37 Amendments of Johannes Cornelis van BAALEN related to 2015/2274(INI)
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, was a notable achievement for European diplomacy in particular, and that Europe is now responsible for not simply ensuring its strict and full implementation, but for maintaining the spirit of negotiations in a way that benefits the peoples of both Iran and the EUalso should develop a broader agenda of EU- Iran relations addressing human rights, anti-corruption, energy policy, rules- based trade, environmental concerns and cultural relations;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that EU-Iran relations should be developed based on a clear agenda and with the wellbeing of Iranian people at the heart of any policy, through multi- layered dialogue involving political, technical and people-to-people contacts; supports the opening of EU-Iran relations for the mutual benefit of both parties, based on a realistic assessment of common interests and differences, with a view to encouraging step-by-step expansion of cooperation in a climate of confidence-building, foremost for the benefit of the peoples of Iran and the EU which will require confidence-building; supports, in this regard, the Commission’s commitment to a renewed engagement with Iran based on ‘a dialogue of the four Cs’: a dialogue that is comprehensive in scope; cooperative in the fields where Iran and the EU have mutual interests; critical, open and frank in areas where Iran and the EU disagree but are looking for common ground; and that is overall constructive in tone and practice;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. IConsists on the importance of developingders the parliamentary dimension of EU-Iran relations as part of the strategy for re-establishing mutual trust; reiterates its support, in this regard, for the proposal discussed between Parliament and the Majlis for an inter-parliamentary dialogue on counter-terrorismimportant but challenging, given the lack of free and fair elections; welcomes the renewed political dialogue between the EU and Iran, including on human rights which should be based on the universality of human rights; recognises that while there is suspicion and mistrust on both sides, there is also a long history between many Member States and Iran and that Iran has a strong ambition to have good relations with Europe, which provides the potential for a relationship based on mutual trust and respect; reiterates that the EU does not seek to interfere in internal political choices in this country or in any other, butof ties between people from many Member States and people in Iran; reiterates that the EU seeks cooperation based on mutual respect for international standards and principles; believes that the full normalisation starting with the universality of human rights; believes that gradual improvement of relations can only occur by means of regular and sustained dialogue and that the immediate priority should be to broaden the scope of EU-Iran relations ion areas where there is common agreement to do so; believes, however, that the ultimate aim must be one of partnership between Iran and the EUthe basis of a clearly set broad agenda;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises that differences exist between the EU and Iran on the use of the death penalty; neverthelessStrongly condemns the continued application of the death penalty in high numbers particularly for people convicted of drug smuggling without due process or fair trial; believes cooperation on anti- narcotics programmes and on the question ofending juvenile executions, in line with Iran’s own commitments, could provide a common agenda for addressing this question should be addressed;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes note ofUnderlines the fact that eliminating the death penalty for drug- related offences would drastically reduce the number of executions (up to 80 % according to Iranian estimates); calls on the Iranian authorities to put a moratorium on the death penalty; calls for EU-Iran cooperation in the fight against drugsillegal drug trade as a way of addressing the issue of executions in the country without directly or indirectly becoming complicit in the arrest of people who face the death penalty; calls on the Commission to provide technical assistance and administrative capacity- building for Iran to enable it to secure its borders with Afghanistan and Iraq while expressing the rights of people and the right to ask for asylum;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the re-assessment of qualifying container scanners as a dual- use item, which hinders the scanning of freight containers in the countering of illegal smuggling of narcotics;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the EEAS to explore the possibility of establishing an institutional framework for cooperation with Iran, such as a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) or a Framework Agreement. based on a clear set of benchmarks which should be met prior to opening any negotiations;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes note of Iran’s stated objective of achieving a yearly growth rate of 8 %; believes that European investments are key for Iran to achieve this goal; stresses that for Iran to realise its economic potential, it will have to take steps to create a transparent economic environment and a truly private sector, conducive to international investment and take anti- corruption measures on all levels, particularly regarding compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force; calls on the EU to fully support Itran’s efforts in this process via, in particular, support for worksparency and accountability, and when benchmarks are met to explore steps towards forging a bilateral investment treaty between the EU and Iran; calls for the EU to develop economic cooperation with Iran; takes note that Iran is the world’s largest economy outside the WTO; supports, in this regard, Iran’s bid to join the WTO;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls the impactuncertainty that extraterritorial US sanctions, in particular US-related sanctions on banks, have oncreate for EU businesses willing to invest in Iran; insists on the need to address this and other financial matters to create the necessary conditionslarity and legal certainty for EU businesses to prosperwork in Iran and contribufter to Iranians feeling relief from sanctions in their everyday liveshe lifting of sanctions in line with the JCPOA;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Considers the lack of freedom of expression online, the systemic surveillance and monitoring of internet traffic as well as the lack of digital freedoms to be an obstacle to trade with Iran, as well as a violation of people's rights and freedoms;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls for a specific assessment of the impact of human rights when EU companies export telecoms, law- enforcement, IT, surveillance and other dual-use items;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Takes note of the fact that Iran hosts 3 million Afghan refugees; welcomes the additional EUR 6.5 million of EU funding to support Iran in the education and health care of the Afghan population in the country; believes that EU-Iran cooperation on refugee management can enhance mutual understandinginternational aid organisations are best positioned to receive EU funds and to provide aid; believes that EU-Iran cooperation on refugee management should improve the well-being of refugees in Iran and prevent human traffickers, promote improved respect for international law and the lives of refugees themselves, as well as contributing to conflict resolution in order to reduce the causes of current and future refugee movements;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recognises that the young, educated and technologically advanced population in Iran can provide particular opportunities for advancing people-to- people contacts with the EU; calls for increased cooperation in the field of education, research and innovation via increased exchanges of students and researchers; calls for the Commission to study the possibility of visa liberalisation for Iranian academics and researchers to study and undergo training in European universities;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Expresses grave concern over the arrest of EU-Iranian dual-nationals upon their entering Iran, stresses that these arrests hinder the possibilities of people to people contacts;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Calls on Iranian authorities to allow for Iranian diaspora in Europe to safely travel to their country of birth;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Calls on the judiciary to respect fair trial, due process and to grant suspects access to a lawyer;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18d. Condemns the systematic torture in Iranian prisons;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Expresses concern about growing militarisation in the wider region and supports efforts towards greater arms control, non-proliferation, countering terrorism, while recognising legitimate defence concerns, but within a context of seeking to promote full respect for sovereignty of all countries in the region itself;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Condemns Iran's support of Hezbollah, which is on the EU terror list;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Condemns the political as well as military and strategic support by the Revolutionary Guards for the Assad regime which has been indiscriminately killing civilians;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Underlines the need for Iran to play a meaningful role in ending the war in Syria;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Condemns the covert recruitment of Afghan boys to fight for the regime of president Assad in Syria;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes EU-Iran political dialogue should call onurge Iran to play a constructive role in solving the political crises in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan, based on respect for international law and the sovereignty of these countries; calls, in this regard, for a model of EU diplomacy based on political priorities rather than religious differencidentities and on the principle of ensuring respect, safety and security for peoples in all countries in the Middle East, without exception;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Believes that there can be no solution to conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf region without all players being present at the table; welcomes, in this regard, Iran’s engagement in the Syrian peace talks via its participation in the International Syria Support Group (ISSG); calls for its contribution to at least further facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to increase protection of the civilian population from attacks and to continuously seek a long- term solution to the conflict;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes Iran’s expressed readiness to support the current efforts to bring stability to Iraq, and urges it to play a meaningful role to end sectarian violence and calls for additional efforts to bring all the militias operating in the country under the authority of the Iraqi army; welcomes Iran’s contribution to the fight against ISIS/Da’esh; notes the agreement between Iran and Australia to share intelligence on the fight against ISIS/Da’esh;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Believes that regional rivalries are an underlying factor in conflicts in several countries in the region; calls for active EU diplomacy to de-escalate tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, including confidence building, track II diplomacy and de- escalation measures in the normalisation of their relations; calls on the EU to work with the US and Russia to that end and, in particular, in supporting the development of a new regional security infrastructure that takes into account Iran and Saudi Arabia’s threat perceptions and legitimate security concerns and provides security guarantees both to Iran and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council; stresses that cooperation on maritime security in the Persian Gulf, including the signing of a charter on free navigation, could be a first confidence- building measure in developing regional trust and cooperation;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Believes that Iran’s revolutionary legacysystem and its constitution as an Islamic State must not be an impediment for finding common ground on matters related to democracy or human rightare incompatible with respect for universal human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic values;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on Iranian authorities to fully respect the universal human rights of all people, in particular the right to free expression online and offline;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Calls on Iranian authorities to respect the rights of women and to eliminate any discriminatory measures in family-, criminal-, labour and other laws;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Calls for the release of all political prisoners;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Calls for the immediate release of EU citizens detained in Iran including Nazak Afshar, Kamal Foroughi, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and all other dual- nationals unjustly detained;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 e (new)
Paragraph 26 e (new)
26e. Calls for the immediate release of Canadian-Iranian Homa Hoodfar, American-Iranians Amir Hekmati, Siamak Namazi and his father Baquer Namazi, and all other dual-nationals unjustly detained;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 f (new)
Paragraph 26 f (new)
26f. Calls on Iranian authorities to respect LGBTI rights;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 g (new)
Paragraph 26 g (new)
26g. Calls on Iranian authorities to allow for free and fair elections, and international monitors;
Amendment 389 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes with concern thatStrongly condemns Iran has the highest level of death-penalty executions per capita in the world; stresses that eliminating the death penalty for drug- related offences would dramatically decrease the number of executions; welcomes, in this regard, the possibility thatencourages the newly-elected Majlis is consideringto adopt legislation to exclude some drug- related offences from the list of crimes punishable with the death penalty;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. WelcomeRecalls the fact that the adoption of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code and Iran’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibits child executions and allows all juvenile offenders sentenced to death prior to 2013 to seek retrial; calls on Iran to ensure this prohibition is fully implemented and that all relevant offenders are made aware of this right; calls on Iran to declare a moratorium on the death penalty, at least for juvenile offenders;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. WelcomeRecalls President Rohani’s campaign promise to present a charter for citizens’ rights; underlines the importance of respecting the rule of law and the need to ensure the independence of the judiciary in general, as well as in providing the necessary legal certainty required for foreign direct investments to take place; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to work together with the Iranian authorities in areas such as judicial reform, reform of the prison system, government accountability, respect for the rule of law, citizens’ rights and the fight against corruption; believes that these measures will increase legal certainty in Iran and the country’s attractiveness touniversal human rights and fundamental foreign investors while also benefiting Iranian citizens.edoms and the fight against corruption;