Activities of Alviina ALAMETSÄ related to 2023/2128(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
EU-India relations (debate)
EU-India relations (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning EU-India relations
Amendments (52)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to the 2022 United Nations Universal Periodic Review of India,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU and India intend to convene at leaders’ meeting in New Delhi, notably to reaffirm the commitments of both sides to their strategic partnership and to take stock of the implementation of the EU-India Roadmap 2025;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas in 2022, the EU and India marked the 60th anniversary of their bilateral partnership; whereas this partnership has gained momentum in recent years but has not yet reached its full potential; whereas both India and the EU will hold elections in 2024;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas bilateral and multilateral cooperation with India is placed against the backdrop of a polycrisis, including democratic backsliding worldwide, a spiralling climate crisis, heightened inequalities and increasing great power competition; whereas this partnership has therefore the potential to positively contribute to global and regional stability and the upholding of a rules-based multilateral order;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas India’s growing regional and global importance is reflected by its G20 Presidency in 2023 and its membership of the UN Security Council in 2021-2022 and of the UN Human Rights Council in 2022-2024;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the EU’s Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific of 2021 emphasised partnerships and cooperation to respond to geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific, and identified cooperation with India as one of the EU priorities in the region; whereas the interests of the EU and India in the Indo- Pacific converge in keeping the region open, free and safe; whereas the EU and India share a common interest in de- risking the relationship with China and positioning themselves jointly towards the latter’s increasing influence in the Indo- Pacific and globally;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas EU and Indian leadership is needed to promote effective climate diplomacy, a global commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the global protection of the climate, the environment and biodiversity;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas local and international human rights monitors report that human rights defenders and journalists in India are subjected to harassment, arbitrary detention, serious criminal charges under repressive legislation (including counter- terrorism legislation), and other forms of reprisals for their work; whereas, despite being prohibited, caste-based discrimination remains a systemic problem in India;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) continue to broaden and deepen EU-India relations as strategic partners and to uphold the commitment to regular multi-level dialogues, including summits ; pursue a ‘Team Europe’ approach to the partnership;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) make tangible advances on priority issues of the partnership, notably climate change and green growth, digitalisation and new technologies, connectivity, trade and investment, foreign, security and defence policy and human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) continue to promote and fully implement the EU Strategy on India of 2018 and the EU-India Roadmap to 2025 in close coordination with Member States’ own actions to engage with India; establish clear and public criteria for measuring progress on the roadmap;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) based on the review of the implementation of the EU-India Roadmap 2025, start preparations for an ambitious, multifaceted and revamped partnership thereafter;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) enable parliamentary oversight of the EU’s policy towards India through regular exchanges with its Committee on Foreign Affairs, its Subcommittee on Human Rights and other relevant committees;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(cb) take creative steps to establish, finally, a more structured and multi-level inter-parliamentary dialogue between the European Parliament and its Indian counterparts;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) ensure the active and regular consultation and involvement of EU and Indian civil society representatives in the development, implementation and monitoring of EU-India relations; secure, as a matter of priority, the establishment of an EU-India Civil Society Platform for that purpose and of an EU-India Youth Summit as a side event at future EU-India summits, in order to strengthen relations between the younger generations;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) increase the EU’s public diplomacy efforts to improve mutual understanding among the EU, its Member States and India and substantially enhance the framework for people to people exchanges;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) further enhance the growing cooperation in foreign and security policy through the existing dialogue mechanisms; recognise that the first EU- India security and defence consultation is a sign of increasing importance of security cooperation as part of the partnership;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) hold the bilateral security dialogues on an annual basis, and with greater involvement of EU Member Statesdraw on the posting of the first military attaché in the EU delegation in New Delhi to facilitate closer military-to- military cooperation; hold the bilateral security dialogues on an annual basis, and with greater involvement of EU Member States, in order to strengthen the policy dialogue and produce tangible results through the effective buy-in of Member States; ensure, as well, that this increasingly prominent component of the partnership effectively promotes shared security, stability and peaceful development in the Indo-Pacific region;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) expand EU-India cooperation on maritime security as an area of considerable potential, also encouraged by the shared interest to counterbalance China’s expanding presence in the Indo- Pacific; follow-up on the first EU-India naval exercises in June 2021 in the Gulf of Aden, demonstrating commitment to security cooperation;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) continue the EU-India consultations on disarmament and non- proliferation, and encourage India to join EU efforts to promote nuclear safety and non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in the region;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(gb) build on the EU’s first ever space strategy for security and defence, and India’s increasing focus on space security, by taking a joint initiative to encourage partners to promote multilateral solutions to the peaceful use of space, and safe, secure and sustainable access to space, and to counter the risks of its increasing militarisation;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g c (new)
(gc) advance on the plans to strengthen police cooperation, bearing in mind that such cooperation should be accompanied by high-level data protection safeguards and guarantees of lawfulness for data transfers, including an adequacy decision taken by the Commission;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) coordinate positions and initiatives in multilateral fora, in particular the UN, the World Trade Organization and G20, by pushing for joint objectives based on shared international values and standards and effectively aligning positions in defence of human rights, multilateralism and an inclusive, rules-based international order; engage in discussions on a reform of the UN Security Council and working methods and support India’s bid for permanent membership of a reformed UN Security Council;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) urge India to join the international condemnation of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, while maintaining its political line of aiming for an end to hostilities and the resumption of diplomacy and dialogue; engage with India on its continued purchases of crude oil from Russia at low prices and its subsequent sale of refined products on international markets, including in the EU; press EU- based businesses to cease purchasing such products, which constitute in essence a circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) underline that ensuring that a free and open, rules-based order comprising freedom of navigation, open and secure sea lines of communication, enhanced security of shipping and more robust response systems for natural disasters and non- traditional security threats should remain a priority for both partners; respond positively to the Indian proposal to the EU to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) continue to monitor closely the worrying situation in Indian-administered Kashmir, in particular the respect for the fundamental freedoms of the Kashmiri people; remain committed to supporting stability and de-escalation between India and Pakistan; promote the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and the recommendations made by the reports of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Kashmir;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) monitor closely the fragile situation around the unresolved border dispute between India and China, two nuclear powers , which has the potential to affect the wider security landscape in South Asia; underscore to the parties concerned the critical importance of resolving the issue peacefully through dialogue; in this regard, welcome recent talks between the leaders and the agreement to intensify efforts to disengage and de-escalate tensions along the border;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) effectively enshrine human rights and democratic values at the heart of the EU’s engagement with India with the aim of a constructive and results-based dialogue, including on the range of shortcomings in these areas; develop a strategy and plan of action to address these issues, and to integrate them across the wider EU-India partnership;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) continue to express concern about India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, which, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is fundamentally discriminatory in nature against Muslims and dangerously divisive; encourage India to guarantee the right to freely practice the religion of one’s choice enshrined in Article 25 of its constitution; counter and condemn hate speech;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) insist that India, as a founding member of the United Nations and a current member of the UN Human Rights Council, should act on all the recommendations in its Universal Periodic Review process, including to accept and facilitate the visits of and cooperate closely with UN special procedures, most of which have to date not been allowed to visit the country since 1999;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) address the human rights situation of and challenges faced by civil society, including at the highest level of the partnership, concerns about the situation of human rights and civil society, with reference to mutual treaty obligations under various international law instruments, in particular the concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN special rapporteurs at all levels of EU dialogue with the Indian authorities;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(pa) encourage India to demonstrate its commitment to respect, protect and fully enforce the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression for all, including online, media freedom, the right to peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of religion and belief;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) engage with India in ordercall on India to secure a safe environment for the work of human rights defenders, environmental and, indigenous people’ and Dalit rights defenders, trade union activists, journalists and other civil society actors;, to cease to invokeing laws against sedition, foreign funding and terrorism as a means to restrict their legitimate activities, including in Indian- administered Kashmir, to release all political prisoners, to stop blanket restrictions of internet access, to review laws in order to avoid their possible misuse to silence dissent and amend laws that foster discrimination, and facilitate access to justice and ensure accountability for human rights violations, to address the harmful effects of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) on civil society organisations; step up EU and Member State support to civil society organisations and human rights defenders, including by facilitating and increasing funding;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) welcome the adoption of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which will reserve one third of the seats in national and state parliaments for women and constitutes a notable step forward in advancing the right to participation for women and gender equality in India; engage with India on its efforts to investigate and prevent gender-based violence and discrimination and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) address prevailing caste-based discrimination in India and the granting of rights under the Forest Rights Act to Adivasi communities; adopt in particular a country strategy to help fight caste- based discrimination and to mainstream caste-related perspectives across the EU and Member States partnership with India;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
(sa) recall the EU’s principled and long-standing rejection of the death penalty and reiterate its plea to India for a death penalty moratorium with a view to the permanent abolition of capital punishment;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) welcome India’s adoption of a national action plan on business and human rights in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and deepen cooperation with India in this area; recall the responsibilities of all companies to respect human rights in their value chains, encourage India to participate actively in the ongoing negotiations of a UN binding treaty regulating business enterprises under international human rights law;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
(ta) ensure that operations of EU- based companies in or with India are strictly in line with relevant EU legislation, including the future directive on Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence, and the future regulation on Forced Labour; take steps to ensure that all EU-related business activities involving extractive industries include a robust and fair consultative framework, which conforms with the right to free, prior and informed consent of any indigenous peoples impacted;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t b (new)
(tb) urge India to ratify the UN Convention against Torture and the Optional Protocol thereto, and the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t c (new)
(tc) encourage India to further support international justice efforts by joining the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC);
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) upgrade the EU-India human rights dialogue to a bi-annual, headquarters-level dialogue and strive to make it meaningful through high-level participation and by setting concrete commitments and benchmarks for progress, addressing individual cases in line with the EU guidelines on human rights dialogues; facilitate the holding of an EU- India civil society dialogue ahead of the intergovernmental dialogue; strengthen the linkages between the dialogue and cooperation in multilateral fora; request that the EEAS regularly report to Parliament on the results achieved;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
(ua) insist that any free trade agreement (FTA) with India should be based on a prior, thorough, effective and comprehensive human rights and sustainability impact assessments conducted by both sides, with a particular consideration for the potential impact on the most vulnerable groups; include and consult in a meaningful manner civil society organisations, including trade unions, and human rights defenders at all stages of the negotiations of the FTA; ensure transparency over all stages of the negotiations and regular public reporting on the status of the discussions; act upon the longstanding Parliament’s position as regards the importance of an enforceable and robust Trade and Sustainable Development chapter, aligned with the Paris Agreement, as well as appropriate provisions regarding investors’ rights and duties and human rights;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u b (new)
(ub) work towards the achievement of common and mutually beneficial objectives in the areas of trade and investment that could contribute to economic growth and innovation while complying with and contributing to respect for human rights, including labour rights, to promote the fight against climate change, and the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u c (new)
(uc) make best use of India’s commitment to multilateralism and an international rules-based trading order; promote India’s decisive role in the ongoing efforts to reform the World Trade Organization;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) welcome the EU-India Connectivity Partnership and the commitment to supporting sustainable digital, transport and energy networks to the flow goods, services, data and capital and exchange of people, contributing towards the wider EU’s Global Gateway strategy; note that the Connectivity Partnership has become one of the most important aspects of the EU-India partnership; insist on a rigorous assessment of the sustainability and human rights impact of projects funded through the partnership, including their commercial viability and transparency, ensuring a level-playing field for businesses, and respect for human rights, labour rights and environmental standards;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) enhance cooperation on climate and energy issues with India as a key partner in the global fight against climate change and biodiversity degradation, with due regard to their impact on the most vulnerable, and in the green transition towards renewable energy and climate neutrality; recognise that India is providing globally an important example in showing that it is possible to simultaneously combat climate change and pursue a development agenda;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w a (new)
(wa) make further progress on the EU- India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate change, bearing in mind that India’s energy needs are set to more than double in the next twenty years, with coal remaining as the main energy source; encourage further investment in India in order to provide secure, affordable and sustainable energy, and aiming to achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets; strengthen EU and India civil society voices towards the Partnership; jointly address impacts of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM);
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w b (new)
(wb) encourage joint partnering in promoting an ambitious common agenda and global action on biodiversity, and lead by example on how gender equality and the rights of indigenous communities are prioritised when implementing biodiversity targets; engage with India on the challenges for global commitments on deforestation, rapid urbanisation and industrial development;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w c (new)
(wc) welcome India’s leadership and expansion of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient infrastructure, encouraging global investment and coordinated policy towards climate and disaster resilience; welcome that both the EU and EIB are now members of the coalition, contributing therefore to the EU-India Connectivity Partnership and the implementation of the EU Global Gateway Strategy;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x
Paragraph 1 – point x
(x) step up engagement with India on health emergencies, pharmaceuticals and digital health innovations that will provide universal health coverage in India, as the largest producer and exporter of generic medicine and an active player in global health in multilateral fora; act upon the commitment to strengthen cooperation on health research and innovation; increase efforts to find a swift solution, without compromising on content, to promote universal access to affordable pharmaceutical products;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) welcome the establishment of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to provide a permanent structure for dialogue on digital issues; recognise the substantial potential of digital issues in the EU-India partnership such as digital infrastructure and connectivity, digital policy, data protection and flows and cybersecurity; step up cooperation in high performance computing and quantum technologies; acknowledge that in partnership with India, the EU is better placed to advance global standards in the digital sector; note the difference in views of the EU and India on data protection and cross-border data transfers; express concern that India links data protection with its national security, therefore creating an obstacle for the alignment of Indian and European data regulation; encourage, however, to work towards setting shared standards, as a key element of modern, trade and security relations;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point aa
Paragraph 1 – point aa
(aa) make progress on a shared commitment not to selectively restrict or ban social media platforms and limit freedom of expression therein, and or impose blanket bans on internet and telecommunications access, while setting joint standards for a digital economy rooted in human rights; express concern with reports related to the use and purchase of spyware by the Indian government;