32 Amendments of Ana GOMES related to 2017/2056(INI)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the report on EU- Azerbaijan relations in the framework of the revised ENP of 19 December 2017,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
– having regard to the main results of the 15th European Union - Azerbaijan Cooperation Council meeting of 9 February 2018,
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to ensure that the deepening of relations between the EU and Azerbaijan is undertaken on the basis of mutually agreed ambitions and theconditional on upholding of the core values and principles of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for and good governance, as well as on providing solid legal guarantees in the areas of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, in the interest of both parties and especially their citizens;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) to remind the Azerbaijani authorities about the European Parliament’s position as expressed in its resolution of 15 November 2017 on the Eastern Partnership, which unambiguous and clearly states that no comprehensive agreement will be ratified with a country that does not respect EU values, in particular with regard to the non-implementation of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights and the harassment, intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, NGOs and journalists; to ensurge that significant steps are taken as regards the release of political prisonere Azerbaijani authorities to implement the ECtHR decisions; to ensure that all political prisoners, including journalists, activists and prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan are released before any new EU- Azerbaijan agreement; to ensureinclude in the new agreement a dedicated suspension mechanism related to human rights and fundamental freedoms is included in the new agreementwith clear provisions on respect for human rights, rule of law and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) to ensure that the future agreement with Azerbaijan is ambitious, comprehensive and forward-looking, and will delivering tangible and concrete benefits not only for large companies but also for SMEs and for the citizens of the EU and of Azerbaijan; to include in the new agreement specific supervision and control mechanisms against money laundering schemes, fraud and corruption;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) to ensure, in so far as the above conditions are fulfilled, speedy and steady progress in the negotiations with the objective of signing this new agreement before the next Eastern Partnership Summit in 2019, only in so far as the above conditions are fulfilled;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) to actively and clearly communicate about the conditions and aims of the new agreement, in order to improve public awareness, both in Azerbaijan and in the EU, about the expected opportunities and benefits that would arise from its conclusion, thereby countering all disinformation campaigns;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) to provide for regular and in-depth dialogue, notably on politicalpushing for solid reforms aimed at bolstering institutions, such as the judiciary in order to make them more democratic and independent, onwith a strong focus on the judiciary, upholding of human rights, and onprotecting investigative journalism, fostering a strong civil society and ensuring its involvement in the reform process; to include in the new agreement regular reporting mechanisms on the status of the above- mentioned reforms;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) to establish specific measures aimed at implementingnsure that the recommendations by the OSCE/ODHIR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission with a view to ensuring progress towardsare implemented, with a view to establish new legislation guaranteeing the organization of elections and referenda that allow for a free and fair expression of Azerbaijani citizens’ views and aspirations; to put strong emphasis on the effectiveness and impartiality of the election administration, the conduct of the campaign and the respect for fundamental freedoms, media coverage of the elections and the administration of election day procedures, including the vote count and tabulation of results, as called for by the OSCE; to further monitor the organization of future elections until these requirements are met;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) to aim for provisions that enhance cooperation in promoting peace and international justice and in particular for Azerbaijan to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC); to calsl upon Azerbaijan to respect its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and abide by the decisions of the ECtHR; to seek stronger cooperation measures in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as tackling illicit trade in small arms and light weapons;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) to provide for closer cooperation in foreign and security matters to ensure as much convergence as possible, in particular as regards responses to global threats, conflict prevention, crisis management and regional cooperation;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) to provide support for reform of the judiciary aimed at ensuring its independence from the executive and at strengthening the rule of law, as well as developing a strong framework for the protection of human rights and gender equality; to make sure that strong legislation is in place for preventing and sanctioning politically exposed persons´ involvement in corruption, traffic of influence, money laundering, abuse of office and other related offences, particularly within the framework of the recent joint journalistic investigations revealing the involvement of a number of Azeri officials in such activities;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) to put in place specific proviclosely monitor and evaluate, before any agreement is in place, Azerbaijan´s progress in fighting corruption, money laundering and tax evasions; to support Azerbaijan in fighting corruption, money laundering and tax evasiontake into account and push for the investigation of all recent disclosures related to the Azeri Laundromat, a money-laundering operation which, according to OCCRP, handled $2.9 billion over a two-year period, between 2012 and 2014, through four shell companies registered in the United Kingdom, as well as for the investigation of the findings related to Azerbaijan in the PANA fact finding EP mission’s report in Malta; to be aware that there is evidence revealing government ministries as the direct source of some of this money, as well as strong connections to high-ranking Azeri officials;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point n d (new)
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) to include provisions related to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms aimed at endingnd ensure that political prosecutions and abductions, the targeting of political dissidents, independent journalists, human rights defenders, NGO representatives and members of some minority groups including the LGBTQ community; to set up a reinforced forum for a human rights dialogue are put to an end by Azeri authorities and to reiterate that these practices are unacceptable for any potential partner country of the EU; to reinforce the dialogue on human rights and fundamental freedoms between the EU and Azerbaijan to encourage and to support in particular the implementation of comprehensive reforms of the judiciary, all in line with EU standards;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) to include provisions related to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms aimed at ending political prosecutions and abductions, the targeting of political dissidents, independent journalists, human rights defenders, NGO representatives and members of some minority groups including the LGBTQI community; to set up a reinforced forum for a human rights dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan to encourage and support in particular the implementation of comprehensive reforms of the judiciary, all in line with EU standards;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) to include conditional provisions related to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms aimed at ending political prosecutions and abductions, the targeting of political dissidents, independent journalists, human rights defenders, NGO representatives and members of some minority groups including the LGBTQ community; to set up a reinforced forum for a human rights dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan to encourage and support in particular the implementation of comprehensive reforms of the judiciary, all in line with EU standards;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p c (new)
(pc) to create concrete benchmarks ahead of a Human Rights Dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan, aimed at reinforcing it, and to evaluate the dialogues on the annual basis, based on deliverables; to encourage and support in particular the implementation of comprehensive reforms of the judiciary, all in line with EU standards and the recommendations of the Venice Commission, as well as to ensure the independence of legal professionals by removing any undue interference in the work of lawyers, repealing the October2017 amendments banning lawyers without Bar membership from representing clients in all courts, addressing the lack of independence of the Azerbaijani Bar and its arbitrary powers to deny admissions of new members and initiate bogus disciplinary proceedings against critical lawyers, as demonstrated by the recent cases of lawyers being disbarred or otherwise disciplined in recent years in retaliation for their legitimate work defending the government critics;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) to ensure a review of legislation and a halting of measures that seek to curtailthe adoption of relevant amendments in the law to enable civil society’s legitimate activities notably as regardsand remove undue restrictions to their registration requirements, the operations and their access to foreign funding and grants registration, in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and other regional and international human rights institutions, and to put an end to undue criminal investigations, raids of their offices, freezing of their accounts and persecution of numerous NGOs of their leaders;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(qa) to ensure an immediate review of legislation decriminalising online defamation, in particular that of the president, especially as the penalty for this offence has recently been increased to up to 5 years of imprisonment; to urge Azerbaijan to move away from such dictatorial practices and align to EU standards;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) to ensure, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan takes significant steps as regards the release ofreleases the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience which, in 2017, exceeded 150 persons, including, among the most emblematic cases, Ilgar Mammadov, Afgan Mukhtarli, Mehman Huseynov, Ilkin Rustamzada, Seymur Hazi, Rashad Ramazanov, Elchin Ismayilli, Giyas Ibrahimov, Beyram Mammadov, Asif Yusifli, Fuad Gahramanli and Aziz Orujov, theand lifting ofs their travel bans, once released, including those of Khadija Ismayilova and Intigam Aliyev; to immediately secure the release and improvement of the situation of these individuals via the judiciary and the application of the rule of law;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) to ensure, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan takes significant steps as regards the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience which, in 2017, exceeded 150 persons, including, among the most emblematic cases, Ilgar Mammadov, Afgan Mukhtarli, Mehman Huseynov, Ilkin Rustamzada, Seymur Hazi, Rashad Ramazanov, Elchin Ismayilli, Giyas Ibrahimov, Beyram Mammadov, Asif Yusifli, Fuad Gahramanli and Aziz Orujov, the lifting of their travel bans once released, including those of journalist Khadija Ismayilova and, lawyer Intigam Aliyev Aliyev and opposition party member Faig Amirli; to secure the release and improvement of the situation of these individuals via the judiciary and the application of the rule of law;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
(ra) to ensure, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan fully complies with the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights on Ilgar Mammadov’s case and ensure his prompt and unconditional release; and the full implementation of all other judgements of the Court by paying the fines, but also undertaking all necessary general measures, including in the cases where the Court found violations of freedom of association;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r c (new)
(rc) to urge Azerbaijan to immediately address the unprecedented infringement proceedings launched by the Council of Europe in 2017 and ensure the unconditional release of opposition politician Ilgar Mammadov, thus complying with a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights from 2014;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r e (new)
(re) to ensure that Azerbaijan reinstates opposition supporters or their relatives who might have lost their jobs due to their or their family members’ political activism and end alleged retaliatory harassment and arbitrary prosecution of activists’ family members;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r f (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r f (new)
(rf) to ensure that Azerbaijan respects the right to freedom of peaceful assembly; refrains from restricting this right in ways that are not compatible with its obligations under international law, including the European Convention on Human Rights; and promptly and effectively investigates all cases of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention of peaceful protesters, including in connection with the sanctioned opposition rallies in September 2017 and March 2018, and bring the perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) to seek, before the conclusion of the negotiations, that Azerbaijan commits to investigations intoi authorities investigate into and report on results concerning all cases of mistreatment of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, notably in the case of the late Mehman Galandarov, who died in custody;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) to underline the importance of aensure that free and independent media, both off and on-line, exists and that it operates in the country without undue interference, to unlock the access to access to the websites of Azadliq, and of three news outlets that have to operate from abroad: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Azerbaijan Service, Meydan TV, and Azerbaycan Saati; and to ensure a strengthened EU support for free and pluralistic media in Azerbaijan, with editorial independence and in line with EU standards, and pointing out that a reinforced attention to press and media freedom could take the formincluding through the organization of a regional initiatives encompassing all the Eastern Partnership countries;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) to underline the importance of a free and independent media, both off and on-line and to ensure a strengthened EU support for free and pluralistic media in Azerbaijan, with editorial independence and in line with EU standards, and pointing out that ain light of the fact that currently 5 major media outlets are permanently blocked by Azerbaijan under the pretext of national security and that for press freedom, Azerbaijan ranks 162 out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders; to point out that reinforced attention to press and media freedom cshould take the form of a regional initiative encompassing all the Eastern Partnership countries;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) to allow for increased cooperation in the energy sector in line with the EU’s and Azerbaijan’s strategic energy partnership, while taking into account that in March 2017, the EITI (The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) suspended Azerbaijan’s membership for failing to comply with the group’s civil society requirements; to push for Azerbaijan to realign to these requirements;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) to put in place ambitious provisions on environmental protection and climate change reduction, in line with the Union´s climate change agenda, as part of the new agreement, including through a mainstreaming of these policies as part of other sector policies;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z
Paragraph 1 – point z
(z) to provide new perspectives for enhanced cooperation in non-energy related areas in order to diversify the Azerbaijani economy, boost job creation and allow for more people-to people contacts, in particular youth, both at a regional and European level, in particular in the fields of education, health, transport and tourism; , tourism, strengthening already existing successful programmes such as the 'Young European Neighbours' network, created by the EU-funded 'OPEN Neighbourhood - Communicating for a Stronger Partnership: Connecting with citizens across the Eastern Neighbourhood' ('EU NEIGHBOURS east') project;