Activities of Isabel SANTOS related to 2022/2199(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
2022 Report on Albania (debate)
2022 Report on Albania (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Albania
Amendments (33)
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Albania is a reliable foreign policy partner, including through its engagement in the UN Security Council, while maintaining its focus on the EU reform agenda;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas it is essential to increase resilience to malign foreign interference aiming to destabilise the region, boost cyber security and cyber defence capabilities and counter espionage and disinformation;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Albania’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to EU integration, reflecting the consensus among political parties and overwhelming support among citizens; commends its solidarity and consistent, full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy and promotion of the rules-based international order, including its clear-cut response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; commends its supportive commitment to multilateralism under its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Encourages its policymakers to accelerate the reforms that enabled the first long overdue intergovernmental conference and a successful start to the screening process, and to demonstrate steady progress in guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, while ensuring a coherent alignment with the EU’s policies; urges decision-makers to work jointly towards meeting the membership criteria by 2030; stresses the need to strengthen the transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of the accession process, including its parliamentary dimension;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses the need to strengthen the transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of the accession process, including its parliamentary dimension, by ensuring inclusive participation and trust of citizens and integrating civil society and media in democratic governance and policy dialogue; underlines the importance of their effective involvement on the EU integration process and other consultative mechanisms, as legitimate partners in the process;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Encourages the Commission to speed up cross-cutting integration with enlargement countries in the fields of economy and single market, energy and transport, social policy, education, digitalisation, research and innovation, agriculture and rural development, justice and home affairs, civil protection, foreign affairs, security and defence, including cybersecurity;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends Albania’s commitment to completing its comprehensive justice reform; encourages the country to intensify steps aimed at finalising the vetting process, strengthening the independence, transparency, efficiency, accountability and public trust in the Albanian justice system; encourages the country to intensify steps aimed at finalising the vetting process, prosecute any criminal conduct in judiciary, fill in vacancies, reduce backlog of court cases and improve the country’s court efficiency under the new judicial map and ensuring universal access to justice through cross-cutting measures; recalls the need for effective mechanisms that enable the prevention and persecution of corruption through accountable, independent and fully functional judicial and governance institutions; 74Or. en
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores political confrontation and disruptive actions and underlines a joint political and social responsibility for reforms; invites political actors to step up their commitment to dialogue and to strengthen democratic institutions and procedures through constructive engagemeninterparty and intraparty engagement, mutual respect, inclusive consultations and transparent decision-making; recalls the need to strengthen parliamentary oversight capacities; stresses the need to improve governance and pluralism through increased digitalisation, transparency and equitable access to media;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Albanian authorities to address the outstanding electoral and party financing recommendations well ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections, in line with the OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations, by further improving the accessibility and integrity of elections and preventing vote-buying and the misuse of administrative resources, including through digitalisation, transparency, data protection and equitable access to media;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Insists on adequate funding for and the effective and impartial functioning of independent bodies and agencies; recognises the contribution of independent civil society and the media in the fight against corruption;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the ongoing progress and looks forward to systematic improvements in the prevention, proactive investigation and prosecution of and non-selective final convictions for cases involving corruption and organised crime; calls for further progress in establishing a comprehensive, efficient, soundly coordinated and ac, including environmental, cyber and trafficking crimes; welcomes tangible results delivered by the strengthened Specialised Structure for Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK); urges to improve cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and collaboration with EU and its Member States’ agencies in the fight against organized crime and elimination of impunity; recognises the countable public administraribution of independent civil society and the media in the fight against corruption;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Encourages further police reform, ensuring its integrity, professionalism and full compliance with the international human rights standards;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Calls for further progress in establishing a comprehensive, efficient, soundly coordinated and accountable public administration, for improved monitoring of official’s assets and to eliminate corruption from all domains of public life; establishing a solid track record of corruption cases and continuing seizure, confiscation and recovery of criminal assets resulting from corruption and organised crime offences, including through a legislation targeting unjustified wealth, digitalisation of transactions and extended confiscation and freezing of illicit assets;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expresses its concern with theUnderlines that aspects of the draft lawinitiative on fiscal and criminal amnesty and the proposed plan citizenship by investment scheme that are incompatible with EU norms and its visa policy; welcomes the declared suspension of the citizenship by investment scheme; notes the expressed intention to request EU expertise for the drafting of the fiscal amnesty law;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on authorities to focus on modernisation of the fiscal system and tax administration, including asset declaration and compliance, strengthen anti money-laundering controls and setting up of an asset recovery office; invites authorities to prosecute possible instances of crimes against the EU budget under the Working Arrangement on the Cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the Prosecutor General's Office of Albania;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. CEncourages Albania to further align its visa policy with the EU’s list of visa-required third countries; calls for continued action to reduce unfounded asylum claims by Albanian nationals, while tackling criminal trafficking networks and increasing cooperation with the EU’s justice and home affairs agencies; welcomes successful international investigations and police operations to combat the trafficking of people, narcotics and firearms, and online fraud; urges authorities to strengthen domestic operational and asset recovery capacities;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the authorities’ obligation to ensure transparency and competition in public procurement, government contracts, privatisation, State aid and concession procedures; highlights the need to strengthen safeguards, transparency and conditionality under a strategic foreign investment screening process, and to prosecute incidents of fraud, abuse of office and money laundering, while simultaneously countering tax evasion, illegal construction and the circumvention of sanctions;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Condemns malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, including disinformation, espionage, incitement to all forms of radicalisation and cyberattacks against Albanian citizens and critical infrastructure; invites the authorities to prevent data leaks by considerably strengthening cybersecurity and to accelerate efforts to align its legislation with the EU acquis on personal data protection; stresses the need for an effective implementation and enforcement of the National Cyber Security Strategy;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the legal steps taken to eliminate discrimination against minorities, and calls for practical steps in order to ensure their inclusion, namely the inclusion of LGBTI+, Roma and Egyptian minorities; recalls the need to combat gender-based violence, step up child protection, adopt and implement legislation on minority rights, strengthen property rights and conduct a population census; underlines the importance of removing barriurges the authorities to tackle the discrimination that these groups face through an effective and comprehensive institutional approach in all spheres to theof socioal, economic inclusion of persons with disabilitiesand political life;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Recalls the need to combat gender- based violence, step up child protection and grant equal opportunities of integration for all, adopt and implement legislation on minority rights and conduct a population census; underlines the importance of removing barriers to the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Stresses the need to strengthen the means to safeguard property rights, complete transitional ownership processes and the registration of property, continue the restitution and compensation for property expropriated;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses its concern with the lack of progress on achieving institutional transparency, freedom of expression and media freedom and stresses the role of political leaders in creating an enabling environment for the pursuit of these freedoms; condemns attempts to discredit reporters and arbitrarily withhold public information, as well as the failure to ensure the safety of journalists; condemns all violence against journalists and media organisations; urges the authorities to take immediate action against political and economic interference in the media and intimidation against reporters, undermining media independence and media freedom, its ability to cover issues of public interest and the quality of journalism; welcomes the withdrawal of the draft anti- defamation legislation; urges the government to ensure the independence of the public broadcaster and media regulator and the transparency of media ownership, financing and public advertising;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the authorities and the civil society to work together in order to counter disinformation and manipulative narratives by promoting media literacy, creating an enabling environment for independent media and improving the working conditions of journalists;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of an inclusive framework for meaningful civil society engagement in decision-making processes, at national and local governmental level;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need to complete the process of declassifying communist-era files and making them accessible to researchers and the wider public in order to advance justice and reconciliation and bringing justice to victims, and providing reparations to survivors and their families;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Urges the authorities to continue structural reforms in line with the Economic Reform Program 2023-2025 and that enable sustainable recovery and inclusive growth through improved public finance management and governance, rule of law, digitalisation and accessibility, reduced social exclusion, formalisation of the economy, education,improved education and health services; calls for further efforts regarding upskilling, improved labour conditions and social dialogue through meaning dialogue and collective bargaining;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Underlines the importance of empowering the youth and fostering opportunities for the younger Albanian generations; notes the drafting of an action plan for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines the transformative nature of the substantial EU assistance provided under the IPA III and the Western Balkans Investment Framework, including the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans; recalls that, in line with IPA III conditionality, funding must be reduced or suspended in cases of backtracking or unjustified delays in the reform process, particularly in the fields of democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes steps in accelerating the energy transition and energy diversification towards wind and solar power; applauds, in this regard, the speedy deployment of the EU energy support package for the Western Balkans and calls on the authorities to make the best use of this assistance in order to build a resilient and environmentally friendly energy market; in line with the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans; recalls the importance of the EU investments into the Vau i Dejes solar power plant, the modernization of the Fierza hydropower plant, the renovation of the campus of Tirana University and the new Tirana- Durres railway; urges the authorities to step up efforts in mainstreaming environmental and climate action across the agriculture, energy, transport, and industry sectors; expresses support to Albania’s Presidency in the Office of the Energy Community in advancing region’s integration into the EU Energy market, along with the diversification under the REPowerEU and joint energy purchases under the EU Energy Platform; calls for further progress in the electricity reform;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for thoroughly planned measures on biodiversity, water, air, climate, regional waste management and industrial pollution; stresses the need to strengthen the country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change; notes the initial steps taken to establish a Vjosa National Parkcommends the establishment of the Vjosa Wild River National Park ; urges the government to complete and adopt the river basin management plans as soon as possible; calls for a swift alignment with the EU water acquis and reduction of wastewater pollution;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for improved transparency, conduct, enforcement and monitoring of environmental and strategic environmental impact assessments, especially on projects with large environmental and socioeconomic repercussions such as the Skavica hydropower plant project; expresses concern with the economic and environmental impact of non-competitive foreign-funded development projects; calls on the authorities to take urgent action to fight environmental crimeurges the Albanian government to halt any construction work and project that risk violating national and international biodiversity protection norms; calls on the authorities to take urgent action to fight environmental crime, improve and expedite policy and law enforcement for nature and biodiversity protection, particularly in the protected areas;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes Albania’s full adherence to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism; and, as a result, stepping up EU’s significant support to civil emergency preparedness and a coordinated crisis response following earthquakes, floods and wildfires; encourages the country to further modernise its crisis management capacities;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for the swift adoption of the national transport strategy, including its action plan for 2021-2025; reiterates that significant efforts are needed for a structural transformation of digital, energy and transport connectivity;