7 Amendments of Carles PUIGDEMONT I CASAMAJÓ related to 2022/2195(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the successful completion of negotiations on the EU- Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and notes that it is especially the Commission who expects that this agreement will contribute to Uzbekistan integrating further into the multilateral trading system, strengthen market economy mechanisms and increase foreign investors’ confidence; believes the, regardless of Uzbekistan's government clear lack of democratic principles, values, policies, and system; distrusts therefore the fact that this Agreement willcan ensure a better regulatory environment for economic operators in areas such as goods and services trade, state-owned enterprises, procurement, and intellectual property rights;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Deplores that the Chapter Trade and Sustainable Development of the agreement falls short in a key number of environmental and democratic issues, inter alia the involvement of Uzbekistan's minorities (e.g., Karakalpakstan, the Tagik minority, the Kyrgiz minority) in trade policy, the disappearance of the Aral Sea due to the movement of the waters of the Amur Darya and Syr Darya great rivers, or the sporadic violence in the Fergana Valley between Uzbekistan and its closest neighbours;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses the need to add dispositions that emphasise the need to ensure that the benefits of this EPCA are shared equitably among all segments of Uzbekistan's society, including vulnerable and marginalized groups; stresses the need to also add dispositions that ensure that the extraction and export of CRMs from Uzbekistan is done in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner, and therefore calls for measures to address any negative impacts of such activities on local communities and ecosystems;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that Uzbekistan also plays a crucial role in regional security and economic stability; but deplores its moderate stance in criticising Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine and the consequent war; notes that Uzbekistan's political system is not a democratic system, but an authoritarian regime, as assessed by the world's most relevant democracy indexes, which establish the country within the ten most authoritarian of the globe;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates the importance of Uzbekistan’s membership of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus, which contributes to economic growth and yields very positive results (exports to the EU increased by 34 % in 2021); reminds that the the GSP Regulation provides for withdrawal of preferences in case of non- compliance with the GSP conditionalities, including the implementation of the relevant conventions; urges the Commission to closely monitor Uzbekistan and encourage it to further progress on issues such as Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) or the review of its Criminal Code;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that Uzbekistan can play an important role in exporting precious metals to Europthe overture from the Union towards Uzbekistan is meant to give the former a foothold on the latter's critical raw materials (CRMs) resources, notably , but not only, titanium, iron ore, zinc, rare earth elements (REEs), and graphite, which are also needed for the EU’s green transition; notes that China and Russia are the main importers of Uzbekistan's CRMs;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that owing to the lack of direct access to seaports, developing infrastructure and logistics corridors, in particular the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is crucially important for trade and for connecting Uzbekistan with the markets of potential trading partners; calls the Commission to support Uzbekistan in developing sustainable transport infrastructure that minimises its environmental impact and maximises its contribution to regional connectivity and trade;