Activities of Rebecca HARMS related to 2017/2282(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (A8-0320/2018 - Andrejs Mamikins) (vote) DE
Implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement - Implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement (debate) DE
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Georgia PDF (343 KB) DOC (74 KB)
Amendments (15)
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes note of Georgia’s compliance with visa liberalisation benchmarks and encourages regular monitoring thereof in order ensure continued compliance; calls on EU Member States to recognise Georgia as a safe country of origin; points out the need to further address the rise in the number of asylum seekers travelling to the Schengen zone and the disproportionate representation of Georgian citizens in organised criminal groups across the EU; stresses, in this regard, the importance of stepping up the cooperation between the judicial authorities and the enforcement agencies of Georgia and the EU Member States; calls on the Georgian government to adopt amendments to the Anti- Discrimination Law in line with the proposals of the Public Defender in order to improve its implementation;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Urges the Georgian authorities to make further efforts to overcome the existing obstacles and try to extend the benefits of the Association Agreement and DCFTA to the populations of Abkhazia and South Ossetia/Tskhinvali region by improving the communication about the new opportunities stemming from the agreement and developing ad hoc projects of trade and economic cooperation at local level;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with satisfaction Georgia’s results in fighting corruption; commends Georgia’s continued implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and its Action Plan; calls on Georgia to ensure that the Anti-Corruption Agency is separated from the State Security Service and free of any political interference;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges the Georgian authorities to put in place an fully-fledged independent and effective mechanism for investigating cases of abuse by law enforcement officials separated from the authority of the general prosecutor's office;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Is highly concerned by the pressure Turkey is exerting on Turkish residents in Georgia, as well as education institutions, like the International Black Sea University due to their alleged affiliation to the Gülen movement; urges Georgian authorities to follow closely the case ensuring that judicial procedures and any action taken are fully in line with European principles and standards; urges the EU to support and help the Eastern Partnership countries to withstand the pressure exerted over the last months, in particular, by Turkey;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the progress of the judicial reform; calls for more transparency of the judicial system and for further improvements to its independenceto put in place all the necessary measures aimed at strengthening and guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. CExpresses its deep concern at the social and human costs caused by overly punitive drug laws with regard, in particular, to disproportionate harsh prison sentences and fines, abusive, mandatory drug tests, coerced plea bargains and arbitrary limitations on rights, and calls on the Georgian Parliament to consider an amendments package aimed at reforming drug policy legislation in line with its 30 November 2017 Constitutional Court decision;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Stresses, in this respect, that the Mukhtarli case showed many shortfalls as regards the functioning of security services and enforcement agencies and expects the Georgian authorities to tackle these questions effectively;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Parliament of Georgia to harmonize the Georgian legislation in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the EU Law on disability;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Georgian authorities to take further steps to protect women against all forms of violence and sexual harassment and to increase their participation in politics and the labour market; calls on the Parliament of Georgia to adopt legislative changes to the Labour Code and the Administrative Offenses Code in line with EU Council Directive 2004/113/EC, which is part of the Association Agreement, that prohibit sexual harassment in the labour market and in public spaces;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Calls on the government of Georgia to improve protection of children’s rights and ensure that all children with disabilities have access to, and obtain, proper education, and that their right to education is protected by law;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls the importance of free and independent mass media and a pluralistic and transparent, as regards ownership, media environment as key democratic principles; notes with satisfaction the improvements in Georgia as reflected in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index established by Reporters Without Borders;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the emphasis put on job creation as well as labour rights notably throughand expects the adoption of the law on occupational safety; stresses the need to put in place a fully-fledged labour inspection system to improve safety at work and reduce undeclared work; takes note of the Georgian authorities’ ambition to do so by September 2019 to tackle effectively the dramatic human toll of incidents at work; urges the Parliament of Georgia to broaden the scope of the law to all workplaces without any exemptions; calls on the Georgian authorities to put in place in the shortest term a credible and independent fully-fledged labour inspection system to improve safety at work and reduce undeclared work; takes note of the Georgian authorities’ ambition to do so by September 2019; notes the importance of providing it with unconditional access to all workplaces, adequate means to conduct inspections on its own and apply sanctions and enforce the law; is concerned by child labour and insufficient freedom of association for trade unions; recallstresses that occupational safety according to the requirements of the Association Agreement is of critical importance;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes positively the progress in the area of public procurement with planned alignment of legislation by 2022; stresses the importance of an impartial and independent review body; urges the government of Georgia to improve the transparency of the public procurement system, in particular by reducing exemptions from open bidding in the procurement law in order to reduce the overall volume of direct (non-competitive) contracting;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Takes note of the plan of the Georgian government to further develop hydropower; calls, in this regard, on the Georgian authorities to adopt and comply with EU standards in all the projects and in particular to apply an open and transparent procedure of Environmental Impact Assessment involving all the relevant stakeholders in the main stages of the decision-making process;