105 Amendments of Pierre SCHAPIRA
Amendment 3 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas half the population of Africa still lives in poverty and whereas Africa is the only continent that is not progressing towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly as regards poverty reduction, child mortality, maternal health and the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria,
Amendment 6 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas there has been minimal involvement of civil society and local authorities, particularly on the African side, in the implementation of the Joint Strategy,
Amendment 7 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas bringing the European Development Fund within the EU budget, as Parliament has repeatedly called for, would permit greater policy coherence and parliamentary oversight of development spending,
Amendment 13 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that, one year after the adoption of the Joint Strategy, the main components of the institutional architecture for its implementation are finally in place and have started to function, underpinned by an action plan with deliverables and timetables, and that some progress has been made towards implementation of the Joint Strategy and its thematic partnerships; however, regrets that, by the end of the first year of implementation, some partnerships are still in the process of defining working methods and have not yet established deliverables, timetables and budget allocations.
Amendment 15 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commissions and the Member States of the EU and the AU to complete as a matter of priority this institutional architecture by developing the parliamentary and, civil society and local authorities components that should drive and sustain the process by giving it transparency and democratic legitimacy;
Amendment 18 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the role of inter- parliamentary bodies between the European Parliament and African parliaments – such as the ACP-EU JPA and the Euromed Parliamentary Assembly – in enhancing peace and security, good governance and democracy, as well as being effective platforms for cooperation and for addressing issues of common concern;
Amendment 19 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Proposes that the Presidents of the Pan-African and European Parliaments systematically attend and address EU- Africa Summits to present our Parliaments’ conclusions on the implementation of the action plan and suggestions for the future orientations of the joint strategy;
Amendment 21 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the fact that the European Commission has established a EUR 55 million budget linesupport progamme in the 9th EDF for strengthening the capacities of the AU institutions; insists once again that part of this budget must be made available for strengthening the administrative and operational capacity of the Pan-African Parliament and the regional and national legislatures of the AU regions and member statescalls on the Commissions to draw up the action plans for the use of these budgets in close consultation with the Pan-African Parliament and in cooperation with the European Parliament;
Amendment 24 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Believes that if the Joint Strategy is to be a genuine "broad-based and wide- ranging people-centred partnership", it must effectively involve civil society and facilitate civil society'slocal authorities and facilitate their effective participation in the work of its implementing bodies;
Amendment 25 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Regrets that, whereas the Action Plan indicates that each of the Africa-EU Partnerships is open for a wide range of actions, overwhelming reference is placed on state actions; stresses that the inputs and involvement of parliaments and non- state actors, such as civil society organisations, local authorities and other non-state actors in the process need to be deepened and further clarified;
Amendment 29 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Calls on the Commission to ensure coherence between this strategy and the other European policies which may have an adverse impact on the promotion of a new strategic partnership between the EU and Africa, in particular commercial, environmental, migration and agricultural policies; stresses that the political dialogue between the EU and Africa should cover these issues;
Amendment 30 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that, to combat poverty effectively, which must remain at the heart of the joint strategy, the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership must help stimulate economic growthsustainable economic and social development, attract foreign investment, promote equitable international trade, and contribute to creating the conditions whereby African countries can gradually take their place in the global economy;
Amendment 32 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that the concept of governance goes beyond merely fighting corruption and should be a measure of how well a society functions, through law and order, respect and active promotion of human rights, fight against corruption, wealth creation and transparent and equitable wealth distribution and essential health and social services; stresses that external actors must not assess governance solely on externally- imposed criteria but instead on the basis of mutually agreed and shared values and standards;
Amendment 33 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses the importance of sustainable democracy including good governance and democratic elections which must include support for parliamentary capacity building, the organisation of civil society and the involvement of local authorities in the political dialogue;
Amendment 34 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Stresses that governance must be improved on both sides: it is not only a priority in Africa but also on the European side which must improve governance and accountability as regards aid commitments and better donor coordination with a view to taking greater account of the so-called 'aid orphans'; stresses that national and continental parliaments, non-state actors and local authorities have an important role to play in this field;
Amendment 35 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Calls for increased support to existing African initiatives, such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), which is the most serious effort yet by African leaders to improve governance on the continent, and the various instruments put in place by the AU, which will increase African ownership of the process;
Amendment 36 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Expresses serious concern that the "governance profiles" developed by the Commission for each ACP country, which will guide programming for development assistance in relation to the EUR 2,700,000,000 additional funds under the 10th EDF, have been prepared without any participatory element; notes that eligibility for additional funds of beneficiary countries has been judged according to a set of criteria with only one directly linked to the MDGs; expresses dismay that the Commission's "profiles" risk hollowing out the APRM process; calls on the Commission to consult and inform the European Parliament and the Council on the follow-up and the implementation of these funds in order to make sure they are allocated to governance initiatives, to support the AU governance agenda and the APRM process;
Amendment 42 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Insists that the European Commission and the Member States honour their commitment to provide by 2010 at least EUR 2 billion a year in genuine 'aid for trade', the largest share of which must be for Africa; calls for a timely determination and provision of the share of the Aid for Trade resources; stresses that these funds should be additional resources and not be merely repackaging of EDF funding;
Amendment 43 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the partnership to address the wider aid-for-trade agenda, including the development of infrastructures, the promotion of business development and better regulation including simpler and user friendly rules of origin;
Amendment 44 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the strategy to recognise and support the role of migrants in favour of the development of their home countries, by facilitating their investments in these countries and by reducing the cost of transfers;
Amendment 48 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the European Commission to take urgent action to carry out its commitments in the field of health as regards the conclusions and recommendations of the European Court of Auditors January 2009 report on "EC Development Assistance to Health Services in Sub-Saharan Africa"; stresses the importance of increasing the European Commission's aid to the health sector in Sub-Saharan Africa during the tenth EDF midterm review to support its commitment to the health MDGs;
Amendment 49 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Encourages the AU and EU member states to attach greater importance to African food security and food sovereignty and to support actions to increase the productivity and competitiveness of African agriculture, in particular food production for local markets, and promotion of "green belts"around cities;
Amendment 54 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls on the Commission to use the EU-Africa partnership to help African countries apply the flexibilities provided for in the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and public health, in order to facilitate access to affordable essential medicines in Africa;
Amendment 58 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Amendment 60 #
2008/2318(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Looks forward to a meaningful involvement of the European and Pan- African Parliaments as well as civil society organisations and local authorities in the run-up to the third Africa-EU summit in 2010 and their active participation in the summit itself;
Amendment 4 #
2008/2303(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses in particular the crucial role of ACP national parliaments, non-state actors and local authorities in monitoring and managing EPAs, and calls on the Commission to guarantee their involvement in the ongoing negotiation process, which requires a clear agenda for further negotiations, to be agreed by ACP countries and the EU and based on a participatory approach;
Amendment 2 #
2008/2236(INI)
Amendment 11 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the rapid demographic growth of the countries neighbouring the EU, resulting in their populations becoming increasingly urbanised, represents a new challenge for the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument,
Amendment 14 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 16 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. welcomes the launching by the Commission, under the ENPI, of the new CIUDAD programme to enable support for specific cooperation projects between European towns and towns in countries covered by the ENPI; points out that this type of initiative is very appropriate for furthering dialogue and the democratisation process; calls for larger sums to be released in view of this, to strengthen these initiatives when the mid- term review of the financial framework is conducted in 2008-2009;
Amendment 17 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Takes the view that the visibility of the Community assistance should be increased through targeted communication with stakeholders and the general public and recommends that contacts be developed to this end with civil society and local authorities, as they are closer to the citizens and therefore represent a competent and effective level at which to act;
Amendment 23 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Finds that, despite the increased flexibility and simplicity of the Community assistance instruments, as evidenced in particular by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the procedures and timeframes under the ENPI remain burdensome for civil society organisations and local authorities; calls on the Commission to conduct a comparative analysis of the procedures applied by other major donors and to present the results thereof to Parliament;
Amendment 41 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the need to increase the ENPI financial envelope in order to enable the ENP to attain its increasingly ambitious objectives and to support its new regional initiatives; asks that, when this occurs, the geographical distribution of EU financial aid between the Mediterranean countries and the countries of Eastern Europe be maintained, as provided for in the 2007- 2013 financial perspective;
Amendment 45 #
2008/2236(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Reiterates that the Mediterranean component of the European neighbourhood policy should complement the Barcelona Process, and that the ENP's objectives need to be more clearly defined in order to strengthen the Barcelona Process by favouring a multilateral regional approach;
Amendment 35 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Requests that civil society, local authorities and the social partners be fully involved in revitalising the Euro-Mediterranean partnership within the framework of the BP:UfM, not least through mechanisms to ensure they are consulted on the selection, implementation and monitoring of projects;
Amendment 51 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Considers that in order to ease tensions around the Mediterranean, intercultural and inter-societal understanding among its peoples must be improved, and that the Alliance of Civilisations must therefore be supported as a prime forum for dialogue contributing to stabilisation of the region;
Amendment 14 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the development impactbenefits of EPAs willshould result from their effects on: - the reduction of net customs revenues and its effect on the budgets of the ACP States, - the improvement of the supply of ACP countries' economies and provision of customers with imported EU products, - growing: - ACP regional integration, which has the capacity to improve the framework for economic development, but only if the EPAs complement rather than undermine indigenous regional integration processes, - possible increased exports tofrom the EU from ACP countries through improved RACP to the EU, if the rules of Oorigin, which would lead to economic growth, more employment, increased state revenue which could be used to fund social measures, - regional integration and other trade facilitation measures are improved, including inf the ACP regions, which has the capacity to improve the framework for economic development and would therefore contribute to economic growth, - the successful use of financing for Aid for Trade in connection with the EPAs, full €2 billion Aid for Trade commitment is delivered without delay to support trade capacity building, - the implementation of reform measures in the ACP countries, in particular as regardson public finance management, collection of customs duties and establishment of a new tax revenue systems,
Amendment 23 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1
Paragraph -1
-1. Urges the Council, the Commission and governments of the EU Member States to do their utmost to re-establish an atmosphere of confidence, mutual respect and trust in so far as it has been damaged in the course of negotiations; (text of paragraph 7 modified and moved back)
Amendment 28 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Insists that EPAs are an instrument to development which should reflect both national and regional interest and needs of the ACP countries in order to reduce poverty, achieve the MDGs and respect fundamental human rights such as the right to food or the right to access basic public services;
Amendment 31 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges the Commission and the ACP countries to make best use of the funding available for Aid for Trade in order to support the reform process in areas essential for economic development; to improve infrastructure where it is necessary to benefit more effective from the opportunities offered by the EPA, as the opportunities offered by the EPAs can only be fully taken advantage of if strong accompanying measures are introduced for the ACP countries; to compensate the net loss of customs revenue and encourage tax reform so that public investments in social sectors are not reduced; to invest in the production chain in order to diversify export production; and to produce more, highly processeder added-value export goods;
Amendment 37 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Also underlines that all agreements must respect the asymmetry in favour of the ACP countries regarding both the range of products targeted and the transition periods, and that the EPAs must provide firm guarantees of protection for those sectors which the ACP countries identify as sensitive;
Amendment 38 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Underlines that, since conformity with the rules of the WTO requires only an agreement on trade in goods, the Commission must not impose negotiations on services or the ‘Singapore subjects’ if the ACP countries do not want them; points out that, in any case, public services must remain outside the framework of liberalisation laid down by the EPAs;
Amendment 41 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the Commission to allow the ACP countries to renegotiate the disputed clauses before the agreements are signed, and to give ACP negotiators sufficient time to evaluate the agreement and to make suggestions before adopting the relevant agreement; stresses in particular the importance of taking into account the concerns of partner countries and their parliaments, local authorities and civil society in the framework of negotiating full EPAs, which should not be concluded under pressure and in haste, as they exceed the requirements of the WTO;
Amendment 1 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 (new)
Citation 4 (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 15 March 2007 on local authorities and development cooperation1, which recognises local authorities as full stakeholders in development cooperation,
Amendment 7 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Points out that the creation of the DCI has been accompanied by a substantial weakening of its policy objectives in comparison with the existing regulations; calls on the Commission to abide by its commitment to strengthen the content and policy objectives of the DCI in the mid- term review;
Amendment 8 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Regrets, in particular, that only a quarter of the activities proposed by the Commission in the Country Strategy Papers correspond to the MDGs, and that the goals concerning infant mortality, reproductive health and a global partnership for development are rarely dealt with;
Amendment 9 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Regrets that the current Country Strategy Papers do not include decentralisation among the components of sectoral aid; encourages the Commission and the beneficiary countries, therefore, together and in a concerted manner, to choose decentralisation in the Country Strategy Paper as the sector on which to concentrate financial aid;
Amendment 10 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Commission, where decentralisation is not a component of sectoral aid, to put in place mechanisms for allocating aid in other sectors on a territorial basis, since local authorities have an added value as regards the implementation of sectoral programmes, in particular in the fields of health, education and essential public services, but are at present often excluded from sectoral programmes;
Amendment 12 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls for a significant proportion of EU budgetary aid for geographic programmes for developing countries to be allocated directly to local authorities, in consultation with central governments, in order to improve governance of aid in developing countries, strengthen local democracy and improve access for population groups to Community funds, in accordance with the principles laid down in the European Consensus on Development and the European Charter on Cooperation in Support of Local Governance;
Amendment 13 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls on the Commission to increase appropriations under the budget line for the thematic programme 'Non-State actors and local authorities', given their key role in achieving the MDGs, and in particular the role of local authorities in the provision of local public services;
Amendment 14 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of the need to pursue, support and extend to local authorities its long- term financing for European NGO associations; calls, therefore, for the development financing which it has granted to the new European association of local and regional authorities to be continued in accordance with that model;
Amendment 15 #
2008/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Amendment 6 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU supplies more than half of all Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the world and, has the capacity to become the most effective donor and should therefore assume an international leadership role to promote the reforms which are necessary in order to improve aid effectiveness,
Amendment 8 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas environmental protection is among the EU's priorities and whereas the Commission must therefore take this objective into account in all the policies it pursues towards developing countries,
Amendment 11 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas between 2006 and 2007 the percentage of European GNP devoted to public development aid fell for the first time since 2000, from 0.41% to 0.38%, and whereas the EU must therefore redouble its efforts to attain the objective set in the Millennium Development Goals of devoting 0.7% of Europe's GNP to public development aid in 2015,
Amendment 14 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas there is a risk that the ambitious objectives of the European Consensus for Development, including other political ones like migration and trade, could diffuse a focus on development and undermine the consensus achieved in the international aid agenda on poverty reduction as a result of lack of consistency between the various EU policies, and whereas in this context Paragraph 35 of the European Consensus for Development states, 'it is important that non-development policies assist developing countries' efforts in achieving the MDGs',
Amendment 20 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas a large number of studies have shown that effective accountability for the use of aid involving citizen participation is one of the main indicators of aid effectiveness but still, aid is suffering from lack of transparency and openness; whereas this lack of transparency hampers access to information for governments, local authorities and civil society in the recipient countries and in this sense constitutes a major obstacle to better appropriation of aid,
Amendment 22 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital S a (new)
Recital S a (new)
Sa. whereas local authorities are essential players in development policies, as their expertise and knowledge of local needs enable them to pass on, on a daily basis, the expectations of the people and to bridge the gap between the latter and the State,
Amendment 24 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital S b (new)
Recital S b (new)
Sb. whereas the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) provides for no more than 15% of the thematic credit line for non-State actors and local authorities to be assigned to the latter and whereas this favourable trend, which is likely to render aid more effective, should be accompanied by greater recourse to decentralised cooperation on the part of Member States,
Amendment 31 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Member States and the Commission together to make every effort to ensure that the EU speaks with one voice, to align aid delivery and to make their actions more harmonized, transparent, predictable and collectively effective;
Amendment 35 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to help integrate new members into the increasingly coordinated, international approaches to development policy and delivery with the appropriate mechanisms and to explore the way forward for possible joint programming exercises; recalls in this context that the new Member States have committed themselves to public development aid targets of 0.17% of GNI by 2010 and 0.33% by 2015, while their future contributions must reinforce the role of the EU in development cooperation;
Amendment 40 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States jointly to identify performance indicators geared to the MDG indicators, in particular with regard to budgetary aid, so that national parliaments, local authorities and local civil society, as well as the European Parliament, can trace back the results of EU contributions;
Amendment 42 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the Commission to devise a matrix of all the financial instruments from which it has awarded funds for good governance, whether from the EDF, the DCI, the EU-Africa Strategy or the funding allocated to African governments for good governance, in order to check the consistency of policies and the sound management of these funds;
Amendment 47 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls that corruption, by diverting the funds intended for development, is a major obstacle to greater aid effectiveness; calls on the Commission to improve monitoring of the allocation of development aid and to encourage aid recipients to ratify and apply strictly the international and regional agreements applicable in this field;
Amendment 56 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Commission also to encourage regular contact and shared work between its delegations and civil society and local authorities, in order to take better account of the needs and priorities of the partner countries and thus promote better appropriation of aid, which is the prime objective of the Paris Declaration;
Amendment 58 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the need for developing guidelines and methodology for monitoring the Paris Declaration in order to improve collective understanding of the Paris agenda and ensure the consistent aggregation of information on indicators across the main countries receiving aid; stresses therefore the need to use precise indicators for interim assessments, the results of which will permit the readjustment and/or intensification of the actions necessary to attain the objectives set for 2010;
Amendment 62 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Commission and Member States, in accordance with the commitment given at the world summit on social development in Copenhagen in 1995, to comply with the call by civil- society organisations for at least 20% of development aid to be devoted to improving basic public services such as education, health, access to water and sanitation;
Amendment 66 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to respect real democratic ownership of the development process by phasing outeliminating economic policy conditionality; calls in particular for the 'aid to trade' strategy to be allowed to assist all developing countries and not only those which consent to greater opening of their markets, particularly under economic partnership agreements;
Amendment 68 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses the need for the international financial institutions and donor countries to publish the conditions for granting development aid, so that genuine democratic control can be exercised by parliaments, local authorities and civil society;
Amendment 75 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recognises the need to intensify the Commission's consultations with civil society partners in headquarters and in the field through better structured meetings on policy, strategic programming and aid effectiveness issues; reaffirms the need to fully involve civil society and local authorities in the formulation, implementation and assessment of development policies;
Amendment 78 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the need to involve Local Authorities of both Members States and EU partners in the process of achieving the goals of the Paris Declaration, particularly at all stages of the formulation, implementation and assessment of development policies;
Amendment 81 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission and the Members States to make progress in this area by supporting the establishment of accounting standards for disclosure requirements of external assistance and by working with civil society organisations, national parliaments, local authorities and international organisations to set out good practice in recording aid flows in national budgets;
Amendment 88 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses that technical assistance planned in the light of the needs expressed by recipient countries and civil- society organisations rather than the priorities of donor countries should make it possible to increase both the capacities of the EU's partners and local appropriation;
Amendment 89 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes that Aid reform is only one of the steps that the EU must take along with making its trade, security, migration, agriculture and other policies coherently work to benefit developing countries and promoting a fair international financial and trade system in favour of development; recalls in this connection Paragraph 35 of the European Consensus for Development, which states, 'it is important that non-development policies assist developing countries' efforts in achieving the MDGs';
Amendment 92 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Recalls the commitments given by countries which are signatories to the Paris Declaration to perform strategic environmental assessments at sectoral and national level; calls on the Commission, therefore, to respect this objective with a view to assessing the impact of its policies, particularly on climate change, desertification and biodiversity in developing countries;
Amendment 93 #
2008/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Stresses that efforts to render aid effective should be accompanied by better information of the citizens of donor countries regarding the aims, methods of implementation and recipients of development aid;
Amendment 1 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9a (new)
Citation 9a (new)
- having regard to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
Amendment 9 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Cd (new)
Recital Cd (new)
Cd. whereas the concrete consequences of climate change often have to be dealt with at local level by local authorities; whereas the proper linking of international, national and local levels of policy-making is therefore a key challenge in order to design effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies; and whereas large-scale structural changes must be achieved, without sacrificing a community-based pro-poor approach;
Amendment 17 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas agriculture, water, management of forest resources, health, infrastructure, education as well as population policies all must be addressed in order to achieve effective mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and mitigation into development,
Amendment 21 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Ia (new)
Recital Ia (new)
Ia. whereas the EDF has mainly been used to finance new initiatives; whereas the Commission should respect its commitment to find new financing sources in order to preserve the EDF; whereas the Parliament's Committee on Development has concluded on numerous occasions that the EDF should be integrated into the EU budget in order to ensure democratic control over the way it is used,
Amendment 25 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to increase immediate funding for the GCCA, which might initially be achieved, as a matter of urgency, through the ENRTP as well as the 10th EDF; stresses at the same time the urgent need for additional, non-ODA funds for adaptation and developing innovative finance mechanisms for this purpose;
Amendment 27 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4b (new)
Paragraph 4b (new)
4b. Stresses that, if climate change is to be taken seriously, new funding must be made available through different budget lines and new financing sources, such as humanitarian funds in response to climate-related catastrophes, Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) funds and the Instrument for Stability in the context of preventive security policy or in response to climate-related security threats or conflicts, other external action funds whenever appropriated, as well as green taxes, public-private partnerships and other innovative financing mechanisms intended for this purpose;
Amendment 28 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4c (new)
Paragraph 4c (new)
4c. Reminds the Commission that if funds are drawn from the ENRTP or the EDF to finance the GCCA they should, as development funds, only be used for actions compatible with development assistance as defined by the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC); insists that this should be a one- off source of funding, and that further replenishment must be found from alternative sources;
Amendment 29 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4d (new)
Paragraph 4d (new)
4d. Calls on the Commission to ensure that funding of the GCCA through ENRTP and EDF will not be at the expense of other important development cooperation goals, such as education, health, gender equality or access to water;
Amendment 35 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to invite the private sector to become a close partner to the GCCA; specifically encourages the Commission to invest in developing Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) models in key areas such as providing infrastructure in vulnerable areas, where financing gaps currently are substantial; given that climate change affects many policy areas (access to water, public health, energy supply, etc.) involving intervention from the State and local authorities; recalls that the priority of the EU should be to reinforce capacity for public action in these areas;
Amendment 36 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets that overall involvement of developing country governments, civil society and local communauthorities has been inadequate throughout the programming process of the GCCA; calls on the Commission to ensure that decision- making throughout the elaboration, implementation and, fund distribution and assessment processes takes place in partnership with concerned actors;
Amendment 47 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses that agriculture in poor developing countries is directly and strongly affected by climate change, which can have dramatic consequences on food security; therefore calls on the Commission to use the GCCA to develop agricultural policies and production methods, which better meet the needs of local population and constitute a long- term solution to the soaring food prices; encourages in particular the Commission to support innovative solutions such as creating "green belts" around cities to respond to the basic food needs of urban populations in developing countries;
Amendment 51 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Commission to strongly support developing countries, in terms of financial support, technical assistance and technology transfer, to facilitate the use, at the earliest stage possible, of technologies which emit little GHG and of environmentally friendly production methods;
Amendment 53 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Stresses that LDCs and SIDS need to be supported in order for them to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), through capacity building and technical support; calls for the CDM to be strengthened to ensure additionality and long-term benefits to the host country and the climate;
Amendment 58 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
Paragraph 20 d (new)
20d. Calls on the Commission to elaborate clearly identified sustainability criteria, taking into account the environmental, social and economic impact of biofuels production, as well as the priority of ensuring food security before promoting export crops;
Amendment 62 #
2008/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to urgently develop a comprehensive agenda to reduce deforestation in developing countries, including inclusion of forestry into the EU ETS and concrete proposals on funding mechanisms to present at the COP meeting in Poznan in December 2008; reiterates the importance of such mechanisms providing compensation not only for avoided GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions, but also for biodiversity and development benefits of forests;
Amendment 8 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) By helping the developing countries' economies to diversify and to become more involved in world trade, the generalised system of preferences (GSP) should help to reduce poverty in those countries. From this point of view it constitutes a key development instrument.
Amendment 9 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21a) The rules on origin should be revised to take into account cross-regional and global cumulation and the possibility for a country to be eligible for GSP, GSP+ and Everything But Arms (EBA) preferential treatment even if it is not the final country for export, provided that significant value is added to the goods in that country. When such revision is carried out, the requirement for double processing in the case of certain products should be abolished.
Amendment 10 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 b (new)
Recital 21 b (new)
(21b) The Commission should as a priority strive within the World Trade Organisation for an agreement harmonising the rules on origin, pursuant to which developing countries and the least-developed countries receive preferential treatment.
Amendment 11 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall keep under review the status of ratification and effective implementation of the conventions listed in Annex III. Before the end of the period of application of this Regulation and in time for discussion on the next Regulation, the Commission shall present, to the Council, a report on the status of ratification and implementation of such conventions for each country, including recommendations by monitoring bodies. Where necessary the Commission shall attach to its report recommendations concerning the adoption by a given country of additional measures designed to ensure that a convention is actually implemented.
Amendment 12 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall examine the request accompanied by the information referred to in Article 9(2). When examining the request the Commission shall take account of the findings of the relevant international organisations and agencies. It may ask the requesting country any questions which it considers relevant, and mayshould verify the information received with the requesting country or with any other relevant sources, including the European Parliament and representatives of civil society such as the social partners.
Amendment 13 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. Where a requesting country is not granted the special incentive arrangement, the Commission shall give the reasons, if that country so requests and shall inform the requesting country and the European Parliament.
Amendment 15 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17, paragraph 1
Article 17, paragraph 1
1. Where the Commission, the European Parliament or a Member State receives information that may justify temporary withdrawal and where the Commission or a Member State considers that there are sufficient grounds for an investigation, it shall inform the Committee and the European Parliament and request consultations. The consultations shall take place within one month.
Amendment 16 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 - paragraph 3
Article 18 - paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall seek all information it considers necessary, including the available assessments, comments, decisions, recommendations and conclusions of the other European institutions and of the relevant supervisory bodies of the UN, the ILO and other competent international organisations. These shall serve as the point of departure for the investigation into whether temporary withdrawal is justified for the reason referred to in Article 15(1)(a). The Commission may verify the information received with economic operators, representatives of civil society (including the social partners) and the beneficiary country concerned
Amendment 17 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 - paragraph 1
Article 19 - paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall submit a report on its findings to the Committee. and to the European Parliament.
Amendment 18 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 - paragraph 4
Article 19 - paragraph 4
4. Where the Commission considers temporary withdrawal to be necessary, it shall submit - after having informed the European Parliament - an appropriate proposal to the Council which shall decide within two month’s time by a qualified majority. In the case referred to in paragraph 3, the Commission shall submit its proposal at the end of the period referred to in that paragraph.
Amendment 19 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 - paragraph 7
Article 20 - paragraph 7
7. Where exceptional circumstances requiring immediate action make an investigation impossible, the Commission may, after informing the Committee and the European Parliament, take any preventive measure which is strictly necessary.
Amendment 20 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 - paragraph 1
Article 22 - paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall inform the beneficiary country concerned as soon as possible of any decision taken in accordance with Article 20 or 21 before it becomes effective. The Commission shall also notify the Council, the European Parliament and the Member States thereof.
Amendment 21 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26a (new)
Article 26a (new)
1. The Commission shall keep Parliament periodically informed with regard to: (a) trade statistics between the European Union and GSP beneficiary countries; (b) the status of ratification and implementation of the conventions included in Annex III by each country benefiting from the special incentive arrangement. Where appropriate, the Commission will include recommendations on whether additional steps for the effective implementation of a convention should be taken by a specific country; (c) relevant information on progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, especially in Least-Developed Countries. 2. The Commission shall prepare an impact-assessment study of the effects of the GSP covering the period from 1 January 2009 to 1 January 2011. The study shall be transmitted to the Committee, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee by 1 March 2011. 3. The Commission, after consulting the Committee, will specify the content of the impact-assessment study referred to in paragraph 2, which shall include the views of the beneficiary countries and in any event shall contain at least the following elements: - an in-depth statistical analysis of GSP utilisation rates per country and section, including a comparison with previous years; - an evaluation of the social and trade- related effects of graduation on graduated countries; - a preliminary assessment of the effects of future graduation on the countries likely to be graduated under the next regulation; - a comparative study of the preferential treatment offered by the GSP and the Cotonou Agreement to ACP countries, with a view to ensuring that the ACP countries which have not signed an Economic Partnership Agreement and which are once again covered by the GSP scheme are granted preferential treatment at least equivalent to the treatment they were granted under the Cotonou Agreement; - an analysis of the potential effects of extending the system of preferences by increasing the preferential margin accorded for sensitive products and/or transferring 'sensitive' products to the 'non-sensitive' category; - an evaluation of the contribution of this Regulation to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in relation to LDCs. 4. The Commission shall submit a special report to the European Parliament at the conclusion of the Doha Round, examining the impact of the negotiations on the scheme established in this Regulation and considering the measures to be adopted in order to ensure that the generalised system of preferences is effective.
Amendment 22 #
2007/0289(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27, paragraph 3
Article 27, paragraph 3
3. The Committee shall examine the effects of the scheme, on the basis of a report from the Commission covering the period since 1 January 2009. This report shall cover all of the preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2), and shall be presented in time for the discussion on the next Regulationthe impact-assessment study referred to in Article 26a.