10 Amendments of Michael GAHLER related to 2021/2232(INI)
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the recently adopted EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo- Pacific; recognises the added value of the strategy as the first foundation stone of the EU’s united approach to the region, and praises the inclusive and multifaceted nature of the strategy and the inclusion of security and defence as one of its seven priority areas; calls for the EU to use the strategy as a tool to effectively assert its presence and influence in the region through furthering strategic ties and deepening cooperation on security- and defence-related matters with regional countries and organisations; believes that increased EU engagement in the region would contribute to regional security, and help overcome regional tensions and create more balanced relations among regional players; recalls that the strategy is a Team Europe project; stresses that, in addition to the formulation of the strategy, the EU should undertake an assessment of the possible consequences of a regional conflict on the EU’s economic and security interests, which should also assess how the EU should respond to a deteriorating security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the need to safeguard EU unity as a pre-condition to achieve the EU’s ambition of strategic sovereignty amid the increasing competition between the United States and China; recalls that the EU’s unified approach must be underpinned by a pragmatic and principled foreign and security policy; points out that the increasing commitment of the US to the Indo-Pacific has implications for European security and therefore reiterates the need for a capable European Defence Union in order to achieve an adequate burden-sharing between the EU and the US in matters of international and European security;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the EU to make use of its reputation as a credible and reliable actor amid the growing geopolitical competition between global and regional powers in the Indo-Pacific; recalls that the added value of EU engagement in the Indo-Pacific lies in its comprehensive range of civilian and military assistance measures, including well developed non-military contributions; recalls that the EU has a vast network of diplomatic assets to facilitate dialogue on conflict-resolution, legal solutions and expertise in setting up confidence-building measures; highlights the increasing relevance of disinformation originating in the Indo-Pacific which threatens to undermine EU activities in the region and therefore calls on the Council and the Commission to address this challenge in a similar way like disinformation originating from the eastern flank of the EU;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses deep concerns about China’s rapid military build-up, including its test of a hypersonic missile, and its increasingly assertive behaviour, which aims, among other things, to advance its territorial claims in the East and South China Seas; highlights that security hotspots and unresolved issues, such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme, the recent China-India border standoffs, the crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, and threats posed by China to the territorial integrity of Taiwan, exert further strain on regional security and stability; highlights that the EU’s approach towards China must be unified, pragmatic, multifaceted and principled, including cooperating on issues of shared interest, such as climate change, on the one hand, and competing when it comes to providing economic, political and strategic alternatives to third countries, and confronting China on matters where our respective views diverge substantially, on the other hand; reiterates that the relationship between China and Taiwan should be developed constructively through dialogues, without coercion or destabilizing tactics by either side; stresses the opposition to any unilateral action that may undermine the status quo of the Taiwan Strait and that any change to cross-strait relations must not be made against the will of Taiwan’s citizens;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses deep concerns about China’s rapid military build-up, including its test of a hypersonic missile, and its increasingly assertive behaviour, which aims, among other things, to advance its territorial claims in the East and South China Seas; underlines that the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region are of critical importance to the EU and its Member States; highlights that security hotspots and unresolved issues, such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme, the recent China-India border standoffs, the crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, and threats posed by China to the territorial integrity of Taiwan, exert further strain on regional security and stability; highlights that the EU’s approach towards China must be unified, pragmatic, multifaceted and principled, including cooperating on issues of shared interest, such as climate change, on the one hand, and competing when it comes to providing economic, political and strategic alternatives to third countries, and confronting China on matters where our respective views diverge substantially, on the other hand;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes note of the recent conclusion of the AUKUS trilateral security pact; is of the firm opinion that strong EU-Australia relations are important for the stability of the region and that these should be further advanced and not affected by the conclusion of AUKUS; considers AUKUS as well as the QUAD important elements of the regional security architecture and underlines that effective regional security requires an open and inclusive dialogue involving relevant regional, concerned extra-regional and also international actors; therefore calls on the Vice- President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to examine with the relevant partners possibilities to set up a permanent dialogue with AUKUS and representation at the meetings of the members of QUAD in order to align our strategies on the Indo- Pacific and strengthen synergies;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Believes that the ongoing process of drafting the EU’s Strategic Compass should identify the Indo-Pacific as a region of key strategic interest for the EU, while also identifying the required capabilities; highlights that in order to be a credible security actor in the region as well as internationally the EU needs to further increase its joint efforts in capability development, especially in the maritime field;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that enhancing existing partnerships with regional actors and building new ones is a key feature of the strategy; highlights that priority areas for cooperation should include capacity- building, hybrid threats, non-proliferation, disarmament and crisis response; welcomes the fact that the EU will intensify its dialogues with partners on security and defence, including counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, non-proliferation and disarmament, space and maritime security dialogues, and is deploying military advisors to EU Delegations in the region, as it has done in China and Indonesia;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the longstanding cooperation between the EU and ASEAN on security and defence matters, and welcomes the recent upgrade of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership; reiterates its strong commitment to support ASEAN’s centrality and inclusive multilateral architecture; calls for the EU to anchor and extend its presence in the region by deepening cooperation with ASEAN and its members; invites the EU and ASEAN to identify ways to involve the EU in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus and in the East Asia Summit; underlines the fundamental role of the parliamentary dimension for strengthening democracy in the region, and encourages, therefore, the establishment of an EU- ASEAN Parliamentary Assembly and more numerous and regular parliamentary exchanges and missions to the region; stresses that the EU should explore the possibility of engaging in capacity- building measures with ASEAN, also by cooperating with other regional partners on such measures;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the positive role Taiwan plays in fostering peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region; encourages the EU and its Member States to deepen cooperation with Taiwan in addressing disinformation from malign third countries, including the sharing of best practices, joint approaches to fostering media freedom and journalism, deepening cooperation on cybersecurity and cyber- threats, raising citizens’ awareness and improving overall digital literacy among the population in order to strengthen the resilience of our democratic systems; supports intensified cooperation between relevant European and Taiwanese agencies, NGOs and thinktanks in this field;