19 Amendments of Marietje SCHAAKE related to 2012/2025(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, in accordance with Article 49 TEU, any European state which respects and remains committed to the promotion of the values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, may apply to become a member of the Union; whereas these values are commthe foundation tof the Member StatesEuropean Union and also guide the Union's action on the international scene;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas enlargement has been part of the EU agenda since as early as the 1960s; whereas since the first enlargement in 1973, the EU has grown gradually, its membership rincreasing from the six founding membercountries to the current 27 (in all probability soon to be 28) members; whereas a number of countries still aspire to become EU memberIceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey are the formal accession candidates, receiving EU pre-accession funding, and are currently in the demanding process of meeting the EU's accession criteria and are implementing domestic reforms to that end; whereas there are also other potential accession candidates;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas enlargement has been a success story for the EU and Europe as a whole, in helping to overcome the division of the Cold War, contributing to peace, stability and prosperity throughout Europe, stimulating reforms and consolidating libertyfreedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, as well as the development of market economyies;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas 20almost twenty years after the European Council of 1993 in Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general and comprehensive re-evaluation of the current EU accession criteria, of the established related procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas Parliament, in particular the accession and monitoring procedures, and of the EU's enlargement policy as a whole; whereas the European Parliament, through its annual progress reports, has contributesd to improving the transparency and accountability of the enlargement and thereby increasing publicprocess, which is essential to inform the European public and to increase support for thise enlargement process;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the prospect of EU accession has a significant impact on the legal system, socio-political, economic and cultural landscape of the countries wishing to join, and acts as a powerful incentive for pursuing the necessary(potential) accession countries, and is the most powerful leverage the EU has to encourage all necessary legislative, political, and economic and legislative reforms and the strengthening of peace, stability and reconciliation based on good neighbourly relations; whereas this makes the enlargement the essenceprocess one of the main manifestations of the EU's soft power and an important crucial element of its external actions;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas each (potential) EU candidate country has to be judged on its own merits in fulfilling the same set ofthe process of fulfilling, implementing and complying with the same set of agreed accession criteria; whereas the pace of progress in the accession process should be dictated by effectiveetermined by the extent of effective implementation and compliance with the EU accession criteria, as well as fulfilment of the priorities of the Accession Partnership and the negotiating framework; whereas the degree of compliance with the requirements for membership has to be assessed in the most fair and transparent fashion; whereas the European Parliament has to be involved in this process as much as possible; whereas the European public has to be continuously and fully informed about the costs, progress and expectations of the enlargement process in order to maintain its support for the process as such;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, in line with the renewed consensus on enlargement of 2006, this process should be based on consolidation, conditionality and communication, combined with the EU's capacity to integrate new member states; whereas the EU's integration capacity is a major consideration and a prerequisite for the sustainability of the current EU enlargement policy and the overall integration process of new member states; whereas this consideration has been a positive incentive for institutional deepening of the enlargement process, as demonstrated by the consecutive tTreaty revisions that have accompanied the different waverounds of enlargement, extending the functionsscope and activities of the Union;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas true reconciliation between different peoplsocieties and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between European countries contribute substantially to a genuine European integration process, and are of key importance to the enlargement process; whereas a number of candidate and potential candidate countries continue to have unresolved issues with their neighbours;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policycredibility is key for ongoing public support of the current enlargement process, both in the EU and in the (potential) candidate countries; considers it, of therefore, highest importantce for the EU to fulfil theall its promises already made to (potential) candidate countries and to create the conditions for ensuring that future enlargements are successful; emphasizes the mutual responsibilities and accountabilities of both the EU and the (potential) candidate countries in this regard;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Acknowledges the benefits of the enlargement and accession process for both the citizens in the (potential) EU accession candidates and the European citizens;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Stresses that, in order to remain a credible partner for the (potential) accession candidates, the EU itself should unequivocally abide, promote and protect all laws, criteria and additional requirements it determines for EU accession;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basisthe fundamental basis and values of EU accession and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy; underlines, however, the need to keep the economic subcriteria up to date in line with recent developments in the sphere of economic governance, while taking due account of their social implications for the candidate and potential candidate countries;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers it important to give adequate priority within enlargement policy to the building of an efficient, independent and impartial judicial system that can strengthen the citizens' confidence in the rule of law; underlines, at the same time, the importance of the freedom of expression, both online and offline, the need to ensure freedom of the media in law and in practice, as well as to effectively fight corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Strongly believes in the need to promote a climate of tolerance, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, as prerequisites for stability and as means of facilitating reconciliation; considers that the prosecution of war crimes and the reintegration of refugees and displaced persons must be fundamental elements of the EU accession process in regions with a recent history of conflict;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues between EU Member States and (potential) EU candidate countries should not represent or be used as an obstacle in the accession process, but should be addressed in a constructive spirit and as early as possible, taking account of the EU's overall interests and its values; stresses that the accession negotiations should not be used to pre-empt the final settlement of such issues, notwithstanding the obligation to fully comply with the acquis and respect the principles on which the EU itself is founded;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note of recent new initiatives such as the 'positive agenda' on Turkey and the high- level accession dialogue with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; welcomes the aim of creating a fresh dynamic in the reform process in both candidate countries, but stresses that these initiatives must in no way replace the formal negotiation procedures;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the EU enlargement policy is an instrument for modernisation and stabilisation, and also has the aim of strengthening the EU internally as well as a global player; calls on the Commission to undertake comprehensive impact assessments whenever it considers new applications for EU membership and when it recommends the opening or, in case of fundamentally changed circumstances, the closing of accession negotiations;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly believes that the EU can still attain great strategic benefits through enlargement policy; emphasises that EU membership represents a stable anchor in the swiftly changing international environment, and that ‘'belonging to the club’' continues to offer hope for stability and prosperity, despite the ongoing economic crisis; is of the opinion that enlargement is a long-term strategic conceptinterest of the EU, which cannot necessarily be measured in terms of short- term positive balance sheets; considers it important to take due account of its substantial and lasting value as representing soft but nevertheless essential power for the EU;