Activities of François ALFONSI related to 2020/2202(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation report on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU - The Windsor Framework (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation report on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the implementation report on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU
Amendments (15)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas on 10 April 1998 the Belfast Agreement was signed by the Government of the UK, the Government of Ireland and the other participants in the multi-party negotiations (the ‘Good Friday Agreement’); whereas the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland of the Withdrawal Agreement provides for a legal framework that preserves the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and the rights of the people of Northern Ireland, and safeguards peace, single market integrity and the all-island economy and therefore avoids a hard border; whereas it is the UK’s obligation to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts applies under all circumstances;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the Protocol aims to avoids a ‘hard border’ on the island of Ireland, safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement while ensuring the integrity of the EU’s single market;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that the need for a tighter and more closely coordinated relationship between the EU and the UK on security issues has been thrown into sharp relief by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; reminds of its proposal that such coordination in international arena should be governed by a joint UK- EU Foreign Policy Framework (FPF), offering both sides a systematic platform for high level consultations and coordination on foreign policy issues;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. DIs alarmed by the actions of the UK government which have the potential to undermine the Good Friday Agreement and to destabilise peace in Northern Ireland; recalls that such actions are non- compliant with the Withdrawal Agreement while its full application, in full and all circumstances, is an UK obligation to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement is enforced; deeply regrets the publication of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill by the UK Government, considering it an unfortunate and unilateral action that comes at a time when the EU and the UK should be showing more unity and solidarity than ever; urges the new UK government to engage constructively and in good faith with the EU and all communities in Northern Ireland.
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that, as expected, Brexit has proven to be damaging for all concerned, and even more so for the UK; notes that regions involved in Interreg projects with the UK have been particularly affected; points out that it would have been much worse without the Withdrawal Agreement;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the UK’s establishment of the EU Settlement Scheme to fulfil its obligations to EU citizens and their family members; expresses concern at the high number of applicants, up to 41 %, who are only accorded pre-settled status; recalls that the Withdrawal Agreement makes clear that the administrative procedures under a constitutive system must be ‘smooth, transparent and simple’; is worried that EU citizens with pre-settled status have to make a second application to obtain settled status, which might lead to an automatic and illegal loss of their rights;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its view that greater certainty would be provided to EU citizens in the UK if they were issued with a physical document as proof of their right as residents; Expresses its concern about the difficulties that EU citizens may encounter when applying for settled or pre-settled status due to the UK’s insistence on a digital-only approach; Is concerned that the digital-only approach applications can be discriminatory and have a negative effect on applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds or in vulnerable situations;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Condemns incidents where EU citizens trying to enter the UK without a visa have been detained and held in immigration removal centres, often for disproportionately long periods; deplores the UK’s decision to charge different fees to visa applicants from a number of different EU countries depending on their country of origin;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses strong concerns about the recently proposed Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, whereby the UK Government insists on unilaterally disapplying provisions of the Protocol; Considers that this attitude is contrary to the spirit of dialogue and pragmatic solution as displayed by the UK authorities; recalls that a bilateral agreement cannot be changed unilaterally; calls on the UK Government to immediately withdraw this proposal, refrain from unilateral action and fully implement the agreements that it has signed;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls the unilateral declaration made by the UK Government, in the context of the Protocol, concerning the operation of the ‘Democratic consent in Northern Ireland’ provision in a manner consistent with the Good Friday Agreement; underlines that, in accordance with that unilateral declaration, ‘democratic consent’ to the Protocol does not necessarily require cross-community support, but rather must be provided in due time by the majority of the Northern Ireland Assembly; recalls that in the most recent elections in Northern Ireland, a clear majority of voters voted for parties that supported the Protocol; Considers that the dithering of the UK Government further undermines the stability of Northern Ireland;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Recalls that ensuring the enforcement of the Good Friday Agreement is a UK obligation and that any unilateral action with the potential of undermining such agreement is in violation of international law;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expresses its complete support for the legal initiatives launched by the Commission in order to ensure the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement; welcomes the Commission’s proposalprovisional interinstitutional agreement for a regulation on the enforcement mechanisms of the Withdrawal Agreement and the TCA; underlines that the enforcement toolbox under the TCA could also be used to strengthen the enforcement of the Protocol;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the active involvement of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly; believes that this Assembly provides a good framework for parliamentary cooperation on common challenges, including on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol; Regrets the absence of representation of the devolved parliaments (Senedd Cymru, The Northern Ireland Assembly and the Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) in this joint Parliamentary Assembly;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Insists that a central place must be given to devolved governments and parliaments, as well as EU local and regional impacted authorities in the governance structures responsible for the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, particularly in Ireland, given the importance of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22 b. Welcomes the Committee of the Regions-UK Contact Group, established in February 2020, providing a forum for continued dialogue and political partnership between the EU and UK local and regional authorities and encourages the European Parliament to adopt a similar interaction between the Committee of the Regions-UK Contact Group and the European Parliament's Delegation to the UK to provide territory-based evidence about the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement;