Activities of Cristian Dan PREDA related to 2018/2176(DEC)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017, Section X – European External Action Service
Amendments (5)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Welcomes the EEAS' readiness to implement the recommendations from previous years; acknowledges the considerable challenges facing the institution which was placed at the forefront of the EU’s response regarding terrorism, hybrid threats, ongoing and new conflicts, instability in the neighbourhood, irregular migration, human rights violations, and an increasing contestation of the multilateral order; stresses the importance of using wisely the scarce resources available and of constantly improving the consistency and coherence of the EU's external and internal action;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of public diplomacy and strategic communications as an integral aspect of the EU's external relations, as an instrument to communicate its values and interests and to enhance the EU’s visibility; calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) to continue its efforts to modernise its approaches and to invest in new skills and capabilities; stresses the need for mobilizing context-specific analysis in order to counter anti-EU propaganda; firmly believes that the EU should step up its efforts to develop effective public diplomacy strategies;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Points out the strategic importance of enhancing the visibility of EU assistance, in particular in the Western Balkans and for the countries in Europe's Eastern and Southern neighbourhood; takes the view that additional efforts in this area will be critical not only for promoting adherence to the EU values, but also for countering foreign influence in these regions;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. While welcoming the establishment of the Task Force ‘Gender and Equal Opportunities’, reiterates its concern regarding the gender imbalances in the EEAS staff, in particular at middle management level and within different categories and grades; emphasizes that further efforts need to be made to address these imbalances; underlines that attention should continue to be devoted more generally to ensuring a balanced repartition between older and newer Member States when it comes to EEAS staff, including at management level and for the positions of Heads of EU Delegations;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes the increased efforts in the area of training for EEAS staff, towards ensuring the security of staff, as well as regarding improvements to the EEAS building policy and building management; calls for comprehensive implementation of the action plan drawn up in response to the 2016 ECA Special report regarding the EEAS Building Policy Management;