Activities of Dacian CIOLOŞ related to 2021/2237(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova (debate)
EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova (debate)
Amendments (54)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
— having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova (hereinafter referred to as Moldova), of the other part (AA), which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and fully entered into force on 1 July 2016,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas after a period of political instability and democratic backsliding Maia Sandu won the presidential election with 57,75% of the votes on 15 November 2020 and Party of Action and Solidarity received 52,8%of the votes and won 63 of the 101 seats in the Parliament of Moldova in the early parliamentary elections on 11 July 2021;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas participants in the 10th meeting of the EU-Moldova PAC held on 2 December 2021, took note of the resolve of the Republic of Moldova President, government and parliamentary majority to implement the EU-Moldova Association Agenda thoroughly, thus bringing tangible improvements to the Moldovan citizens' lives;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the concrete outcomes of the sixth EU-Moldova Association Council that took place on 28 October 2021 give new impetus for closer and enhanced cooperation on key areas;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that the high expectations by people of Moldova need to be fulfilled by achieving tangible improvement in their livelihoods and restoring their trust in state institutions;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission toWelcomes the intensified high- level political dialogue with the Moldovan authorities and calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to further increase its engagement with its Moldovan counterparts and to maximise its political, technical and financial support to the Republic of Moldova during this crucial time in order to give further impetus to progress and to ensure adequate absorption capacity for EU assistance;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses the need to look into ways to consolidate and enhance the capacity of Moldovan public institutions in this regard;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Stresses the importance of an updated Association Agenda for the guidance of the implementation of the AA/DCFTA; reiterates its call on the Commission to adopt regular annual comprehensive reports assessing implementation of reforms based on clear benchmarks and a common methodology;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Encourages the three countries to work together to further advance the reform agenda and exchange best practices; calls on the Commission to respond to the interest of the associated countries to deepen sectoral cooperation with the EU in areas of mutual interest while maintaining the principle of inclusivity;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes and urges the steps undertaken by the authorities to continue their efforts to address the issue of unfounded asylum applications and alignment of the Republic of Moldova's visa policy with the EU lists of visa- required third countries as well as in the areas of financial fraud, anti-money laundering, prevention and fight against corruption, and organised crime;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Stresses the importance of a clear and effective policy in the area of recovering embezzled funds and fraudulent assets by establishing international cooperation with a focus on better liaison with EUROPOL and EUROJUST; encourages the Moldovan authorities to build a framework dedicated to strategic collaboration with the European Public Prosecutor's Office for better management of fraud and anti- corruption investigations;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Encourages ongoing and close cooperation between the General Prosecutor's Office in Chisinau and the EUROJUST office, including a regular secondment of Moldovan representatives to the EUROJUST office as a preparatory step for building a task force dedicated to recovering embezzled funds and fraudulent assets;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines the geostrategic importance of severing the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine energy dependency on Russia and notes the urgency of implementing and further developing energy interconnection projects with the EU; asks the Commission to urgently set up a dedicated structure within its administration that will work to support the Republic of Moldova’s and Ukraine’s integration with the European continental power grid (ENTSO-E); notes that the support and promotion of the EU enhanced cooperation with the EaP associated countries in these sectors will also create economic growth and will strengthen the energy resilience of the region;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Welcomes the approval of the National Strategy for Regional Development for the years 2022-2028 and calls for an administrative-territorial reform focused on growing competitiveness and sustainable development; underlines the necessity of a balanced social and economic growth in all regions of Moldova and efficient implementation of national policies of regional development;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the inadmissibility of the weaponisation of the gas supply in order to put political pressure on the Republic of Moldova to change its geopolitical orientation; urges the Commission and the European External Action Service to continue providing the Republic of Moldova with the financial and technical support necessary to ensure its resilience against such external interference; calls on the Moldovan authorities to maintain the country’s commitment as a member of the Energy Community to implementing the EU’s Third Energy Package, in particular the unbundling of gas and electricity transmission and distribution;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that while the presidential and the early parliamentary elections were well managed and competitive, persistent shortcomings need to be addressed by implementing the recommendations of the Council of Europe Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR; underlines the fact that the election campaign was dividing and conducted in a negative way which involved intolerant rhetoric and attacks on the person; calls for better monitoring of campaign spending, transparency of political party funding and a system to better identify voting day irregularities;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the agreement between the EU and the Republic of Moldova on launching a High-Level Political and Security Dialogue; invites the Republic of Moldova to further align its positions with those of CFSP and to continue its contribution to Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and its miss and the renewed engagement on security and CSDP through the bilateral political staff-to- staff consultations; encourages the EEAS and the Republic of Moldova to make full use of these platforms in order to advance cooperation on matters such as, but not limited to combating hybrid threats, enhancing resilience, strengthening cybersecurity, enhancing strategic communications;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Invites the Republic of Moldova to further align its positions with those of CFSP and to continue its contribution to Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and its missions as well as encourages EU and the Republic of Moldova to identify ways to expand this cooperation;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the EU institutions to include the Republic of Moldova in new formats of cooperation concerning cybersecurity, hybrid threats and cyber- crime investigations;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Calls for an increase of the budget and a strengthening of the European Union's Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), which plays a very important role in harmonising border management and customs regime to that of the Union, also with regard to the solution of the Transnistrian issue;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates its support for a comprehensive and peaceful settlement of the Transnistria conflict based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, within its internationally recognised borders, with a special status for the Transnistrian region, inside a viable Moldovan state;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Underlines that any resolution to the Transnistrian issue must respect the Republic of Moldova’s sovereign right to choose its own defence and foreign policy orientation;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Expresses its concern over the numerous military exercises conducted by the Russian military forces in Transnistria and calls on the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces and armaments from the Transnistria region fully and in an orderly manner, in accordance with the repeated requests of the Moldovan authorities and in respect of the Republic of Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Calls on the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, EU Member States and other international partners to cooperate on the total removal and destruction of the about 20 000 tons of old Soviet-era ammunition stored at the Cobasna ammunition depot, which, due to it being long time expired, represents a grave danger for the people on both banks of the Dniester river;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Encourages the Moldovan Government to continue promoting an environment favourable to the settlement of conflicts and supporting activities that increase confidence and people-to-people contacts across conflict-divided communities;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10e. Praises the Moldovan authorities for the support offered to the Transnistria region in the context of the COVID- 19pandemic, including through the donation of 10% of its vaccines supply, the training of medical staff and the processing of COVID-19 tests;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 f (new)
Paragraph 10 f (new)
10f. Expresses its concern regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in the Transnistrian region; reminds the Russian Federation of the responsibility it has regarding the respect of human rights in the Transnistria region, as confirmed by several rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR); calls on the Russian authorities to execute all the ECHR judgements regarding violations of human rights and the right to freedom and security in the Transnistria region;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Council to extend the areas of cooperation with the Republic of Moldova under the European Peace Facility; encourages Moldovan authorities to make further use of the potential European Peace Facility assistance in subsequent annual programmes in order to consolidate its capacity in countering cyber and hybrid threats; encourages the EEAS and the Council to further support strengthening capacity of the defence sector through assistance measures under this instrument;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Calls for an increased and better communicated EU support for development projects in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates the fundamental importance of justice reform and the fight against corruption; recognises the magnitude of the challenge faced by the authorities and encourages them to focus on established priorities; calls for the adoption and implementation of the amendments to the Constitution on justice that were voted by the Parliament on 23 September 2021, as well as of the Strategy for Ensuring the Independence and Integrity of the Justice Sector 2021- 2-20245;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls the Moldovan authorities to continue cooperation with the Council of Europe and the European Union on justice reform, including on initiatives related to the extraordinary evaluation of judges and prosecutors (vetting) and evaluation of the integrity of candidates for the position of members of Superior Council of Magistracy and Superior Council of Prosecutors (pre-vetting);
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Deplores the fact that the investigation into the bank fraud exposed in 2014 has still not yielded significant results in terms of bringing those responsible to justice and recovering lost assets; stresses that this lack of progress has a serious negative effect on the credibility of the justice system in the eyes not only of the people of the Republic of Moldova, but also of the country’s international partners; calls for an intensification of the process of completing criminal cases against persons involved in the "Russian laundromat" and bank fraud;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Welcomes the new regulations in the field of public procurement, but emphasizes the need for public monitoring of procurement processes and the importance of clearer and permanent reports to the general public; encourages the simplification of the mechanisms by which civil society representatives can be part of procurement processes and emphasizes the need to replace bureaucratic processes with transparent ones that remove barriers and restore confidence in the allocation and use of public budgets;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Highlights the positive effect of the EU-Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement on the trade between the two sides, with more than a 33% increase in total trade between 2015 and 2020, over 61% of Moldovan exports going to the EU market and over 70% of Moldovan companies engaged in export activities exporting to the EU market;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Encourages the Moldovan government to intensify European cooperation to improve the digital infrastructure and improve the resilience of the national system in the face of cyber-attacks; supports the process of digitization of economic processes and the development of special mechanisms for IT companies, especially innovation and start-ups that have problems finding sources of financing and as such fail to support their transition and growth process;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15c. Encourages and supports the harmonisation of the legislation of the Republic of Moldova with the EU acquis in the field of trade for the best possible implementation of the DCFTA; calls on the Commission to begin the process of integrating the Eastern Partnership countries into the European Single Market by setting the first step through analysing their alignment from a legal, economic and technical perspective and developing regulations and standards for preparing partner countries for the economic integration into a common market;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Acknowledges the commitment of the Republic of Moldova to pursue legal approximation with EU agricultural legislation in order to increase exports to the EU and open up new commercial opportunities for its farmers and rurlocal communities;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the EU institutions to give concrete support to the Republic of Moldova to meet the criteria to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) once it has met all of the necessary requirements;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Emphasises that the Republic of Moldova's exports could increase through expanded production, reprioritising exports, and adjusting quality standards; reiterates that the main categories of goods for export remain animal and vegetable products, which are the least profitable products that Moldova can offer to Member States; calls on the European Commission to support the Republic of Moldova in diversifying its exports to the EU, including through a better fulfilment of its tariff quotas for high-profit products;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Encourages the harmonisation of national quality standards with those of the EU; underlines the disadvantage for Moldovan entrepreneurs and businesses due to the large number of different standards they need to meet for exports into the Member States and emphasises the need for a policy of excluding standards that are non-aligned or in direct conflict with European standards;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Stresses the need for greater transparency regarding the results of the audit missions of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and emphasises the need to grow and strengthen the network of laboratories for sanitary and phytosanitary analysis while intensifying the training of inspectors and specialists working in these laboratories for better implementation of regulations in the field of phytosanitary and food safety;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Supports a better policy of integration of environmental policies in the economic sectors and broader participation of the citizens in the process of elaborating the environmental protection policies; calls for a more intense approach to partnerships with civil society for a better functioning waste collection and recycling activity, as well as increased attention to land afforestation, reduction of soil degradation and water quality;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the launch of a high- level energy dialogue between the European Union and Moldova in the context of the emergency situation in Moldova’s gas sector. Invites the Commission to consider the launch of other enhanced / high-level sectorial dialogues, such as in the justice sector or climate / Green Deal, which would contribute to reaching objectives within the AA and DCFTA;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the importance of fighting disinformation, fake news and propaganda, in particular through strategic communication that would improve public perception on the tangible benefits that EU cooperation and support brings to Moldovan citizens; hopes that the reconstituted Television and Radio Broadcasting Council will effectively carry out its tasks as a media watchdog and address the long-standing shortcomings of the media landscape;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Emphasises the need for an institutional framework and a consistent set of public policies through which misinformation and disinformation in the media can be opposed and fought, mainly in the online environment. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to build a national media development program to review the legal framework, regulate the economic situation, specifically the advertising law, ensure fair competition in the media market, and strengthen media actors' resilience to commercial attacks and political influence;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Invites the European Commission to consider the idea of creating a Support Group for Moldova, in order to better streamline EU financial and technical support and provide necessary assistance to Moldovan authorities, particularly in the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for EaP countries and the Economic Recovery Plan for Moldova;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Welcomes the efforts and the continuing progress made by Moldovan authorities towards further improving its safety oversight system and implementing international aviation safety standards that led to the removal of all air carriers certified in the Republic of Moldova from the EU Air Safety List, and calls the Moldovan authorities to ensure the implementation of the EU-Republic of Moldova Common Aviation Area Agreement;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18d. Calls for the Republic of Moldova and the EU to advance work on the Moldovan sections of the trans-European extended transport network for EaP (TEN-T), to support the railway sector reforms and to explore together with Member States and International Financial Institutions possibilities for upgrading the EU-Republic of Moldova rail connections, while ensuring environmental sustainability; encourages the Republic of Moldova to advance in implementing the relevant acquis; and calls for increased cooperation and the gradually integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU Transport Market and Transport Community;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 e (new)
Paragraph 18 e (new)
18e. Calls on the EU institutions to analyse the possibility of including the Republic of Moldova and the other EaP associated countries as observers in the proceedings of the Committees established pursuant to Article 291 TFEU and Regulation (EU) No. 182/2011(7), as well as in the meetings of the Council working groups and committees, to show the EU’s commitments to further integration and to strengthening the countries’ reform orientation and administrative know-how;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 f (new)
Paragraph 18 f (new)
18f. Welcomes the commitments of the Republic of Moldova in the field of environment and climate change, and the intention to cooperate with the EU in implementing the EU Green Deal; encourages to seek guidance and support from the European Commission to strengthen cooperation in this direction;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 g (new)
Paragraph 18 g (new)
18g. Supports a continued cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and the EU on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, as well as enhancing long term cooperation in the field of public health;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 h (new)
Paragraph 18 h (new)
18h. Welcomes the adoption by the European Commission of the decision of equivalence of COVID-19certificates issued by the Republic of Moldova to the EU Digital COVID Certificate and encourages the EU Member States to continue to ensure its application;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the signature on 29 November 2021 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Parliament and the Parliament of Moldova on a joint framework for parliamentary democracy support, which opens up opportunities for strengthening its institutional capacity and parliamentary democracy in the Republic of Moldova through closer bilateral institutional ties; invites the Parliament of Moldova to implement the full range of democracy support activities available to it, including a Jean Monnet Dialogue and a Simone Veil programme, on the basis of a mutually agreed roadmap;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Invites the Parliament of Moldova to implement the full range of democracy support activities available to it, including a Jean Monnet Dialogue and a Simone Veil programme, on the basis of a mutually agreed roadmap;