Activities of Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Notes~~Is concerned about the geographical imbalances in the composition of the EEAS staff; notes considerable discrepancies between the representation of countries with comparable population size and between West and East European countries (in 2018, 347posts out of 2491 were occupied by Belgian citizens, i.e. almost 14%of total EEAS jobs, whereas Belgian citizens represent only about 2,6% of all EU population); stresses that the EEAS, like all European institutions, must ensure that all Member States are proportionally represented while at the same time respecting the competences and merits of the candidates; ~~calls on~~urges the EEAS to enhance the geographical balance in order to have a proper representation of nationals from all Member States, reflecting the diversity of Member States;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the EEAS to report on the distribution of nationalities in the selection committee responsible for hiring; invites the EEAS to consider developing further instruments to ensure proportion between merit-based and geographically balanced recruitment; asks the EEAS to provide statistics of the staff according to their nationality for the year 2019;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Notes the rate of anomalies detected in ex ante verifications of commitments and payments (respectively, 308 errors out of 1193 and 394 out of 2119); is concerned that in both cases errors are of an administrative nature i.e. incorrect amounts for commitments or missing supporting documents for payments presented for ex-ante financial verification; calls for the implementation of measures that would contribute to a reduction of the level of errors in general terms;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Underlines that the spread of deliberate, large-scale systematic disinformation is an acute strategic challenge for the Union’s public diplomacy for which adequate financial, IT and human resources should be devoted in the short~~-to-medium term~~ term; supports the reinforcement of the linkage between policy making, public diplomacy and strategic communication;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Notes that only two delegations provided motivated reservations, i.e. the Delegation to Syria (since 2017) and the Delegation in Djibouti in relation to the management of their administrative expenditure, in particular linked to procurement issues; calls on EEAS to undertake necessary steps to examine these issues;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Welcomes the fact that the EEAS is continuously adapting its anti-fraud strategy in conjunction with all the RELEX directorates general and with a dedicated format with OLAF; believes that all necessary efforts have to be made to share and exchange information on their operational challenges to better identify risky areas in their activities and programmes; calls on the EEAS to identify any possible specific policy fields where tighter collaboration with OLAF might be needed to ensure an effective fraud prevention

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Underlines that post-public employment and ‘revolving door’ conflict of interests situations is a recurring issue in the EU institutions; calls for the EEAS for the effective and consistent application of the Staff Regulations, in particular Article 16 thereof, in order to prevent conflicts of interests, in particular – but not only – concerning senior officials and seconded national experts;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44

44. Notes with appreciation that this increase in colocations has been coupled with a consolidation and standardisation of the system of recovery of costs through further centralisation of incurred colocations’ revenues and the application of administrative fees in the agreed service level agreements; observes that approximately EUR 10 million of revenues were generated in 2019; calls on the EEAS to present an overview of the allocation of this revenues to ensure transparency;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2149(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Jeroen LENAERS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50

50. Regrets the fact that there are still unpaid trainees in EU delegations; encourages the EEAS to take step to assure that trainees have means to support themselves; urges the EEAS to follow the recommendation of the European Ombudsman to pay all trainees an appropriate allowance;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Acknowledges that the overall budget increase was mainly due to the impact of the new tasks resulting from the Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 (the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR), which lays down the data protection obligations for the Union institutions and bodies when they process personal data and develop new policies) and the necessary growth of the European Data Protection Board (hereafter EDPB) that was created on 25th May 2018 and for which the Supervisor was entrusted to provide an independent secretariat; recognises that 2019 was the first full year of operations of the EDPB Secretariat and of the implementation of the GDPR which justifies the increase; the related allocated budget increase amounted to 51% (from 3 594 746 EUR in 2018 to 5 413 838 EUR in 2019);

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that at the end of 2014, the Supervisor counted 55 members of staff compared to 96 at the end of 2019, which signifies almost a doubling in the number of staff; is aware that the Supervisor's budget is mostly administrative, with a large amount being used for expenditure relating to persons, buildings, furniture, equipment and miscellaneous running costs; acknowledges that a substantial part of the staff are contract staff which are employed for a temporary period, such as replacement of staff on maternity leaves or implementation of specific actions;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Underlines the EDPS' initiatives aimed at using office space more sustainably and optimising it as well as reducing the energy level in the building, such as the promotion of structural and occasional teleworking, reimbursement of 50% of the cost of public transport tickets to staff who cease to use office parking spaces and return their parking vignette;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8 b. Notes that the EDPS is a smaller organisation with a need for highly specialised staff, however, there is a slight geographical imbalance in staff, where only 19 Union nationalities are represented in the EDPS from which Belgian citizens occupy 28 % of the positions; invites the Supervisor to consider further steps to provide a more balanced representation of all Member States;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Notes that the new telework decision allows staff to work at home, this step allows the EDPS to make more use of shared offices and make savings on the related expenditure;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Recognises that due to the very small size of the office of Supervisor, the concluding of service level agreements (SLA) such as with the Commission for trainings, medical service, use of Sysper, appraisal system, for the payment of salaries, the staff insurances and the organisation of missions, for accounting services and transportation services is important for efficiency gains; notes that the Supervisor has SLAs with the Parliament for IT and building-related expenditure and that in addition the Supervisor also participates in many inter-institutional calls for tenders, resulting in a current participation of 60 framework contractsencourages the inter-institutional activities of the EDPS, including 60 framework contracts initiated by different Union institutions; notes that the Supervisor has SLAs with the Parliament for IT and building-related expenditure;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Welcomes the activities aimed at verification for compliance with data protection rules and its assessment of Union bodies in this regard; notes that the supervisory activities of EDPS are guided by the accountability principle and follow a risk-based approach;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2148(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Is however of the opinion that the implementation of GDPR, despite harmonised rules, may be particularly challenging for small and medium sized companies (SMEs); asks the Supervisor to further alleviate the administrative burden for SMEs; ~~is interested in~~calls on the EDPS to consider the possibility of conducting a cost evaluation of the implementation of GDPR in the near future;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2147(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Encourages the Ombudsman to maintain and expand contacts with bodies at Union and national level, which serve the purpose of exchanging information and best practices and adopting common approaches (such as the guidelines developed via the Inter-institutional Online Communication Committee), where possible, on general administrative, financial, personnel and IT matters as well as on ethics, transparency and public integrity;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2147(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Notes that the internal auditor's annual report for 2018 concluded that, subject to closure of the remaining action on business continuity management, the Ombudsman's risk management, control and governance systems are effective and efficient and provide the reasonable assurance thjat it will attain its control objectives on a consistent basis; notes that the Ombudsman developed synergies with the Commission, to use corporate tools and/or services for staff management, financial management and accounting, public procurement, management of missions and recruitment; asks the Ombudsman to inform it on any follow-up in relation to the actions carried over in respect of business continuity management;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2147(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Takes the opportunity to congratulate the Ombudsman on the opening of an investigation (OI/2/2017) on the transparency of the Council’s legislative work in 2017 in order to allow citizens to more easily follow the legislative process of the Union; welcomes the recent positive echoing by the Ombudsman of the new transparency steps taken by the Council, for example by proactively publishing progress reports on negotiations on draft laws, a development which is in line with proposals made by the Ombudsman as a result of her inquiries; appreciates Ombudsman´s proposals to ensure a more systematic and effective approach to dealing with former staff members moving to the private sector or people moving from the private sector to the Commission;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2147(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Welcomes that the Ombudsman supports the importance of data protection, and commits to enhance further the awareness of users of the importance of online data protection; appreciates he creation of the Register of records of processing operations of the European Ombudsman and the cooperation with the European Parliament;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2147(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. WNotes that the Ombudsman spent 102 050 EUR on communication activities, more than half of this amount (64 505 EUR) was spent for outreach conferences and events; welcomes the fact that the Ombudsman exceeded the targets set for social media in 2019; notes that the Ombudsman reached 36.717 mentions on Twitter (target 20 000) and that the number of Twitter followers went from 22.600 at the end of 2018 to 26.300 in December 2019, which represents a 16 % increase; notes that the fastest-growing channel was Instagram, where the audience grew by 47 % during the year and on LinkedIn, the number of followers increased by 21 %;

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2147(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Welcomes the initiatives by the Ombudsman´s office to encourage the use of public transportation by providing financial support for yearly subscriptions and by limiting available car parking spaces.

2021/02/08
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the total number of staff in 2019 was 576 (compared to 538 in 2018 and 533 in 2017); notes that the number of posts in the establishment plan amounts to 491 which is considered by the Committee as insufficient; recognises the results of a workload assessment finalised in 2019 for a potential reorganisation with the objective to make further efficiency gains and create synergies; is informed that the Committee wants the Union budgetary authorities to address the issue and balance the current staff situation progressively; encourages the Committee to deepen its administrative cooperation with the EESC via JointServices to pool staff in order to develop more synergies.

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Acknowledges the Committee’s continued efforts to reinforce its political role and to face the increased need for permanent expertise in political and administrative domains; notes the talent pool created to motivate and retain experienced staff in the Committee; notes that the first general internal competition in the history of the Committee was finalised in the first half of 2019 with a total of 40 laureates out of 113 candidate staff members;deleted

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Notes that the transfer of 24 translation posts from the Committee to the Parliament was estimated to result in the yearly savings amounting to approximately EUR 2.9 million, invites the Committee to present a report on the impact of this transfer;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Acknowledges that the situation in terms of gender balance in middle and senior management positions has remained relatively stable since 2018 with 35 % of these positions being filled by women; acknowledges that a new equal opportunity strategy containing concrete objectives to be reached by 2025 is being adopted and should enter in force in 2020; calls upon the Committee to present an outline of its adoption and its planned impact;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Underlines that the Committee uses contract staff mainly to provide appropriate support in the form of replacements for mid to long term absences and for specific projects in different directorates with the objective of providing additional support to members of the Committee; notes that in 2019, as the consequence of the cooperation between the Committee and Parliament, the number of long-term contract staff decreased in the Directorate for Translation compared to the years 2013-2017;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that the Committee needs to upgrade its security control systems and ensure a safe work place for its members and staff, which require additional specialised resources and that the ratio of resources dedicated to both physical security and IT support per member of staff is very low in comparison to other European institutions.; encourages the Committee to continue preparing new project to boost cybersecurity;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Underlines that an external evaluation of the communication strategy of the Committee was carried out in accordance with the standards applied by all other Union institutions using a shared framework contract; notes that the overall quality of the Committee’s communication mostly meets audience needs and is effective as key stakeholders have a positive perception of the Committee; invites the Committee to improve digital communication with the public and to enhance the visibility of its studies for stakeholders and for Union citizens;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Is aware that the bureau of the Committee adopted a digital strategy at the beginning of 2019 and that the implementation started following the adoption; notes that the main deliverables of the strategy are member-centric information systems to support the political work of the Committee, information systems to support paperless administrative processes and a digital workplace programme; invites the Committee to enhance digitalisation also through interinstitutional cooperation;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the fact that a series of measures has been implemented to ensure adequate building security standards, such as the installation of new equipment for access control and the installation of new closed-circuit television (CCTV) system; notes that the related security standards have reached the same level as the standards of Parliament and the Commission and that, moreover, first steps have been taken to buy a new visitor's management system that will be implemented in 2020;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Notes that a compliance and effectiveness exercise was launched in 2019 to assess to what extent the Committee complies with the 16 internal control standards; notes that the 2019 compliance exercise has shown that the overall state of implementation and effectiveness of the requirements remained satisfactory and stable as compared to 2018; notes, however, that areas for further improvement have been identified including the alignment of the Committee’s mission and organisational structure with new priorities, administrative cooperation between the Parliament and the Committee, further digitalisation of data storage and simplification of administrative processes as well as an in-depth revamp of the existing business continuity plan arising from the experiences acquired during the current COVID-19 situation;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Welcomes the existing cooperation agreements between Parliament, the Committee and the European Economic and Social Committee, with a view to identifying other areas in which back- office functions could be shared; invites the Committee to identify further potential synergies and savings;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Supports the Committee and the EESC in the view that in the event of an extension of the current agreement or of a new agreement with Parliament all outstanding issues such as the unbalanced situation for the Committee and the EESC, which transferred a total of 60 translators to Parliament (24 from the Committee) and in exchange obtained ~~only the use of the services of the European Parliamentary Research Service must be settled; notes with concern~~a guarantee for a sustainable working relationship with the Parliament, intensified cooperation with the parliamentary committees, involvement in the European Semester work, a reserved seat during parliamentary committee meetings, the use of the services of the European Parliamentary Research Service, joint projects and synergies on translation, opening of pathways between Parliament and the buildings of the Committees, a service level agreement including provisions of interpretation services and technical support by Parliament, regular use of Parliament buildings in Brussels as well as Parliament’s Liaison Offices in the Member States for events and activities, intensified cooperation in the area of informatics, mutual access to canteens, several cooperation mechanisms to ensure a coherent approach and create synergies in the field of information and communication and if required legal advice in technical and/or administrative matters of the Parliament’s Legal Service should be reviewed; notes that as a consequence the Committee and the EESC had to hire contract staff and outsourced their translation services which resulted in an effective budget reduction;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35 a. Underlines the Committee's acknowledgement in its written answers to Parliament that the cooperation with Parliament in 2019 continued to build on the achievements of the previous years and revealed satisfactory progress on several levels such as the relations between the commissions of the Committee and the committees of Parliament, new ways of cooperation including contributions to implementation reports and fact-finding missions and a successful and impactful cooperation through Parliament's Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development; stresses that the Committee has requested that the political cooperation continue to be further developed while respecting the autonomy and the specific approaches of each parliamentary committee and each commission of the Committee;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. ~~Congratula~~Notes the Committee ~~on the ongoing~~´s efforts in the framework of the environmental management system as regards the lowering of the carbon footprint and plastic, food and paper waste; agrees that the reduction of the carbon footprint is among the most important objectives for the coming years; encourages the Committee to participate in related projects with the other Union bodies and to elaborate a comprehensive plan for the Committee to implement the principles and recommendations presented in the European Green Deal, with the general objective of becoming climate neutral by 2030;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Underlines that on 5 December 2019 the Committee adopted a code of conduct for its members laying down a detailed procedure in the event of alleged harassment of a member of staff by a Committee member, which is largely based on Parliament's Bureau’s Decision of 2 July 2018 on harassment complaints; notes that the code of conduct includes a number of sanctions in order to ensure its observance and that the Committee has set up an advisory board on harassment; asks the Committee to present a report on the implementation of the code of conduct;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44

44. ~~Recalls that the invalidity committee confirmed that the invalidity of the former internal auditor,~~Appreciates the progress on the case concerning the former internal auditor, Mr McCoy, in response to the 2018 discharge, notes the work done by the rapporteur for the other institutions who opened the long-stalled dialogue; recalls that the invalidity committee confirmed that the invalidity of Mr McCoy, arose from an occupational disease, and that, consequently, on 26 June 2019 the Committee formally endorsed this conclusion; notes that pursuant to article 78(5) of the staff regulations Mr McCoy was reimbursed in July 2019 in respect of all his contributions to the pension scheme between the date he started receiving the invalidity allowance (1 July 2007) and the day before he started receiving retirement pension (31 July 2010);

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. aAppreciates the exchange held in the context of the 2019 discharge procedure on 10 November 2020 with the mediator, the former internal auditor and a representative of the Committee; recalls that Mr. McCoy and the Committee were invited to a meeting of Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control based on a suggestion by the EPP coordinator; underlines the importance of deescalating the situation and bringing the positions of the former internal auditor and of the Committee together; welcomes the mediator’s suggestion of a meeting between the President of the Committee and Mr McCoy as a starting point for reconciliation before any negotiations will take place;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)

47 a. Notes that the Committee was originally established to address important issues, as about three quarters of Union legislation is implemented at local or regional level for which reason local and regional representatives needed to have a say in the development of new Union laws; further notes that its original mission was to close the widening gap between the public and the process of European integration by involving regional representation;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)

47 b. Notes that the budget of the Committee has been growing over the past years (EUR 96 100 540 in 2018, EUR 98 751 065 in 2019 and projected EUR 101 508 480 for 2020); notes the concern that these resources are not used efficiently and that the original purpose is no longer being fulfilled; underlines that unlike the budget, the number of opinions issued by the Committee has gone down (71 in 2017, 78 in 2018 and only 49 opinions in 2019), which is alarming;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)

47 c. Encourages the Committee to consider preparing a plan for reorganisation and streamlining as such processes could lead to closer cooperation with Parliament and that, by reforming the institution, its know-how could be applied in a more effective way;

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2146(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Jeroen LENAERS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 d (new)

47 d. Invites the Committee to present impact assessments of its opinions; invites the Committee to also set clear and measurable key performance indicators for the following years in order to optimalise its functioning.

2021/02/09
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Regrets that in 2020 the bureau of the Committee ~~in 2020~~ adopted a decision allowing for the reimbursement of expenses for remote participation in cases where a member was prevented from travelling to Brussels as a result of COVID-19 related issues.; asks the Committee to present a report on the financial impact of this decision including the reasons for the reimbursement;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Welcomes the fact that during 2019, the IT security officer remained active in raising user cybersecurity awareness for staff, including a briefing for the IT steering committee and sectoral briefings at the level of individual departments; notes that ~~the Committee together with the Committee of Regions (‘CoR’) actively contributed to the ‘2019 European cybersecurity month’ campaign~~in 2019, two additional projects were launched concerning cybersecurity; encourages the Committee to continue its close cooperation with other committees, especially the Committee of Regions, to further develop synergies;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Is aware of the new service level agreement launched in 2019 between Parliament and the Committee which allows the Committee to benefit from the services of Parliament’s interpreters (for which payment will be made) every time the Committee uses Parliament’s premises for its meetings and occasionally also in the Committee’s premises; acknowledges that the agreement contributes to the optimisation of the use of the interpreters of Parliament; welcomes the existing cooperation agreements between Parliament, the Committee and the Committee of the Regions with a view to identifying other areas in which back- office functions could be shared; invites the Committee to identify further potential synergies and savings;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Acknowledges that the agreement´s purpose is to allow for more flexibility to the advantage of all three involved parties, being the Committee, CoR and Parliament; notes that reallocation of unspent funds to other policy areas is part of this flexibility;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Jeroen LENAERS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. States with concern that the Committee’s total annual budget increased from EUR 108 000 000 in 2006 to more than EUR 138 000 000 in 2019 while the overall number of opinions and reports produced by the Committee decreased significantly (from 193 in 2006 to 127 in 2019), implying that each opinion in 2019 comes at a significantly higher cost for taxpayer’s money which is alarming; notes with concern that out of the 127 opinions and reports, only 55 were own-initiative opinions;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)

30 b. Notes that the annual activity report for 2019 only gives a very general overview of the Committee’s activities without deeper qualitative and quantitative evaluation of its work; calls on the Committee to introduce other key performance indicators in its annual activity report, such as the rate of implementation in Union legislation of the recommendations in its opinions, to enable an impact assessment of the Committee’s work;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Jeroen LENAERS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)

30 c. Regrets that for 2019, the Committee’s most consulted opinion (on Blockchain and distributed ledger technology) did not reach more than 2 500 page views, while the other top five opinions reached just between 1 000 and 2 000 views; encourages the Committee to increase its efforts to achieve a higher attention of its opinions;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 d (new)

30 d. Asks the Committee to rationalise its internal bodies and refocus the remits of its structures, as stated in the follow-up to the 2018 discharge, including providing clarifications of savings in connection with this process; notes the efforts of the bureau to set up a six-member ad hoc group to provide a comprehensive review on how to streamline the Committee's working structures and bodies, including the question of the remits of the sections and the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI); asks the bureau to extend the streamlining to all other existing bodies and to report back to Parliament on the findings;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 e (new)

30 e. Acknowledges the existing cooperation agreements between Parliament, the Committee and the Committee of the Regions with a view to identifying areas in which back office functions could be shared; calls, in addition, on the Committee to identify possible synergies related to such back office functions and services;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Jeroen LENAERS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Is aware that the Committee continues to implement its action plan 2017-2020 for equal opportunities and diversity; ~~notes that gender balance among the Committee's managerial staff already reached parity in 2018 and remains relatively stable;~~ welcomes the ‘united in diversity’ conference on communication in a multicultural environment with the aim of fostering respectful relations at work while taking diversity into account; observes the slight improvement in the geographical balance compared to 2018 with 19 % of the Committee’s managers currently being from Member States who joined the Union after 2004 (compared to 16 % in 2017 and 18,5 % in 2018); notes with concern the overrepresentation of certain nationalities in the Committee’s staff; urges the Committee to develop specific measures to address this imbalance; asks the Committee to ensure geographical balance as addressed in Rule 4 of the rules of procedure for members of the bureau;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)

41 a. Welcomes that long-term trainees receive a monthly maintenance grant, mobility and travel allowance; recommends the Committee to pay an adequate reimbursement to short-term trainees as well;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Jeroen LENAERS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. ~~Ask~~Urges the Committee to inform the discharge authority on the procedures and processes the Committee has rolled out or intends to roll out as to how cases of harassment or similar issues concerning staff will be avoided in the future in order to ensure that comparable regrettable developments which have caused negative publicity and damaged the reputation of the Committee will not be repeated;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49

49. Acknowledges that the Committee is well aware of the political impact of the refusal of the 2018 discharge and is striving to further strengthen its ~~capacity~~efforts to tackle harassment situations; notes that ~~a detailed action plan will be endorsed at the latest by the end of 2020~~the directorate of human resources and finances and the internal auditor prepared a revision of the ethics and integrity framework; agrees that the Committee continues to raise staff and management awareness through better targeted internal communication; asks the Committee to provide the Parliament with a complete overview of all actions undertaken;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50

50. Underlines that on the basis of the observations made by Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control, the report by OLAF and the reflections of the Committee’s advisory committee on the conduct of members, the Committee set up a joint internal working group on the ethical framework with a mandate to review all potential gaps in the current framework with a view to recommending improvements; notes that the advisory committee also has the opportunity to liaise with the joint internal working group in order to ensure coherence of the overall ethical framework within the Committee and to explore possible synergies; notes that the advisory committee on the conduct of members became the ethical committee and that a provision on the appointment of reserve members has been added, as well as the possibility for one of its member to recuse himself or herself, or to be removed if found guilty of breaching the code of conduct; welcomes the fact that the Committee has now explicit investigative powers in order to carry out its mission, and may also seek advice from external experts;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51

51. ~~Calls on the Committee to report on the implementation of~~Welcomes the fact that the Committee’s revised code of conduct and rules of procedure following the 2018 OLAF investigation was approved in the Committee plenary by a vast majority in January 2021; notes that the bureau has decided on a partial and light revision of the rules of procedure and a more comprehensive revision of the code of conduct, with a particular view to strengthening sanctions; notes that the ~~revision of the code of conduct should be ready by December~~Committee has also updated its ethics and integrity framework through the adoption of an action plan for a stronger ethical framework, which entered into force on 7 January 20201;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52

52. ~~not~~Welcomes that the ~~proposal for re~~revised code of conduct includes elements such as prevention and prohibition of harassment practices and improved provisions ofn the codeclaration of financial interests and ofn con~~duct should include~~ flict of interest; encourages the Committee to consider including other elements such as stronger sanctions, support mechanisms for victims, automatically informing the Council and the Commission of the names of Committee members who have been found to be responsible for breaching the code of conduct and an annual review of the functioning of the code of conduct; notes that the decision on harassment and the decision on administrative investigations are currently being revised in order to further improve the mechanisms allowing staff to make formal harassment complaints; notes in relation to the informal procedure and the possibility for staff members to share their concerns on any perceived situation of harassment that the number of confidential counsellors has been increased and that the entire network of confidential counsellors receives continuous support through regular supervision and training; notes that the confidential counsellors are part of an inter-institutional network, which allows for the exchange of best practices;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2145(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53

53. Values the Committee’s commitment to tacklinge harassment in the working environment and to fostering a culture of zero tolerance with regard to ~~harassment by working on the revision of the~~the revised ethics and integrity framework and the revision of the Committee’s decisions on harassment, whistleblowing and administrative enquiries; welcomes that a related, detailed action plan is supposed to be endorsed by the end of 2020 and covers a number of measures such as ~~the revision of the code of conduct for members,~~ the possible creation of an independent internal ombudsman function, a brochure focusing on respect and dignity at work, the establishment of a dedicated compulsory learning path before entrusting staff management responsibilities, whether on Committee’s managers or on members, and regular awareness-raising activities,; appreciates that an internal audit on ethics and integrity will take the form of a mapping exercise followed by an analysis aimed at establishing a comprehensive overview of rules, standards and measures in relation to ethics and integrity; notes that the audit will also tackle issues such as gifts and entertainment, outside activities and assignments, conflicts of interest and post-Union employment;

2021/02/15
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. States that the geographical proximity of France, Belgium and Germany to Luxembourg may be a reason why these three nationalities are generally overrepresented among the staff at the Court; notes, however, the Court’s firm position that wUrges the Court to strive for further improvements in the context of geographical balance of staff (specifically for AST functions groups 1-4 and 5-9 there is a significant overrepresentation of certain nationalities); calls on the Court to prepare an action plan for then recruit~~ing~~ment of new staff members ~~the Court acts solely in the interest of the service and~~ with~~out~~ regard to nationality, as stipulated in Article 7 of the Staff Regulations;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Welcomes the administrative arrangement signed in 2019 providing a structured framework between the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Court ~~in order to provide a structured framework for co-operation between OLAF and the Court, and to~~and facilitat~~e their~~ing a timely exchange of information under Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/20136 and the Court’s decisions related to internal investigations; notes that this arrangement also contains provisions on non-operational issues such as the organisation of training sessions, workshops and exchange of staff; notes that in 2019, the Court reported ten cases of suspected fraud compared to nine cases in 2018 (eight identified in the course of audit work and two denunciations made by third parties); _________________ 6 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (EUT L 248 af 18.9.2013, s. 1).

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Recognises that the Court applies a set of key performance indicators to monitor progress made~~, such as for example measuring the implementation rate of the Court’s recommendations; notes~~; notes with appreciation that the Court’s analysis showed that 96 % of the recommendations made in the 2015 annual report and 94 % of the recommendations made in the 2015 special reports have been implemented in full, mostly or in some respects; notes that the Court issued six annual reports, three opinions, 18 audit previews and four other publications, being part of the altogether 67 publications it issued in 2019;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Notes that the audit showed that the case of a former member investigated by OLAF was an isolated case; ~~stress~~notes that the report concluded that the Court’s management and control systems were affected by certain shortcomings which have, however, been effectively remedied since then and that, overall, the management and control procedures currently in place are reliable; takes into account that the IAS made recommendations aimed at improving further the management and control system, that the audit report was strictly confidential and that all members and the secretary-general of the Court received the report;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Welcomes that the IAS considers that overall, reliable ex-post controls have been conducted for most of the high risk areas of the work of the directorates of the secretariat-general, based on the risk register and the operational objectives; appreciates being ~~kept~~ informed (in particular in the context of the past problems identified by an OLAF investigation on a former member of the Court)that the IAS has not observed any shortcomings that are of such importance as to seriously call into question the overall reliability of the internal control systems put in place by the authorising officer by delegation with regard to the legality and regularity of financial operations in 2019 and would appreciate such updates also in the future;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes that members are authorised to use official vehicles in the performance of official duties; notes that the use of official cars for other journeys is additional to the performance of such duties and that since 1 January 2017, the costs and kilometres related to the use of official cars have decreased significantly; emphasises the new rules on increased transparency with regards to the use of official cars and drivers to ensure that members’ journeys are related to the execution of their duties; notes that new rules entered into force on 1 January 2020 and introduced a monthly EUR 100 contribution for the non- official use of the vehicles as well as a liability on the part of the members and the secretary-general for certain costs and charges;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Asks the Court to provide information on the results of three harassment complaints~~, which were~~ reported and investigated in 2019; notes that they were handled in accordance with the procedures laid down in the policy for maintaining a satisfactory working environment and combating psychological and sexual harassment; ~~not~~acknowledges that in terms of expenditure, the investigations of each case were carried out internally and thus did not entail any additional costs; ~~notes that it is foreseen th~~welcomes the intention to evaluate the Court's policy on protecting staff against harassment ~~shall be evaluated~~ every three years and that this exercise is due to be carried out in 2020;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2144(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43

43. ~~Calls on~~Urges the Court to provide information on any decisions taken related to the process of reviewing and amending the code of conduct for its members; supports the conclusions of the peer review with respect to the need to introduce regular updates of declarations, which would increase their reliability; is in agreement that the ethics committee plays a crucial role to the extent that the president and the members may seek its advice on any question pertaining to ethics and on the interpretation of the code of conduct; notes, moreover, that the committee is entrusted with approving any external activity undertaken by the members, including former members who intend to carry out an activity in the year after they leave the Court, which is an efficient tool in ensuring the absence of conflicts of interest.

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Underlines~~Notes with concern that the CJEU still overestimates some commitments as stated in the discharge resolution of 2017: for budget lines such as ‘missions for members’, budget line 104: EUR 299.750 committed versus EUR 34 340 paid; ‘missions persons working with institution’, budget line 162: EUR 498 500 committed versus EUR 272 898 paid; ‘training for members’, budget line 106: EUR 270 065 committed versus EUR 164 263 paid; and ‘training persons working with institution’, budget line 1612: EUR 1.528.061 committed versus EUR 706.717 paid; calls on the CJEU to pursue its efforts to ensure sound financial management for all budget lines in order to avoid significant discrepancies between commitments and payments;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Highlights the importance of addressing the lack of gender balance within the college of judges; welcomes, however, the fact~~Acknowledges that efforts in the field of equal opportunities are becoming increasingly visible at the administrative level with a share of women in middle management amounting to 41 % and in senior management amounting to 40 %; notes that the staff in general has a distribution of 39 % men and 61 % women and for AD staff a distribution of46 % men and 54 % women;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Calls~~Underlines the need for improvements in the context of geographical balance of staff, in particular for management positions, as at present 15 out of 58 heads of unit (25,8 %) and only 2 out of 15 directors (13,3 %) come from Member States that have joined the Union since May 2004 (compared to 15 out of 57 heads of unit and 2 out of 13 directors in 2018); ~~acknowledges that these figures have to be seen in the context of the percentage of CJEU staff coming from those member states (29 %); calls on the CJEU to strengthen its effort~~urges the CJEU to strengthen its efforts in this regard by encouraging applications from candidates whose nationality is underrepresented and by making use of inter-institutional exchanges in thisat re~~gard~~spect;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ádám KÓSA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Welcomes the steps taken by the CJEU to assess whether the workload is distributed proportionally across the different teams and members of staff to reduce cases of burnout and increase efficiency; notes that the presidents of the Court of Justice and the General Court, respectively, have responsibility for allocating cases by taking into account the current and anticipated workload; highlights the fact that tools have been made available to assess accurately the situation including workload analysis every six weeks; notes that for the administrative services~~, by taking into account the continuous increase in the workload and the limited resources available,~~ the managers monitor the workload and its distribution between the different members of staff on an ongoing basis in order to be able to make the necessary adjustments;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. ~~Is satisfied with the significant changes to the rules gov~~Welcomes the changes to the internal legal framework concerning mMembers’ ~~travel arrangements, especially in relation with~~journeys, in particular with regard to the use of official cars and drivers; notes that the use of a driver is now only possible in two specific cases: prior authorised business trips carried out by members for the purpose of external activities (the rules governing such business trips do not provide for any situation, unless there are exceptional circumstances, in which a driver could be asked to travel to the member’s country of origin or to any other country without transporting the member in the vehicle), and trips dictated by special circumstances (health or medical reasons, safety or security grounds and cases of force majeure);

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ádám KÓSA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Welcomes the training entitled ‘Rules of good conduct’ conducted in 2019 with the participation of 63 staff members; notes that such training have been set up in order to inform newcomers and other staff members on their obligations under the staff regulations and on the conditions of employment of other servants; notes with satisfaction that the courses cover topics such as harassment, whistleblowing, prevention of conflicts of interest and other ethical issues; welcomes that whistleblowing and conflicts of interest have also been included in the content of financial training; encourages such activities and invites the CJEU to promote trainings of similar nature;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ádám KÓSA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Encourag~~Welcomes the CJEU’s willingness to ensure greater transparency; encourages to publish on its website the members’ CVs and calls on the CJEU to take into consideration the approaches followed by the other institutions and the Member States in this area; ~~welcomes the CJEU’s willingness to examine how a greater transparency can best be achieved;~~

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2143(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Encourages the CJEU to enhance transparency and welcomes the CJEU’s decision to livestream the delivery of the judgments of its grand chamber; takes note that the livestreaming of hearings themselves would be a~~n extremely~~ complex and costly matter since it operates in 24 languages and without access to simultaneous interpretation it would be ~~meaningless~~extremely difficult for the vast majority of Union citizens to follow; welcomes also the fact that as of November 2019 the CJEU publishes requests for preliminary ruling from national courts, internal research notes and national judicial decisions on the website of the Judicial Network of the European Union;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Observes that the Council’s budget is mostly administrative with a large amount being used for expenditure concerning persons, buildings, furniture, equipment and miscellaneous running costs; ~~calls on~~regrets that the request to separate the budget of the European Council and the Council into one budget for each institution that has been made by Parliament in previous discharge resolutions has not been considered and urges the Council, as it has done in previous discharge resolutions, to separate the budget of the European Council and the Council into one budget for each institution for reasons of transparency and to improve accountability and expenditure efficiency for both institutions;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recognises a slight reduction in the carry-over rate, amounting to 9,8 %, from 2019 to 2020 (as compared to a carry-over of 10,7 % from 2018 to 2019 and 11,5 % from 2017 to 2018); reminds the Council ~~of the need~~, however, that carry-overs are exceptions to the principle of annuality and calls on the Council to strengthen its efforts to avoid budget over-estimates;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes, in the context of modernisation, the creation of a flatter management structure, by removing layers of hierarchy, with the aim of improving communication, making decision-making easier and empowering staff by allowing greater ownership of files; notes the introduction of a well-tested HR IT tool (SYSPER) and other IT tools used for managing the mission lifecycle; appreciates these steps and invites the Council to continue such efforts;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Calls on the Council to report on its gender action plan, the related procedures put in place and the actions taken to achieve a balance between women and men on all hierarchical levels; calls further on the Council to be provided with information on the geographical balance among its staff and the measures taken in order to ensure such balance;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Is concerned not to find any chapter on an ethical framework on the official website of the Council consisting of rules to prevent, identify and avoid potential conflict of interests; calls on the Council to align with other Union institutions in this respect such as with the European Court of Justice’s website which has a dedicated section on transparency; calls on the Council to present a plan to introduce such measures with clearly set deadlines;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Monika HOHLMEIER, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recalls that Parliament in its resolution of 17 January 2019 on the Ombudsman’s strategic inquiry OI/2/2017 on the transparency of legislative discussions in the preparatory bodies of the Council of the EU overwhelmingly supported the Ombudsman’s proposals on legislative transparency and encourages the Council to continue its efforts to improve legislative transparency, particularly by recording and publishing member state positions and making available more trilogue documents; invites the Council to report on other measures taken in order to improve legislative transparency;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Draws attention to a complaint- based inquiry in which the Ombudsman asked the General Secretariat of the Council to keep a full record of any meetings held between lobbyists and the President of the European Council or members of his cabinet; echoes the Ombudsman’s statement that members of the President’s cabinet should only meet with, or attend events organised by, interest representatives that are registered in the transparency register; is concerned that this statement goes unnoticed and calls for a reply to the Ombudsman;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 8 a (new)

Council’s role in appointing the European prosecutors to the EPPO

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Markus PIEPER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Recalls that in 2019 and 2020 national pre-selection committees nominated candidates for evaluation and the European selection panel deliberated about the qualifications of the 22 European prosecutors to be appointed to the EPPO in 2020; recalls that according to Council implementing decision 2018/1696, the European selection panel evaluates the candidates and provides Council with a ranking which Council shall take into consideration;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Markus PIEPER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 8 b (new)

Recalls that Council implementing decision 14830/19 of 22 July 2020 on appointing the European prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor's Office states that regarding the 'candidates nominated by Belgium, Bulgaria and Portugal, the Council did not follow the non-binding order of preference of the selection panel, on the basis of a different assessment of the merits of those candidates which was carried out in the relevant preparatory bodies of the Council';

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Markus PIEPER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)

34 b. Recalls that on 27 July 2020, Austria, Estonia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands published a statement that 'a competition between rankings of national selection panels and the ranking of the European selection panel must be avoided, at the risk of eroding the European component of the appointment procedure';

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Markus PIEPER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 c (new)

34 c. Regrets that Council did not properly reply to several parliamentary written questions between July and September 2020 asking Council to explain why it decided not to follow there commendations by the European selection panel and asking for elaborations on the assessment for arriving at the decision not to follow the recommendations of the European selection panel;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 d (new)

34 d. Is very concerned about media revelations that the Portuguese government provided Council with wrongful information about the title and experience of the candidate ranked second by the European selection panel leading to his appointment as Portuguese European prosecutor;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, José Manuel FERNANDES, Jeroen LENAERS, Angelika WINZIG, Niclas HERBST, Markus PIEPER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 e (new)

34 e. Recalls that the European prosecutors must be independent and any suspicion of an intervention by a national government in favour of a candidate against the recommendation of the European selection panel would have a severe negative impact on the reputation, integrity and independence of the EPPO as an institution;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2142(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, José Manuel FERNANDES, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Advises that the positive trend of this process has been interrupted by the COVID-19-epidemic; ~~recalls~~notes with concern, however, that in autumn 2020 all attempts from Parliament’s side to meet for a first preliminary exchange with the Council failed;

2021/02/10
Committee: CONT

2020/2045(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Loucas FOURLAS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Reiterates its request that Turkey respect the principle of non-refoulement, in particular on the Syrian border, and that it not use the flows of refugees against the EU; expects Turkey to implement in full and in a non-discriminatory manner the EU-Turkey Statement of March 2016 and the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement;

2021/05/05
Committee: AFET DEVE BUDG

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the removal of barriers, including the simplification of legislation , to diversify funding sources ~~for SMEs, in order to promote SMEs’ ability to~~European companies, with a particular focus on SMEs, in order to ensure access to equity markets, and to reduce the existing debt bias; points out that the current situation makes European companies and especially SMEs more fragile and vulnerable;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Takes the view that the efficiency of financial markets should be improved and that the listing of companies should be facilitated; encourages the creation and prioritisation of a large private pan- European fund, an Initial Public Offering (IPO) Fund, to support SME fundings;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Requests the strengthening of securitisation as a tool and a market through a series of measures to avoid a reduction of European bank lending in the fact of prudential regulation and the successful development of the CMU. These measures should include the realignment of the treatment of cash and synthetic securitisations, of the treatment of regulatory capital and liquidity with that of covered bonds and loans, as well as with the disclosure and due diligence requirements for covered bonds and simple, transparent and standardised (STS) securitisation, along with calibration of the Capital Requirements Regulation for the risk-weight floor calibration and a review of the eligibility criteria for securitisations in terms of the Liquidity Coverage Ration;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for targeted measures in terms of alignment and simplification within securities market legislation to expedite the recovery after the COVID-19 crisis; supports changes in the Prospectus Regulation, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MIFID), the Packaged Retail Investment and Insurance Products Regulation (PRIIPS), the Securitisation Regulation and the Market Abuse Regulation to facilitate investments in the real economy, in particular in SMEs, and to allow newcomers and new products to enter the markets, preserving consumer protection and market integrity;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Takes note of the limited use of the ELTIF vehicle throughout the European Union. Encourages the Commission to review the ELTIF regulation in light of the experience since its entry into force in order to make use of its full potential.

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Encourages the Commission to consider the introduction of an EU “de minimis” or exemption regime for distribution to professionals and/or semi- professional investors in the UCITS framework.

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the need for European and national supervisory authorities to overcome their differences; calls for enhanced supervisory convergence ~~to promote a common European model, guided by the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA),~~ to reduce the existing obstacles to cross- border financial operations;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recalls the existence of different shortcomings in the legislation on packaged retail investment and insurance products (PRIIPs) that should be addressed in the next review; ~~expects that Level 2 PRIIPs legislation on the Key Investor Document to respect level 1, in particular in relation to the performance scenarios;~~ regrets the delays in the adoption of Level 2 PRIIPs legislation that will overlap with the first review of PRIIPs, and which increases legal uncertainty and costs for stakeholders;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Urges the Commission to make clear the differentiation between professional and retail investors on all levels of MIFID, making it possible to tailor the treatment of clients according to their knowledge and experience on the markets; requests ~~that~~ the Commission to consider the ~~introduction of a category of semi-professional investors to better respond to the reality of participation on the financial markets~~reality of participation on the financial markets by allowing more flexibility in the client categorisation, namely through opt-out options for certain obligations and opt-in options for certain clients or to lower the existing criteria for professional investors ;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. 1. Calls for amendments to legislation to ensure access to independent advice by financial intermediaries w~~hile avoiding~~ithout undue promotion of the institution’s own financial products and while ensuring a ~~fair marketing of~~n appropriate marketing of all relevant financial products;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2036(INI)

Christophe HANSEN, Jessica POLFJÄRD, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. 1. Reiterates that EU legislation provides for the possibility of considering third-country rules as equivalent based on a proportional and risk and fact-based analysis, and that such decisions should be taken through a delegated act on a rational basis; recalls that the EU can unilaterally withdraw any equivalence decision;

2020/07/17
Committee: ECON

2020/2035(INL)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Maria WALSH, Frances FITZGERALD, Lena DÜPONT, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Christine SCHNEIDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ioan-Rareş BOGDAN, Vasile BLAGA, Pernille WEISS

2021/07/12
Committee: LIBE FEMM

2020/1998(BUD)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Demands an immediate stop to any funding granted to countries that do not respect the EU’s founding values, the rule of law, the human rights, European and International law and the sovereignty of the Member States;

2020/08/26
Committee: ECON

2020/1998(BUD)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Loucas FOURLAS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Radan KANEV, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU, Costas MAVRIDES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a (new)

52 a. Strongly condemns Turkey’s repeated provocations and violations of Greek and Cypriot sovereignty; Denounces that Turkey continuously violates international and EU law, EU principles and values; Calls on the Commission and Council to terminate all pre-accession funds to Turkey.

2020/10/20
Committee: BUDG

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Giorgos GEORGIOU, Loucas FOURLAS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Radan KANEV, Jarosław DUDA, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Costas MAVRIDES, David LEGA

Citation 2

— having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, particularly to Articles 3, 15, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26 and 2647 thereof,

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas disability is a social construction and according to the social model of disability: - Impairment is a physical, mental or sensory functional limitation within the individual. - Disability is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the "normal life" of the community equally with others due to physical and social barriers. Therefore, the term ‘disabled people’ defines “people with impairments who are disabled by socially constructed barriers”; furthermore, the term ‘people with disabilities’ refers to the disabling that effect rests within the individual person rather than from society. The term ‘disabilities’ when used in this context refers to a person’s medical condition and thus confuses disability with impairment. In addition it denies the political or ‘disability identity’

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Giorgos GEORGIOU, Loucas FOURLAS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Radan KANEV, Eva KAILI, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU, Costas MAVRIDES, Dennis RADTKE, David LEGA

Recital F b (new)

F b. whereas article 19 of the UN CRPD states that "States Parties to the present Convention recognize the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and shall take effective and appropriate measures to facilitate full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right and their full inclusion and participation in the community";

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas a considerable proportion of the four million people experiencing homelessness every year have disability, having been largely overlooked as a target group of the UNCRPD and the EU Disability Strategy;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 2 – introductory part

2. Calls on the Commission to pr~~opos~~epare a comprehensive, ambitious and long-term post-2020 European Disability Strategy (the post-2020 Strategy)

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 2 – indent 2

- with ambitious and clear and measurable targets,

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 2 – indent 4

- reflecting the diversity of ~~persons with disabilities~~disabled people,

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

Paragraph 2 – indent 5 b (new)

- recognising and addressing the multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination they may face, and in particular the challenges faced by women, girls, children, older and LGBTI disabled people, as well as persons from racial and ethnic minorities.

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Giorgos GEORGIOU, Loucas FOURLAS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Radan KANEV, Eva KAILI, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU, Costas MAVRIDES, Dennis RADTKE, David LEGA

Paragraph 2 – indent 5 c (new)

- setting new rules for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in order to protect the rights of the disabled passengers concerning the safety of the integrity of both their body and equipment when transferred, and the recognition of the need for extra seats in cases of a personal assistant or laying,

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 2 – indent 5 c (new)

- regarding the accessibility of buildings, transportation and media;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Loucas FOURLAS, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Radan KANEV, Eva KAILI, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU, Costas MAVRIDES, Giorgos GEORGIOU, Dennis RADTKE, David LEGA

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 6 – indent 3 (new)

- a flexible mechanism that can provide incentives for the optimal implementation of the CRPD. To that extent, commends initiatives like the Access City Awards and calls for relevant initiatives on the national level;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Loucas FOURLAS, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Radan KANEV, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU, David LEGA

Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to systematically mainstream the rights of ~~persons with disabilities~~disabled people in all the relevant EU laws, policies and programmes;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission to safeguard the UNCRPD-compliant use of EU funds and to ensure that EU funds, in a specific time period of five years, will not contribute to the construction or refurbishment of institutional care settings or any other kind of settings that could easily turn into an institution;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Loucas FOURLAS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Radan KANEV, Eva KAILI, Jarosław DUDA, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU, Costas MAVRIDES, Dennis RADTKE, David LEGA

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Loucas FOURLAS, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Radan KANEV, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Giorgos GEORGIOU, Dennis RADTKE, David LEGA

Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the European Commission and all Member States to ratify the Optional Protocol of the UNCRPD;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote the term 'disabled people' rather than persons with disabilities and replace it in official documents and websites;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2975(RSP)

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Loucas FOURLAS, Kostas PAPADAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Romana TOMC, Radan KANEV, Ivan ŠTEFANEC, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Costas MAVRIDES, David LEGA

Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Calls on the Member States to grant voting rights to every disabled person regardless of intelligence impairments or their ability capacity and facilitate them in the voting process;

2020/02/04
Committee: EMPL

2019/2211(INI)

Vangelis MEIMARAKIS, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Georgios KYRTSOS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS, Loucas FOURLAS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Maria SPYRAKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the importance of a properly funded EU budget in order to address common challenges and citizens’ expectations; recalls Parliament’s position demanding a strong and credible EU development and social budget and an agreement on the reform of the EU’s own resources to give its consent; requests that the Commission adopt a more transparent, stringent, comprehensive methodology for climate and biodiversity mainstreaming, while involving Parliament in this process;

2020/01/29
Committee: BUDG

2019/2210(INI)

Caterina CHINNICI, David LEGA, Hilde VAUTMANS, Saskia BRICMONT, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Laura FERRARA, Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, Brando BENIFEI, Tanja FAJON, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Karen MELCHIOR

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. Whereas women and children are at higher risk of being trafficked, exploited and sexually abused, both online and offline, including at the hands of traffickers and therefore there is a need for Member States to build and strengthen child protection systems to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children;

2020/02/28
Committee: LIBE

2019/2199(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses the importance for the EU and its Member States to work out specific programmes aimed at ending child poverty;

2020/02/28
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5

- having regard to the Negotiating Framework for Turkey of 3 October 2005, and to the fact that, as is the case for all candidate countries, Turkey’s accession to the EU depends on full compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, and to the need to normalize its relations with all EU Member States , including the Republic of Cyprus;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)

- having regard to the declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21 September 2005, following the declaration made by Turkey upon signature on 29 July 2005 of the Ankara Protocol, including the provision that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process, and the need for Turkey to fully implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement in relation to all Member States, by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, without restrictions or discrimination,

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Kris PEETERS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Isabel WISELER-LIMA

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)

- having regard to the declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21 September 2005, following the declaration made by Turkey upon signature on 29 July 2005 of the Ankara Protocol, including the provision that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process, and to the need for Turkey to fully implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement in relation to all Member States, by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, without restrictions or discrimination;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Costas MAVRIDES

Draft opinion
Recital I

I. whereas the return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants would constitute a formidable confidence-building measure, and could become the catalyst for a fair, comprehensive ~~settlement~~and viable settlement, in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions, and in line with the values and principles on which the EU is founded and the acquis, by creating conditions of cooperation, mutual respect and trust between the two communities in Cyprus;

2020/06/08
Committee: PETI

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)

- having regard to the Council Conclusions of 26 June 2018 and 18 June 2019 to the effect that the accession negotiations effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing and no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen,

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI, Andreas SCHIEDER

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas being a candidate country presumes ~~a willingness~~the commitment to progressively a~~pproach~~lign in all aspects with the values, interests, standards ~~and~~ policies and the acquis of the EU;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Vangelis MEIMARAKIS, Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Maria SPYRAKI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Kris PEETERS

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas, in spite of this principled stance by Parliament and all of the current circumstances, the European Council, in its conclusions of 1-2 October 2020, offered Turkey a renewed and broad positive agenda, provided that constructive efforts by Turkey to stop illegal activities vis-à-vis Greece and Cyprus are sustained, in a further attempt to restore our relations;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI, Andreas SCHIEDER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas, in spite of this principled stance by Parliament and all of the current circumstances, the European Council, in its conclusions of 1 October 2020, offered Turkey a renewed and broad positive agenda, provided that constructive efforts to stop illegal activities vis-à-vis Greece and Cyprus are sustained, in a further attempt to restore our relations;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas, the European Council, in the same conclusions, highlighted that, in case of renewed unilateral actions or provocations in breach of international law by Turkey, the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal, including in accordance with Article 29 TEU and Article 215 TFEU, in order to defend its interests and those of its Member States, and take decisions as appropriate at the latest at its December meeting;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Is deeply concerned that, over the years, the lack of progress in Turkey’s convergence has now transformed into a full withdrawal, marked by a stark regression in three main areas: backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights, adopting regressive institutional reforms and pursuing a war-mongering and confrontational foreign policy; is further concerned by the fact that this regression has increasingly been accompanied by an explicit anti-EU narrative; calls, in this context, on Turkey to reassess the sincerity of its commitment to the EU path, as an indispensable component of the viability of the entire accession process;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Believes that this fundamental area, which is at the core of the accession process, cannot be disconnected and isolated from overall relations and that it remains along with the full respect of international law and the fundamental principle of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, the main obstacles to progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19b. Stresses that visa liberalisation will be possible once all the criteria have been fully and effectively met in a non- discriminatory manner;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI, Andreas SCHIEDER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Remains deeply concerned by the situation in the ~~south-east of~~Kurdish issue in Turkey with regard to the protection of human rights, freedom of expression and political participation;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI, Andreas SCHIEDER

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Is alarmed by the fact that Turkey’s foreign policy increasingly collides with the priorities and goals of EU’s common foreign and security policy; notes with deep concern that the rate of Turkey’s alignment with the common foreign policy of the EU is constantly deteriorating and is at present reduced to 14%, which is a historic low.

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing ~~dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation;~~Turkey’s unprecedented illegal and aggressive behaviour in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, its warmongering rhetoric and the related risk of a military escalation by an EU candidate country against EU Member States ; strongly condemns Turkey’s violations of Greek national airspace, including over flights of inhabited areas, and territorial sea, a conduct which not only constitutes a serious, ongoing violation of international law, but also creates the risk of an armed incident ;strongly condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, which violate bothe sovereignty, the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; ~~urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat;~~ expresses its grave concern for the illegal Turkish fishing activities within Greek territorial waters in the Aegean Sea and the unregulated and unreported fishing activities of Turkish fishing fleet in international waters in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean; urges Turkey to fully respect international law and the law of the sea, to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; notes that the Council’s Conclusions of 15 July 2019 in light of Turkey’s continued and new illegal drilling activities , not to hold the Association Council and further meetings of the EU-Turkey high-level dialogues for the time being, along with the Council’s Decision 2019/1894, of11 November 2019, to impose restrictive measures in view of Turkey’s unauthorized drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, are the first instances where such reactions were deemed necessary in view of the conduct of a candidate country;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI, Andreas SCHIEDER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing ~~dispute~~Turkey’s illegal activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation; strongly condemns the threats of military action against EU Member States by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean; strongly condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot ~~water~~maritime zones, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; ~~urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat;~~ calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is part of the EU acquis, without further delay; reiterates its call on Turkey to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Member States over their territorial sea and airspace and their lawful right to enter into bilateral agreements and to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; in this respect, welcomes the invitation by the Government of Cyprus to Turkey to negotiate in good faith the maritime delimitation between their relevant coasts, including by having recourse, to the International Court of Justice and calls on Turkey to accept Cyprus’ invitation;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation; strongly condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone, explore and exploit its natural resources and calls on Turkey to respect relevant international law (UNCLOS); urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations. Urges Turkey to show restraint and to respect Cyprus’ sovereignty over its territorial sea and Cyprus’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone.

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Kris PEETERS, David MCALLISTER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Andrey KOVATCHEV, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Isabel WISELER-LIMA, Peter van DALEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Is deeply concerned by the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk ~~of a military escalation;~~s; strongly condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threat, as that could have a negative impact on good neighbourly relations;

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Takes the view that enhancing communication and dialogue at all levels are key to restoring mutual trust between the EU and Turkey; deplores the continuous and unjustified refusal of the Turkish side to reinstate the normal functioning of the EU- Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee; at the same time, recalls that the Council’s decision of 15 July 2019 not to hold the EU – Turkey Association Council and further meetings of the EU – Turkey high level dialogues by virtue of Turkish illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, remains valid;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Evin INCIR, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Loucas FOURLAS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Eva KAILI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Deplores the fact that despite the efforts for de-escalation, Turkey continues its unilateral provocative actions, violating international law and the sovereign rights of EU Member States; reiterates its calls on the Council to impose sanctions on Turkey including by targeting the economic and energy sector, and in the absence of any progress to consider the full suspension of the EU-Turkey customs union;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2176(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33a. Takes into account not only the absence of any progress in engaging with Turkey, but also the renewed escalation on the Turkish side by unilateral actions and provocations in breach of international law by the latter, and calls on the Council to develop a list of further restrictive measures that should be sectoral and targeted; in this spirit, recalls the European Council’s conclusions of 1- 2 October 2020 that the EU will use all the instruments and the options at its disposal, including in accordance with Articles 29 TEU and 215 TFEU, in order to defend its interests and those of its Member – States;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide1a _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0094

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Renate SOMMER, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16

— having regard to the Commission recommendation of 21 December 2016 for a Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations with Turkey on an agreement on the extension of the scope of the bilateral preferential trade relationship and on the modernisation of the Customs Union, as well as the Council Conclusions of 26 June 2018 stating that no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen,

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcomes the decision of 19 July 2018 to lif~~Notes that the state of emergency, ~~which was~~ introduced after the 2016 coup attempt ~~and~~, has been extended 7 times; Welcomes, however, the decision of 19 July 2018 to lift the state of emergency; notes that the prolonged state of emergency has led to an erosion of the rule of law and deterioration of human rights in Turkey; regrets that the adoption of new legislative proposals preserves many of the abusive powers granted to the Ppresident and ~~the~~ executive under the state of emergency and thereby dampens any positive effect of its termination; is concerned about the serious backsliding in the areas of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and procedural and property rights;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the Turkish government to respect and fully implement the legal obligations, which it has entered into, concerning the protection of its diverse cultural heritage, by improving the care, restoration and enhancement of its monuments; calls on Turkey to ratify the 2005 UNESCO convention on the protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; calls on Turkey to cooperate with the relevant international organisations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combating illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Deplores the fact that the Venice Commission recommendation on the status of religious communities in Turkey and the right of the Orthodox Patriarch to use the title "Ecumenical" are yet to be implemented and that the Halki (Heybeliada) Greek Orthodox Seminary remains closed. Furthermore, regrets the fact that the Council of Europe Resolution 1625 (2008) regarding property rights on the islands of Gokceada (Imvros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) has not been fully implemented yet and that the electoral regulation for non-Muslim foundations is still not published after its annulment in 2013;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Expresses concern at the shrinking space for civil society and the promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms; notes that a large number of activists, including human rights defenders, were arrested and demonstrations were recurrently banned during the state of emergency; calls on Turkey to protect the fundamental rights of minorities, such as LGBTI people, as well as religious minorities;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Is seriously concerned about the lack of respect for the freedom of religion, about continuous discrimination against religious minorities, including Christians and Alevis and violence on religious grounds, including verbal and physical attacks, stigmatisation and social pressure at schools, and problems in relation to legally establishing a place of worship; expects the Turkish government to treat every Turkish citizen without any prejudice towards his or her religious belief; calls on the Turkish authorities to promote positive and effective reforms in the area of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, by enabling religious communities to obtain legal personality, allowing charitable foundations to elect their governing bodies, eliminating all restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of the clergy, complying with the relevant judgements of the ECtHR and the recommendations of the Venice Commission and by eliminating all forms of discrimination or barriers based on religion; calls on Turkey to respect the distinct character and importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and to recognise its legal personality; reiterates the need to allow the reopening of the Halki Seminary and lift all obstacles to its proper functioning; urges the Turkish authorities to combat seriously all manifestations of anti-Semitism in society; calls on the Turkish government to implement the action plan it submitted in 2016 to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers related to the ECtHR decisions on Cem Houses and on compulsory religion classes and to put in place a comprehensive legal framework in line with European standards; believes that appropriate attention must be paid to implementing the ECtHR judgments on compulsory religion and ethics classes, indication of religious affiliation on identity cards and Alevi worship places;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Turkish government to respect and fully implement the legal obligations deriving from the Conventions to which it is a contracting party, and to halt the destruction of the cultural heritage in the occupied areas of Cyprus; calls on Turkey to ratify the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; calls on Turkey to cooperate with the relevant international organisations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combating illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Calls on the Turkish government to respect and fully implement the legal obligations which it has entered into concerning the protection of cultural heritage, and, in particular, to draw up in good faith an integrated inventory of Greek, Armenian, Assyrian and other cultural heritage that was destroyed or ruined in the course of the last century; calls on Turkey to ratify the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; calls on Turkey to cooperate with the relevant international organisations, especially the Council of Europe, in preventing and combating illicit trafficking and the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Urges Turkey to end the repeated violations of Greek and Cypriot airspace and territorial waters, as these actions are not conducive to good neighbourly relations and undermine regional stability and security; calls on Turkey to avoid any kind of threat or action directed against a Member State, or any source of friction or action that damages good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes and reminds the need for Turkey to unequivocally commit to good neighbourly relations, international agreements, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is part of the EU acquis and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter, having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice. In this framework, it once again expresses its regret that the casus belli threat, declared by the Turkish Grand National Assembly against Greece has not yet been withdrawn;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, taking all of the above into account and in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey; remains, however,Taking all the above into account, calls on the Commission and the Council of the European Union, to exert further pressure on Turkey in order to comply with the Copenhagen criteria and implement its contractual obligations towards all Member States; remains committed to democratic dialogue with Turkey; and asks the Commission to use, ~~during the formal suspension of negotiations, all~~ funds available under IPA II and the future IPA III to support, through a dedicated envelope directly managed by the EU, Turkey’s civil society, and to increase opportunities for people-to-people contacts, academic dialogue, access for Turkish students to European universities and media platforms for journalists;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes that ~~while the EU accession process was at its start a strong motivation for reforms in Turkey,~~ there has been a stark regression in the areas of the rule of law and human rights during the last few years~~; recalls that Parliament repeatedly called for the opening of Chapter 23 on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom and Security at a time whe~~ and repeats its calls on the Turkish government ~~had pledged~~ to conduct serious reforms; ~~regrets deeply that the accession instruments could not be used to the fullest extent owing to a continued blockage by the Council;~~

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Arnaud DANJEAN, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes that while the EU accession process was at its start a strong motivation for reforms in Turkey, there has been a ~~stark~~massive regression in the areas of the rule of law and human rights during the last few years; ~~recall~~notes that ~~Parliament repeatedly called for the opening of Chapter 23 on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 on Justice, Freedom and Security at~~Turkey has been moving further away from the EU; deeply deplores the a ntime when the Turkish government had pledged to conduct serious reforms; regrets deeply that the accession instruments could not be used to the fullest extent owing to a continued blockage by the Council-EU rhetoric of the Turkish President which has clouded the mutual relationship and thus led to the current standstill in any negotiation process;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Believes that a door should be left open for th~~Recalls the need for Turkey to implement in a full and non- discriminatory manner the current customs union towards all Member States and believes that following this, the possible modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, to include relevant areas such as agriculture, services and public procurement, which currently are not covered, could then proceed; recalls that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States and that Turkey is an important growth market for the EU; believes that the upgrade would provide a valuable opportunity for democratic conditionality, positive leverage and the possibility of a roadmap where upgrading the Customs Union would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkey on democratic reforms; believes further that the upgrading of the Customs Union wcould provide an important opportunity for policy dialogue on climate change as well as on labour rights in Turkey; ~~calls on the Commission to start preparatory work for the upgrading of the Customs Union as soon as the Turkish Government indicates its readiness for serious reforms;~~

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Believes that a door should be left open for the modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey, to include relevant areas such as agriculture, services and public procurement, which currently are not covered; recalls that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States and that Turkey is an important growth market for the EU; believes that the upgrade would provide a valuable opportunity for democratic conditionality, positive leverage and the possibility of a roadmap where upgrading the Customs Union would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkey on democratic reforms, rule of law and good neighbourly relations; believes further that the upgrading of the Customs Union would provide an important opportunity for policy dialogue on climate change as well as on labour rights in Turkey; ~~calls on the Commission to start preparatory work for the upgrading of the Customs Union as soon as the Turkish Government indicates its readiness for serious reforms;~~

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes that visa liberalisation is of great importance for Turkish citizens, particularly for students, academics, business representatives and people with family ties in EU Member States; encourages the Turkish Government to fully and in a non-discriminatory manner comply with the 72 criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap; towards all Member States, stresses that the revision of Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation is a key condition for ensuring fundamental rights and freedoms, and that visa liberalisation ~~will~~could be possible once all the criteria have been ~~met~~fully and effectively met, in a non- discriminatory manner towards all Member States;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Recalls the important role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that Turkey’s population has shown great hospitality by offering shelter to more than 3 million Syrian refugees; ~~cal~~notes that the number of irregular arrivals ton the E~~U and its Member States to keep their promise regarding a large-scale resettlement, and~~uropean Union from Turkey has significantly risen in 2018 compared to last year; calls in Turkey to increase patrolling efforts and vigilance in its western borders; underlines the importance of the full and effective implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement, with a view to bringing the flow to halt; calls on Turkey to implement fully and effectively the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement and to re-launch without further delay the implementation of the bilateral readmission protocol with Greece; highlights the importance of a large-scale resettlement, and calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure adequate financial resources for the long- term support of the Syrian refugees in Turkey;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Reiterates the need to strengthen good neighbourly relations; calls on Turkey, in this connection, to step up efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral issues, including unsettled legal obligations and disputes with its immediate neighbours over land and maritime borders and airspace, in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter and with international law; calls on the Turkish Government to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); urges the Turkish Government to end the repeated violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters, as well as the practice of Turkish military aircraft flying over Greek islands; expresses its regret that the casus belli threat declared by the Turkish Grand National Assembly against Greece has not yet been withdrawn;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Renate SOMMER, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Calls on Turkey to further align its foreign policy with that of the EU in accordance with provisions of the Negotiating Framework;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Renate SOMMER, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18 b. Calls on the Turkish Government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant; requests that the Turkish Government join the Espoo Convention; asks the Turkish Government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, during any further developments in the Akkuyu venture;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)

18 c. Reiterates its call on Turkey to fulfil its obligation of full, non- discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus; regrets that Turkey has still not made progress towards the normalization of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus; reiterates that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process and calls for progress without any further delay;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone, explore and exploit its natural resources and calls on Turkey to respect relevant international law (UNCLOS); urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations; urges Turkey to show restraint and to respect Cyprus’ sovereignty over its territorial sea and Cyprus’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone; deeply regrets recent statements by Turkey in this regard;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes ~~the~~ efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to ~~begin~~immediately withdraw~~ing~~ its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed- off area of Famagusta to the UN, and its lawful inhabitants, in accordance with UNSC Resolution550(1984), as an effort to pave the way for a democratic comprehensive settlement and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; ~~urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relation~~reiterates its calls on Turkey to respect the sovereign rights of all Member States, including those relating to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources when in line with the EU acquis and international law; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action damaging good neighbourly relations and a climate conducive to the peaceful settlement of bilateral disputes;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a ~~fair, comprehensive and viable settlement~~settlement based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, a single international legal personality, single sovereignty and single citizenship with political equality between the two communities, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions ~~and~~, the EU acquis, and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN and its lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550 (1984), as an effort to pave the way for a democratic comprehensive settlement, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges Turkey to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations; and underlines that recognition of all Member States is a fundamental component of the EU- Turkish relations;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Calls upon the Turkish government to halt the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey but to the Mediterranean region as a whole; accordingly, requests that the Turkish government join the Espoo Convention, which commits parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries; to this end, asks the Turkish government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, during any further developments in the Akkuyu venture;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Deplores Turkey's refusal to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-a-vis all member states, including the Republic of Cyprus;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Esther DE LANGE, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Deplores Turkey's policy of settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to terminate all actions that alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5

~~— having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2015 with recommendations to the Commission on bringing transparency, coordination and convergence to corporate tax policies in the Union4,~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14

— having regard to the Commission proposals pending for adoption, in particular on ~~the CC(C)TB14,~~ the digital taxation package15 and public country-by- country reporting (CBCR)16, _________________ 14 Proposal of 25 October 2016 for a Council Directive on a Common Corporate Tax Base (CCTB), COM(2016)0685 (2016/0337(CNS)) and on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB), COM(2016)0683 (2016/0336(CNS)). 15 The package consists of the ‘Time to establish a modern, fair and efficient taxation standard for the digital economy’ communication (COM(2018)0146), the proposal for a Council directive laying down rules relating to the corporate taxation of a significant digital presence (COM(2018)0147, 2018/0072(CNS)), the proposal for a Council directive on the common system of a digital services tax on revenues resulting from the provision of certain digital services (COM(2018)0148, 2018/0073 (CNS)) and the recommendation relating to the corporate taxation of a significant digital presence (C(2018) 1650). 16 Proposal of 12 April 2016 for a directive amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, COM(2016)0198 (2016/0107(COD)).

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 18

— having regard to the ongoing modernisation of the VAT framework, ~~in particular the VAT definitive regime,~~

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission and the Council to propose and adopt a comprehensive definition of aggressive tax planning indicators, building on both the hallmarks identified in the fifth review of the Directive on administrative cooperation (DAC6)26and the Commission’s relevant studies and recommendations27; calls on Member States to use those indicators as a basis to repeal all harmful tax practices deriving from existing tax loopholes;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

~~15. Recalls that taxes must be paid in the jurisdictions where the actual economic activity and value creation takes place or, in case of indirect taxation, where consumption takes place;~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Takes note of the statement made by the French Finance Minister at the TAX3 meeting of 23 October 2018 regarding the need to discuss the concept of minimum taxation; welcomes the readiness by France to include the debate on minimum taxation as one of the priorities of its G7 Presidency in 2019;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

~~24. Reiterates its call for a clear definition of permanent establishment so that companies cannot artificially avoid having a taxable presence in a Member State in which they have economic activity;~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2.2.2

~~· Common Consolidated Corporate Tax base (CCCTB)~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Welcomes the re-launch of the CCCTB project in a two-step approach, with the Commission’s adoption of interconnected proposals on CCTB and CCCTB; calls on the Council to swiftly adopt them, taking into consideration Parliament’s opinion that already includes the concept of virtual permanent establishment that would close the remaining loopholes allowing tax avoidance to take place and level the playing field in light of digitalisation;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Reiterates, furthermore, its call to ensure simultaneous tax audits of persons of common or complementary interests (including parent companies and their subsidiaries), and its call to further enhance tax cooperation between Member States ~~through an obligation to answer group requests on tax matters~~;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44

44. Recommends that Member States’ authorities which are notified by their counterparts in other Member States of potential breaches of law be ~~requir~~encouraged to provide an official notification of receipt and, where appropriate, a substantive response on actions taken following the aforementioned notification in a timely manner;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45

45. Stresses that the proposal for public CBCR was submitted to the co-legislators just after the Panama papers scandal on 12 April 2016, and that Parliament adopted its position on it on 4 July 2017; recalls that the latter called for an enlargement of the scope of reporting and protection of commercially sensitive information; ~~deplores the lack of progress and cooperation from the Council since 2016; urges for progress to be made in the Council so that it enters into negotiations with Parliament;~~

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54

54. Highlights that the high level of inward and outward foreign direct investment as a percentage of GDP in s~~even~~ome Member States ~~(Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands)~~ can only be partially explained by real economic activities taking place in these Member States;40 · _________________ 40 Kiendl Kristo I. and Thirion E., An overview of shell companies in the European Union, EPRS, European Parliament, October 2018, p.23.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55

55. Underlines that a high share of foreign direct investment held by special purpose entities exists in several Member States~~, particularly in Malta, Luxembourg and the Netherlands;41 ·~~41; _________________ 41 Kiendl Kristo I. and Thirion E., op. cit., p.23.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57

57. Notes that the ATAD anti-abuse rules (artificial arrangements) cover letterbox companies, and that the CCTB and CCCTB would ensure that the income is attributed to where the real economic activity takes place;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58

~~58. Urges the Commission and the Member States to establish coordinated substantial economic activity requirements as well as expenditure tests;~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62

~~62. Calls for additional statistics to estimate the VAT gap; stresses that there is no common approach to data collection and sharing within the EU;~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65

65. Welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s VAT action plan of 6 April 2016 to reform the VAT framework and the 13 legislative proposals adopted by the Commission since December 2016 that address the shift towards the definitive VAT regime, remove VAT obstacles to e- commerce, review the VAT regime for SMEs, modernise the VAT rates policy and tackle the VAT tax gap;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71

71. Welcomes the opening of infringement procedures by the Commission on 8 March 2018 against Cyprus, Greece and Malta to ensure that they stop offering unlawful favourable tax treatment for private yachts, which distorts competition in the maritime sector;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84

84. Deplores the fact that some Member States have created tax regimes allowing non-nationals to obtain income tax benefits, hereby undermining other Member States’ tax base and fostering harmful policies which discriminate against their own citizens;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90

90. Is concerned that according to the OECD, CBI and RBI schemes could be misused to undermine the common reporting standard (CRS) due diligence procedures, leading to inaccurate or incomplete reporting under the CRS, in particular when not all jurisdictions of tax residence are disclosed to the financial institution; notes that in the OECD’s view, the visa schemes which are potentially high-risk for the integrity of the CRS are those that give a taxpayer access to a low personal income tax rate of less than 10 % on offshore financial assets, and do not require a significant physical presence of at least 90 days in the jurisdiction offering the golden visa scheme; is concerned that Malta ~~and Cyprus have~~has a schemes59~~among those~~ that potentially poses a high risk to the integrity of CRS; _________________ 59 The ~~Cypriot Citizenship by Investment: Scheme for Naturalisation of Investors by Exception, the Cypriot Residence by Investment, the~~ Maltese Individual Investor Programme, and the Maltese Residence and Visa programme.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91

91. Concludes that the potential economic benefits of CBI and RBI schemes do not offset the serious money laundering and tax evasion risks they present; ~~calls on Member States to phase out all existing CBI or RBI schemes as soon as possible;~~ stresses that, in the meantime, Member States should properly ensure that enhanced CDD on applicants for citizenship or residence through these schemes is duly carried out, as required by AMLD5; calls on the Commission to monitor rigorously and continuously the proper implementation and application of CDD within the framework of CBI and RBI schemes ~~until they are repealed in each Member State~~;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 136

136. Underscores the problem of money laundering through investment in real estate in European cities through foreign shell companies; recalls that the Commission should assess the necessity and proportionality of harmonising the information in the land and real estate registers and assess the need for the interconnection of those registers; ~~calls on the Commission, if appropriate, to accompany the report with a legislative proposal;~~

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 137

137. Notes that under AMLD5 the Commission must carry out an analysis of the feasibility of specific measures and mechanisms at Union and Member State level making it possible to collect and access the beneficial ownership information of corporate and other legal entities incorporated outside of the Union; ~~calls on the Commission to present a legislative proposal for such a mechanism should the feasibility analysis be favourable;~~

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 179

179. Reiterates that financial institutions, advisors and other intermediaries that knowingly, systematically and repeatedly facilitate, engage or participate in money laundering or tax evasion activities should face effective, proportional and dissuasive penalties, and, where applicable, be restricted from operating in the single market;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 202

202. Calls on the Council and the Commission to agree on the establishment of a publicly accessible and regularly updated list of non-cooperative non- institutional parties in the interinstitutional agreement on a mandatory transparency register for lobbyists; considers, in the meantime, that a record should be kept of those stakeholders who have not attended the committee’s public meetings;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 9.6

~~Unanimity vs qualified majority voting~~deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 204

204. Reiterates its call on the Commission to use the procedure laid down in Article 116 TFEU which makes it possible to change the unanimity requirement in cases where the Commission finds that a difference between the provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States is distorting the conditions of competition in the internal market;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 205

205. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose qualified majority voting for specific and pressing tax policy issues where vital legislative files and initiatives aimed at combating tax fraud, tax evasion, aggressive tax planning or financial crimes have been blocked in the Council to the detriment of Member States;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 206

206. Stresses that all scenarios should be envisaged and not only shifting from unanimity to qualified majority voting through a passerelle clause; calls on the Commission to issue its proposal before the end of its current mandate, early 2019;deleted

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2024(BUD)

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Eva KAILI, Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Welcomes the increased support for regional actions in the Western Balkans; is, however, of the opinion that support for political reforms should be further stepped up; notes the increased support for political reforms in Turkey (IPA II), which is to be primarily redirected to civil society actors with a view to implementing measures supportive of the objectives relating to the rule of law, democracy, human rights and media freedoms; supports the overall downward trend in the allocations for Turkey is, however, worried of the deterioration of the situation as regards democracy, rule of law and human rights; calls on the Commission to suspend the pre-accession funds until Turkey implements the Ankara agreement protocol, makes measurable improvements in the fields of rule of law, democracy, human rights and Press Freedom;

2018/06/20
Committee: BUDG

2018/0228(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b

(b) In the energy sector, to contribute to the development of projects of common interest relating to further integration of ~~the~~an efficient internal energy market, the reduction or elimination of Member States’ energy isolation, interoperability of networks across borders and sectors, facilitating decarbonisation and energy efficiency and ensuring security of supply, and to facilitate cross- border cooperation in the area of energy, including renewable energy;

2018/09/21
Committee: ITRE TRAN

2017/0123(COD)

Council position
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b

(b) organise its vehicle fleet's activity in such a way as to ensure that vehicles that are at the disposal of the undertaking and are used in international carriage return to one of the operational centres in that Member State at least within eight weeks after leaving it;deleted

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0017(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)

(2a) Environmental protection is one of the most important challenges facing the Union.

2017/06/07
Committee: ITRE

2017/0017(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3

(3) A binding interim target of at least a 40% domestic reduction in economy- wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 was set by the European Council of 23-24 October 2014. The Council meeting on 6 March 2015 formally approved this contribution of the Union and its Member States as their Intended Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. The European Council conclusions of October 2014 foresaw that the target should be delivered collectively by the Union in the most cost- effective manner possible, with the reductions in the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and non-ETS sectors amounting to 43% and 30% by 2030 compared to 2005 respectively. All sectors of the economy should contribute to achieving these emission reductions.

2017/06/07
Committee: ITRE

2016/2326(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the last few years cohesion policy, as a structural policy, has become the main EU investment policy and a tool for attaining the general political objectives of the Union in addition to the specific goals enshrined in the Treaties; is of the opinion that cohesion policy post 2020 should continue to serve this purpose and remain a policy expressing European solidarity for all Member States and regions; considers, therefore, that its share in the total EU budget should be maintained in the future;

2017/04/05
Committee: BUDG

2016/2326(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Esther DE LANGE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Anne SANDER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Franck PROUST, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes the shortcomings of the financial planning and implementation system that led to the accumulation of unpaid bills and the build-up of an unprecedented backlog that rolled over from the last MFF to the current one; is increasingly concerned about the slow start-up of the implementation of the 2014- 2020 operational programmes, which may lead to the same situation in the future; , thus hindering growth, calls on the Commission to come up with a structural solution to solve such problems before the end of the current MFF and to prevent them from happening again in the next MFF;

2017/04/05
Committee: BUDG

2016/2325(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the Commission communication entitled ‘Space Strategy for Europe’ and endorses the Commission’s full commitment to maximising the economic and societal benefits of space, fostering tha globally competitive and innovative European space sector, reinforcing Europe’s autonomy in space and strengthening Europe’s role as a global actor as well as international cooperation in space, notably in space exploration;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Anne SANDER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Franck PROUST, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights that the outcome of the evaluation should also feed into future discussions on the relationship between the EU and the ESA~~, with a view to signing an updated ESA-EU framework agreement, building on the joint EU-ESA statement signed on 26 October 2016~~;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Anne SANDER, Christian EHLER, Franck PROUST, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Asks the Commission to review the adequacy of resources allocated to the GSA, taking into consideration its current and future ~~tasks and the risks of conflicts of interest resulting from the outsourcing of~~ tasks;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Krišjānis KARIŅŠ, Esther DE LANGE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Christian EHLER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Michał BONI, Franck PROUST, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Anne SANDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Highlights that space programmes and their services will be key assets in policy areas such as energy, climate, environment, security and defence, health, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, transport, tourism, digital market, regional policy and local planning; believes that there is a huge potential in tackling challenges such as migration, border management and sustainable development;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Franck PROUST, Anne SANDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that the success of the space sector isand the development of breakthrough technologies are highly dependent on research and innovation and that the next Framework Programme should put an emphasis on space-related research, whilst ensuring efficiency through full cooperation between the EU~~, the ESA~~ and the Member States, either individually or through the ESA, in areas such as launcher research and smart digital satellites;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Krišjānis KARIŅŠ, Esther DE LANGE, Christian EHLER, Anne SANDER, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Michał BONI, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Commission to maintain a space-dedicated line under the next Framework Program; calls moreover for a streamlining of the European funding for space-related research and technology which is currently spread throughout several EU funding schemes in order to reduce administrative expenditure and to improve the accessibility for enterprises, in particular for SMEs;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Esther DE LANGE, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Anne SANDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission to 9. establish as soon as possible the EU and Member States Copernicus-based capacityies to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 emissions, which isare currently being developed under Horizon 202011 , with a view to ~~the monitoring~~address the needs enshrined in the COP21 agreement and to allow its efficient implementation; supports the development of MicroCarb and Merlin, future satellites dedicated respectively to the monitoring of CO2 and methane; __________________ 11 https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/d ata/ref/h2020/wp/2016_2017/main/h2020- wp1617-leit-space_en.pdf p.48.

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Krišjānis KARIŅŠ, Esther DE LANGE, Christian EHLER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Anne SANDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Franck PROUST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Commission to make use of its future initiatives in space to improve the EU's capacity to respond to the evolving challenges related to maritime surveillance, since satellites can offer a global, permanent and cost- effective coverage;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Anne SANDER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Michał BONI, Esther DE LANGE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Franck PROUST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Highlights the ability of satellites to provide uninterrupted very high capacity connectivity, in particular in ~~remote areas and outermost regions, which will be essential for~~the outermost regions and remote areas , which will be essential for the mitigation of digital divide and the development of 5G networks, enabling services such as autonomous driving, e-governance, e-learning and e- health applications; stresses also the need to reserve adequate frequency bands for the operation of these satellite services; calls for this to be addressed in legislative work on telecommunication networks and adequate investments in R&D;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Krišjānis KARIŅŠ, Christian EHLER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Anne SANDER, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Barbara KUDRYCKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Stresses the importance of the regional dimension; supports increased involvement of regional and local authorities in successful EU space policy;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Anne SANDER, Christian EHLER, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. ~~Welcomes the announcement of the Commission to aggregate its demand for launchers and launching services; c~~Calls on the Commission to ensure fair treatment of EU enterprises vis-à-vis enterprises from third countries in public procurement, specifically by taking into consideration the prices that companies charge to other customers worldwide;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Christian EHLER, Franck PROUST, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Anne SANDER, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Recognizes that adequate resources, both public and private, are essential in order to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the European space sector, and to develop the role of the EU as a global player in space; Invites, in this context, the Commission to promote public-private partnership schemes such as through a Joint Technology Initiative for space technologies, prioritising preoperational space activities with a potential for industrialisation and commercialisation;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Esther DE LANGE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Christian EHLER, Anne SANDER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Franck PROUST, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Recalls that EU space programmes are of a civil nature and reiterates its commitment to the non-militarisation of space; recognises nonetheless the need to improve synergies between civil and security and defence aspects and to make use of space capacities to meet security and safety needs, also taking account of the geopolitical environment and the Common Security and Defence Policy; believes that the Commission should analyse synergies between European space programmes and the European Defence Action Plan proposed in November 2016 to ensure the overall coherence in this strategic field;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Christian EHLER, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Anne SANDER, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Calls on the Commission to aggregate the demand of institutional customers from the European Union and the Member States to ensure an independent, cost effective and reliable access to space through the use of the European launchers Ariane, Vega and their future evolutions, in order to guarantee an independent access to space;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Anne SANDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18b. Supports the objective of the Commission to assess different ways to support European launch infrastructure facilities, where this is needed to meet EU policy objectives and needs, in terms of autonomy, security and competitiveness; stresses consequently the strategic importance of the European Spaceport based in Kourou;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Anne SANDER, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Christian EHLER, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Franck PROUST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)

18c. Reminds that the notion of independent access to space cannot be dissociated from the independent capacity of Europe to conceive, develop, launch, operate and exploit space systems;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Christian EHLER, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Anne SANDER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Franck PROUST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Supports the plans to extend the scope of SST to cover the issues of space weather and ~~cyber threats and~~ proposes an additional focus on near-earth objects owing to their potential catastrophic impact in case of collision;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET, Anne SANDER, Franck PROUST, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. C~~alls on the Commission to design the planned Govsatcom initiative in a cost- effective way, which may~~onsiders the planned Govsatcom initiative as a very promising one to ensure access to secure, efficient and cost- effective services for European institutional actors while, at the same time, stimulating growth, competitiveness and innovation throughout the whole European satellite telecommunications sector; calls on the Commission to design the planned Govsatcom initiative in a cost- effective way, by pooling and sharing of capabilities that will help achieve quick results, while limiting development risks, also includeing purchasing services from certified commercial communication satellites, ~~and~~ to ensure ~~that~~ the initiative creates significant added value and avoids duplicating existing structures;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2325(INI)

Françoise GROSSETÊTE, Christian EHLER, Barbara KUDRYCKA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Anne SANDER, Franck PROUST, Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI, Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Strongly welcomes the Commission’s intention to use economic diplomacy to open up new business opportunities for European space industry; stresses that European players in third- country markets should be supported by the Commission~~, the ESA~~ and, where relevant, Member State authorities either individually or through the ESA, and bodies such as EASA; recommends that plans for such coordinated support be drawn up in advance;

2017/04/28
Committee: ITRE

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Eva KAILI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Takis HADJIGEORGIOU, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

— having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular those of 24 November 2016 on EU-Turkey relations1 , and 27 October 2016 on the situation of journalists in Turkey2 , and of 13 November 2014 on Turkey's actions creating tensions in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0450. 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0423.

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Peter LIESE, Maria SPYRAKI, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Tunne KELAM, Lars ADAKTUSSON

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7

~~— having regard to the Conference with Turkey of 30 June 2016, during which chapter 33 on financial and budgetary provisions was officially open~~deleted,

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Peter LIESE, Maria SPYRAKI, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Tunne KELAM, Lars ADAKTUSSON

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide1a _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0094

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Eva KAILI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8

— having regard to the declaration issued by the European Community and its Member States on 21 September 2005, including the provision that the recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the negotiations, and the need for Turkey to ~~ful~~proceed to the normalisation of its relations with all Member States and to fully and effectively implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement to all Member States by removing all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on means of transport, without prejudice and discrimination,

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Expresses its serious concern at the continuously deteriorating situation in south-east Turkey, especially in the areas where curfews were imposed, where some 2 000 people were reportedly killed in the context of security operations and an estimated half a million people became displaced in the period from July 2015 to December 2016; notes that local prosecutors have consistently refused to open investigations into the reported killings; recalls that the Turkish Government has a responsibility to protect all people living on its territory, irrespective of their ethnic and cultural origin, religion or beliefs; is convinced that only a fair political settlement of the Kurdish question can bring sustainable stability and prosperity both to the area and to Turkey as a whole; notes that a series of laws have created an atmosphere of ‘systematic impunity’ for the security forces; regrets the decision of the Turkish Parliament to waive the immunity of a large number of MPs unconstitutionally, paving the way for the arrests of opposition politicians;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Maria SPYRAKI, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Tunne KELAM, Lars ADAKTUSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on Turkey to protect the rights of the most vulnerable groups and of persons belonging to minorities; ~~regrets that the LGBTI marches in Ankara and Istanbul wer~~is seriously concerned about violence bannsed ~~for the second consecutive year; is seriously concerned about gender-based violence, discrimination~~on religious grounds, continuous discrimination, also against Christians, hate speech against minorities, hate crime and violations of the human rights of LGBTI persons; calls on Turkey to harmonise its domestic legislation with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which it ratified in 2014; welcomes the government’s national strategy and action plan for Roma and ~~encourages the authorities to address key obstacles to the social inclusion of Roma~~calls on the Turkish government to start implementing the strategy and to set up a monitoring and evaluation mechanism; encourages the authorities to address key obstacles to the social inclusion of Roma; expects the Turkish government to treat every Turkish citizen without any prejudice towards his or her religious belief; deplores the plans to turn the Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Georgios KYRTSOS, Maria SPYRAKI, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Renate SOMMER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on Turkey to protect the rights of the most vulnerable groups and of persons belonging to minorities; regrets that the LGBTI marches in Ankara and Istanbul were banned for the second consecutive year; is seriously concerned about gender-based violence, discrimination, hate speech against minorities, hate crime, lack of respect for the freedom of religion or belief and violations of the human rights of LGBTI persons; calls on Turkey to harmonise its domestic legislation with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which it ratified in 2014; welcomes the government’s national strategy and action plan for Roma and encourages the authorities to address key obstacles to the social inclusion of Roma;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Eva KAILI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Nikos ANDROULAKIS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. WBel~~com~~ieves th~~e deepening of~~at EU- Turkey ~~rel~~cooperations in key areas of joint interest, such as counter-terrorism, migration, energy, the economy and trade~~; believes EU-Turkey cooperation in these areas to~~ can only be an investment in the stability and prosperity of both Turkey and the EU, if it is based on the full respect of fundamental rights and the implementation of the agreements towards all Member States;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Georgios KYRTSOS, Maria SPYRAKI, Theodoros ZAGORAKIS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Renate SOMMER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

2016/2308(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Calls on Turkey to immediately withdraw its troops from Cyprus and to transfer Varosha to its lawful inhabitants in accordance with UNSC Resolution 550(1984);

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been signed and ratified by the EU, the 28 Member States and all other candidate countries and forms part of the acquis in line with December 2015 Council Conclusions and other relevant Council Conclusions; also condemns all the provoking actions of Turkey within the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus which are a source of instability and calls on Turkey to terminate them; it recalls that Ankara must respect the sovereign rights of all EU Member States and to refrain from any action damaging good neighbourly relations while at the same time respecting the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Calls on Turkey to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-à-vis all Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus, the fulfilment of which could provide a significant boost to the negotiation process; regrets that Turkey has still not made progress towards the normalization of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus; reiterates that recognition of all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process and calls for progress without any further delay;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Peter LIESE, Maria SPYRAKI, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Tunne KELAM, Lars ADAKTUSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Deplores Turkey´s refusal to fulfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Association Agreement vis-a-vis all member states, including the Republic of Cyprus;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Deplores Turkey's policy of illegal settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to revoke relevant threats and terminate all actions aiming to alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Eva KAILI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Deplores Turkey's policy of illegal settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to terminate all actions that alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Peter LIESE, Maria SPYRAKI, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Tunne KELAM, Lars ADAKTUSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Deplores Turkey's policy of settlement and calls on Turkey to refrain from further settlement of Turkish citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus, which is contrary to the Geneva Convention and the principles of international law; urges Turkey to terminate all actions that alter the demographic balance on the island thus impeding a future solution;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Eva KAILI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19 d. Reiterates that Turkey needs to commit itself unequivocally to good neighbourly relations, international agreements and to peaceful settlement of bilateral disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, having recourse, if necessary, to the International Court of Justice; expresses serious concern over Turkey's renewed threats and provocations as well its decision to issue a NAVTEX purporting to reserve an area within the territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to refrain from any further threat or action which might lead to friction and crisis and might have negative effects on the negotiations for ending the unacceptable status quo; calls on Turkey to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been signed and ratified by the EU and its 28 Member States, without further delay; reiterates its call on Turkey to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Member States over their territorial sea and airspace and their lawful right to enter into bilateral agreements and to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with the EU acquis and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Renate SOMMER, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Peter LIESE, Maria SPYRAKI, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lars ADAKTUSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19 d. Underlines the Republic of Cyprus' lawful right to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; reiterates its calls on Turkey to respect the sovereign rights of all Member States, including those relating to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources when in line with the EU acquis and international law; calls on Turkey to refrain from any action damaging good neighbourly relations and a climate conducive to the peaceful settlement of bilateral disputes;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)

19 e. Reiterates relevant ECtHR decisions and calls on the Turkish Government to immediately stop the violation of the human rights of the Cypriot citizens and stop depriving them of the enjoyment and exercise of their property, religious and other human rights stemming from the constitutional order of the Republic of Cyprus and the acquis communautaire, as well as the fundamental principles and values of the EU;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2308(INI)

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Costas MAVRIDES, Eva KAILI, Emmanouil KEFALOGIANNIS, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Georgios KYRTSOS, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ana GOMES, Nikos ANDROULAKIS, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)

19 f. Is concerned about reports indicating the collaboration of Turkey with ISIL, including the purchase of oil products and urges Turkey to refrain from such practices;

2017/05/12
Committee: AFET

2016/2305(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Stresses that Internet access is a human right that must be guaranteed for all European citizens.

2017/03/02
Committee: ITRE

2016/2305(INI)