20 Amendments of Rolandas PAKSAS related to 2011/2157(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the reinforcement of the energy cooperation dimension of the ENP; recalls that security of energy supply through the diversification of sources remains an EU energy policy priority and that both eastern and southern neighbours remain a key focus of the EU’s external energy policy; calls for effective measures to be taken to speed up the development of the EU’s common external energy policy and to ensure that the principle of solidarity is applied in the field of energy;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Supports the consolidation in the ENP of previously separated strands of foreign and assistance policy; looks for a strengthened network of institutional arrangements which is stable, economical and purposefully dedicated to developing closer economic integration and political association among all those involved, including the alignment of values at the United Nations; notes that recent events in southern Mediterranean countries have made the case for a review of the ENP even more compelling, and welcomes the updated strategy for relations with the EU’s neighbouring countries as presented in the communication;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument is an important policy tool that should be developed to enable it to respond flexibly to the needs of neighbouring countries and to crises so as to create a tie-in between the objectives being sought and the results achieved; considers that this instrument should be applied in such a way as to make for greater flexibility and more accurately targeted aid, and that its effectiveness also needs to be analysed in detail with a view to making better use of the available financial instruments and funds;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the review of the ENP must develop a well-structured and long-term, forward-looking ENI instrument, especially in a constrained budgetary environment, in order to avoid exaggerated fluctuations of financing and any potential overlapping with existing instruments; regrets, in that regard,notes that the EU negotiations on the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework are not providing for a substantial increase in the volume of the EU budget and that any increase in ENP funding will therefore have to be secured at the expense of other EU policy reviews; regrets the conclusion of the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 June 2011 that ‘significantly increased financial support [...] will be decided [...] without prejudice notably to the MFF’;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Affirms that the EU programmes for young people have had a great impact on enhancing educational opportunities for youth; appeals to the Member States, therefore, to enable students from ENP countries to have access to education in Europe; calls on the Member States to promote training (including programmes for learning the languages of neighbouring countries) and twinning initiatives for civil servants;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that, regardless of the present focus on the South, maintaining a reasonable balance between East and South components is important, especially since Eastern neighbouring countries have a long-term prospect of joining the EU; calls for EU political activity to be intensified in this region and for a balance to be sought as regards financial support for projects in Eastern and Southern neighbouring countries; believes, however, that this balance cannot be considered permanently fixed; fully supports the principle of differentiated and performance-driven flexible financial assistance, based on real needs, absorption capacity and targets attained; calls on the Commission to determine the exact functions and purpose of the democracy development instruments with a view to mitigating the adverse effects entailed in the conditionality of the ENP for Eastern neighbours;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that the role of national parliaments in the European Union has been stepped up since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, and that parliamentary activity and parliamentary diplomacy have become very important; therefore calls on the Commission to involve the people, political parties and parliamentarians of ENP countries in debates on European issues and thus to bring the concept of Europe and the values promoted by the EU closer to the people in these countries;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the need to enhance synergies between Youth on the Move and the ENP, in order to ensure that learner mobility between the EU and neighbourhood countries can benefit from more opportunities, in the interests both of the EU and of young people from those countries; calls on the Commission to conclude more partnership agreements with neighbouring countries in the area of mobility;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recommends a clear separation between the respective intergovernmental and nongovernmental functions of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and the European Endowment for Democracy; notes the need for quick, balanced and flexible methods of EU sponsorship for the support of pluralistic civil society contributing to the development of deep, stable, secular democracy;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that enhanced coordination amongst Member States and between Member States and the EU when providing assistance to neighbouring countries is an absolute prerequisite for efficient and coherent European assistance; calls on the Commission to simplify the EU assistance procedure and make it more flexible; calls on all Member States to show real willingness to accommodate their national interests with the European Neighbourhood Policy, for the benefit of partner countries;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes that EU support alone is not enough to successfully carry through social and economic reforms in the long term and guarantee sustainable development, and therefore calls on partner countries to mobilise their domestic resources on a larger scale and involve civil society and business community representatives in project implementation, strengthening their responsibility with a view to achieving beneficial results;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Urges the Commission to pay particular attention to the mobility of students, academics, researchers and businesspeople by guaranteeing sufficient resources and by enhancing and extending existing grants and implementing structured cooperation in the areas of higher education and research, promotion of inter-university exchanges and public-private research partnerships;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that nuclear safety should be a key priority of the EU’s dialogue with its neighbours; calls on the Commission to promote the development of safe nuclear energy as a competitive and environmentally friendly form of energy that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the importance of job creation but recalls the need to cope effectively with illegal migration of the joblesthe violation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and illegal migration of the jobless, and to improve the living conditions of legal migrants;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Member States and the EU to ratify the UN Migrant Workers Convention; emphasises that mobility and interpersonal contact are essential in order to promote mutual understanding, economic growth, exchanges of ideas and the establishment of sound relationships between businesses, universities and civil society organisations;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to accelerate the energy market integration process by encouraging further convergence of regulatory frameworks, notwithstanding the merits of the Energy Community Treaty; calls for more effective implementation of the principle of reciprocity in relations with vertical monopolies in neighbouring countries and the establishment of measures to prevent energy monopolies in neighbouring countries having a negative impact on the EU internal market;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the usefulness of circular mobility for both the third countries and the EU, and asks for measures to avoid a potential brain drain; stresses the positive impact of economic migration in achieving sustainable labour markets;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to favour the channelling of EU funds to projects aimed at protecting migrants’ rights; calls on partner countries to mobilise more of their domestic resources and to involve civil society and business representatives in project implementation, thereby giving them a greater sense of responsibility with a view to obtaining positive results;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Commission to promote fully independent social partners through financial support, training, creation of networks and capacity-building measures, and by improving control of social conditions and developing learning opportunities;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly supports the partnership with societies approach and thus calls on the Commission and the Vice-President/High Representative to develop mechanisms to ensure its full application, in particular by setting up a monitoring mechanism involving civil society in the definition of objectives and benchmarks and in the implementation and monitoring of all agreements with partners; by maintaining a transparent dialogue on JHA matters with democratically elected authorities and national parliaments; and by increasing the democratic scrutiny of the EP in all mechanisms and dialogues on migration and effective management of migration flows;