Activities of Alexander Graf LAMBSDORFF related to 2011/2032(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU external policies in favour of democratisation (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on EU external policies in favour of democratisation PDF (250 KB) DOC (170 KB)
Amendments (54)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 13 December 2010 on "Democracy Support in the EU's External Relations – 2010 Progress Report and list of pilot countries",
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24
Citation 24
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25
Citation 25
– having regard to the establishment of thecreation of a post of Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and an operational European External Action Service (EEAS), as onf 1 January 2011,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas those elements are reflected in the 2009 and 2010 Council conclusions on ‘Democracy Support in the EU's External Relations’,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it is now clear that civil, culturpolitical, economic, politicsocial and socicultural rights are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and whereas democratic governance isconstitutional democracies and democratic governance, based on the rule of law, are the best means ofor guaranteeing and protecting thoese rights and working to combat povertyenabling economic development,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Union has at its disposal a wide range of instruments for supporting democracy and human rights (including: political, economic and trade agreements and partnerships, which contain clauses on respect for human rights and democracy; the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+); political dialogues; CFSP actions; ESDP missions; specialized financing instruments; twinning projects and election observation missions), but whereas it is essential to develop a coherent and more effective set of instruments tailored to the situation in each country,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, despite frequent breaches of the human rights and democracy clauses and the failure of some third countries to honour the commitments made in the relevant agreements, the countries in question are rarely penalised, only very rarelyr held sufficiently accountable,
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Union has a genuine policy of incentives in this area to demand compliance with human rights and democracy clauses with a view to providing leverage for reform, but whereas the full potential of those incentives has not been exploited for political reasonsused; whereas in theory there is no structurlegal impediment to using external financing instruments to support democratisation,
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas political parties and freely and fairly elected parliaments are centrally important to each democracy and democratisation process, the support for, and application of, the EIDHR has not yet corresponded to the importance of these actors in the past,
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. whereas there is widespread consensus among the EU institutions about the multidimensional, complex and long term nature of democracy, but whereas the Commission and the Member States have not taken the full electoral cycle into account when programming and implementing measures in support of democracy,
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that only flourishing democracy in third countries can lay theconstitutional democracies, based on the rule of law, can function as a foundations for structural, balanced, legitimate partnerships withbetween third countries and the Union that are also in keeping with the needs and interests of both parties;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the events unfolding oin the southern shore of the MediterraneanNorth Africa and the Middle East have demonstrated the limitations of a focus on security and stability, which has failed to stamp out poverty and social injustice; believes that, although there has been economic growth, its benefits have not been distributed fairly; highlights the need for a paradigm shift aimed at the genuine consolidation of democracy on the basis of endogenous, sustainable and comprehensive development that benefits the population;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises that it is essential to combine the two approaches to promoting democracy, namely the developmental approach, which focuses on socio- economic progress, and the political approach, which supports political pluralism and parliamentary democracy; calls for such support to the political dimension in third countries to consist of pluralist, institutional support rather than interference;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recommends that international agreements, country strategy papers, action plans, the GSP+ programme and all other sources of reciprocal undertakings by the Union and third countries be tightened up by means of more clearly worded clauses on human rights and democracy, specific mechanisms in the event of non- compliance (based, at the very least, on those set out in the Cotonou Agreement), commitments coupled with detailed criteria for assessing the progress made, and a specific timetable for implementation; reaffirms that Parliament must supervise these aspects more closely; calls, therefore, for the Union to involve Parliament at every stage in the conclusion, application and suspension of international agreements with third countries;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recommends, in the case of the most problematic partnerships, that the Union refrain from isolating the countries concerned, instead conducting relations with them on the basis of appropriate and effective conditionality serving as a genuine incentive to democratic reform, and that it verify that such cooperation genuinely benefits the population; endorses the ‘more for more’ approach outlined in the communication entitled ‘A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the southern Mediterranean’; believes that, by the same token, the Union should not hesitate to reassign funds previously earmarked for countries whose governments fail to honour their commitments in the area of democratic governance;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that the EU consists of 27 Member States, each with their own form of democracy, shaped by history, culture and circumstances; stresses that the EU itself represents a form of supranational democracy that is unique in the world; emphasises that all are equally valid and their individual characteristics enrich democracy in Europe, and underlines that the same is true for democracies in other parts of the world; emphasises that there is hence no single model of and not one blueprint for democracy, but this does not mean that shared principles for what constitutes democracy do not exist;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point a (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point a (new)
7 ba. Recalls that human rights and democracy are inextricably connected; only in a democracy can individuals fully enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms; only when human rights are respected, can democracy exist;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point b (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point b (new)
7 bb. Recalls that the rule of law must prevail, ensuring equality before the law and recognizing private property rights, the absence of arbitrary interference by public authorities, both legally and in practice; therefore requires public institutions to exercise their powers through transparent and accountable elected and public officials, and stresses that an independent and impartial judiciary is indispensable;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point c (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point c (new)
7 bc. Stresses that equality and non- discrimination are of vital importance and that everyone is entitled to enjoyment of all human rights without discrimination as to race, sex language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, birth or other status; and that democracy should ensure the rights of all, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, of indigenous people and other vulnerable groups; equally that the ability of men and women to participate on equal terms in political life and in decision- making is a prerequisite of genuine democracy;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point d (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point d (new)
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point e (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point e (new)
7 be. Stresses that all citizens have the right to periodically vote in free and fair elections and to run for public office;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point f (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point f (new)
7 bf. Insists that freedom of opinion and expression on political, social, and economic matters, defined broadly, without the risk of state punishment, is a universal right, as is the possibility of seeking out diverse sources of information;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point g (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point g (new)
7 bg. Believes that all citizens have the right to form independent associations and organisations, including independent political parties and interest groups;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point h (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point h (new)
7 bh. Stresses that political parties and the range of political views, interests, regional or communal affiliations that they represent are of vital importance; that political parties need to operate freely from interference by government and executive officials; that elected representatives, whether they support or oppose the government, need the authority and resources to debate and approve legislation and national budgets, to hold government to account for the conduct of public administration and the use of funds; that strong parliaments as the public forum for negotiating peacefully competitive concepts of political and social order and national legislative decision-making bodies are key to the experience of inclusive democracy;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point i (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point i (new)
7 bi. Stresses that civil society organisations and non-state actors are a vital building block of a well-functioning democracy and are key to establishing a democratic culture deeply rooted in society; that they steer public demands and hold public authorities accountable for their actions;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point j (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point j (new)
7 bj. Believes that independent and diverse media are essential for ensuring that a wide range of opinions and viewpoints are expressed and communicated to the public; and that free access to information, communication and uncensored access to the internet (internet freedom) are universal rights and indispensable for ensuring transparency and accountability in public life;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b – point k (new)
Paragraph 7 b – point k (new)
7 bk. Holds that education about democratic values is important for sustaining democracy, as is age- appropriate participation in the decision- making inside educational institutions;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading (new)
Subheading (new)
Democracy assistance tools
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the Union's decision to develop country strategies in the area of human rights; hopes that these will also cover democratisation, and calls for prompt implementation so that the Union can rapidly prepare a joint analysis of the situation and needs in each country, together with an action plan stating how the full use of EU instruments will complement these strategies;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes that the country strategy papers should shape all external policies pertaining to the country concerned, along with the use of EU instruments; calls for these to be made available to Parliament;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Welcomes the work done by the German political foundations, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, the Westminster Institute and other private foundations and institutes active in democratisation support targeted at political parties;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges the efforts made by the Union, in many cases via the EIDHR, to support certain players working to effect democratic reform, including human rights defenders and independent media; stresses,regrets however, the needlittle effort made to strengthen the organisation of political parties without taking sides; calls for systematic support for new, freely and fairly democratically elected parliaments, especially in countries in transition and those to which the EU has sent election observation missions;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Emphasises that free and fair elections are vital, but cannot ensure consolidation of democracies themselves; emphasises the need for long-term and comprehensive efforts to build up and consolidate representative and well- functioning parliaments;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls upon the EEAS and the Commission to present an action plan on how to improve the work being done with political parties and elected parliaments either through the EIDHR or other available instruments, such as ENPI and DCI; calls upon the Commission to identify and present a model of assistance, financial or otherwise, that is less bureaucratic and cumbersome, and that will allow for the support of all relevant actors in the democratisation process;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Is prepared to discuss the establishment of a European Endowment for Democracy (EED) should the action plan not be sufficiently promising; considers that the US National Endowment for Democracy, as a cross- party agency at arm's length from the Administration while largely funded by it and reporting to Congress and answerable to it, represents a model for democracy assistance and projection that could be considered as the basis for an EED;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Acknowledges the efforts made by the European Parliament's Office for the Promotion of the Parliamentary Democracy (OPPD) to assist and support parliaments in new and emerging democracies as well as regional parliaments; acknowledges the OPPD’s contribution to building the institutional and administrative capacity of the parliaments of new and emerging democracies and its cooperation with UNDP and the IPU in this regard; encourages the OPPD to work on a global consensus on basic standards of good parliamentary practice;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 f (new)
Paragraph 9 f (new)
9f. Proposes to enlarge the mandate of the Election Coordination Group (ECG) to also include democracy support policies and encourages the OPPD to closely cooperate with the ECG;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 g (new)
Paragraph 9 g (new)
9g. Underlines the important role of third countries’ parliaments for democratic budget oversight and is convinced that any direct budget support provided by the Union has to be complemented by technical and political reinforcement of the oversight capacity of national parliaments; maintains that the Union should actively inform third countries’ parliaments of the scope of EU cooperation; and encourages the OPPD to take an active role in supporting parliaments with regard to democratic budgetary supervision;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 h (new)
Paragraph 9 h (new)
9h. Calls upon the EEAS and the EU Delegations to acknowledge the importance of increasing the awareness of EU Delegation officials of democracy actions and notably support for parliaments;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9e. Underlines the importance of mainstreaming of democratisation policies in all the work of the European Parliament as well as the European Parliament delegations; also recognizes the importance of global interparliamentary cooperation on democratization policies through fora such as Parliamentarians for Global Action;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls forupon the Council and Commission to development of a genuine political strategy in relation to EU election observation missions, including submission of the political blueprint associated with each mission; demands that, two years after each mission, an assessment of the democratic progress made and those aspects needing further improvement be submitted during Parliament's annual human rights debate with the High Representative/Vice-President;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance, at the end of each election observation mission, of drawing up realistic and achievable recommendations, the implementation of which must be strongly supported by all the EU institutions and by the Member States; calls for EU institutions and the Member States to align themselves with the conclusions and for the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to place special emphasis on supporting the implementation of such recommendations by means of cooperation;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18