45 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2018/2158(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU, its a community basMember States and Russia are inextricably linked, on a key set of common values that include peace, freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rightswing to their geographical location, relationships among their citizens and their history, and whereas the role of both partners in the system of international relations and their economic interdependence implies a special responsibility for security and prosperity on the European continent;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas those values form the basis of the EU’s relations w, in the Charter of Paris, the participating States of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe committed themselves to basing their relationship on mutual respect and cooperation, and to establishing democracy, based on all human rights and fundamental freedoms, prosperithy third partrough economic freedom and social justice and equal security for all countries;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU’s relations with Russia must be based on the principles of international law and credible deterrence, and on a principled approach in areas of common interest as defined in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 14 March 2016, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, mutual respect and political will to resolve conflicts and cooperate constructively in areas of common interest;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU remains open to such a stronger relationship and to dialogue leading thereto, and wishes to return to cooperative relations with Russia, should the Russian authorities meet their international and legal obligations;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the implementation of the Minsk Agreement remains a precondition for closer cooperation with RussiaRussia’s response to the internal political changes in Ukraine since 2014, in particular the annexation of Crimea to Russia, which was a flagrant breach of international law, and the role of Russia in the conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine, have led to the de facto breaking-off of relations between the EU and Russia; whereas the one-sided endorsement of the Ukrainian Government’s positions and policies and the one-sided allocation of blame and confrontational sanctions policy towards Russia have not resulted in progress towards a resolution of the various conflicts within the territory of Ukraine, but have aggravated them;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the tensions between the EU, some of its Member States and Russia have particular roots in conflicting developments and competing interests in the common neighbourhood and the two sides’ contrary assessments of these developments; whereas there is a danger that the silence on these issues may perpetuate the confrontation;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the unresolved conflicts in and with Moldova, Georgia, Nagorno- Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ukraine can only be solved through political negotiations with all partners concerned;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas the military confrontation and the arms race between NATO, the EU and Russia have assumed proportions that recall the period of confrontation between the NATO and Warsaw Pact blocs, and whereas it is imperative to engage in intensive joint efforts to initiate a confidence-building process that will permit military de-escalation, arms limitation and disarmament; whereas the denunciation of the INF Treaty has the potential to make the EU a theatre of nuclear confrontation between Russia and the USA;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas politicians and the media have created hostile stereotypes on both sides and whereas the escalation of rhetoric is having a dangerous impact on the societies of the EU and Russia;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas new areas of tension between the EU and Russia have arisen since 2015, including: Russian intervention in Syria; large-scale military exercises (Zapad 2017); russian interference aimed at influencing elections and stoking tensions in European societies; restrictions on fundamental freedoms and extensive human rights violations in Russia, including the systemic targeting of human rights defenders and civil society in Russia, discrimination against the Tatar minority in occupied Crimea, and the politically motivated persecution of Alexei Navalny and many others; cyber attacks and assassinations on European soil carried out by Russian intelligence agents using chemical weapons; the intimidation, arrest and imprisonment of foreign citizens in Russia in breach of international law, including Oleg Sentsov and many others; the organisation of illegal and illegitimate elections in the Donbas; flawed presidential elections lacking any real choice and with restrictions on fundamental freedoms; violations of arms control agreementsfollowing the breaking-off of negotiations between the EU and Russia on a mutually beneficial strategic partnership, mutual relations are now characterised by alienation and confrontation;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the breaking-off of the political dialogue, including interparliamentary dialogue, has given rise to a profound mutual misunderstanding and mistrust;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas the current confrontation between the EU and Russia is not in the interests of the two partners, their citizens and their economies; whereas concrete efforts need to be made to overcome a renewed confrontational division of the European continent, which would acutely and permanently endanger the security and prosperity of both the EU and Russia;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Fc. whereas beneficial trade and economic cooperation can be an important stimulus for the normalisation of political relations; whereas the EU and Russia have similar interests with regard to major issues affecting the future, such as the interest in rules-based multilateral global trade, including the preservation and strengthening of the World Trade Organisation, the safeguarding of international nuclear safety and the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime for nuclear weapons, protection of the environment and of the Arctic, addressing the challenges of climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement, technological changes in the economy, education and society, and digitalisation in production and communication processes; whereas both the EU and its Member States, on the one hand, and the Russian Federation, on the other, have committed themselves to attain the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda; whereas the EU and its Member States should resume the development of mutually beneficial economic relations and put an end to the policy of economic sanctions;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the EU’s dependency on Russian gas suppNord Stream II pipeline is not contrary to the objective of diversifying Europe’s gas supply but is a project comprising many transcontinental pipelines thas increased since 2015t will guarantee the security of supply of the EU and its Member States and, unlike imports of LNG from the US, are capable of preventing energy poverty through affordable gas supplies;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas Russia’s polycentric vision ofconflicts, disagreements and mutual criticism must be openly discussed without preconditions, bias and threats, which would be the right approach to resolving the Syrian conflict and the reconcert of powersstruction of the countradicts the EU’s belief in the multilateral rules- based ory and discussing the military confrontation at the borders between the EU and Russia and in the Baltic region, the US missile defence systems in Europe, compliance with the INF Treaty, restrictions of fundamental freedoms and violations of human rights in Russia and by Russia in conflict zones, and media influence and the exercise of other forms of influence on the societies of both siders;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that Russia's direct and indirect involvement in armed conflicts and its illegal annexation of Crimea and violation of the territorial integrity of Georgia constitute a deliberate violation of democratic principles and fundamental values; Is deeply concerned about the fact that Russia and the EU are openly positioning themselves as opponents who are unable to overcome differences through political dialogue and negotiation; is deeply concerned at the escalation of tensions that jeopardise peace and security on the European continent; is committed to ensuring that the EU and Russia leave no stone unturned in their attempts to constructively debate and eventually overcome the existing disagreements and different positions and to create a cooperative security system in Europe that takes into account the interests of all and permits comprehensive disarmament; regrets that the EU and its Member States have not seriously addressed the Russian proposals for a common security system and a common economic area in the past, refusing to enter into an open-ended dialogue on the subject;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points out that Russia and the EU are interdependent on geographical grounds and therefore encourages both Russia and the EU to work together to find new avenues leading to a good and secure neighbourhood;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes that, in view of the complex crises in relations between the EU, some of its Member States and Russia, and in view of the deep mutual mistrust, none of the parties considers it possible and desirable to establish strategic partnerships; considers it essential, in this context, to complement the necessary critical assessment of Russia’s development with a self-critical analysis of the development of relations and to find new ways of overcoming confrontation; stresses the need not only to take as a basis the obvious divergences in values, but also to recognise the overlapping opposing interests and to take these as a starting point for the resumption of cooperation;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes, therefore, that the EU- Russia relationship requires a new framework ofor cooperation only in those areas that are necessary and in ain areas of common interest, and with a view tothe aim of building a European peace order that will guaranteeing the security in the EU’s neighbourhood and a European peace order; is of the view that the PCA should be discontinuedof all, including the states in the common neighbourhood, overcome hostile stereotypes, facilitate the development of civil-society contacts and promote trade and economic cooperation;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for the immediate resumption of political dialogue; calls, as a first step, for the immediate abolition of mutual sanctions on parliamentarians from both sides in order to reopen the interparliamentary dialogue; underlines that the interparliamentary dialogue is an important tool to overcome mutual mistrust and to create mutual understanding of the interests, concerns, assessments and approaches;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the European Parliament to follow the example of the Council of Europe, which has taken initial steps towards enabling cooperation with parliamentarians from Russia to be restored, and to resume the regular work of the European Parliament’s inter- parliamentary delegation for relations with the Russian Duma;
Amendment 143 #
3. Believes that non-implementation of the Minsk Agreements demonstrates Russia's lack of good will; asks for consultations to be advanced within the Normandy formatIs deeply concerned at the continuing escalation of the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia, especially in the light of the volatile security situation in the Sea of Azov; calls on the Russian Federation to guarantee all ships the right to pass through the Kerch Strait and access to the Sea of Azov and to ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian ports; is deeply concerned at the stagnation in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements and the lack of political will in Russia and Ukraine to find solutions; urges the parties to the negotiations to relaunch the negotiation process with new initiatives; notes that the implementation of the Minsk Agreements by all parties involved remains an important precondition for closer EU cooperation with Russia and Ukraine;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes, however, that the Skripal case and cyber attacks orchestrated by the Russian intelligence services show an interest on the Russian side toIs deeply concerned about the operations of the secret services, which are also resulting in mutual actions in Europe, including organised cyber attacks, thus further increaseing tensions in relations withbetween Russia and the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises that increasedfar greater mutual transparency in military and border guard activities is important in order to avoid further tensions; calls, as a first step, for a clear code of conduct concerning airspace used by military and civilian aircraft;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that the, in view of global challenges of climate change, energy security, constructive cooperation with Russia is needed, in particular to resolve international conflicts, implement the Paris Climate Agreement and all subsequent agreements, and with regard to environmental protection, the protection of the Arctic, the oceans and freedom of navigation, security of supply of energy and raw materials, non- proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear disarmament, the attainment of the UN development goals, and the fight against terrorism and organised crime call for selective engagement with Russia;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Highlights in this context that there is no place, space or time for new major initiativesnew significant initiatives urgently need to be planned and implemented in order to revitalise and reshape political and economic cooperation between Russia and the EU;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates that while the EU's stance is firm, coherent and concerted with respect to EU sanctions on Russia, further coordination and coherence is required in its foreign and securCriticises the fact that EU Member States are doing nothing to prevent money laundering by, and corruption involving, Russian oligarchs in Europe, and that 13 Member States have made ity policy approach to Russiassible to buy their citizenship; calls, i on this context, on Member Statese Member States to combat money laundering and corruption and to end 'golden visa/passport' programmes;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines, in this regard, that the deepening of EU integration and coherence between its internal and external policies is the key to a more coNotes that the sanctions policy has failed and that the continuation of a policy of isolating Russia is damaging to the stability and security of Europe, the interests of EU citizens and the economy; stresses the need to replace the formal insistence on a united front among Member States in relation to Russia with an open discussion and decision-making process, entailing joint action towards Russia, which should examine the rent, effective and successful EU external and security policy, including vis-à-vis Russiasults of the policies pursued towards Russia to date in a spirit of self-criticism and develop new ways of tackling the challenges;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its support for the five principles guidIs of the opinion that a constructive and predictable relationship between the EU and Russia can be achieved which will benefit the citizens of both partners, particularly ing the EU's policy towards Russia, and calls for furfields of politics, trade, energy, science and culture, ther definition of the selective engagement principle; recommends that the focus be placed on issues relating to the MENA region, terrorism, non-proliferation, arms control and climate change; calls for a high-level dialogue between EU, EEU and AA/DCFTA countries; reiterates that whilvelopment of people-to- people contacts and meeting the challenges of the international arena; recommends that the focus should in the first instance be placed on issues relating to the MENA region, non-proliferation and consistent implementation of the prohibition of all weapons of mass destruction, cooperation in the field of energy, including energy efficiency and energy security, arms control and comprehensive disarmament, new technologies, climate change, culture, scientific cooperation, environmental protection, especially in the Arctic, and cooperation in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea; calls for a high-level dialogue between the EU, the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the countries with Association Agreements/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA), with the aim of developing cooperation between the partners involved; reiterates the need to intensify the consultations between the EU and Russia on cyber terrorism and organised crime need to continue, Russia’s systematic hybrid threats require strong deterrence; calls, in this context, for the initiation of a high-level EU-EEU-China- Central Asia dialogue on Belt and Road Initiative and connectivity;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that Russia and the EU will remain key economic partners in the foreseeable future, but Nord Stream 2 reinforces EU dependency on Russian gas supplies, threatens the EU internal market and is not in line with EU energy policy, and therefore needs to be stopped; advocates resuming work on the Partnership for Modernisation project;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of continued political and financial support for civil society activists, human rights defenders, bloggers, independent media, investigative journalists, outspoken academics and public figures, and NGOs; calls on the Commission to programme more ambitious financial assistance to Russian civil society from the existing external financial instrumeontacts between civil societies in the EU, its Member States and Russia, particularly among young people; considers it important to promote the learning of Russian in the EU in order to facilitate contacts between citizens from both sides; calls on the Commission to continue and strengthen the appropriate exchange programmes and provide grants;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Is in favour of resuming the negotiations on visa liberalisation;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for more people-to-people contacts and student exchanges also in the Erasmus Mundus frameworkopportunities for exchanges in education, research, culture, sport and youth; notes that the EU provides the highest number of academic mobility opportunities to Russia in comparison with other international partner countries; welcomes the fact that Russia has been among the most active and successful participants in Erasmus+ and its predecessor programmes for many years;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission, in cooperation with the Commission, to pursue options to strengthen direct cooperation with Russian small and medium-sized enterprises and scientific and cultural institutions;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Considers it important to constructively seek solutions to the problem of Russian-speaking minorities living in the EU, which have been unresolved for decades;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the EU institutions and Member States to make greater efforts to build resilience, particularly in the cyber and media fields; calls for EU-wide support for the European cyber-security industry and a stronger engagement in research; encourages, in this context, the promotion of European values in Russian by East Stratcomincrease cyber security; calls for a stronger engagement in research in this area and for EU citizens to receive objective information and education with regard to this issue;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that the EU should stand ready to consider adopting further sanctions, including targeted personal sanctions, in response to Russia’s continued action, rather than constantly accusing Russia of being behind cyber attacks in EU Member States, dialogue should be initiated with Russia on these issues;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Is deeply concerned about the role of the media, which contribute to the emergence of hostile stereotypes on both sides; criticises Russian media for propagating a negative image of the EU and its Member States, thus deliberately cultivating fear and prejudice among the Russian population; recommends that information on the EU be made available in Russian in the various media formats; notes, at the same time, that the contradiction between the experience of EU citizens and businesses in dealing with Russia and what they experience through the State and private media of the EU and its Member States has led to deep mistrust among citizens about media information on Russia;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Encourages confidence-building measures in the DonbasUnderlines that there can only be political solutions to the conflict in eastern Ukraine; is deeply concerned about the lack of political will on the part of the governments of Russia and Ukraine to bring about a real end to the conflict, as well as the interest of political and economic actors on both sides in accepting the status quo of the current confrontational situation; supports a stronger role for the OSCE in ending hostilities and building confidence; calls for an arms embargo against all parties to the conflict to be established, which should be consistently implemented; calls for the withdrawal of all foreign military advisors and all foreign military and paramilitary personnel from all parts of Ukraine; urges the Russian Federation to control its border effectively and to consistently stop the infiltration of armed personnel and military equipment into the eastern part of Ukraine;
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Condemns the arbitrary measure of banning EU politicians, among them current and former Members of the European Parliament, and EU officials from access to Russian territory; calls for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the entry ban for parliamentarians from both sides;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Supports the swift completion of an integrated European Energy Union that would in future include the Eastern Partnerstresses that the conclusion of mutually beneficial long-term agreements between the EU, its Member States and Russia concerning energy is in the interest of all concerned; stresses that this includes not only trade in raw materials but also the promotion of energy savings, energy efficiency and renewable energy and the fight against energy poverty;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Supports increased funding for the European Endowment for Democracy and other instruments to advance democracy and human rightsIs deeply concerned about the contacts and cooperation tolerated by the Russian leadership between neo-fascist, racist and extreme right-wing parties in the EU and nationalist groups in Russia; notes that this poses a threat to democracy and to the value system underpinning the rule of law, in both the EU and Russia; calls in this connection on the EU institutions and Member States to take action against this threat of an emerging ‘Nationalist International’;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Reiterates its criticism of the increasing limitation of room for manoeuvre and the persecution of dissidents, critical journalists, non- governmental organisations, all minorities and other sections of civil society; is deeply concerned that killings and attacks on political activists, journalists and LGBTI people remain unsolved, allowing their perpetrators to enjoy impunity; recalls that, as a member of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the UN, Russia has committed itself to the principles of democracy and respect for human rights; urges the Russian authorities to respect and guarantee the rights of all its citizens and those of neighbouring countries;