34 Amendments of Malik AZMANI related to 2022/2204(INI)
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. RStrongly regrets that Serbia’s continued low level of alignment with the CFSP, in particular in the has still not aligned with EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; stresses that Serbia is one of the very few European countext of the Russian war on Ukraine; underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and alignment with a warmongering autocratic regime is unacceptableries not aligning with EU sanctions against Russia; calls on the relevant authorities to swiftly show unambiguous commitment to EU values, standards and rules and to urgently align with the EU’s decisions and positions in foreign and security policy, including a swift and full alignment with restrictive measures against Russia, including sanctions on individuals, groups and entities;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets Serbia’s continued low level of alignment with the CFSP, in particular in the context of the Russian war on Ukraine; urges Serbian authorities to ensure that the sanctions decided by the EU against Russia and Belarus are as effective as possible, by seeking out and countering any circumvention or attempted circumvention of these sanctions; underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and alignment with a warmongering autocratic regime is unacceptable;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes Serbia’s alignment with the EU in voting in favour of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council; regrets, however, the fact that Serbia has consistently failed to align with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia; deplores Serbia’s close relationship with Russia, which is an aggressor against Ukraine;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes Serbia’s alignment with EU restrictive measures against Belarus for its role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as measures against the former Ukrainian leadership; regrets, however, that the Government of Serbia chose not to publicly announce its decision to align with these measures;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fact that key components of Serbian foreign policy run directly counter to EU positions, including the signature of agreements setting out joint foreign policy priorities between Serbia and Russia for 2023-2024 and meetings with senior officials from Russia who are on the EU sanctions list; is concerned by the appointment of the Director of the Security Intelligence Agency, who is known for his anti-EU and pro-Kremlin rhetoric and in the past has shared with the Russian authorities information about meetings of the Russian opposition in exile; stresses that this appointment poses a threat to democratic practices and human rights and thus further distances Serbia from European security policies;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. RDeeply regrets the fact that key components of Serbian foreign policy run directly counter to EU positions, including the signature of agreements setting out joint foreign policy priorities between Serbia and Russia for 2023-2024 and meetings with senior officials from Russia who are on the EU sanctions list; is concerned by the appointment of the Director of the Security Intelligence Agency, who is known for his anti-EU and pro-Kremlin rhetoric;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Expresses concern about allegations of wiretapping of members of the Russian opposition in Belgrade by the Serbian authorities and the alleged subsequent transfer of the material to Russian security services; stresses that any cooperation contributing to authoritarian and anti-democratic practices in either Russia or Serbia would be detrimental to the future of EU-Serbia relations;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Regrets Serbia’s engagement with the authoritarian regime in Iran and hosting its high-level representatives in Belgrade at the same time as the Iranian regime is brutally repressing mass protests of its citizens, killing women, including minor girls, and those who are fighting for their rights;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses concern about the decreasing public support for EU membership in Serbia and anti-EU declarations by country’s politicians;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Is concerned that since the publication of the European Commission 2020 Report on Serbia there has been no improvement in the assessment of the overall state of play across 33 negotiating chapters and that, in 2022, the Commission did not detect “good progress” in any chapter;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes the initial steps taken by Serbia to align with the EU’s list of non- EU countries whose nationals require visas for the EU and calls for; recalls that such alignment is of crucial importance for overall EU- Serbia relations, including on migration management and on the sustainability of the visa-free regime; stresses the urgent need for immediate further alignment;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes the approval of the amendments to the Serbian constitution and stresses that the reform process should continue as a matter of priority; notes the need to associate closely the population to the process of reform to increase its democratic legitimacy and prevent backlashes; deplores the low turn-out to the referendum;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the participation of all relevant political actors in the early parliamentary elections, resulting in a more pluralistic parliament; regrets, however, the delays in the formation of the new parliament and government, which resulted in limited decision-making, including on EU-related reforms; regrets, also, verbal attacks and smear campaigns against opponents and civil society organisations;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes somevery limited progress in the fight against corruption; stresses the factreiterates its call on Serbia to deliver convincing results in cases with high level of public interest, including Krušik, Jovanjica, Telekom Srbija and Savamala; is concerned about the little progress made in these cases since last year’s report; stresses that more effort and political will are needed to achieve tangible results, in particular with regard to serious and organised crime;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12 c. Reiterates its concern about limited progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime and about several high-profile corruption scandals pointing to probable links between state officials and organised crime; calls on Serbia to intensify its efforts to effectively address these issues; calls on the authorities to refrain from commenting ongoing investigations and trials, exerting undue pressure on the judiciary;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 f (new)
Paragraph 12 f (new)
12 f. Stresses that IPA III provides for the modulation or even suspension of funds in the event of a significant regression or persistent lack of progress on fundamentals, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as media freedom; calls in this context on the EU and Western Balkan countries to establish a framework for fruitful cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and Western Balkan counterparts in order to ensure that the EPPO can effectively exercise its competences on IPA III funds in Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 233 #
12 h. Regrets the limitations on the freedom and independence of the media and the misuse of the media by the governing majority to gain an unfair political advantage, attack political opponents and spread disinformation; emphasises the negative impact of these restrictions on democratic processes in the country; emphasises that competition in the media sector improves media pluralism;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 i (new)
Paragraph 12 i (new)
12 i. Is worried about reports on the abuse of public money to acquire ownership of media outlets and allegedly use them as a tool for media capture in Serbia; reiterates that information on media ownership should be available to the public and calls for greater transparency of media ownership and financing, as well as for the creation of an environment that allows independent and investigative media to access funding and operate safely; calls for increased transparency of public financing of media;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Deplores the stagnation on freedom of expression, the cases of hate speech and smear campaigns, including President Vučić’s targeting of N1 journalists in December 2022, and the increasing number of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in the country; reiterates that pressure and attacks on activists, journalists and media outlets are unacceptable; urges the authorities to investigate and prosecute all such offences, including those against the investigative outlet KRIK and the daily newspaper Danas, and to create an environment in which freedom of expression can genuinely flourish; condemns the extreme imbalance in the presence of government and opposition members in the reporting of national television channels outside the period of the election campaign, which remains a major challenge for media pluralism in Serbia;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Condemns the opening of an RT (formerly Russia Today) office in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian; points out that it goes against the Council's decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; calls on Serbia to fight disinformation, including manipulative anti-EU narratives;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Condemns the opening of an RT (formerly Russia Today) office in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and fully align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; calls on Serbia to fight disinformation, including manipulative anti-EU narratives;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Is deeply concerned about the spread of disinformation about Russian aggression against Ukraine and calls on the Serbian authorities to take decisive steps to tackle disinformation and to discredit the most widely circulated fake news; calls on Serbia and the European Commission to bolster infrastructure for fighting disinformation, Russian propaganda and other hybrid threats, and to support evidence-based responses to both short-term and long-term disinformation threats in the Western Balkans; stresses that all political leaders have the responsibility to stop the spread of malicious disinformation about Russian aggression against Ukraine; notes that a tolerant attitude towards malign external influences may have serious negative consequences on Serbia’s prospects for EU accession;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Is deeply concerned about the attempts by Wagner Group to run recruitment campaigns in Serbia; deplores the role of the so-called “People’s patrol” in spreading pro- Kremlin propaganda; notes that Serbia's Criminal Code forbids citizens from participating in foreign wars;
Amendment 275 #
16 a. Regrets the delays in the implementation of the Media Strategy; reiterates its concern about the operations of Telekom Srbija, a majority-government owned telecommunications company, with persistent allegations of the ruling party using it to increase its influence over the media market in Serbia through the acquisition and funding of various media outlets;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on the Serbian authorities to step up efforts to ensure the non- discriminatory treatment of ethnic, religious and sexual minorities and other vulnerable groups, and to continue the implementation of a positive agenda on this issue, in full conformity with EU principles and legislation; urges the authorities to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate- motivated crimes; condemns the ethnic hatred spread by some government officials and politicians;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Reiterates its concern about violence by extremist groups, with recent instances including the demolition of a cafe in Novi Sad and anti-Semitic graffiti in the Sephardic Jewish cemetery in Belgrade; is further concerned about the activities of the Russian Wagner group in Serbia; calls on the authorities to prosecute all illegal activities in connection with these groups;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Regrets the way in which the EuroPride in Belgrade was organized and the unacceptable use of hate speech against the LGBTI+ community in the period right before the EuroPride; denounces the decision to first cancel the EuroPride and thus increase the uncertainty whether the event would take place; expresses its disappointment that the Government did not explicitly support the EuroPride; calls on the Government and Police to ensure the smooth planning and organization, as well as the safety and well-being of participants of all future Pride events in Belgrade; calls for increased measures to combat hate crimes against LGBTI + people;
Amendment 425 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Serbian authorities to take measures to counter depopulatioin association with partners to counter the brain drain;
Amendment 431 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Is deeply concerned about the investments in Serbia by Russia and China and their influence on the political and economic processes in the region; deplores that foreign actors, most notably Chinese companies, have been able to benefit from lower social and environmental standards to the detriment of the safety of local populations.
Amendment 453 #
32. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package to help the Western Balkans overcome the energy crisis; calls on the Serbian authorities to prepare a credible plan for reducing the country’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and building environmentally friendly energy systems; welcomes Serbia's moves to diversify its energy supply by seeking new contracts and building interconnections.
Amendment 455 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package to help the Western Balkans overcome the energy crisis; calls on the Serbian authorities to prepare a credible plan for reducing the country’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and building environmentally friendly energy systems; welcomes the beginning of construction of the gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria;
Amendment 477 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Expresses concern about the environmental impact of new infrastructure constructions in Serbia byand projects in Serbia by Serbian actors and by foreign actors such as Chinese companies; calls on the Serbian authorities to address the legitimate concerns expressed in the environmental protests;