings occurring in only three countries, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines, according to the NGO Global Witness; whereas a large number of HRDs are under threat and attack because they raise concerns about the adverse human rights impacts of business operations, often in the context of large development projects that affect access to land and livelihoods; whereas in recent years, the majority of the murdered HRDs were working on land, environmental and indigenous peoples’ rights;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas repressive governments but also a worrying number of long- established democratic countries across the world, including within the EU, increasingly adopt new kinds of tactics and restrictive measures against HRDs; whereas such attacks increasingly also target the families and communities of these defenders; whereas most under- reported cases are those who face gender- specific or sexual orientation-specific barriers;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers, however, that the overall application of the Guidelines by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Commission and the Member States has been uneven, largely focusing on reactive measures, lacking a consistent overall implementation of the strategy and being characterised by insufficient visibility of EU action and channels of support for HRDs; regrets that the HRD dimension is yet to be integrated in a systematic and coherent manner in all EU external action, including in EU country, regional or thematic policy documents and at all relevant levels of EU diplomatic engagement and decision-making, up to the highest levels;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the EU to put its ambitious rhetoric and HRD policy framework into practice through concrete and effective action, in particular in its relations with authoritarian regimes in places where the EU and the Member States have substantial commercial, energy, security, migratory and other interests; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure their financial support to HRDs is also matched by sustained political engagement with the authorities of the countries concerned;
Amendment 58 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets, however, the fact that, due to the voluntarist nature of the Guidelines, the intensity and quality of EU delegations’ engagement with and on HRDs vary considerably from country to country and are in practice largely dependent on the local political context or the individual dedication and political will of the specific EU ambassador or staff in question, or of the officials at the EEAS and Commission headquarters; calls for greater consistency and a strategic overall approach in this regard and for a firm personal commitment by the VP/HR to ensuring the consistent implementation of the Guidelines across all delegations, particularly in the countries where HRDs are most at risk; expects all EU and Member States Ambassadors to ensure that their mission effectively integrates the support to HRDs across their daily work and evaluates staff’s work performance accordingly;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Calls on the EU to step up its institutional capacity, both in Brussels and in delegations, in order to be able to adequately respond to the worsening environment faced by HRDs; in particular, calls for more staff dedicated to dealing with the provision of small grants, notably in the area of emergency assistance, and with diplomatic support on the ground; further insists on the need to strengthen the human and financial capacity of EU Delegations to protect HRDs and build coordination with Member States, as a core task of each mission, particularly in countries where the civil society space is shrinking; highlights the importance of EU Delegation premises serving as a safe place for HRDs to meet, particularly in hostile environments;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is encouraged by reports of improved coordination between EU delegations and Member States in the area of HRD protection, particularly through the practice of burden sharing and joint public diplomacy; remains concerned, however, that less than half of the Member States are in practice actively engaged in this area and selective engagement remains the norm; regrets the fact that only a few Member States, such as Ireland and Finland, have adopted their own national HRD guidelines; calls on Member States to step up their efforts to achieve broader and more consistent engagement on the protection of HRDs;
Amendment 69 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the regular training on human rights, including on HRD policy, for staff members working as focal points in both the political and cooperation sections of EU delegations; is, however, concerned by reports that awareness and knowledge of the Guidelines remain inadequate; calls for this training to be expanded; suggests to consider building EU and Member States' commitments on HRDs into job profiles of relevant staff members of the EEAS and the EU delegations, and Member States' missions, with a view to ensuring a systematic approach on HRDs and that knowledge and practice on HRD protection is institutionalised, and thus avoiding a person-dependent approach and minimising the effects of staff rotation;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for more public engagement by the VP/HR and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights with regard to individual HRDs; encourages the VP/HR and the Commissioners to commit to systematically meeting with HRDs during their visits abroad and to raise at the highest level the plight of HRDs under attack, including through public statements when appropriate; calls on EU Special Representatives on country and regional situations to engage with national authorities specifically on HRDs;
Amendment 79 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the EU’s substantial and steadily increasing financial contribution to supporting HRDs worldwide, which makes it the lead donor in this regard, as well as its efforts to heighten flexibility and the development of various programmes to support human rights and HRDs, including when HRDs work in exile; emphasises the unique role of the civil society-run ProtectDefenders.eu mechanism in providing invaluable practical support for HRDs at risk; calls for a qualitative jump to a more holistic approach aiming at the integral security of whole communities mobilised to defend rights; calls on the Commission to fund local and regional networks and gatherings of HRDs where these can share experiences, learn from each other’s strategies, successes and best practices, and build alliances; calls on the Commission to strictly refrain from supporting, including financially, GONGOs;
Amendment 102 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to refrain strictly from providing budget support to governments from third countries responsible for widespread violations of human rights and the repression of HRDs; conversely, calls on the Commission to step up its assistance to authorities genuinely committed to establishing an enabling environment for HRDs;
Amendment 105 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that funding via the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other development and investment banks and vehicles is only given to entities implementing a sound and strictly monitored human rights policy, and which only funds businesses and operations committed to safeguarding HRDs and taking a zero- tolerance stance on threats or violence against them, identifying and assessing adverse impacts in operations, value chains and business relationships, preventing, mitigating or ceasing adverse impacts, and providing remediation;
Amendment 107 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Calls on the EU Delegations and Member States’ missions to build a genuine and comprehensive dialogue with HRDs in third countries, covering their funding, modalities for dialogue and needs for diplomatic action, and moving, where possible, to core funding of their activities;
Amendment 108 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the importance of joining forces with UN agencies and Special Procedures, particularly the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of HRDs; calls for the EU to provide financial and political support for existing regional protection mechanisms for HRDs, including the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders, the Escazú Agreement and the Inter-American, African and Council of Europe regional mechanisms on HRDs; calls on the EU delegations and Member States’ missions in Geneva and New York to take effective action in response to reprisals by third countries against HRDs for their cooperation with UN bodies and to facilitate HRDs’ accreditation and interaction with multilateral forums; further calls on the EU missions in Geneva and New York to play a leading role in promoting and defending human rights gains at multilateral fora, including by pushing back against attacks on the definition of an HRD and by mainstreaming and safeguarding key language on the role of HRDs both across thematic and country specific resolutions at the UN; to this end, calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure these efforts are consistently prioritized in the annual Council Conclusions on EU priorities in the UN human rights fora; welcomes the practical collaboration on HRD cases between EU delegations, Member States’ missions and like-minded third countries, such as Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA;
Amendment 111 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the recent efforts by EU delegations and Member States’ missions in some third countries to reach out to activists who do not match the traditional notion of HRDs; encourages the EU to pursue a broad approach to HRDs, particularly by engaging with and providing support for local and grassroots HRDs and especially marginalised and vulnerable HRDs, such as those operating in remote areas and women, all of whom are at greater risk of experiencing violence and restrictions; calls on the EU to take advantage of online technologies, where possible and bearing in mind digital security, as well as to enhance coordination of efforts and resources of EU missions, to connect with more marginalised HRDs;
Amendment 118 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Calls on the EEAS and the Member States to support women HRDs politically and to adopt as an annex to the Guidelines, a toolkit that would provide practical steps for the EU to better meet the needs of women HRDs worldwide;
Amendment 120 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the EU should address climate activism as an integral human rights issue under its HRD policy and step up its action in support of those defending the environment, especially those environmental and indigenous peoples’ rights defenders who are most at risk; highlights the need to integrate HRD issues into EU climate diplomacy and assistance, including by promoting the genuine involvement of HRDs in the implementation and monitoring of climate cooperation programmes, projects and schemes and by vocally addressing restrictions to their effective participation and monitoring activities;
Amendment 123 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to address the threats against and attacks on HRDs by non-governmental actors, including criminal groups and local communities, as well as threats in conflict and transition settings; urges the EU to integrate violence against HRDs into its crisis management policy and provide an effective protection response to HRDs in need of relocation in crisis situations; in this regard, calls on the EU to draw lessons from the lacklustre European response to the evacuation needs of Afghan HRDs and their families following the takeover by the Taliban; calls in particular for a more rapid reaction of the Commission to funding HRDs in sudden crises where needs are both urgent and massive, in both supplementing funding for initiatives such as ProtectDefenders.eu and on reorienting country funding and diplomatic efforts to help HRD relocation; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to consider HRDs as key actors and partners of any effective and sustainable post- conflict response;
Amendment 129 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to prioritise the fight against the misuse of surveillance technology to undermine the work of HRDs, particularly through the development of robust national and international legislation and, in the immediate future, the adoption of a global moratorium on the sale and transfer of such technology; reiterates its call on the Commission to support initiatives relating to the development and dissemination of digital security technologies to empower HRDs by providing secure collection, encryption and storage mechanisms in order to avoid monitoring by repressive governments;
Amendment 132 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Believes that, in the light of the large and growing number of threats and attacks faced by HRDs who raise concerns about the adverse human rights impacts of business operations, the EU should coherently integrate the promotion and protection of the rights of HRDs, particularly trade union representatives and defenders of land, indigenous peoples’ rights and the environment, into its trade agreements and instruments, such as the Generalised Scheme of Preferences; considers that systematic and widespread attacks against HRDs should lead to the triggering of the human rights and democracy clause of a trade and investment agreement or of the overarching framework agreement with the given country, and in case of a manifest failure of the national authorities to improve the situation, the Commission should take appropriate measures, including leading to the suspension of the said agreement;
Amendment 142 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to ensure HRDs, notably those working on labour and women’s rights, to be consistently involved in the civil society monitoring mechanisms attached to EU trade agreements; requests the Commission to ensure that they are compensated for such work and protected from the risks they face in exposing human rights violations;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Calls on the Commission to closely monitor the mainstreaming of protection and prevention mechanisms for HRDs within sectoral projects, programmes and investment schemes, at least in the areas most at risk for HRDs such as land and environmental projects, extractive industries, manufacturing, as well as in the other risk areas to be identified in the future Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence Directive, and across all security-related policies; insists on the importance for Parliament to carry out its oversight role over this matter;
Amendment 154 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Stresses that visas are a key protection tool and that, in order to effectively assist HRDs at risk, the Commission should take a proactive role towards the establishment of an EU-wide scheme for issuing short-term visas for such HRDs; believes that, in particular, Member States should facilitate the issuance of visas 1) procedurally, by ensuring that their embassies’ and consulates’ processes are swift, comprehensible, accessible and achievable, and 2) structurally, by creating a specific category in the EU Visa Code9 for HRDs at risk, amending the Temporary Protection Directive10 to allow HRDs at risk to be granted temporary protection status in the EU, and including dedicated instructions in the EU Visa Code Handbook11 on granting facilitation procedures to HRDs and their family members; underlines the need to make visa requirements and conditions less stringent for HRDs in need of emergency evacuation; calls for efforts to raise Member States’ officials’ awareness of the particular needs and challenges of applications by HRDs; suggests making full use of MEPs and their networks to help secure visas; _________________ 9 Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, p. 1. 10 Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof, OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p.12. 11 Handbook for the processing of visa applications and the modification of issued visas (Visa Code Handbook I) of 28 January 2020 (C(2020)0395).
Amendment 155 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on EU delegations’ human rights focal points to identify and raise particular emergency relocation needs with Member States’ missions and make recommendations on the issuance of visas to individual HRDs; believes that providing space for a cooling period can help HRDs avoid risks; calls on the EEAS to report back annually on the number of emergency visas delivered by EU Member States to HRDs;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up their provision of temporary protection and shelter for HRDs at risk and their families; highlights initiatives in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain and encourages further efforts on relocation, particularly through the involvement of regional and local authorities; welcomes the growing number of shelter initiatives at local level across the EU; calls for DG HOME to establish a special fund for practical support to facilitate the temporary stay, work and mobility of HRDs and their families in the EU;
Amendment 164 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
Amendment 168 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Resolves to ensure that its key resolutions on human rights, in particular urgency resolutions, are translated into the local languages of the countries concerned and published and distributed accordingly; expects EU delegations in the country concerned to make such resolutions available on their website and to follow- up systematically with the national authorities and to report back to Parliament; calls for the revision of the 2011 Guidelines for EP interparliamentary delegations on promoting human rights and democracy in their visits to non-EU countries;
Amendment 170 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Calls for more strategic coordination between EU institutions in relation to urgent HRD cases; is convinced that parliamentary diplomacy may prove an effective and complementary mechanism for engaging with third countries on urgent HRD cases; calls for an interinstitutional task force on HRDs to coordinate efforts, particularly in relation to priority HRD cases and that would include the DROI Chair, DROI Coordinators, EUSR on HR and the Heads of the human rights units of the EEAS and DG INTPA and the Chair of the Council Working Group on Human Rights (COHOM);
Amendment 172 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41 a. Regrets the failure of the Commission to respond in writing on the actions it has taken in response to specific requests addressed to it in Parliamentary resolutions, notably in the field of human rights; calls on the Commission to abide by the inter-institutional agreement and systematically provide a written response to all resolutions by the AFET committee/DROI subcommittee, including this one;
Amendment 174 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Amendment 175 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 c (new)
Paragraph 41 c (new)
41 c. Commits to revise the Statute of the Sakharov Prize towards its prioritisation of HRDs as laureates; regrets the under-utilisation by the EEAS and Member States of the Sakharov Prize as a tool for improving the livelihood of human rights defenders and more globally of human rights worldwide; calls on the EU missions in the countries of origin of Sakharov laureates to engage more effectively with them, particularly when the latter are in danger or imprisoned;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Regrets the lack of an in-depth, specific analysis by the EEAS and the Commission of the implementation of the Guidelines since 2008; calls for a comprehensive assessment of EU action on HRDs in the framework of the mid-term review of the implementation of the action plan on human rights and democracy 2020- 2024, scheduled for June 2023; calls for this review to include the identification and dissemination of best practices by EU delegations and Member States missions, and for continuous monitoring of the implementation of the Guidelines;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Stresses that the revision of the Guidelines should also expand the scope of EU engagement with HRDs beyond the traditional interlocutors in capitals to include individuals and groups in remote or rural areas, and those working to defend the rights of refugees and migrants; considers it timely to allow for a broader and innovative approach to the notion of HRDs that encompasses more fluid and temporary groups, including whistle- blowers;
Amendment 184 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Calls for the inclusion of a specific section in the Guidelines on the internal dimension of the EU’s action on HRDs, in particular on visas for HRDs (and their families) at immediate risk, on relocation and shelter, as well as on handling transnational threats from third countries against HRDs; calls for the inclusion of a specific section in the Council and EEAS’ Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy dedicated to EU action on this dimension in the chapter on HRD policy;
Amendment 187 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Recognises that silent diplomacy may be an effective tool to improve the situation of some HRDs in third countries; stresses, however, that EU actors need to be vocal about urgent and serious cases and strike an appropriate balance between private and public diplomacy, particularly when silent diplomacy has proven ineffective; regrets in this regard the limited recourse by the EU executive to public statements, which remain largely weak in tone, primarily focused on high- profile cases and are often inconsistent in tone and messaging depending on the level and forum at which they are delivered; further regrets the insufficient consideration of alternative communication strategies or options in cases where an EU statement is impeded, including possible recourse to media, social media or other interventions;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 a (new)
Paragraph 49 a (new)
49 a. Calls for the merger of the human rights and HRD focal points in EU delegations and for facilitated access to these interlocutors by HRDs and other civil society actors; insists that their tasks be clarified and dedicated exclusively to this responsibility;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Calls on the EEAS and the Commission to systematically consult civil society representatives and HRDs prior to any human rights dialogue, for the consultation to be genuine, and for these interlocutors to be debriefed thereafter; furthermore, calls on the EEAS and Commission to engage in a more results- oriented approach in relation to individual cases and effective follow-up in-between sessions; calls for the systematic holding of a civil society segment to any bilateral and regional human rights dialogue, as well as the establishment of a civil society advisory body with all countries benefiting from the GSP arrangement and other preferential trade arrangements with the EU; reiterates the need for a systematic and firm EU response to any act of reprisal against HRDs that occurs after they have attended EU events or that is connected to contact with EU interlocutors;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the EU Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) and its ambitious and comprehensive objectives, and insists on its full implementation, policy coherence and institutional capacity across all areas of EU external action and the institutional structures of the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS); calls on the Commission and the EEAS to put proper measures in place for continuous monitoring of progress or lack thereof, accountability and transparency in implementing GAP III, as well as for reporting and communicating on achievements and gaps;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Expects the Commission, the Member States and the EEAS to systematically integrate the GAP III in all their external action, at all levels of engagement and in all relevant activities and concepts, including in policy and programming frameworks, strategies, and the Strategic Compass, as well as in its regional cooperation and in multilateral fora;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Member States to use GAP III as a basis to enhance gender mainstreaming in their external action, to put its gender-transformative, rights-based, intersectional approach into practice, and calls on them and the EU to adopt a feminist foreign policy;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to address the problem of structural inequalities across the globe that still inhibit the development and participation of women and marginalised groups, which needs to be the basis for effectively implementing GAP III;
Amendment 25 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Expects systematic gender mainstreaming in all EU external action to remain at the top of the EU’s political agenda, also beyond the lifetime of the GAP III; emphasises the commitment of the Commission and the EEAS to protect and enable LGBTIQ persons to assert their rights around the world in the Commission’s LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Emphasises the need for a truly gender-transformative approach across all EU external action; recalls that current policies and programming tend to problematise issues touching upon the lives of women and marginalised groups (e.g. their lack of participation in foreign policy making or gender-based violence), by implicitly defining women and marginalised groups as the problem, which normalises masculine values and men as the group in power that sets the rules, rather than tackling root causes, including toxic masculinity and toxic power structures; therefore demands a shift in policy-making by addressing inequalities not simply by tackling the symptoms or treating women and marginalised groups as targets of policy, such as increasing women’s representation but also challenging men’s over-representation;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2 d. Welcomes the GAP III’s recognition of the importance of actively engaging men and boys to promote change in social attitudes and, as a result, broader structural change; highlights the need to support boys and men to adopt healthy and positive attitudes and behaviours, embrace new masculinities and challenge stereotypical gender norms, in order to continuously foster a supportive environment for gender equality, including by engaging with them as agents of change and ensuring that the GAP III yields positive results for them too;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2 e. Urges the Commission and the EEAS to focus on their own internal structures as well, starting with the equitable representation of women and marginalised groups across all levels, establishing the requirements of a gender- responsive leadership for all EU leaders and managers, and gender-sensitive recruitment processes where internal recruitment policies are adjusted through a review of job descriptions (e.g. years of experience), gender-sensitive job evaluation, and a possible mentoring programme for people transitioning into new jobs - to attract more women; calls on all Member States to nominate more women and candidates from marginalised groups to seconded positions in the EEAS and to CSDP missions and operations; calls on the EEAS to also aim for gender balance at all levels of CSDP missions and operations;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2 f. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to collect relevant human resources data, disaggregated by gender, to assess numbers of nominations, short-listed candidates, selections, contract extensions, and length of deployment, among others, and track progress, as well as to conduct systematised interviews with women and people belonging to marginalised groups about their reasons for leaving posts;
Amendment 30 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2 g. Regrets that the important issue of diversity is grouped into the role of the EEAS Advisor on Gender and Diversity, and calls on the EEAS to accord the necessary importance to both gender equality and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, as well as diversity and inclusion, and establish one role for each of these topics, each with their own resources and sufficient amount of staff; calls for the appointment of a full-time gender adviser in each EEAS Directorate, reporting directly to the EEAS Advisor and to encourage their staff to work closely with the European Institute for Gender Equality;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 h (new)
Paragraph 2 h (new)
2 h. Encourages the Parliament to actively contribute to the GAP III through its parliamentary diplomacy and delegations, and to develop a strategy and concrete guidelines towards this end;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 i (new)
Paragraph 2 i (new)
2 i. Appreciates the commitment to fighting gender-based violence and extending sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); emphasises the importance of systematically supporting the universal access to SRHR around the globe, including access to safe and legal abortion, contraception and sexuality education; highlights the need to take age into account in SRHR-related actions in line with an intersectional approach, by ensuring accessible, youth-friendly information and services;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to prevent and counter any forms of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, class, religion, disabilitygender expression and sex characteristics, class, caste, religion, disability, physical appearance, or age, as part of EU external action;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the systematic implementation of rigorous gender analysis, gender-disaggregated data collection, gender budgeting and gender impact assessments, as well as for mandatory training on gender equality, with special attention to middle and upper management of the EEAS HQ, Heads of EU Delegations, and Heads/ Commanders of CSDP missions and operations, and including on harassment; calls for a zero tolerance policy with regards to sexual and gender-based violence; recalls that this commitment is included in the GAP III and that a commitment to establish an EU-wide policy on sexual harassment has already been made in the WPS Action Plan, without any progress so far;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the need to tackle the shrinking space for civil society and to closely consult with organisations fighting, in particular, for the rights of women, girls and marginalised groups, including girl- and youth-led feminist organisations, groups and movements; encourages their inclusion in the programming and reporting process, as well as regular, structural exchanges with them, and calls for sustainable funding of civil society, as one of the main actors holding the EU to account for the implementation of GAP III; cautions of the current approach of mainly funding larger or well-established organisations, making it extremely difficult for new and smaller organisations to receive funding, while new actors could bring innovative and novel approaches to the status quo;
Amendment 79 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the integration of the Women, Peace and Security framework in GAP III; insists on the inclusion of women and marginalised groups in conflict resolutionprevention and resolution, mediation, and peace negotiations, across all tracks; calls on the EEAS to undertake systematic conflict analysis with an integrated gender perspective based on gender analysis and gender-inclusive conflict analysis, in particular on CSDP missions and operations, and activities under the European Peace Facility; stresses the need for sufficient resources to build and strengthen EU expertise and capacity to conduct risk and conflict analyses with an integrated gender perspective, which should involve paying specific attention to gender equality and ensuring the meaningful participation of women and marginalised groups;
Amendment 86 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls for ending impunity for perpetrators of attacks against women human rights defenders (WHRDs), including women environmental defenders, women peacebuilders and others working for gender equality and the rights of women and marginalised groups; calls for resources, including funding, to be allocated to their security and safety in order to ensure that they can be operational; calls to investigate private sector harassment of WHRDs;
Amendment 96 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the introduction of country-level implementation plans (CLIPs); insists that all CLIPs be made public and translated into local languages to ensure more effective monitoring of progress or lack thereof, as well as better include a focus on girls and young women; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to take full ownership of gender- sensitive country reporting and gender mainstreaming, avoid outsourcing the work on gender equality to third parties, and establish the necessary expertise and capacity within their services, and ensure that also the multilateral EU Delegations present a plan for their implementation of GAPIII;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the EEAS to enforce the GAP III commitment of one full-time gender focal point in EU Delegations and one gender adviser in all civilian and military CSDP missions and that those should report directly to the senior leadership of the EU Delegations and missions/operations respectively, and to provide training to Member State embassies and EU Delegations on GAP III;
Amendment 108 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Calls on the EU Delegations in relevant countries to involve other EU and Member States actors in drafting and implementing of CLIPs and to build local action coalitions to pro-actively foster the implementation of GAP III and make it a whole-of-EU exercise;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Recalls that women and girls are disproportionately affected by conflict and climate change, due to cultural and structural gender inequalities, and recalls that climate change and conflicts create compounding gendered risks; therefore calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to support gender mainstreaming in climate change policy- making at national and international level and in all actions related to the European Green Deal, including by improving the representation of women and marginalised groups, appointing national gender focal points for climate negotiations, and monitoring the interplay of gender equality and climate change;
Amendment 113 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expects specific and measurable baselines and targets to be added to the joint staff working document on the objectives and indicators to frame the implementation of the GAP III (SWD(2020)0284), as well as road maps and timelines for all objectives, and sanctions in case of non-fulfilment; calls to include in the GAP III additional measures and diversity indicators and targets to ensure the implementation of the intersectional principle.
Amendment 117 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls for a focus on results and strengthening accountability towards EU citizens by publicly reporting on the qualitative and quantitative results of the GAP III and assess its impact at country, regional and international level, develop an approach to monitoring which allows it not just to track deliverables but to track social dynamics and how they may have changed as a result of the programmes implemented under GAP III; calls for an independent evaluation, possibly conducted by civil society; welcomes the commitment to a mid-term evaluation of the GAP III, and calls on the Commission and the EEAS to engage in an annual debate with the Parliament to take stock of advancements or lack thereof;
Amendment 30 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8 a) Before granting any preferential regime to a country, the Commission should conduct and publish an ex-ante human rights and environmental impact assessment in order to identify, assess, and indicate measures to prevent, mitigate and address any risk of human rights violations which the granting of preferences may contribute to;
Amendment 31 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The standard GSP arrangement should be granted to all those developing countries which share a common development need and are in a similar stage of economic development and have committed to ratifying the core international conventions mentioned in Annex VI within five years upon the application of the arrangement. There is no definition of ‘developing country’ at the level of the WTO, and it is left to preference granting countries to determine the list of GSP-eligible developing countries. Countries which have successfully completed their transition from centralised to market economies, and are today powerful economies with a strong position in international trade, such as China, Hong Kong, Macao and Russia, should not be considered as developing countries in the context of the GSP, and should, therefore, be removed from the list of eligible countries. Countries which are classified by the World Bank as high- income or upper-middle income countries have per capita income levels allowing them to attain higher levels of diversification without the scheme's tariff preferences. They are at a different stage of economic development and do not, therefore, share the same development, trade and financial needs as lower income or more vulnerable developing countries. In order to prevent unjustified discrimination, they need to be treated differently; therefore, they do not benefit from the standard GSP arrangement. Furthermore, the use of tariff preferences provided under the scheme by high-income or upper-middle income countries would increase the competitive pressure on exports from poorer, more vulnerable countries and, therefore, could impose unjustifiable burdens on those more vulnerable developing countries. The standard GSP arrangement should take account of the fact that the development, trade and financial needs are subject to change and ensure that the arrangement remains open if the situation of a country changes.
Amendment 34 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+) is based on the integral concept of sustainable development, as recognised by international conventions and instruments such as the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development, the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 1998 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the 2000 UN Millennium Declaration, the 2002 Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work of 2019, the Outcome Document of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development of 2015 "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Consequently, the additional tariff preferences provided for under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should be granted to those developing countries which, due to a lack of diversification, are economically vulnerable, have ratified and started implementing core international conventions on human and labour rights, climate and environmental protection and good governance, and commit to ensurpursuing the effective implementation thereof, including through a public, ambitious and time-bound plan of action, adopted in accordance with this Regulation. The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should help those countries to assume the additional responsibilities resulting from the ratification and effective implementation of these conventions. The list of conventions relevant for GSP should be updated to better reflect the evolution of core international instruments and standards and take a proactive approach to sustainable development in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 203018 . In this regard, the following conventions are added: the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (2015) – replacing the Kyoto Protocol; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OP-CRC-AC); the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; ILO Convention No 81 on Labour Inspection; ILO Convention No 144 on Tripartite Consultation; and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. _________________ 18United Nations (2015). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, Transforming our World: the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1), available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post 2015/transformingourworld
Amendment 36 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
Amendment 40 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
Amendment 43 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
Amendment 49 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a Human rights and environmental impact assessment Before granting any preferential regime to a country, the Commission should conduct and publish an ex-ante human rights and environmental impact assessment in order to identify, assess, and indicate measures to prevent, mitigate and address any risk of human rights violations which the granting of preferences may contribute to;
Amendment 50 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) there is sufficient ground to consider that serious and systematic shortcomings and violations of the conditions set out in Article 19.1 points (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) exist.
Amendment 51 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) The results of an ex ante human rights and environmental impact assessment carried out by the Commission pursuant to article 3 paragraph a(new) show a considerable risk of negative impact on human rights or on the environment in the beneficiary country linked to the granting of preferences, and proposed measures to prevent and address it are insufficient or have not been accepted by the beneficiary country’s government;
Amendment 54 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
(b b) it has not ratified the conventions listed in Annex VI within five years upon the application of the preferences,
Amendment 55 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The Commission and, where applicable, the European External Action Service, shall make sure that countries that benefit from the standard arrangement referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article have ratified the conventions listed in Annex VI within the five years upon the application of the preferences;
Amendment 56 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. The Commission and, where applicable, the European External Action Service, shall make sure that countries that benefit from the standard arrangement referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article have adopted a National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in conformity with the Guidance on National Action Plans of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 57 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 c (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. EU development finance programming shall prioritise support to countries benefitting from the special arrangement referred to in paragraph 1 aiming to support them ratify the conventions listed in Annex VI and adopt a National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Amendment 58 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) it has ratified all the conventions listed in Annex VI (the 'relevant conventions') and the Commission has not identified, based on available information, in particular the most recent available conclusions of the monitoring bodies under those conventions as well as information submitted by civil society organizations, a serious failure to effectively implement any of those conventions;
Amendment 59 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) it has adopted a National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in conformity with the Guidance on National Action Plans of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 60 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) it gives a binding undertaking to maintain ratification of the relevant conventions and to ensure the effective implementation thereof, accompanied by a time-bound plan of action for theof measures that are necessary to effective ly implementation of the relevant conventions. The beneficiary country and the Commission should reach a common understanding on the plan of action, which shall thereafter be made public;
Amendment 65 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(f a) The results of an ex ante human rights and environmental impact assessment carried out by the Commission pursuant to article 3 paragraph a(new) do not show a considerable risk of negative impact on human rights or on the environment in the beneficiary country linked to the granting of preferences, or proposed measures to prevent and address it are sufficient and have been accepted by the beneficiary country’s government;
Amendment 68 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the Commission considers, based on examination of the request, including of the plan of action as indicated in article 9 paragraph 1 (d), as well as on the results of the human rights impact assessment referred to in Article 3, paragraph a (new), that the requesting country fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 9.
Amendment 71 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The requesting country shall submit its request to the Commission in writing. The request shall provide comprehensive information concerning the ratification of the relevant conventions and shall include the binding undertakings referred to in Article 9, pointes (d), (e), and (f), including a finalized plan of action.
Amendment 72 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. While examining the request, the European Commission shall consult the European Parliament and the Council and the advisory body referred to in Article 13a (new). After examining the request, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 36, to amend Annex I in order to grant a requesting country the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance by including that country in the list of GSP+ beneficiary countries.
Amendment 74 #
2021/0297(COD)
1. As of the date of the granting of the tariff preferences provided under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, the Commission shall, with regard to each of the GSP+ beneficiary countries, keep under review and monitor the status of ratification of the relevant conventions and their effective implementation, as well as the cooperation of the GSP+ beneficiary country with the relevant monitoring bodies. In doing so, the Commission shall assess the progress made by the GSP+ beneficiary countries in implementing their plans of action, as well as examine all relevant information, in particular the conclusions and recommendations of the relevant monitoring bodies as well as duly substantiated information submitted by individual citizens, private sector actors, civil society organisations, representatives of trade unions and other relevant stakeholders. The information may also be submitted via the Single Entry Point, which shall be accessible to stakeholders from both the Union and GSP+ beneficiary countries. The Commission, including through the EEAS and the delegations, should hold regular contacts with local and international civil society to assess the beneficiary countries’ implementation of the conventions listed in annex VI. A cycle of 3 years for the review, monitoring and assessment (hereinafter monitoring cycle) is hereby established.
Amendment 77 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Article 13 – paragraph 2
2. A GSP+ beneficiary country shall cooperate with the Commission and provide all information necessary to assess its respect of the binding undertakings referred to in Article 9, points (d) including the implementation of its plan of action, (e), and (f) and its situation as regards Article 9, points (b) and (c).
Amendment 78 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The Commission, where applicable jointly with the EEAS, shall carry out at least one high-level monitoring mission per monitoring cycle to the beneficiary countries in order to assess progress on the ground, including in line with the plans of action. In the framework of the mission, relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations and human rights defenders in the beneficiary countries shall be duly consulted.
Amendment 79 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. At the beginning of each monitoring cycle, the Commission shall send a list of issues to all GSP+ beneficiary countries outlining implementation issues that need to be addressed during the cycle. The lists of issues shall be made publicly available.
Amendment 80 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. The plans of action and the recommendations of the Commission and European External Action Service on priority implementation actions shall be taken into account in the EU development finance programming in order to support GSP+ beneficiary countries in attaining their commitments.
Amendment 81 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 a (new)
Article 13 a (new)
Article 13 a [Advisory Body] 1. The Commission shall be assisted in reviewing, monitoring and assessing the binding undertakings referred to in Article 9, points (d), (e) and (f) by an advisory body composed of stakeholders’ representatives. 2. The Commission shall consult with the advisory body in regards to the plans of action submitted by the GSP+ beneficiary countries in view of their application to the GSP+ scheme; to that purpose, the participation to the advisory body shall be extended to stakeholders in the beneficiary countries. The Commission shall also consult with and report to the advisory body when assessing the implementation of the plans of action during each monitoring cycle and more generally throughout the cycle as regularly as necessary, including ahead of and after monitoring missions.
Amendment 82 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. By 1 January 2027, and every three years thereafter, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the status of ratification of the relevant conventions, the compliance of the GSP+ beneficiary countries with any reporting obligations under those conventions and the status of the effective implementation thereof, also based on the assessment of the implementation of the plans of action.
Amendment 84 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b – introductory part
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b – introductory part
(b) the Commission's and where appropriate the European External Action Service’s conclusions on whether each GSP+ beneficiary country respects its binding undertakings to comply with reporting obligations, to cooperate with relevant monitoring bodies in accordance with the relevant conventions and to ensure the effective implementation thereof, including through an assessment of the implementation of its plan of action;
Amendment 86 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b – paragraph 1
The report may include any information from any source the Commission considers appropriate, including from civil society organizations and social partners.
Amendment 88 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3
Article 14 – paragraph 3
3. In drawing their conclusions concerning effective implementation of the relevant conventions, the Commission and where appropriate the European External Action Service shall assess the implementation of the plans of action, also based on the conclusions and recommendations of the relevant monitoring bodies, as well as, without prejudice to other sources, information submitted by the European Parliament or the Council as well as third parties, including governments and international organisations, civil society, and social partners. The Commission and where appropriate the European External Action Service shall provide recommendations on issues and actions to be prioritised in the following monitoring cycle. In case of major shortcomings with effective implementation or persistent failure to effectively implement the plans of action, the report shall indicate which measures the country shall undertake in order to comply with obligations under Article 9(d).
Amendment 90 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
1. The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance shall be withdrawn temporarily, in respect of all or of certain products originating in a GSP+ beneficiary country, where that country does not respect its binding undertakings as referred to in Article 9, points (d), (e) and (f), including in case of major shortcomings in implementing or of systemic failure to implement the plan of action referred to in Article 9 point (d) are identified, or the GSP+ beneficiary country has formulated a reservation which is prohibited by any of the relevant conventions or which is incompatible with the object and purpose of that convention as established in Article 9, point (c).
Amendment 91 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3
Article 15 – paragraph 3
3. Where, either on the basis of the conclusions ofand of the GSP+ beneficiary country's follow up to the recommendations and priority actions as provided by the report referred to in Article 14 or on the basis of the evidence available, including evidence submitted through a complaint, the Commission has a reasonable doubt that a particular GSP+ beneficiary country does not respect its binding undertakings as referred to in Article 9, points (d), (e) and (f), including with regards to the implementation of its plan of action, or has formulated a reservation which is prohibited by any of the relevant conventions or which is incompatible with the object and purpose of that convention as established in Article 9, point (c), it shall, in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), adopt an implementing act to initiate the procedure for the temporary withdrawal of the tariff preferences provided under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council thereof. In its assessment of whether the GSP+ beneficiary country does not respect its binding undertakings referred to in Article 9 point (d), the Commission will in particular take into account whether the relevant monitoring bodies, treaty mechanisms and supervisory mechanisms have signalled potentially serious failure to effectively implement the relevant conventions, based on such indicators as: - the establishment of commission of inquiries, fact-finding missions, country special rapporteurs, or other monitoring mechanisms by the UN Human Rights Council or General Assembly; - findings by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures or other UN independent human rights experts; - reports of the ILO Committee of Application of Standards; - rulings and opinions by international human rights courts; - reports by prominent local and international human rights groups.
Amendment 94 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the advisory body referred to in Article 13a (new) about the complaints received. The Commission shall inform the complainant, the European Parliament, the Council and the advisory body referred to in Article 13 a (new) where it decides that the complaint does not provide sufficient evidence in relation to the indicators referred to in this article.
Amendment 95 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 5
Article 15 – paragraph 5
Amendment 96 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 6
Article 15 – paragraph 6
6. The Commission shall seek all information it considers necessary including, inter alia, the conclusions and recommendations of the relevant monitoring bodies. In drawing its conclusions, the Commission shall assess all relevant information, including from civil society organisations and social partners.
Amendment 97 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 7 – point a
Article 15 – paragraph 7 – point a
(a) to terminate the temporary withdrawal procedure, either because the grounds for the reasonable doubt are not confirmed in the assessment referred to in paragraph 6, or because the GSP+ beneficiary country has engaged and committed to address the violations of its binding undertakings as referred to in paragraph 3;
Amendment 98 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 8
Article 15 – paragraph 8
8. Where the Commission considers that the findings do not justify, based on the elements referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6, that a temporary withdrawal is not justified, it shall adopt an implementing act to terminate the temporary withdrawal procedure in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2). That implementing act shall be based inter alia on evidence received.
Amendment 99 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 9
Article 15 – paragraph 9
9. Where the Commission considers that the findings justify, based on the outcome of the cooperation and engagement and the findings referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6, and after consulting the advisory body referred to in Article 13a (new), that temporary withdrawal is justified for the reasons referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, it is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 36, to amend Annex I and Annex II in order to temporarily withdraw the tariff preferences provided under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance referred to in Article 1(2), point (b). The Commission shall clearly and publicly state the grounds for withdrawing preferences and set clear benchmarks that the beneficiary country should meet for the preferences to be reinstated; such benchmarks may also guide a phased approach, including the progressive withdrawal or reinstatement of part of the benefits against clear benchmarks and conditions. In adopting the delegated act the Commission may, when appropriate, consider the human rights and socio-economic effect of the temporary withdrawal of tariff preferences in the beneficiary country, especially when considering a partial withdrawal, with a view to minimising the negative socio- economic impact on the GSP+ beneficiary country's population while maximising the leverage on its government.
Amendment 103 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 10 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. During the application of a temporary withdrawal, the Commission shall continue the dialogue with the beneficiary country, including in the framework referred to in Article 18a, aiming at remedying the reasons for the withdrawal referred to in paragraph 3. The Commission shall regularly assess the effects of the withdrawal on remedying the violations, including in the report referred to in Article 14. The Commission shall regularly consult with the advisory body referred to in Article 13a.
Amendment 105 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The Commission and, where applicable the EEAS, shall make sure that countries that benefit from the special arrangement referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article make continued and sustained progress towards ratifying the conventions listed in Annex VI. EU development finance programming shall prioritise support to countries benefitting from the special arrangement referred to in paragraph 1 aiming to make progress towards the ratification of the conventions listed in Annex VI.
Amendment 106 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Chapter V – title
Chapter V – title
V TEnhanced engagement and temporary withdrawal provisions common to all arrangements
Amendment 107 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article -19 (new)
Article -19 (new)
Article -19 In the framework of a Cooperation, Partnership or Association Agreement the EU has concluded with a beneficiary country, a general review of the status of the country in the framework of the preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2)shall be conducted yearly and in consultation with the European Parliament. To that purpose, the Commission, and where relevant the European External Action Service, and the beneficiary country shall review the issues pertaining to the conditions referred to in Article 19(1), including in relation to any complaints received by the Commission. The Commission, where relevant the European External Action Service, and the beneficiary country shall also review the status of the ratification of the conventions listed in Annex VI as referred to in Article4(1) point (c) and progress towards ratification of the conventions listed in Annex VI as referred to in Article 17(1a).
Amendment 108 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2) may be withdrawn temporarily, fully or partly, in respect of all or of certain products originating in or of all or some economic sectors of a beneficiary country, for any of the following reasons:
Amendment 116 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) serious shortcomings in customs controls on the export or transit of drugs (illicit substances or precursors), or related to the obligation to readmit the beneficiary country’s own nationals or serious failure to comply with international conventions on antiterrorism or anti-money laundering;
Amendment 117 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. For the purpose of applying point 1 (a), the Commission will in particular take into account whether the relevant monitoring bodies, treaty mechanisms and supervisory mechanisms have signalled potentially serious and systematic violations of the principles of the relevant conventions, based on such indicators as: - the establishment of commission of inquiries, fact-finding missions, country special rapporteurs, or other monitoring mechanisms by the UN Human Rights Council or General Assembly; - findings by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures or other UN independent human rights experts; - reports of the ILO Committee of Application of Standards; - rulings and opinions by international human rights courts; - reports by prominent local and international human rights groups.
Amendment 118 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. When in particular the seriousness of the violations of principles of the international conventions listed in Annex VI so requires, based on available assessments, comments, decisions, recommendations and the conclusions of the relevant monitoring bodies, or based on duly substantiated concerns expressed by the European Parliament, the Council, international organisations, and civil society including trade unions, or acting upon a complaint, the Commission shall notify the beneficiary country. Starting from the date of the notification and during one year, the beneficiary country and the Commission shall enter into an enhanced engagement, where the country commits to adopt time-bound roadmaps providing for concrete actions and sustainable solutions to the serious and systematic violations as identified. The Commission shall regularly consult with the advisory body referred to in Article 13a during the enhanced engagement process.
Amendment 119 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. If considered necessary, the enhanced engagement may be prolonged by up to another year. The Commission shall publish a list of countries with which enhanced engagement has been prolonged beyond one year and shall regularly update the list as necessary. The roadmaps referred to in paragraph 2a shall be made public.
Amendment 120 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3
Article 19 – paragraph 3
3. Where the Commission, acting upon a complaint or on its own initiative, considers that there are sufficient grounds justifying temporary withdrawal of the tariff preferences provided under any preferential arrangement referred to in Article 1(2) because the beneficiary country has failed to deliver in the framework of the enhanced engagement or on the basis of the reasons referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article it shall adopt an implementing act to initiate the procedure for temporary withdrawal in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2). The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of the adoption of that implementing act.
Amendment 122 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the advisory body referred to in Article 13a about the complaints received. The Commission shall inform the complainant, the European Parliament, the Council and the advisory body referred to in Article 13a where it decides that the complaint does not provide sufficient evidence in relation to the indicators referred to in this article.
Amendment 123 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 4 – point b
Article 19 – paragraph 4 – point b
(b) state that the Commission will continue to pursue dialogue in the framework of the enhanced engagement and monitor and evaluate the situation in the beneficiary country concerned during the monitoring and evaluation period referred to in Paragraph 5.
Amendment 124 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 5
Article 19 – paragraph 5
5. The Commission shall provide the beneficiary country concerned with every opportunity to cooperatstart engaging with and cooperate at any time during the monitoring and evaluation period of six months from the date of publication of the notice.
Amendment 125 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 6
Article 19 – paragraph 6
Amendment 126 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 7
Article 19 – paragraph 7
7. Within three months from the expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 5, and after consultation of the advisory body referred to in Article 13(a), the Commission shall submit a report on its findings and conclusions to the beneficiary country concerned. The beneficiary country has the right to submit its comments on the report. The period for comments shall not exceed one month.
Amendment 127 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 9
Article 19 – paragraph 9
9. Where the Commission considers that the findings do not justify, based on the elements referred to in paragraph 6, that a temporary withdrawal is not justified, it shall adopt an implementing act, in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), on the termination of the temporary withdrawal procedure.
Amendment 128 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 10
Article 19 – paragraph 10
10. Where the Commission, based on the elements referred to in paragraph 6, considers that the findings justify temporary withdrawal is justified for the reasons referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, it is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 36, to amend Annex I and Annex II, in order to temporarily withdraw the tariff preferences provided under the preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2). In adopting the delegated act the Commission may, where appropriate, consider the socio-economic effect of the temporary withdrawal of tariff preferences in the beneficiary country, especially when considering a partial withdrawal, with a view to minimising the negative socio- economic impact on the GSP+ beneficiary country’s populations while maximising the leverage on its government.
Amendment 131 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 12 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. During the application of a temporary withdrawal, the Commission shall continue the dialogue with the beneficiary country, including in the framework referred to in Article 18a, aiming at remedying the reasons for the withdrawal referred to in paragraph 1. The Commission shall regularly assess the effects of the withdrawal on remedying the violations, and shall consult with the advisory body referred to in Article 13a.
Amendment 133 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 17 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. When deciding to withdraw preferences, the Commission may publish a list of importers and suppliers that may still benefit from preferences. This list should be established based on publicly available evidence provided by the importer that it fully implemented its human rights and environmental due diligence obligations and that its supply chains are free from human rights violations.
Amendment 135 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex VI – subheading 1 a (new)
Annex VI – subheading 1 a (new)
First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
Amendment 137 #
2021/0297(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex VI – paragraph 1 a (new)
Annex VI – paragraph 1 a (new)
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998)
Amendment 3 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
— having regard to the updated Common Military List of the European Union, adopted by the Council on 187 February 2019207 , _________________ 7 OJ C 985, 123.3.201920, p. 1.
Amendment 18 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas due to the sharp difference in data formats, in particular as regards the different type of information that Member States use in order to generate data on the value of licences, the annual reports as tool for comparison between countries and destinations or developments over time is unfortunately very limited; whereas because of these shortcomings EU institutions and EU citizens need to rely on alternative sources of information in order to obtain objective information about the EU28 or EU27 exports to third countries;
Amendment 31 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas both the global and regional security environment has dramatically changed, especially with regard to the Union’s southern and eastern neighbourhood;
Amendment 38 #
2020/2003(INI)
The 20th and 21st EU annual reports on arms exports
Amendment 42 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the publication of the 20th and 21st EU annual reports on arms exports according to Article 8(2) of Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP which is compiled by the Council Working Party on Conventional Arms Exports (COARM) and published in the EU Official Journal; deplores the late publication of information about exports during 2017 and 2018;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that ten19 Member States made full submissions to the 20th annual report, and eleven to the 21st; deplores the fact that two of the main exporting countries – Germany and the UK –19 to the 21st; underlines that full submission means to submit both the number and value of licences granted and the value of actual exports broken down by Military List category; equally deplores that for the 20th report, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom, and for the 21th report Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and the United Kingdom did not report actual exports while, for both reports, France and Italy only submitted aggregated actual exports; states that for the 20th annual report 27 Member States, with the exception of Greece, made at least partial submissions, and for the 21th annual report all 28 Member States submitted data, while around a third of the countries were incomplete in their submissions; deeply deplores that, with the exception of Spain, the EU’s main exporting countries which are also the countries with the biggest administrative capacities, did not manage to make full submissions; urges all Member States to make full submissions to the 22nd report;
Amendment 62 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Deplores the fact that Member States use very different information in order to generate data on the value of licences, which renders the annual report considerably less usable as a comparative data set and serves to diminish its transparency and accountability before citizens and parliaments; urges France, in particular, to refrain from submitting data on the value of licences at pre-contract stage and broad values for global licences, which undermines the comparability of the report; stresses the importance to report actual arms exports including the value of actual exports under global and general licences;
Amendment 76 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the EU has been implementing a number of arms embargoes25 decided a number of arms embargoes25 on countries such as Belarus, Central African Republic, China, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe; is deeply worried about the non-respect of the arms embargo against Libya and calls on the EEAS to create and implement more robust procedures for monitoring the compliance of all Member States with EU arms embargos and make the findings public; _________________ 25 https://www.sanctionsmap.eu/#/main?chec ked=
Amendment 83 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that between the 25th February 2016 and the 14th February 2019 Parliament has, via plenary resolutions, called at least ten times on the HR/VP to launch a process leading to an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, the UAE or other members of the Saudi- led coalition in Yemen; reiterates this call once again;
Amendment 87 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Underlines that arms exporters that fuel conflicts like the one in Yemen, risk complicity in war crimes;
Amendment 89 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Reiterates recent calls of the European Parliament to stop the exports of surveillance technology and other equipment that can facilitate internal repression, to several countries including Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam;
Amendment 114 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the Council’s decision to introduce a clear reporting deadline for national submissions; encourages the Member States to submit their data preferably in May after the reporting year in order to allow a timely public debate; welcomes the steps taken towards the online approach and encourages the further development of the latter;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes that a growing number of components in weapon systems are of civilian origin or dual-use character which poses the question of which rules apply in inter-communal transfers and how to establish a coherent export control system between all Member States;
Amendment 140 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that most Member States have not outlined a policy regulating the transfer ofdeveloped an export policy for weapons components to be transferred to another Member State which would ensure that any export to third countries from the Member State of assembly is consistent with the export policy of the Member State providing the components; regards this as particularly problematic in the context of the increasing divergences between licensing practices across the EU; observes that Directive 2009/43/EC on intra- Community transfers has proven ill- equipped to achieve the stated goal of setting high, in its current form, is not designed to achieve highest common standards for exports to third countries;
Amendment 142 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Notes that this problem is exacerbated where Member States have adopted a so called ‘de minimis’ rule where the Member State providing components below a certain threshold does refrain from assessing the decision to export the assembled weapon system to a third country;
Amendment 146 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Observes a trend whereby the diverging export policies of the Member States are increasingly considered as obstacles to cooperation projects, which is giving rise to a multitude of bilateral and specific agreements on weapon systems that allow for exports to third countries based on the least restrictive standards, rather than a joint, EU-wide approach; recalls that the purpose of the Council Common Position on arms exports was and is to prevent such divergences and to establish a coherent common arms export policy;
Amendment 172 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Notes that several Member States have expressed their intention to jointly develop main weapon systems such as battle tanks, fighter jets and armed drones;
Amendment 181 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the fact that the interinstitutional agreement on the establishment of the EDF authorises the Commission to assess whether the transfer of ownership or the granting of an exclusive licence of EDF-co-funded military technology contravenes the security and defence interests of the EU and its Member States or the objectives of the fund as set out in Article 3 of the proposed regulation; notes that this new legislation establishes a specific type of control functionn active role for the Commission with regard to a specific category of exports of military technology to third countries;
Amendment 182 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that under the EPF, Member States and the European External Action Service (EEAS) will work ontowards creating an EU-level system for arms transfers to third countriesinstrument that will allow the EU to provide military equipment to strengthen capacities of third countries; notes that current plans foresee that supplies will be subjected to relevant national and Union arms export control laws and rules, in particular as regards export licences for which exporting Member States retain exclusive authority;
Amendment 189 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses that in the context of EPF a new EU-level instrument would potentially deliver joint risk assessment prior to any decision to transfer arms and ammunitions to third countries in the context of the military capacity-building pillar of EPF, assess individual measures against the eight criteria of the Common Position, and establish safeguards and possible sanctions with a view on the end- user; is concerned about the potential effects of inadequate safeguards in this context;
Amendment 198 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that the lack of convergence of national arms export policies and decision-making is becoming increasingly untenable in the context of the prevailing Europeanisation of arms production and the stated ambitions and plans to increase this further; thus potentially undermining human rights and international law, creating additional market distortions, and related obstacles for strategic planning of relevant companies and armed forces;
Amendment 256 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 21 – point c a (new)
ca) to hold biannual joint meetings between COARM and COHOM to discuss implementation of the human rights criteria of the Common Position;
Amendment 272 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses that effective end-use controls are crucial for a responsible export policy and for lowering the risk of diversion in particular; strongly welcomes the EU funded iTrace project in this respect and demands its continuation and broadening; calls on the Council, the Member States, and the EEAS and the Commission to set up a large-scale training and capacity-building programme for national and EU officials on arms export controls with a strong focus on building mutual understanding of the eight criteria, joint risk assessments, setting up of safeguards, and pre- and post-licensing verification; stresses the need to use EU funding to ensure that sufficient staff resources are available at national and EU levels and at delegations and embassies in importing countries for the purposes of implementing viable end-use controls; calls on the EEAS and COARM to report on iTrace any identified diversion of EU- origin goods as part of the annual report;
Amendment 293 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Promotes the transformation of the eight criteria of the Common Position into Community law;
Amendment 296 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Calls on COARM to examine the issue of transparency in arms exports alongside the issue of transparency in dual-use export licensing and to consider pursuit of common approaches to transparency across both instruments;
Amendment 302 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Considers that regular consultations with national parliaments, arms export control authorities, industry associations and civil society are central to meaningful transparency; calls on COARM to enhance dialogue with civil society and consultations with Parliament and arms export control authorities; encourages civil society and academia to exercise independent scrutiny of the arms trade and security technology transfers from and to third countries and calls on the Member States and the EEAS to support such activities, including by increasing financial means, notably under the future NDICI;
Amendment 306 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Stresses the need, in the spirit of the 16 September 2019 Council conclusions, for meaningful parliamentary oversight; stresses the need to respond to the annual report of COARM annually by a European Parliament report in order to ensure a minimum of parliamentary scrutiny;
Amendment 309 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Reiterates the detrimental effect that the uncontrolled export of cyber- surveillance technologies by EU companies can have on the security of the EU’s digital infrastructure and on human rights; expresses its concern about the ever-increasing use of certain cyber- surveillance dual-use technologies against politicians, activists and journalists; strongly condemns the increasing number of human rights defenders facing digital threats, including compromised data through confiscation of equipment, remote surveillance and data leakages; stresses, in this regard, the importance of a rapid, effective and comprehensive update of the EU’s Dual-Use Regulation;
Amendment 8 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Underlines that the principle of equality between women and men is a core value of the EU and gender mainstreaming is thus to be implemented and integrated in all EU activities and policies; stresses that the EU should aim at bringing about a world in which all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race and ability can live peacefully, enjoying equal rights, and have the same opportunity to realise their potential;
Amendment 9 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Welcomes that countries such as Sweden, France, Canada and Mexico have recently adopted and implemented frameworks to advance towards a feminist foreign policy, that Denmark, Switzerland and Norway have a strong gender equality focused foreign policy and that Spain, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Germany have announced their intent to make gender equality a priority of their foreign policy; further welcomes that the new EU Commission has made gender equality one of their key priorities across all policy areas;
Amendment 14 #
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 in multilateral fora and in all political and strategic dialogues, human rights dialogues, policy formulation and programming, country level human rights strategies, public statements, global human rights reporting as well as in the monitoring, evaluation and reporting processes;
Amendment 20 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recommends for the GAP III to be accompanied by clear, measurable, time- bound indicators of success, including an allocation of responsibility for different actors and with clear objectives in each partner country, developed with the partner country and CSOs;
Amendment 26 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the VP/HR to make substantial and highly visible progress on gender equality in terms of leadership and management, staffing, training, financial resources and organisational hierarchy; calls in this regard for mandatory training on gender equality and to ensure political and operational commitment to implement effective and transformative gender mainstreaming; calls in this regard for mandatory training on gender equality for all middle and upper managers of the EEAS, and Heads/Commanders of CSDP missions and operations;
Amendment 35 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Regrets the considerable gender gap in the EEAS, where women account for 31.3% of middle-management positions and for 26% at the level of senior management; welcomes the VP/HR commitment to reach 40% of women in management positions by the end of his mandate; regrets however that last appointments he made resulted in a structure of only male Deputy Secretary- generals;
Amendment 37 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes the EEAS Gender and Equal Opportunities Strategy 2018-2023 but regrets the lack of specific and measurable objectives; calls for its update in order to include concrete and binding goals regarding the presence of women in management positions; regrets likewise the absence of diversity targets and of overall diversity in the EU institutions, especially regarding race, ability and ethnic backgrounds; stresses the need for gender-responsive recruitment procedures, including by the European Personnel Selection Office, which do not further accentuate gender inequalities in the institutions;
Amendment 54 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that not a single one of the 12 civilian CSDP missions is headed by a woman and that out of 70 Heads of Mission so far only 6 have been women; calls on the VP/HR to draw up a gender strategy for CSDP missions with specific targets; calls on EU Member States to fulfil their Commitment 16 of the Civilian CSDP compact by actively promoting the presence of women at all levels and based on increased national contributions; regrets that since the establishment of the compact, the number of women personnel has decreased;
Amendment 72 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that developing and using gender analysis and the systematic integration of a gender perspective constitutes one of the foundations of effective and lasting conflict prevention and resolution, stabilisation, peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, governance and institution building; regrets that the dominant narrative around women is one of victimization that deprives women of their agency and erases their capacity as agents of change, with an increasing body of evidence illustrating that women’s meaningful participation in peace processes plays a significant role in determining its durability and success, since they are likely to put on the table issues such as political reform, implementation and social inequalities; reminds that between 1988 and 2018 women constituted 13% of negotiators, 3% of mediators and only 4% of signatories in major peace processes;
Amendment 86 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Is deeply disturbed at the fact that sexual violence has increasingly become part of the broader strategy of conflict and a tactic of war; stresses that the EU should support efforts aimed at ending impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence against women;
Amendment 88 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Recognises the fact that humanitarian crises intensify sexual and reproductive health and rights 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;
Amendment 90 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Welcomes the EU decision to renew the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy and calls for gender mainstreaming and targeted actions for gender equality and women’s rights, including SRHR, to be included in the implementation phase of the Action Plan;
Amendment 91 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Calls on the VP/HR, the EEAS and the Member States to ensure full implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders and to adopt an annex aiming to recognise and develop additional strategies and tools to better and more effectively respond and prevent the specific situation, threads and risk factors faced by women’s human rights defenders; calls for the immediate introduction of a gender perspective and specific measures to support WHRD in all programmes and instruments aiming to protect Human Right Defenders;
Amendment 93 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the EU Strategic Approach to Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the EU Action Plan on WPS adopted in 2019; regrets, however, that translating this policy commitment into action remains a challenge; regrets that many EU staff members have not integrated WPS as part of their work and that this agenda is seen as one that can be applied at their discretion and with the objective of improving the effectiveness of missions, but not as way to ensure women’s rights and gender equality on its own;
Amendment 102 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the work done by the EEAS Principal Advisor on Gender; regrets, however, the limited capacity of this role and calls for the advisor to report directly to the VP/HR; that the EU Task Force on Women, Peace and Security has carried out until now, including by ensuring the participation of relevant civil society organisations in its discussions; welcomes the work done by the EEAS Principal Advisor on Gender; regrets, however, the limited capacity of this role and calls for the advisor to report directly to the VP/HR; calls on the VP/HR to form an organisational division within the EEAS on gender equality and the WPS agenda and to have a full-time gender advisor in each EEAS Directorate, reporting directly to the Principal Advisor;
Amendment 104 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the importance of National Action Plans for the implementation of the WPS agenda; welcomes that almost all EU Member States will have their National Action Plans on the UNSC Resolution 1325 by the end of the year; regrets however that only one of them includes an allocated budget for implementation; calls on EU Member States to include in this context allocated budget for their implementation and to develop national parliamentary supervising mechanisms as well as to introduce quotas for the participation of women in control, evaluation, and supervising mechanisms;
Amendment 115 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes that all civilian CSDP missions count now with a gender adviser; regrets however that this is not the case with military CSDP missions; encourages EU Member States to put forward candidates for the existent vacancies; calls to ensure that all EU- deployed military and civilian personnel are sufficiently trained on gender equality and WPS, specifically on how to integrate a gender perspective into their tasks;
Amendment 118 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Calls for an update of the Upgraded Generic Standards of Behaviour for CSDP Missions and Operations to include the principle of zero-tolerance to non-action for EU leadership and management regarding sexual and gender-based violence;
Amendment 119 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Calls on the EU delegations to monitor the backlash against gender equality and the tendencies of shrinking space for civil society and to take specific steps to protect them; urges the European Commission, EEAS, EU Member States and Heads of EU Delegations to ensure political and financial support to independent local civil society, including women’s organisations, and human rights defenders and make cooperation and consultation with them a standard element of their work;
Amendment 123 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises that gender equality is a prerequisite for efficient management of climate challenges and that in order to achieve a fair and just transition which leaves no one behind all climate action must include a gender and an intersectional perspective; regrets that only 30% of climate negotiators are women and 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; asks the EU and its Member States to ensure access of women’s organisations to international climate funds.
Amendment 130 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is deeply concerned by the unprecedented toll the Covid-19 crisis takes on gender equality advances worldwide in terms of the unequal partition of both domestic and public care work, with women making up around 70% of the global health workforce, the worrisome spike in gender-based violence, partially due to extended periods of confinement, and a constrained access to reproductive and maternal health; stresses that adequate funding must be made urgently available to ensure that women’s organisations, human rights’ defenders and peacebuilders have full and unhindered access to quality technology in order to enable their meaningful participation in decision-making processes during the COVID19 crisis; emphasises the need for the VP/HR and the Commission to acknowledge the necessity of human security, encompassing all aspects of the EU Strategic Approach to WPS; stresses the need to ensure that the implementation of the EU’s Global Response to COVID-19 is not gender blind and calls for it to address the specific needs of women and other marginalized groups appropriately as well as to ensure their involvement in the whole programming cycle;
Amendment 14 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes the lasting deterioration in the Union’s strategic environment in the face of multiple challenges directly or indirectly affecting the security of its Member States and citizens: armed conflicts immediately to the east and south of the European continent, jihadist terrorthe collapse of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, massive and regular violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law including war crimes, crimes against humanity, jihadist terrorism, the rise of authoritarianism, cyber attacks, the uncontrolled migrationspread of lethal and non- lethal security and military technology, increasing threats to natural resources, climate change, etc.;
Amendment 28 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that instability and unpredictability on the Union’s borders and in its immediate neighbourhood (north Africa, the Middle East, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the Balkans, etc.) pose a direct threat to the security of the continent; stresses the inextricable link between internal and external security; believes that the Union's priority should be to spread the adherence to universal values, principles and rules beyond its borders in order to foster stability, security and sustainable socio-economic development; reiterates its urgent call for making swift progress as regards the membership prospect for Western Balkan countries also for security considerations;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that global actors (the US, China, Russia) and an increasing number of regional actors (Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc.) are seeking to assert power through a combination of unilateral diplomatic posturing and increasing military military build-ups and the use of force in violation of international law;
Amendment 53 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores the fact that, in this context, these actors are deliberately circumventing or attempting to destroy the multilateral mechanisms, the principles of the UN Chater and relevant international law, essential to maintaining peace;
Amendment 66 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the Union has been slow to react and adapt – politically, diplomatically and militarily – to new crises and to this new international context; considers that, in the specific area of defence, insufficient investmentmisdirected investments, unwillingness to pool and share, differences in capabilities and a lack of interoperability, but also, and above all, a political reluctance to implement the robust provisions provided for in the European treaties and the numerous cooperation arrangements between Member States have weakened the Union’s ability to play a decisive role in external crises management; recognises, further, that no country is able by itself to address the security challenges on the European continent and in its immediate environment and calls on the Member States to develop an effective integrated approach to crisis and conflicts which combines civilian and military means in the best possible and balanced way; believes that the Union’s capacity to adequately react to emerging crisis and conflicts also depends on the speed of decision-making; supports in this respect the introduction of qualified majority voting in Council;
Amendment 79 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes, in this adverse and volatile context, the belated but real recognition of shared security interests and the growing political will on the part of European countries and the European institutions to act collectively for their security by endowing themselves with greater means to act in a more preventive, fast, effective and autonomously manner;
Amendment 83 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is convinced that the response to the Union’s security challenges lies primarily in strengthening its strategic autonomydeveloping a comprehensive and modern security policy which is closely interlinked with all other external policies, a truly European Security Union, which puts human security at its centre and enables autonomous and effective decision-making, planning, conduct, and implementation of diplomatic, civilian, military and any other relevant security measure;
Amendment 100 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
The need to strengthen the European strategicUnion as autonomous and effective auctonomyr
Amendment 111 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that the principle of European strategic autonomyconcept of the EU as effective and autonomous security actor is based on the ability of the Union to strengthen its freedom to assess, take decisions and take actionhave the capacity to act where circumstances so require in order to defend itscommon interests and valuuniversal values, rules and principles;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers, therefore, that European strategic autonomyan effective CSDP is based, above all, on the ability of the Union to assess a crisis situation and take a decision autonomously, which necessarily entails an independent decision-making process, the availability of means of assessment and a freedom to analyse and take actionhe capacity to act; considers, also, that European strategic autonomy is based on the ability of the Union to act alone when itsCSDP should guarantee the ability of the Union to act alone but via an integrated approach combining civilian and military means in a balanced way when universal principles and common interests are at stake (theatres of operations not considered as priorities by its European partners) or within the framework of existing cooperation arrangements; considers, lastly, that European strategic autonomy is part of a multilateral framework which respects commitments within the UN and complements the (NATO) alliances and partnerships to which most Member States are signed up; stresses that strategicunderlines that the Union’s choice of means following the integrated approach depends first of all on the real needs on the grounds; stresses that operational autonomy does not mean that the Union will systematically act alone, everywhere and always;
Amendment 140 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that the affirmation of European strategic autonomyan effective CSDP also depends on the establishment of European defence cooperation in the technological, capability, industrial, trade and operational fields; considers that only practical and flexible cooperation based on pragmatic initiatives will make it possible to gradually overcome the difficulties, forge a genuine common strategic culture and shape common responses tailored to the continent’s main security and defence issues;
Amendment 142 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 156 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers that the principle of European strategic autonoma sovereign, comprehensive and effective Common Security and Defence Policy is a legitimate and necessary ambition and that it must remain a priority objective of European defence policy; stresses that its practical and operational implementation is a common responsibility of European states;
Amendment 164 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Maintains that European strategic autonomya sovereign and effective CSDP must take practical form in the areas of industry, capability (joint programmes, investment in defence technologies) and operations (financing of operations, capacity building for partners, capacity to plan and conduct missions)to plan and conduct missions) and be accompanied a responsible EU-level arms control policy;
Amendment 182 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Encourages the EEAS and Member States to introduce a more forward-looking approach to capability planning and development and to anticipate future needs for a strong EU response to crises and conflicts to strengthen civilian missions in the longer term;
Amendment 185 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that the Union currently has a presence on three continents through the deployment of 16 civilian or military missions (10 civilian and six military, of which three are executive and three are non-executive missions); recognises the contribution made by these missions to peace and international security and stability; stresses that their implementation must be accompanied by an overhaul of the instruments laid down in the Lisbon Treaty and introduced in recent years, in order to make them more effective; promotes a higher level of effectiveness of CSDP missions by reaching the 70 percent target in seconded personnel and calls on the Member States to make stronger contributions;
Amendment 189 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Welcomes the European Court of Auditors involvement in auditing CSDP missions and operations and encourages the production of further special reports on other missions and operations;
Amendment 192 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Member States and European bodies to prioritise and maintain a high level of commitment in Africa; welcomes, therefore, the Council’s decision of July 2018 to extend the mandate of the EUTM RCA military training mission for two years and its intention to launch a civilian mission to complement the military component; notes that these recent developments are a positive sign of re-engagement on the part of the Member States but stresses that the security and human rights situation in the country remains highly problematic;
Amendment 195 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Notes the fact that in the Middle East, a region which is crucial for European security, the Union has three CSDP missions in place, EUBAM Rafah (Tel Aviv), EUPOL COPPS in the Palestinian Territories (Ramallah) and EUAM Iraq (Bagdad); deplores the outbreak of violence in Iraq and the shooting of protestors by security personnel; urges the EU and in particular EUAM to review its engagement as regards security sector reform in light of that unacceptable death toll amongst protesters;
Amendment 198 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Is deeply concerned about UN/MINUSMA investigated and reported cases of dozens of very serious human rights abuses committed by Malian security forces which might amount to war crimes under humanitarian law; urges the HR/VP to make sure that the EU’s partners strictly comply with international humanitarian and human rights law, and legally binding EU regulations and that those cases are brought to justice without delay; calls on the EEAS to report to Parliament about these cases as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 201 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned at the deteriorating situation in Burkina Faso; wonders whether it would be appropriate to deploy a civilian and/or military mission in order to strengthen security sector governance, democratic control of armed forces and civilian control of the entire security sector including strong accountability, human rights and the restoration of people’s trust in their security forces;
Amendment 208 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for the swift implementation of the compact on civilian missions adopted in November 2018 by the Council and the Member States with a view to enhancing civilian CSDP resources in order to make the missions more flexible and more operational, a prerequisite for the effectiveness and efficiency of Union action on the ground; urges Member States to shape a solid annual review that helps to take stock of progress in implementing the civilian CSDP Compact and can support the further professionalization civilian CSDP beyond 2023, including measures to ensure accountability of all involved actors for achievements; calls on Member States to test the newly introduced concept of specialized teams in the field as soon as possible through a pilot, using it as a means to make specialized capabilities available for a limited period of time and fill current capability gaps, and evaluate lessons from first deployments;
Amendment 213 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Highlights that the implementation of the civilian CSDP Compact should not be the end state of strengthening civilian CSDP;
Amendment 216 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes, however, that the effectiveness of CSDP missions and operations in general is being hampered by an increasing reluctance on the part of Member States and the European institutions to make such missions and operations more robust, both in terms of human resources and their mandates; notes that CSDP military operations increasingly tend to be based on armed forces training (EUTM), with no executive dimension which would underline the readiness to invest in post-conflict stabilisation, peacekeeping, peace enforcement and other demanding military operations aiming at guaranteeing international peace and stability;
Amendment 241 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the recurring problem faced by armed forces of a lack of equipment, which is an obstacle to the success of training missions; notes the difficulty of supplying suitable equipment in a timely manner (binding public procurement procedures to be followed, etc.); believes that achieving positive results in terms of training and advice for third-country armies is extremely difficult in the long term without the capacity to back up such efforts with worthwhile and coordinated equipment programmes; welcom and strong democratic oversight and accountability mechanisms which prevent misconduct, corruption, and impunity; notes the Capacity Building for Security and Development (CBSD) initiative, which resulted in the revision of the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (‘IcSP+’) in 2017 so as to provide funding for training and the supply of non- lethal equipment to third countries’ armed forces; notes that, to date, three projects have been carried out, in Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso; highlights the strong demand from local populations for support in the area of training and equipment supply; stresses the need to make sure that all transfers strictly respect the eight EU criteria on arms exports;
Amendment 252 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Notes the decision of 26 September 2019 to extend the EU maritime operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFORMED Sophia) by six months to 31 March 2020; deeply deplores the decision temporarily to suspend the naval presence; stresses the urgent need to reach agreement among the Member States and calls for the redeployment of naval assets and full implementation of the mandate and to transform the mission into an effective search and rescue mission;
Amendment 257 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Considers that the issue of financing for CSDP missions and operations is crucial to the sustainability of the policy; highlights the importance of reviewing the Athena mechanism so that it covers the full costs of CSDP military operations and missions; supports, in this connection, the part of the proposal by the VP/HR, backed by the Commission, to create a European Peace Facility, which would finance part of the costs of EU defence activities, including the joint costs of CSDP military operations and those relating to military capacity-building for partnerfocusses on the financing of common costs of CSDP operations and co-financing peacekeeping operations of third countries; however, rejects the plan that at EU level lethal equipment and ammunitions are purchased for the use of third countries; stresses that the proposal of a European Peace Facility (EPF) lacks strong language on how and by whom such transfers of military equipment will be checked against the eight EU criteria on arms exports; hopes that the Member States will reach an agreement quickly so that this instrument can be introduced; stresses the importance of making the Union’s financial rules more flexible in order to enhance its ability to respond to crises and facilitate the implementation of Lisbon Treaty provisions; calls on the Member States and the Commission to consider a flexible mechanism to help Member States wishing to participate in a CSDP mission to bear the cost of doing so, thereby facilitating their decision to launch or strengthen a mission; notes that this instrument would be wholly consistent with the Union’s strategic autonomy objectivesaim to become a more credible and effective security actor in the operational field;
Amendment 265 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Supports the creation of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) for executive missions to enable all CSDP military operations to be carried out; calls for enhanced cooperation between the MPCC and the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability; draws attention to the problems of recruitment and resource provision, which need to be overcome in order for the MPCC to be fully effective; calls on the EEAS to transform the MPCC from a virtual entity, with multiple-assignment posts, into a robust civilian-military entity which can plan and conduct operationsthe entire spectrum of military operations foreseen under Article 43(1) TEU;
Amendment 268 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Notes the failure of the Union’s battlegroup project; the battlegroups have never been deployed since their creation in 2007, owing in particular to opposition on the part of all the Member States and the complexity of their implementation and funding, which is at odds with the original objective of speed and efficiency; proposes to transform the battle groups into a more reliable set of several multinational but permanent units which are able to execute all possible military CSDP operations foreseen by the Treaty;
Amendment 285 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Believes that the implementation of CSDP missions and operations must be backed up by flexible instruments in order to make it easier for the Union and its Member States to commit to ensuring European strategic autonomyfreedom of action, in the service of the stability of the European continent and universal values and principles the EU promotes globally; stresses, in this connection, the effectiveness of modular, multipurpose and genuinely operational command structures, such as the European Corps (Eurocorps); notes that the missions of this command structure have been successfully extended and diversified: between 2015 and 2018 the European Corps was deployed four times as part of the EU training missions in Mali and the Central African Republic (EUTM Mali and EUTM RCA); calls on the Member States and the Commission to follow this example of flexible and operational cooperation, which has already proved valuable and effective;
Amendment 288 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Expects the Union to make effective use of all existing CSDP policy instruments in the areas of diplomacy, cooperation, development, conflict management and peacekeeping; stresses that CSDP military and civilian instruments cannot, under any circumstances, be the only solution to security issues and that a ‘comprehensive approach’ should always be adopted; considers that only the use of all these instruments on the basis of a ‘comprehensive approach’ will provide the flexibility needed to effectively achieve the most ambitious security objectives; recalls that EU security policies should be based on a comprehensive and holistic approach which is centered around human security and which puts the well-being and security of the local population in third countries at the heart of all efforts;
Amendment 294 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36 a. Recalls the increased success of conflict resolution when gender parity and equality are respected along the process and calls for an increase of participation and managerial positions of women in such missions and to more systematically mainstream a gender perspective into CSDP missions, and to actively contribute to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security; calls on the EEAS and Member states to initiate ambitious steps in view of increasing the representation of women among international experts at all levels of CSDP missions and operations, possibly through a dedicated Action Plan or targeted incentives and career planning for women or mechanisms in recruitment that ensure a better representation;
Amendment 297 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36 b. Underlines the need for further developing the parliamentary and democratic character and dimension of CSDP; believes that an effective CSDP which is fit for the 21st century security challenges goes with a strong parliamentary scrutiny component and high transparency standards both at national level and at EU-level; is of the opinion that a stronger parliamentary dimension of CSDP correspond with the high demand of EU citizens for security, peace and more cooperation on security and defence amongst Member States;
Amendment 298 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
Amendment 308 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Welcomes the significantNotes reversal of the trend of cutting defence budgets; is of the opinion that this should be supported and encouraged at Uniowill only benefit EU citizens and international peace and stability if it goes together with far-reaching pooling of national budgets and efforts for research, development, procurement, maintenance, and training at European level;
Amendment 314 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Believes that the EU's security and defence policy will only be effective if national decisions are coordinated and national arms exports decisions are compliant with the eight EU criteria in particularly as regards human rights, regional stability, terrorism and the risk of diversion; welcomes the recent review of Common Position 2008/944/CFSP and calls for amore ambitious effort at EU level as regards monitoring and control of exports, which would take into account major developments in the sector such as EDIDP and EDF;
Amendment 320 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Notes with satisfaction the Commission’s proposal of 2 May 2018 to establish a EUR 13 billion budget line for defence in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) under the heading of industrial policy; notes that this proposal, which reflects an unprecedented commitment by the Commission, remains subject to the unanimous agreement of the Member States in the next MFF; deplores the fact that over seven years there will be no formal mechanisms for parliamentary scrutiny as regards the EDF priorities in the work programmes; believes that any efforts by the EU in the defence industrial sector should go hand in hand with a high level of transparency, accountability and ethical review in order to higher the chances to overcome existing structural problems of the sector;
Amendment 331 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. WelcomNotes the Commission’s proposal of June 2017 to create a European Defence Fund (EDF), which wcould foster cooperation between Member States and support some stakeholders of the European defence industry; notes that this proposal is the first initiative for which Community funds are to be used in direct support of defence projects; recognises that this is a major step forward for European defence, from both a political and an industr and that its legal base remains weak; recognises that this is a paradigm shift as regards the EU budget which has so far mainly financed civilialn perspectiverogrammes; notes that the EDF could finance structural projects such as the future European aircraft or tank or a European anti-missile defence capability; notes that the 2019 work programme for the preparatory action will focus on electromagnetic spectrum dominance and future disruptive defence technologies, two key areas for potentially maintaining Europe’s technological independence in the long term; welcomnotes, also, the adoption by the Commission in March 2019 of the first European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) and the publication of nine calls for proposals for 2019, including for the Eurodrone, which is considered a key capability for Europe’s strategic autonomymodern warfare; recalls the repeated calls of the European Parliament for a common position by the Council on how to use armed drones in line with international humanitarian law and international human rights law; points out that 12 further calls for proposals will follow in 2020, covering priority areas in all domains (air, land, sea, cyber and space); notes the link between the procurement decisions taken today by the Member States and the prospects for industrial and technological cooperation under the EDF;
Amendment 363 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Questions the slow start-up of the 34 projects and the delays to the launch of a third wave of 13 projects, given that none are as yet up and running; notes that only four projects will reach their initial operational capacity in 2019; highlights the lack of ambition and scale of some projects, which do not address the most obvious capability gaps, particularly those in the first wave, which are primarily capability projects involving as many Member States as possible; notes that the desired inclusion of participation in PESCO projects should not jeopardise a high level of ambition on the part of the participating Member States; considers that third countries’ involvement should be subject to stringent conditions and based on established and effective reciprocity; calls on the Member States to submit projects with a strategic European dimension, thereby strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), which is an essential part of the strategic autonomisation process and relates more to the operational side in order to responding as first priority to the operational needs of European armed forces in view of their task to implement the entire spond directly to the operational needs of European armed forcesectrum of CSDP operations as foreseen by the Treaty;
Amendment 369 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Stresses the still virtual nature of the European Defence Fund; points out that that this instrument has not yet been finally approved, with only partial and political agreement having been given in April 2019; stresses the importance of maintaining Parliament’s position concerning delegated acts for the work programmes, the amount of the EDF, the involvement of third countries and the establishment of an appropriate intellectual property policy in relation to security and defence in order to protect research results; draws attention, in that connection, to the highly sensitive and strategic nature of defence research, both for industrial competitiveness and for the strategicprospect of operational autonomy of the Union; calls for the initial and transparent lessons learned from the implementation of the EDIDP (in particular concerning the application of derogations for eligible entities), the pilot project and the preparatory action on defence research to be properly taken into account in a transparent and accountable manner; calls on the Member States to be fully involved in the decision-making process in order to avoid bureaucratic excesses and to ensure that the programmes included address the strategic needs of the CSDP and the Member States; considers that the success of the EDF will depend on stresses the fact that it would be logic to accompany joint research and development witsh ability to cater for the specific defence needs of the participating states and to guarantee the availability of sufficient common arms export policy at EU-level; believes that solely focussing on subsidising European defence industrial companies with EU budgetary resources, whilsl not gensuring that industrial know-how is not duplicerate a European defence sector which overcomes high inefficiency rateds, national defence investment is not crowded out and cooperation does not become over-complicated; considers that developing the European defence industry by regulating access for entities controlled by non-EU third parties to projects financed by the Fund is fully consistent with the European ambition of strategic autonomyhigh dependency on exports and which should be primarily devoted to help Member State's armed forces to be well- equipped for future CSDP operations; underlines the need for the Commission to focus on a regulatory approach which is based on the enforcement of the 2009 Defence Package and additional rules which are needed to set the parameters for an efficient and modest European defence market;
Amendment 396 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Is convinced that the Union has a vital interest in creating a safe and open maritime environment which makes for the free passage of goods and people while emphasising de-escalation; notes that most of the strategic assets, critical infrastructure and capabilities are under the control of Member States and that their willingness to enhance cooperation is paramount for European security; reaffirms the Union’s role as a global maritime security provider, and stresses the importance of developing relevant military and civilian capabilities; welcomes in that connection the adoption of the revised EU Maritime Security Strategy Action Plan in June 2018;
Amendment 412 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Recognises the increasingly prominent role of artificial intelligence (AI) in European defence; notes, in particular, the many military applications stemming from AI for managing and simulating operational environments, assisting the decision-making process, detecting threats and processing intelligence; stresses that the development of reliable AI in the field of defence is essential for ensuring European strategic autonomycapacity to act in capability and operational areas; calls on the Union to keep up its investment in this area and in particular in disruptive technologies through existing instruments (European Defence Fund, European Innovation Council, future Horizon Europe, Digital Europe programme) while respecting the Parliament's position on lethal autonomous weapons system of 12 September 2018 and the agreement reached with Council and Commission in the context of EDF;
Amendment 427 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Stresses that the ambition of European strategicthe EU as an effective and credible security auctonomyr is based on the ability of Europeans to take action to defend universal values, principles and norms, their interests, either independently or within an institutional cooperation framework (NATO, UN);
Amendment 433 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Considers that European strategicmultilateralism a crucial value for security and defence and underlines that the EU will only emerge as an effective and credible security auctonomy must br if its actions are based on sustainable cooperation and strategic partnerships with countries and organisations sharing the Union’s values; welcomes, further, the contributions made by CSDP partners to Union missions and operations;
Amendment 447 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Draws attention to NATO’s fundamental role in collective territorial defence, as explicitly recognised in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; believes that the EU-NATO partnership is essential for addressing the security challenges facing Europe and its neighbourhood; believes that EU-NATO cooperation should be complementary and takes full account of each of the two institution’s specific features and roles;
Amendment 454 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Notes the importance of the EU-UN partnership in the resolution of international conflicts and peace-building activities; calls on both organisations to further coordinate their efforts in areas where they deploy major civilian and military missions, in order to avoid duplication and optimise synergies; urges the Member States to contribute more to UN peacekeeping and calls on EU institutions to assist in this respect;
Amendment 464 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Supports, in parallel with institutional cooperation and partnerships, the combining of different forms of flexible, multifaceted, open and, at the same time, operational, ambitious and demanding cooperation, both within and outside EU, NATO and UN structures, which could facilitate joint commitments in operations, thereby strengthening the Union’s operational strategic autonomyCFSP and CSDP; stresses, in this connection, that examples of cooperation such as the European Intervention Initiative, the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) and the increasing integration of the German and Dutch armed forces refelect this drive for closer military cooperation between Member States;
Amendment 475 #
2019/2135(INI)
61. Considers that progress in European defence will pave the way for major structural changes; notes the announcement of the creation of a Directorate-General for Defence and Space at the Commission under the responsibility of the Commissioner-designate for the Internal Market; notes that this new DG should be responsible for supporting, coordinating or complementing the Member States’ actions in the area of European defence and would thus contribute to strengthening European strategic autonomy; notes the definition of its five main tasks (implementation and oversight of the EDF, creation of an open and competitive European defence equipment market, implementation of the action plan on military mobility, enhancement of a strong and innovative space industry, implementation of the future space programme), but calls on the Commission to provide further details on the role and responsibilities of the new DG; Wonders how it will coordinate its work with that of other defence policy structures which have other responsibilities (EDA, EEAS, etc.) and which initiatives it will undertake to enforce the 2009 Defence Package and other regulatory aspects of an emerging European defence market and export control;
Amendment 58 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the UDHR, as a set of universal values, principles and norms guiding UN member states, places the protecrespect, protection and realisation of human rights at the heart of good governance; whereas in the spirit of the UDHR and Article 21 of the TEU, the EU isconsistently states its ambition to be at the forefront of pursuing human rights-based policies and engages continuously in addressing human rights abuses; whereas such an ambitious commitment and rhetoric requires the EU to be consistent and lead by example; whereas in practice, the EU is regularly denounced by the human rights community as being inconsistent towards comparable human rights situations worldwide and of placing security, migration or trade interests, before its stated commitment to universal human rights;
Amendment 59 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas in 2018 a large number of human rights defenders, including environmental activists, and actors from the civil society have been targeted by private and state actors alike, and see their civic space for action shrinking continuously which prevents them from taking meaningful action while being subject to attacks, threats and persecution and in extreme cases killings;
Amendment 63 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 73 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas increased coherence between the EU’s internal and external policies, as well as between the EU’s external policies represents an indispensable requirement for a successful and effective EU human rights policy; whereas improved consistency should enable the EU to be a more credible human rights actor at global level and to respond more rapidly during the early stages of human rights violations;
Amendment 101 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Maintains that all states that adhere to fundamental freedoms as cornerstones of democracy must be at the forefront of spreading gooddemocratic governance practices based on human rights and the rule of law around the world, and of strengthening legal international instruments for protecting human rights; underlines the challenges posed by the use of harmful influences that undermine democratic governance and the values intrinsic to human rights, and thus thwart the positive endeavours of democratic states; is deeply concerned about the links between authoritarian regimes abroad and the extreme right and populist nationalist parties and governments in the EU, such as in Hungary, that pose a threat to the fundamental values of the Union, which are enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including respect for democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights; believes that such links undermine the credibility of the EU efforts to promote the fundamental values; calls on the EU and its Member States to lead by example and strictly uphold universal human rights, ensure an enabling environment for their civil society and to address any negative trends in this field;
Amendment 123 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is seriously concerned at the increase in the number of cases of murder, attacks - both physical and defamatory - and intimidation against people standing up for human rights defenders throughout the world, in particular journalists, scholars, lawyers and civil society activists, inter alia environmental and land defenders, mainly in countries with high levels of corruption and a poor record of upholding the rule of law and judicial oversight; notes that women human rights defenders as well as environmental rights defenders face specific risks and need adequate protection;
Amendment 137 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of advancing gender equality and women’s and girls' rights worldwide; emphasises that, in spite of progress, women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence; stresses that manyost societies still struggle to provide women and girls with equal rights under the law and equal access to education, healthcare, decent work and political and economic representation; expresses its grave concern regarding the widespread and continued attacks on women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as over legislation in many parts of the world that restricts these rights, including within EU Member States;
Amendment 150 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Draws attention to instances of persecution and discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, language, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation and age, which remain rife in many countries and societies; is seriously concerned at the increasingly intolerant and hate-filled responses targeting people who are the victims of these human rights violations;
Amendment 166 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the number of persons forcibly displaced in 2018 exceeded 70 million, of whom 26 million were refugees3 ; takes the view that wars, conflicts, political oppression, poverty and food insecurity, uneven economic development conditions and the adverse effects of climate change on the world’s poorest countries in particular, fuel the risks of triggering new conflicts and the further displacement of populations; urges the EU to seek to counter the effects of global climate change among others by introducing effective and sustainable policy actions and to comply with the goals of the Paris Agreement; stresses that biodiversity and human rights are interlinked and interdependent and recalls the human rights obligations of States to protect the biodiversity on which those rights depend, including by providing for the participation of citizens in biodiversity-related decisions and providing access to effective remedies in cases of biodiversity loss and degradation; expresses its support to the nascent normative efforts at international level in relation to environmental crimes; __________________ 3UNHCR – Global Trends 2018 report (19 June 2019).
Amendment 181 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that freedom of speech and expression, as well as media pluralism, are at the heart of resilient democratic societies; urges that the best possible safeguards against disinformation campaigns and hostile propaganda be put in place by developing a legal framework both at EU and international level for tackling hybrid threats, including cyber and information warfare, while not compromising on fundamental rights;
Amendment 182 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls the EU’s commitment to placing human rights and democracy at the centre of its relations with non-EU countries; stresses, therefore, that the objective of advancing human rights and democracy around the world requires it to be mainstreamed in all EU policies which have an external dimension; calls for the EU to take particular care to assess and prevent any violation linked to the Union's own policies, projects and funding in third countries, including by creating a complaints mechanism for individuals or groups whose rights would have been violated by EU activities in these countries;
Amendment 188 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the Commission and EU Member States to adopt a new, ambitious, time-bound and binding Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy; its implementation and impact should be assessed through a strong monitoring mechanism; insists that emerging human rights challenges, including digital rights, but also key human rights issues that had hitherto been neglected, such as environmental rights, the rights of the elderly, sports and human rights, and rights of migrants be adequately addressed in this future Action Plan; stresses that EU Member States should take greater ownership of the Action Plan and report back on their implementation of the latter;
Amendment 196 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Highlights that trade and human rights reinforce ehe conduct of business activities should not negatively impacht on ther enjoyment of human rights, and that the business community has an important role to play in offering positive incentives in terms of promoting human rights, democracy and corporate responsibility; reminds the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the need to make effective use of human rights clauses within international agreements, based on political dialogue, the regular assessment of progress and recourse to the consultation procedure upon request from a party; requests that robust implementation and monitoring mechanisms of human rights clauses, including through measurable benchmarks, be put in place, involving Parliament, local civil society and relevant international organisations, as well as establishing a complaints mechanism for groups of citizens and stakeholders who are affected by human rights violations;
Amendment 208 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. SupportsConsiders that human rights dialogues with non-EU countries as an essential tool for bilateral engagement in the promotion and protection of human rights; calls on the Commission and the EEASmay constitute a useful tool for bilateral engagement in the promotion and protection of human rights provided they are carried out in a result-oriented manner and are regularly reviewed; recalls that the EU guidelines on human rights dialogues outline a number of criteria for opening a dialogue, including "the extent to which the government is willing to improve the situation, the degree of commitment shown by the government in respect of international human rights conventions, the government's readiness to cooperate with United Nations human rights procedures and mechanisms as well as the government's attitude towards civil society"; believes that in a number of cases, the impact of such dialogues is hardly worth the substantial resources that are dedicated by the EEAS and the EU delegation concerned; calls for the EEAS to carry out a regular assessment of each dialogue, as foreseen by the EU Guidelines, and to ensure that if in the absence of tangible progress, the EU should either adjust its aims, or suspend the human rights dialogue with the country concerned; calls on the Commission and the EEAS, with the involvement of local and international civil society groups and relevant international organizations, to join forces to address human rights and related obligations in dialogues or negotiations in any political and economic areas, with the governments of non-EU countries, in order to reinforce the impact of human rights dialogues; insists on the importance of raising individual cases in the context of human rights dialogues and of ensuring adequate follow-up and transparency over these cases;
Amendment 214 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Strongly supports the work and effortsmandate of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR) in protecting and promoting human rights in the world; insists that in the future, the appointment of EUSRs be validated only after a prior hearing in Parliament; reiterates its call for greater transparency on the activities and missions of the EUSR and insists that his regular reports to Council are also shared with Parliament; underlines the important objective within the mandate of the EUSR to enhance the Union’s effectiveness in this area;
Amendment 220 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the expansion of the mandate of the EUSR to include promoting support for international criminal justice; expects the EUSR to be particularly active in this field and to report to Parliament on how he intends to proceed with this aspect of his mandate, as well as on international humanitarian law;
Amendment 227 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for the EU and the Member States to continue to closely monitor developments that negatively affect democratic governance and civil society space worldwide, without exception, and to systematically respond, using all appropriate means, to policies and legislative changes led by authoritarian governments, that are aimed at undermining governance based on fundamental democratic principles and at shrinking civil society space; is of the opinion that synergy between the Commission, the EEAS and Parliament should be strengthened in relation to this matter; welcomes the invaluable assistance provided to civil society organizations worldwide under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, which continues to constitute the flagship instrument of the European Union in implementing its external human rights policy; calls for funding to civil society and human rights under the successor global instrument to be further enhanced;
Amendment 245 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recalls that criterion two of Common Position 944/2008/CFSP obliges EU Member States to examine each arms export licence against the country of destination’s respect for human rights; deplores the numerous cases of non- respect by EU Member States of this criterion; calls for a reform of the assessment process of arms exports projects, notably by the introduction of a risk assessment based on the overall situation in the country, therefore introducing the precautionary principle; also recommends to initiate discussions on the extension of criterion two to include democratic governance indicators, that could help establish further safeguards against unintended negative consequences of arms exports; insists on the need for full transparency and regular reporting by EU Member States on their arms transfers;
Amendment 251 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the EU’s efforts to promote the universality of the Rome Statute in 2018, during which the 20th anniversary of its adoption was celebrated, and reaffirms its unwavering support of the International Criminal Court; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to explore ways and present new tools to help the victims of violations of international human rights law and of international humanitarian law to access international justice and obtain remedy and reparation, including through building the capacity of Member States but also third countries to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction in their domestic legal systems;
Amendment 265 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the initial discussions within the Council regarding the establishment of an EU human rights sanctions mechanism, the so-called ‘Magnitsky List’, allowing for targeted sanctions against individuals complicit in serious human rights violations; urges, however, the Council to swiftly adopt the necessary legislation, and points out that Parliament has expressed its backing of the mechanism already in March 2019;
Amendment 271 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Insists on the importance of ensuring coherence of EU policy towards situations of occupation or annexation of territory; recalls that international humanitarian law should guide EU policy towards all such situations, including in cases of protracted occupation such as in Palestine, Western Sahara, Northern Cyprus and the multiple frozen conflicts in the Eastern Partnership countries;
Amendment 273 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the invaluable and essential role that HRDs play at the risk of their lives; denounces the sharp increase in the targeting of environmental land defenders by companies and state actors; recommends strengthening cooperation between the EU institutions and the Member States, enabling them to provide continuous support to HRDs; values the ‘ProtectDefenders.eu’ mechanism established to protect HRDs at grave risk; and calls for its strengthening; underlines the need for a strategic, visible, and impact-oriented EU approach to protect human rights defenders; calls on the Council to issue annual Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on EU action to promote and protect HRDs in the EU’s foreign policy, calls on the Council and the Commission to establish a specific coordinated procedure for awarding visas to HRDs; calls on the Commission to make full use of the financial capacity of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) to support HRDs and insists that the EU Delegations and Member States make full use and increase their funding and capacity for emergency protection and support for HRDs at risk;
Amendment 281 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that women’s rights organisations and defenders are specifically targeted and suffer particularly from the shrinking civic space; stresses the need for the EU to politically support, increasingly protect and raise financial allocations for independent civil society organisations that promote the rights of women and girls in all areas; urges the EU and EU Member States to ensure the protection of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) and take into account the specific protection needs they have;
Amendment 336 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for new EU initiatives to prevent and combat child abuse in the world, to rehabilitate conflict-affected children and to provide them with a sheltered environment in which care and education are fundamental; calls for the EU to initiate an international movement to advocate the rights of the child, inter alia by organising an international conference on the protection of children in fragile environments; calls on the USA, as the only remaining country not to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to do so as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 368 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Reiterates its condemnation of the continuing human rights violations committed against people suffering from caste hierarchies and caste-based discrimination, including the denial of equality and of access to the legal system and to employment, and the continued segregation and caste-induced barriers to the achievement of basic human rights and development; is deeply concerned by the alarming rate of caste-based violent attacks on Dalits and of institutionalised discrimination with impunity; reiterates its call for an EU policy development on caste discrimination, and calls on the EU to use every opportunity in its trade, development and foreign policy to publicly and privately address the EU’s grave concern over caste discrimination and to actively support applications for UN consultative status submitted by NGOs, such as the International Dalit Solidarity Network, focusing on caste-based discrimination and other forms of discrimination based on work and decent; reiterates its call on the EU and its Member States to intensify efforts and support initiatives at the UN and delegation levels to eliminate caste discrimination: Initiatives should include promotion of specific indicators, disaggregated data and special measures to tackle caste in the implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, observance of the new UN Guidance tool on descent-based discrimination and support to states;
Amendment 373 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Is deeply concerned that Indigenous Peoples face widespread and systematic discrimination and persecution worldwide, including persecution, arbitrary arrests and killings of human rights defenders, forced displacement, land-grabbing and corporate violations; notes that most Indigenous Peoples live below the poverty threshold and have little or no access to political representation and decision-making;
Amendment 415 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Reaffirms that the activities of all companies, whether operating domestically or across borders, must be in full compliance with international human rights standards; stresses the need to establish a binding EU mechanism to ensure compliance by those companies and establish an instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other companies; reminds all countries toin this respect, calls, once again, on the EU and its Member States to participate constructively in the work of the UN Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises; stresses the critical importance for all countries, including EU Member States, to fully implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and, particularly with respect to the third pillar on access to remedy; calls on those EU Member States that have not yet adopted National Action Plans on Business Rights to do so as early as possible; calls on the Commission to establish an inter- institutional task force on business and human rights and to explore an EU-level duty of care initiative;
Amendment 429 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the Commission to establish, in cooperation with the EEAS, a framework for annual reporting by the European Investment Bank (EIB) on its operations outside of the EU with regard to compliance with the general principles guiding the Union’s external action as referred to in Article 21 TEU and the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy; urges the Commission to ensure that the projects supported by the EIB are in line with EU policy and commitments on human rights and that there are accountability mechanisms for individuals to raise violations related to the activities of the EIB; calls on the EIB to further develop its policy on social standards into a human rights policy in the area of banking; calls for the inclusion of human rights benchmarks in its project evaluations;
Amendment 438 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Welcomes the establishment of the Independent Canadian Ombudsman for Responsible Entreprise, with a mandate to investigate allegations of human rights abuses linked to Canadian corporate activity abroad; calls for the EU and its Member States to consider emulating this encouraging initiative;
Amendment 440 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the importance of elaborating an EU strategy to put new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, at the service of the people, and to address the potential threat of new technologies to human rights, including mass surveillance, fake news, disinformation and the abusive use of artificial intelligence, further stresses the specific threat that these technologies pose for human rights defenders in controlling, restricting and undermining their activities, and to strike the right balance between human rights and the right to privacy in particular and other legitimate considerations, such as security or fighting crime, terrorism and extremism; calls on the EU and Member States to ensure full due human rights diligence and proper vetting of exports of European surveillance technology and technical assistance; calls on the EU and Member States to engage with third country governments to end repressive cybersecurity and counter-terrorism legislation practices and legislation;
Amendment 446 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Recalls its resolution of 27 February 2014 on the use of armed drones; expresses its grave concern over the use of armed drones outside the international legal framework; calls on the EU to urgently develop a legally binding framework for the use of armed drones to ensure that the Member States, in conformity with their legal obligations, do not perpetrate unlawful targeted killings or facilitate such killings by other states; calls further on the Commission to keep Parliament properly informed about the use of EU funds for all research and development projects associated with the construction of drones; calls for human rights impact assessments in respect of further drone development projects; urges the VP/HR to ban the development, production and use of fully autonomous weapons, which enable strikes to be carried out without human intervention;
Amendment 451 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the urgent need to tackle the root causes ofdrivers of forced migration flows such as wars, conflicts, persecution, networks of illegal migration, trafficking, smuggling and climate change; calls for the external dimension of the refugee crisis to be addressed, including by finding sustainable solutions to conflicts through building cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned; believes that compliance with international refugee and human rights law is an essential building block for cooperation with third countries; insists that the implementation of the Global Compacts on migration and refugees must therefore go hand in hand with the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda as set out in the Strategic Development Goals, as well as with increased investment in developing countries; calls on the Council and the Commission to establish a specific coordinated procedure for awarding humanitarian visas to asylum seekers;
Amendment 463 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Reiterates its call on the EU to ensure that all migration cooperation and readmission agreements with non-EU states strictly comply with international human rights, refugee and maritime law, particularly with the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; insists on the need to integrate pre-assessment as well as monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the human rights impact of cooperation on migration with third countries; in this context, calls on the EU to increase transparency and ensure parliamentary scrutiny and democratic oversight over these agreements; emphasises the need to delink development cooperation from cooperation on readmission or migration management; insists that human rights need to be mainstreamed and monitored in all the activities carried out by Frontex and EASO;
Amendment 484 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Reiterates its positive view of the EU’s continued support for electoral processes and its provision of electoral assistance and support to domestic observers; welcomes and fully supports, in this context, the work of the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group; recalls the importance of proper follow-up to the reports and recommendations of the election observation missions as a way of enhancing their impact and strengthening the EU’s support for democratic standards in the countries concerned;