Activities of Louis MICHEL related to 2015/2001(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
State of EU-Russia relations (A8-0162/2015 - Gabrielius Landsbergis) NL
Amendments (13)
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the so-called integration treaty between Russia and South Ossetia, signed on 18 March 2015, and the Russia- Abkhazia integration treaty, concluded earlier, are undermining security in the region;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas these restrictive targeted measures are not directed against the Russian people but aim at stimulating a change in Russian policy towards, and actions in, the common neighbourhood; whereas the sanctions could be lifted, partially or fully, as soon as Russia commits itself to implementing, fully and honestcomprehensively and rigorously, the provisions of the Minsk agreements and the return of Crimea to Ukraine; whereas the sanctions will be strengthened should Russia chose to do otherwise and refrain from taking any positive step to change its policy;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the Russian Federation is a full member of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and has also signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as such it is obliged to abide by democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights; whereas Russia is systematically failing to observe those principles and fundamental rights;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas the European Endowment for Democracy is targeting the issue of plurality of the Russian media, and whereas, together with its partners, it is invited to develop new media initiatives;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is deeply concerned by the fact that, in its pronouncements and actions, Russia is now openly positionsing itself, and acts, not as a partner of, but as a rival to, the international democratic community, seeking to challenge the current international order, and is in the process of redrawing borders within Europe; is extremely worried by the tendency of the Russian authorities to systematically denigrate liberal democracy and to consider democratic neighbouring countries as a threat to their own rule;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that EU-Russia relations must henceforth be based on the rule of law and on preconditioned dialogue, whereby the EU would be ready to relaunch cooperation with the authorities in Moscow on the condition that Russia unambiguously and without pretence takes its share of responsibility and fully implements the Minsk Agreements; stresses that in order to ensure that such a dialogue – if renewed (for which the return of Crimea to Ukraine would be a prerequisite) – is not conducted at the expense of European values, standards and international commitments, it would be necessary to specify very clearly the EU’s expectations of Russia, along with the retaliatory measures it would take should Russia not keep to its commitments;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that EU-Russia relations must henceforth be based on the rule of law and on preconditioned dialogue, whereby the EU would be ready to relaunch cooperation with the authorities in Moscow on the condition that Russia unambiguously and without pretence takes its share of responsibility and fully implements the Minsk Agreements; stresses that in order to ensure that such a dialogue – if renewed (for which the return of Crimea to Ukraine would be a prerequisite) – is not conducted at the expense of European values, standards and international commitments, it would be necessary to specify very clearly the EU’s expectations of Russia, along with the retaliatory measures it would take should Russia not keep to its commitments;
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is deeply concerned by the ever growing restrictions on free media, the tightening of online media control, the dramatic increase in the use of propaganda on state-controlled media, the negative portrayal of Europe, the use of coercion to curb impartial reporting and the erosion of journalistic standards in Russia, as well as the increasing monopoly on the information available to Russian-language audiences abroad by state-owned media outlets; deplores that Russian state- controlled media have become players in the EU information sphere without keeping to the norms of independent journalism, including the rejection of hate speech;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Renews its call for the development of EU reconnaissance capabilities of weaponised information and the preparation of information contingency plans, including the strengthening of analytical and monitoring capabilities, especially in the Russian language, in order to be able to identify, and respond swiftly and appropriately to, purposefully biased information; calls on the Commission to earmark without delay adequate funding for concrete projects aimed at countering Russian propaganda within the EU and abroad; calls on the Commission and the Member States to devise as well a mechanism for the collection, monitoring and reporting of financial, political investigate Russia's financing of, and/or technical assistance provided by Russia tofor, political parties and other organisations within the EU, with a view to assessing its involvement in, and influence over, political life and public debate in the EU and to report on this in order to be able to take appropriate measures;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the EU to provide support to grass-roots projects aimed at developingdevelop a new communication strategy for Russia and to support freedom of the media for Russian journalists so that they have the resources to be able to report freely and independently on Russia and thus guarantee high journalistic standards, freedom of the media, and unbiased and trustworthy information gathering and reporting in Russia, and at deconstructing propaganda disinformation campaigns within the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries; supports the initiative to develop Russian- language media channels, with a view to providing a credible and accessible alternative to biased information fors seeking to address plurality in the Russian media and to develop new media drives to achieve greater balance in reporting in Russian- speaking minoritieareas and for Russian-speakers in the EU and in the Eastern Partnership countries; and, in so doing, to provide a credible and accessible alternative to biased information;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. RTakes the view that Russia must honour the undertakings it has entered into as regards both compliance with its international obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and of the OSCE and observance of fundamental human rights and the rule of law; reiterates that uncompromising respect for the rule of law is a core and founding principle of the EU, and rejects past attempts to put forward pragmatic interpretations of the rules to accommodate Russia as a trade partner; calls, therefore, on the strict, swift and unconditional application of the rule of law – in the event of any breach of the rules – and of the principle of free and fair competition, including in the proceedings against Gazprom;
Amendment 435 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses its deep concern for the state of human rights and the rule of law in Russia, and strongly condemns the crackdown on independent civil society and the persistent and multiform repression of activists, political opponents and, critics of the regime and LGBT people, which has in some cases led to their murder (Anna Politkovskaya, Natalya Estemirova, Boris Nemtsov, Sergey Magnitsky, Alexander Litvinenko, and others); demands that all assassinations of political, and attacks on, political activists, civil society activists, journalists and whistle blowers be investigated properly and independently; reiterates its call on the Council to deliver on its commitment to defend these principles, and to adopt restrictive measures for the officials involved in the well-documented Magnitsky case;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the importance of continued political and financial support to independent civil society activists, media and NGOs; encourages the EU to reach out to Russian officials and civil society organisations that are inclined to develop an alternative vision of political and diplomatic relations with the EU; calls on the EU to take a package of positive measures to promote and strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the EU and Russian students, SMEs and researchers;