16 Amendments of Georgios PAPASTAMKOS related to 2008/2149(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
- having regard to the European Council decision of 16 December 2005 to grant the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the status of candidate country for EU membership and the Presidency Conclusions of the European Councils of 15-16 June 2006 and, of 14-15 December 2006 and of 19-20 June 2008,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Thessaloniki European Council in 2003 formulated clearly ‘the European course’perspective' of the Western Balkan states and indicated that the Stabilisation and Association Process would constitute the overall framework for the European relations with the Western Balkan countries,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas on 178 February 2008 the Kosovo Assembly adopted a resoluCouncil noted that Member States would decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations which declared Kosovo to be independentith Kosovo, and recalled the European Union's longstanding commitment to the stability of the Western Balkan region; whereas overall EU assistance to Kosovo is estimated at over EUR 1 000 000 000 for the period 2007- 2010 covering support to Kosovo’s political and economic development and financing the EU contribution to the international presence in Kosovo,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b(new)
Recital K b(new)
Kb. whereas all countries of the Western Balkans have concluded Stabilisation and Association Agreements with the EU,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates ‘the European coursperspective’ of the countries of the Western Balkans which was clearly formulated during the Thessaloniki European Council in 2003; points out, however, that the future accession of the Western Balkan countries to the EU is strictly conditional on the fulfilment of all the conditions and requirements set by the EU, including the Copenhagen membership criteria and the successful achievement of the Stabilisation and Association process, which includes regional cooperation, good neighbourly relations and full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the European Union to continuously show its engagement with the Western Balkans, especially in this politically delicate period; urges the Council and the Commission to realize that it is not in the advantage of both the EU and the Western Balkans to create a ‘black holes’ in Serbia or Kosovo; asks the EU Institutions, therefore, to be engaged with both entities in order to avoid an intensification ofactively engaged in order to avoid tensions;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that it is essential for the overall approach adopted towards the Western Balkans to take account of differences between the countries of the region as regards their respective levels of economic development and compliance with the EU acquis and WTO rules; stresses, therefore, the importance of a strictly individual path towards EU- membership of each of the Western Balkan countries, based inter alia on their individual fulfilment of the criteria of Copenhagen as well as the conditions and requirements set by the EU;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the visa facilitation and readmission agreements which entered into force in January 2008 and the dialogue on road maps for the gradual liberalisation of the visa regime for the countries of the Western Balkans; Considers that there is a real need to improve and establish well-functioning visa and customs regimes in order to improve the investment climatefacilitate trade flows and ensure closer economic and trade cooperation;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Western Balkan governments to further explore the possibility of greater trade liberalisation measures in areas, which have hitherto been exempted, and to fight actively against infringements of international property rights and anyestablish mechanisms to combat systematically any infringements of international intellectual and industrial property rights; calls also on governments to align themselves with the community acquis and take action to end any practices and measures amounting non-tariff trade barriers;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to duly submit in good time for approval to the Parliament any new proposals aiming to provide exceptional budgetary assistance to the Western Balkan countries; stresses that further financial assistance to the Western Balkans (and notably Kosovo) should be conditional on the establishment, with the support of international financial institutions, of a comprehensive and realistic long-term economic development plan;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the regionalWestern Balkans governments on the progress that they have so far made in the economic area, while maintaining macro-economic stability; welcomes the tax policy and the enhanceimplementation by governments of tax policies and fiscal discipline policies that hasve resulted in increased state budget revenues;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of pursuing the development of energy co-operation in the region, establishing open, reliable and competitive markets and improving the general conditions for the expansion of the energy infrastructure in the region including the enhanced interconnection capacities between the EU neighbouring Member States and partner countries; emphasises the important role played by the Energy Community towards this goal;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that environmental protection is an important element of sustainable development in the Western Balkan region; calls ononsiders it imperative that the Commission and the Western Balkan governments to promote sound environmental policies and strategies in line with the EU environmental legislation;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Acknowledges the specific geography of the region and its strategic situation, which make the area the natural transit point for trade in goods, in particular primary energy products (crude oil and natural gas), between Europe and Asia; welcomes the launch of major sub-regional transport projects such as the ‘South- Eastern axis’ linking the EU with the Balkans and Turkeywhich will facilitate the inclusion in practice of the Western Balkans countries in the wider energy pipeline network linking the EU with Turkey and the countries of the Caucasus; calls on the Commission and the Western Balkan countries to make sufficient financial resources available for infrastructure modernisation, with particular reference to the logistics sector, and to carry out the necessary reforms to make the sector more competitive and dynamic;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the need to give more support to the development of SMEs on the basis of the European Charter for Small Enterprises, which has been endorsed by all Western Balkan countries; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure access for SMEs to EU Structural Funds and to provide better financing for SME-related projects; calls on the Commission to set up an institutional framework to enhance cooperation between the Community and the private sector in the Western Balkancountries of the Western Balkans which will ensure the correct use of Community funds;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the improved business climate and the measures for reducing the legal and administrative barriers to business start-ups; expresses, however, its concern on the existence of cartels and the abuse of market power by so-called ‘tycoons’ and undertakings in a dominant market position; urges the governments of the Western Balkan countries to intensify their fight against corruption and to develop an adequate competition policy which must encompass state undertakings also;