Activities of Vladimír BILČÍK related to 2019/2175(INI)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2019-2020 Commission reports on Serbia
Amendments (46)
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the EU is Serbia’s biggest trading partner; whereas Serbia benefits from EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance with a total indicative funding allocation of EUR 1.539,1 billion for the period 2014-2020;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that EU membership continues to be Serbia’s strategic goal and that it is among the priorities of the newly elected government; encourages Serbian authorities to communicate more actively and unambiguously their commitment to European values in the public debate;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the momentum created by the new mandate following the 21 June 2020 elections in Serbia is an opportunity to make important progress towards Serbia’s European perspective and is thus encouraged to move forward decisively on all reforms in order to pave the way for opening new chapters; advocates for the opening of additional negotiating chapters as Serbia makes the necessary commitments to reform; notes that the opening of chapters is a tool for achieving sustainable pro-European change in Serbia; calls on the Council and the Commission to support the opening of the technically prepared chapters and to accelerate the overall accession negotiation process;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes note of the conclusions of the final report of the OSCE/ODIHR special election assessment mission that the 21 June 2020 parliamentary elections were administered efficiently but that the dominance of the ruling party, including in the media, was of concern; welcomes the establishing of the Working Group for the implementation of ODIHR recommendations; calls on the authorities to address fully all ODIHR recommendations well ahead of the next elections;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the establishment of the Inter-Party Dialogue (IPD) with the National Assembly facilitated by the European Parliament and the initial measures taken by the Serbian authorities and the parliamentary majority to improve electoral conditions; calls for further implementation of all commitments undertaken in the framework of the IPD;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the continuation of the IPD with the National Assembly under European Parliament's facilitation with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders and pro-European political forces in the countrySerbia in order to improve the political climate and trust across the political spectrum;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the new government to focus on fundamental reforms and address structural shortcomings in the areas of rule of law, fundamental rights, media freedom and the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes with concern, that overall, corruption remains an issue where limited progress was made; welcomes the steps which were made in ensuring the independence of the Anti-Corruption Agency, and the results produced so far in finalising corruption cases; encourages further progress to be made, in particular in the area of improving the track record on investigations, indictments and final convictions in high-level corruption cases, and implementing the laws on the prevention of corruption in line with the EU acquis as well as the recommendations by Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO); welcomes the publication of the recent GRECO report and encourages the Ministry of Justice to work on the implementation of the recommendations;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Underlines the importance of a broad consultation process in the constitutional reform;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges Serbia to deliver convincing results, including a sustainable track record with effective investigations in areas of concern such as the judiciary, freedom of expression and the fight against corruption and organised crime; reiterates its call for justice from 2018 with regard to the unlawful demolition of private property in the Savamala neighbourhood in Belgrade;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Serbian parliament to adopt constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening the independence of the judiciarNotes with concern the continued political influence over the judiciary, and notes the need for strengthening the safeguards for the independence of the judiciary, including, if applicable, by revising the current system of recruitment and human resource management to turn it into a fully merit-based procedure; is concerned with the constitutional reform being put on hold and calls for the adoption of judicial legislation without unnecessary delay;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Calls for the law on Vojvodina’s financing resources to be adopted as soon as possible;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes improvements to the practices and procedures of the national assembly, including the reduction in filibustering, number of urgent procedures and regrouping of unrelated items under the same agenda points; underlines that the quality of the legislative process still needs to be improved by increasing transparency and social dialogue and ensuring that independent regulatory bodies are empowered to exercise their oversight roles effectively;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls for the newly elected parliament to step up its efforts to ensure inclusive political dialogue, notably within parliament; calls also for a stronger role for civil society which remains an essential element of a well-functioning democracy; calls on the parliament to avoid inflammatory language and to counter hate speech during parliamentary debate;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the increased efforts of Serbia in cooperation with the EU in the field of inclusion of Roma, in particular in improving their housing situation; calls on Serbian authorities to address structural discrimination faced by Roma with regard to their citizenship status, as well as healthcare, education and employment;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Takes note of Serbia’s efforts to fight violence against women and children and domestic violence; welcomes the policy commitment of the authorities to eliminate gender-based violence; stresses, however, that implementation is key and improvements are needed in order to improve access to quality services in this area; underlines the importance of including a gender perspective in economic programs;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the need for protection of LGBTI rights; welcome the peaceful conduct of two pride parades in 2019; calls for more adequate responses from the authorities to hate speech and hate- motivated crimes;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Commends the strong female representation in the new government and the new parliament; welcomes the representation of national minorities in the parliament;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes Serbia’s engagement in regional cooperation initiatives; encourages Serbia to sustain its efforts at all levels aimed at reconciliation and strengthening good neighbourly relations; underlines that regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are linked to Serbia’s goal of successful European perspective;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Regrets that the Mitrovica Bridge has not yet been opened to all traffic, in spite of the completion of the renovation works;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the importance of regional cooperation on war crimes and missing persons, including of recognising and respecting court verdicts on war crimes, rejecting hate speech and the glorification of war criminals, and supporting domestic prosecutors in bringing perpetrators to justice; welcomes the work of civil society organisations in the field of reconciliation, transitional justice and due reparation;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes the initiative of regional integration through economic development provided that it is inclusive and compatible with EU accession and existing commitments;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Welcomes Serbia’s continued cooperation under the Sarajevo Declaration Process;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24c. Welcomes the constructive role of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Serbia's active participation in the RCC; underlines the importance of regional cooperation in the context of the COVID-19 crisis;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM); highlights the importance ofand the work carried out by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO);
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Notes that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission suggests to postpone the year in which Novi Sad is due to host a European Capital of Culture from 2021 to 2022;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the progress Serbia has made in the development of a functional market economy; invites Serbia to continue its efforts to boost competitiveness and long-term and inclusive growth through structural reforms, in particular in the energy sector, the labour market as well as by improving transparency and predictability in the regulatory environment;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Encourages Serbia to implement reforms with a view to strengthening the public health sector, improving social protection and providing support to the private sector in order to mitigate the economic consequences of COVID-19;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Welcomes the fact that Serbia was granted the status of a programme country in the Erasmus+ programme in 2019;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Welcomes the good progress Serbia made in economic and financial areas such as company law, intellectual property law, competition and financial services, and managerial accountability and audit; notes however, that further progress is needed in the area of public procurement;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls on Serbia to increase the sustainability of its energy sector by diversifying its energy sources and moving towards renewables while at the same time adopting the necessary measures to preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areas; welcomes the launch of the largest wind farm Čibuk 1; also welcomes the progress made on the gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Welcomes Serbian active participation in the Transport Community and in trans-European network projects, including the construction of the Niš- Merdare-Pristina highway;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Welcomes the entry into force of the new Regional Roaming Agreement signed in April 2019;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Urges the authorities to ensure alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and environment as well as energy efficiency, in order to facilitate the transition to a circular economy; encourages Serbia to work on regional connectivity and the completion of the regional energy market;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Welcomes the launching of the Green Agenda in the Western Balkans, adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Sofia Summit in November 2020;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Reiterates the importance of alignment with the EU common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which must progressively become an integral part of Serbia’s foreign policy; expresses concern about Serbia’s lowest alignment rate in the region;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls for the strengthening of European cooperation with Serbia on addressing manipulative disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to undermine the European perspective of the region; encourages concrete steps in building resilience and cyber security;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the conclusion of the agreement on border management cooperation between Serbia and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) which will allow Frontex to assist Serbia in border management and carry out joint operations;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Notes that Serbia continued to contribute significantly to the management of the mixed migration flows towards the EU by playing an active and constructive role;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. TReiterates that the EU is Serbia's leading trading partner accounting for 63% of total trade; takes note of Serbia’s decision to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union in October 2019; expects Serbia, however, to align with EU trade policy;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Welcomes Serbia’s continued participation in crisis management missions and operations under the common security and defence policy (CSDP); welcomes the counterterrorism arrangements signed between the EU and Serbia; welcomes, in this respect, improvements in regional and international cooperation on combating terrorism and violent extremism;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. WRecalls that the EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Serbia; welcomes the Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of the EIP in reinforcing regional and cross- border cooperation; underlines that the EIP should encourage necessary structural reforms in infrastructure, energy, environment and education;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls on the Council-legislators to fine- tune both incentives and conditionality in the future Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III); reiterates that the scale of financial assistance should match the goal of Serbia’s European perspective;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Reiterates that the EU swiftly mobilised immediate support for the Western Balkans to tackle the health emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic recovery of the region;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 b (new)
Paragraph 38 b (new)
38b. Calls on Serbian authorities to make the best use of the European Union reallocation of the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance to help mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; underlines the importance of paying special attention to vulnerable groups;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 c (new)
Paragraph 38 c (new)
38c. Calls on the European Commission and Members States to allocate a sufficient amount of COVID-19 vaccines to the citizens of all Western Balkan countries;