52 Amendments of Andrius KUBILIUS related to 2019/2209(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly resolution of 9 December 2019 on the future of the Trio Plus Strategy 2030: building a future of Eastern Partnership; having regard to final statements and recommendations of Parliamentary Association Committees of 19 December 2019 with Ukraine and Moldova; having regard to European Parliament annual report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy of 18 December 2019,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 b (new)
Citation 4 b (new)
- having regard to the Joint Statement of 5 December 2019 adopted by Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on the Future of Eastern Partnership,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 c (new)
Citation 4 c (new)
- having regard to the Joint Letter of 15 February 2020 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on the MFF 2021-2027,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- having regard to the Agreements between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, and to the signing of an Agreement on the facilitation of the issuance of visas by the European Union and the Republic of Belarus on 8 January 2020,
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Eastern Partnership (EaP) is based on mutual interests and understanding, shared ownership and responsibility, differentiation, mutual accountability and a shared commitment between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the European Union to deepen their relations and adhere to international law and core values such as democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, and a social market economy, sustainable development and good governance;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the achievements and the strengthened differentiation in bilateral relations between the EU and the EaP countries with which it signed an Association Agreement are welcome, now it is time to provide those countries with clearer guidance on specific reform priorities, alignment criteria and on the next steps in the EU integration process;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the Joint statement of 5 December 2019 on the Future of Eastern Partnership called upon the EU to engage further in joint discussions on the progress, opportunities and challenges concerning the association-related reforms with the aim of facilitating full implementation of the AAs/DCFTAs and invited the EU to consider establishing an EU+ Three Associated Partners dialogue in the areas including, but not limited to, transport, energy, justice and digital economy;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the Joint letter of 15 February 2020 on the MFF 2021– 2027 reiterated their strong commitment to contribute to the strategic success of the EaP, in particular through the differentiation principle and the establishment of a EU+ Three Associated Partners enhanced dialogue, and emphasised that a dedicated financial tool providing a robust assistance to support complex reform commitments in line with AAs/DCFTAs would be decisive for all actors involved in the process;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas there is a necessity to encourage the development of ever closer relations with the EU and to set out a tailor made strategy for the most advanced EaP countries to support and sustain an ambitious pace of implementation of European integration reforms and that even more advanced forms of cooperation and integration are possible, provided that comprehensive reforms are implemented in a timely and sustainable manner;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas, the success of transformation in the EaP countries, in particular of the three associated partner countries, can yield a positive example, which could also have an influence on the society in neighbouring Russia;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) acknowledge and strive for a continuous transformational impact of EaP policy in order to bring about political, social, economic and legal change in the three associated partner countries (the EU Trio countries);
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) by taking into account the request from the EU Trio countries, create within the EaP policy a closer cooperation initiative – the EU Advanced Partnership Strategy (EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030) which will establish an EU reform and investment support platform, to be implemented first in the EU Trio countries, in areas including, but not limited to, investment capacity building, transport, energy, justice and digital economy, and will pave the way for an ambitious integration agenda with the EU;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) in line with the 'more for more' approach, and in the spirit of the existing arrangements with the EEA/EFTA countries, to include the associated countries in the proceedings of the Committees established pursuant to Article 291 TFEU and Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 as a means to show the EU's commitments to further integration and to strengthen the countries' reform orientation and administrative know-how;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
(ab) emphasise, that the implementation of the EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030 can be extended to the remaining Eastern Partners of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus on the basis of individual assessments of EU reform commitments and of the progress made; stress, that further setbacks with regard to democracy, reforms and the rule of law and the erosion of the European orientation may entail the exclusion of the countries concerned from the EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030; ensure that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus will have individualised, beneficial and tailor-made partnership relationships with the EU, conditional on reform commitments;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) embrace an enhanced and future- oriented vision for the next decade of the EaP with the aim of ensuring lasting and irreversible achievements and deepening EU-EaP cooperation; invite the EU institutions to lead the creation of ever closer relations with the most advanced EaP countries, to begin with the EU Trio countries, and, with the support of a coalition of like-minded EU Member States, to establish for this purpose the EU Trio Plus Process, which shall be focused on tangible projects and programmes, such as the EU Support Group, Investment Framework platform, access to EU financing, and which will take into account the best reform support practices, including from the Western Balkans and the European Economic Area;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) devise additional measures for deeper integration such as in selected EU agencies, investment framework platforms, intra-EU programmes and initiatives, in full compliance with existing conditionalities and pursuant to the more for more principle and which will take into account the best reform support practices;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) invite the EaP countries acceding to the EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030, starting with the countries that signed an Association Agreement with the EU, to use the reinforced political steering and benchmark instruments of the implementation of the EU Association Agreements, such as joint reporting and monitoring, which would bring in a credible merit-based approach, to the benefit of the EU and its influence in the EaP countries and beyond;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) acknowledge that, as the subsidiarity principle is the best way the EU uses to determine the sphere of competencies among the Union and its member states, the same principle shall be applied to the relations between the EU and the six EaP countries, while at the same time accepting that the EU needs to react faster and in adherence to the EU's values to the deterioration of the rule of law and the quality of democratic governance in the partner countries and apply smart conditionality to prevent the partner governments from further backsliding;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h b (new)
(hb) invite the EaP countries, especially the EU Trio countries, to the Conference on the Future of Europe, which could set out a list scenarios on the future relationship of those countries with the EU;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) acknowledge the associated partnership status of advanced EaP countries, notably the signatories of AAs with DCFTAs (the EU Trio countries), in order to accommodate the mutual need for more venues for political dialogue, further economic cooperation and legislative harmonisation;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) engage further in State building and in strengthening institutions, by making instruments similar to the Support Group for Ukraine (the EU Support Group) available to the associated partners first and foremost; strong, independent and efficient institutions at a central and local level are key to democratic accountability, deoligarchisation, and the fight against corruption and State capture;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) engage further in State building and in strengthening institutions and their accountability, by making instruments similar to the Support Group for Ukraine available to the associated partners first and foremost; strong, independent and efficient institutions at a central and local level are key to democratic accountabilitygovernance, deoligarchisation, and the fight against corruption and State capture;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point j a (new)
(ja) encourage the work of political foundations in fostering the next generation of political leaders in the EaP countries;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) acknowledge and encourage initiatives by the governments of associated countries (the EU Trio countries) to boost their mutual cooperation; a similar approach should be applied to cooperation amongst all the Eastern European Partners on various issues;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 1 a (new)
New EaP instruments of financial support for the EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
(la) provide greater financial assistance, including in the context of the external financial instruments that are currently under legislative negotiation; such assistance should be tailored to the specific needs of the individual partners and used to implement activities under the EaP programme; note that this access to EU funding should be linked with reform commitments and should include a set of ambitious benchmarks of the European financial assistance for the EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030 countries;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l b (new)
(lb) provide for the EU Trio Plus countries a greater access to EU funding, including via Connecting Europe Facility and the TEN programme as well as a gradual access to the Green Deal Fund of Just Transition to modernise emission- intensive industries; note that this access should be linked to differentiated benchmarks in line with the EU integration reform commitments;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l c (new)
(lc) develop public investment management strategy for the EU Trio Plus countries, which would help absorbing the TEN infrastructure investments and would increase investment support, including via the Connecting Europe Facility;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l d (new)
(ld) create for this purpose the Connectivity Agenda, which will include a list of major infrastructure projects implemented in the new Investment Framework platform and managed together with IFIs and the European Commission; propose that investments be tightly linked with reform implementation and suggest signing the Reform Contracts for Investments with the EU Trio countries and remaining Eastern Partners willing to join the EU Trio Plus Strategy 2030;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l e (new)
(le) adopt a comprehensive infrastructure-building plan with the aim of improving connectivity between the EU and its Eastern European Partners, and among the EaP countries themselves;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) ensure the EaP countries’ further engagement in the fight against climate change, including participatiomaking sure that under the new European Green Deal adequate actions and funding are dedicated to improving energy security and interconnectivity, energy efficiency as well as waste water management in lin the new European Green Deale with the absorption capacity of the partner countries while the implementation of the European Green Deal should not compromise the growing trade of the EaP countries with the EU; for this reason the identification of sectors that might be affected and would be in need of extra support should be performed;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(pa) address the rural-urban divide in the EaP countries through effective financial and technical incentives to micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), small-scale farmers and family enterprises in rural and suburban areas, and through the improvement of human connectivity and infrastructure between cities and countryside in view of fostering social cohesion;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) extend to other associated partners the approach employed by the EU in its efforts to support the recovery of the Ukrainian economy, including by means of tailored and flexible macro-financial assistance and instruments and engagement and coordination of international financial institutions and donors, and by improving the environment for foreign direct investment (FDI); in the proposed single Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) stress the importance of differentiation within the EaP in assisting the EU Trio Plus countries in line with the principles of ‘more for more’ and ‘less for less’;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) address the EU’s qualified labour shortages by increasing labour mobility from the EaP countries and providing social guarantebrain-drain in the EaP countries by promoting quality and inclusive education, formation and training programmes, and creating job opportunities in view of providing socio- economic perspectives to young people and families in their local communities;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) acknowledge the importance of cross-border mobility in strengthening people-to-people contact, and expand funding for and the participation of the EaP countries in educational, professional skills-boosting and exchange programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) strengthen intra-EaP academic cooperation by launching a regional programme supporting centres of academic and research excellence in the region and an EaP university focused on good governance and public administration;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) strengthen intra-EaP academic cooperation by launching an EaP university focused onand targeted EaP programmes in specialised universities focused on European values and rule of law, good governance and public administration;
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) ensure that all EU support programmes include a gender-equality dimension and target the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of society, including Roma people, as well as refugees and internally displaced persons from areas experiencing violent conflict such as Eastern Ukraine, being often subject to poverty and social exclusion; reinforce initiatives on their political as well as socio-economic empowerment and on improving their access to education, healthcare and decent housing;
Amendment 397 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
(ua) ensure the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief by protecting and promoting the rights all of religious components present in the region, on the bases of the concept of full and equal citizenship;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) acknowledge the importance of security and stability and peace for the future development of EaP members by boosting cooperation in security and defence and devoting particular attention to regional conflicts; by means of reconciliation, cyber security and actions countering disinformation and propaganda, as well as strengthening the resilience of persons, families, communities and state institutions;
Amendment 431 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) acknowledge the unique experience and expertise of EaP countries; recognisrecognise the importance of pro- democratic reforms and trust in institutions as the most efficient security mechanism; acknowledge the contribution of the associated partners to common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions; deepen cooperation in EU- related defence policies, prioritising efforts in pre-emptive peace-building, including preventive diplomacy, as well as early warning and action mechanisms and expanding funding for enhancing cyber resilience;
Amendment 466 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x
Paragraph 1 – point x
(x) acknowledge the contribution of EaP civil society actors and organisations to democratisation and reform processes in their countries and the whole EaP region; continue supporting their activities and safeguarding their working environment and strengthen civil society's ability to act as a watchdog for reform and to hold the respective state institutions to account, and securing its presence in trilateral meetings, including in all Human Rights Dialogues and Association and Cooperation Council meetings;
Amendment 483 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point y a (new)
(ya) establish an EaP European municipalities Twinning program to support Twinning Partnerships between municipalities in EaP countries and EU Member States, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, which have institutional memory of the European modernisation;
Amendment 486 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point y a (new)
(ya) strengthen the dialogue and cooperation with Churches and religious communities and organisations in areas such as peace-building and reconciliation, strengthening trust in a just and free society, as well as education, healthcare and basic social service;
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z
Paragraph 1 – point z
(z) increase the visibility of the support provided by the EU in the recipient EaP countries and boost EU citizens’both EU and EaP citizens’ information resilience and awareness about the EaP;
Amendment 514 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point z a (new)
(za) utilise more efficiently the existing EU structures such as EEAS East StratCom taskforce to identify and respond to disinformation and propaganda campaigns undermining the EU-EaP countries' relationship and its goals;
Amendment 526 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point z b (new)
(zb) prioritise local projects raising awareness about the EU in small towns and regions and going beyond existing EU-minded cohorts;
Amendment 528 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point z c (new)
(zc) build campaigns to inform citizens about the opportunities stemming from the EaP and AA/DCFTA implementation, raising awareness about the benefits of closer association and linking them to the positive impact on labour markets in the EaP countries;
Amendment 531 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point z d (new)
(zd) further strengthen and capitalise upon the Young Ambassador programme and the Eastern Partnership Civil Society fellowships, establishing an active alumni network on the basis of existing successful models;
Amendment 532 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point z e (new)
(ze) promote inclusive and participatory platforms of dialogue and cooperation bringing together stakeholders across different sectors and levels, including policy-makers, economic actors, academic, civil society as well as Churches, religious communities and citizens with fewer opportunities, with the goal of countering polarising and extremist tendencies in politics and society, as well as the impact of disinformation and propaganda campaigns;