21 Amendments of Mário DAVID related to 2010/2233(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11
Citation 11
– having regard to Articles 188 C and 188 N(6)(a)(v) of the Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establish207 and 218 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European CommunityUnion, pursuant to which the Council must request Parliament’s consent prior to the conclusion of any international agreement that covers fields to which the ordinary legislative procedure applies,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
- having regard to the Declaration of the UN General Assembly on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1998 (also known as the 'Declaration on Human Rights Defenders'),
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the GCC is currently the EU’s sixth largest export market and that the EU is currently the GCC’s secondmain trading partner; notes that, notwithstanding this already intensive level of trade, there is still scope for deepening it, as well as room for more diversification between the two parties; is of the opinion that the conclusion of the EU-GCC FTA would greatly favour closer ties and further diversification;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas its geopolitical environment makes the Gulf a focus of security challenges that have global and regional implications (the stabilisation of Iraq, Iran’s nuclear programme, Islamist terrorism, piracy, Darfur and the situation in Yemen) and the GCC currently remains the only stable regional organisation based on multilateralism and cooperation,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the process of structural economic liberalisation and diversification initiated in several GCC member states is producing new internal dynamics, both politically (with constitutional reforms, political participation and institutional capacity buildinga strengthening of institutions) and socially (a voluntary sector is materialising, employers’ associations are developing and women’s circumstan are gaining access are changingto posts with responsibility), and this should be encouraged and supported,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, given the scale of investment by GCC countristates in the EU’s southern neighbourhood, cooperative synergies between Europe, the Mediterranean and the Gulf are called for,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that the EU should propose a strategic partnership with the GCC and its member states commensurate with the respective roles of the two entities internationally; highlights the importance, to that end, of introducing regularperiodic summit meetings of heads of state and government; , independently of the progress of ongoing negotiations ;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the European External Action Service to devote more human resources to the region and for new EU diplomatic missions to be opened there to helpin each member state of the GCC, thereby helping to raise the profile of the EU, to facilitate political dialogue and to make the Union’s efforts more effective; calls on those EU Member States with diplomatic representations there to act in line with EU policy; stresses that differentiated bilateral approaches to GCC states minded to engage in closer cooperation with the EU can only complement and strengthen the multilateral framework;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Draws attention to the social and political developments that have taken place in recent years in most countries in the GulfGCC member states; encourages the Gulfose states to sustain and extend their efforts to promote human rights, gender equality, the right to work – including for migrant workers – and freedom of expression and opin, opinion and religion; invites the GulfCC member states to listen to the voices of civil society and to support the emergence of local structures and associations; calls in particular on the GCC member states to: – adopt measures to encourage women's access to the labour market and to education by tackling all forms of discrimination based on gender and other legal or customary provisions, including all such relating to personal status, – to abolish the sponsorship system imposed on migrant workers and to pursue labour law reforms in order to ensure that workers, including migrant and domestic workers, enjoy full legal and social protection, – to fight against all forms of impunity, ensure the independence of the judiciary and strengthen the role of justice system professionals, – to adopt a moratorium on executions and punishments involving amputations etc. out of respect for the integrity of the human body;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reaffirms that the primary objective of the EU in its relations with the GCC should be to conclude the region-to-region FTA; but, until this happens, and following what some of the GCC major trade partners have already done, encourages the HR/VP and the Commissioner for Trade to assess alternative approaches to future commercial relations with the GCC countries, in the form of bilateral agreements between the EU and those of the Gulf States that already feel prepared to engage in a further commitment with the EU.
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes the triennial Joint Action Programme adopted by the EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting on 14 June 2010 and intended to strengthen cooperation in many strategic areas of mutual interest; finds it regrettable, however, that it does not contain a section providing for open, regular and constructive political dialogue;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that the implementation of this Joint Action Programme should be accompanied by a precise and detailed funding scheme and carried out by staff specifically assigned to this task both in Brussels and the GCC member states; stresses the importance of ensuring the visibility of this programme and the dissemination of a wide range of information accessible to the administrations and institutions concerned; requests that an evaluation of the results be carried out at the end of the three-year period and that, should the results prove satisfactory, an EU-GCC cooperation agency be envisaged;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses its concern at seeing the Gulf region caught up in an arms race; asks the EU to initiate a strategic dialogue with the GCC states on regional security issues of common interest (the Middle East peace process, Iran’s nuclear capability, the stabilisation of Iraq, and Yemen and Islamist terrorism and the internal conflict in Yemen) and, ultimately, to contribute to building a regional security structure in the Middle East in partnership with the Gulf states;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls that GCC member states are important regional players; calls on the GCC states to pursue their efforts to ensure the stability of the Horn of Africa and to fight piracy;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Reiterates its support for the Arab peace initiative put forward by one of the GCC member states and endorsed by all the states of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference; calls on GCC states to pursue their mediation efforts and support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to establish a two-state solution; stresses the joint interests of the EU and the GCC in working together to establish a just and lasting regional peace in the Middle East; suggests in this regard more regular concertation between the Quartet and the Arab League monitoring committee;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Recalls that the EU is the largest donor of aid to the Palestinian people; calls on the GCC member states to contribute more to strengthening Palestinian institutions and to economic development as part of the government programme of Prime Minister Fayyad to establish a Palestinian state in 2011 and to consider paying their financial contributions through existing international aid mechanisms, where appropriate; encourages the GCC states to increase their contributions, particularly given the global crisis that particularly affects western countries so as to preserve the GCC’s vital, stabilising role in the region;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the decision by the Presidents of the parliaments of the GCC member states, meeting in Abu Dhabi on 23 November 2010, to begin monitoring the activities of the GCC and its executive decisions and to establish an annual conference of the parliamentary institutions of GCC member states; welcomes the forthcoming establishment of an interparliamentary delegation for relations with the European Parliament; is convinced that far-reaching parliamentary cooperation will make a significant contribution to constructing a strategic partnership between the two groups;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the GCC member states have made education is a national priority in the GCC countries, with high levels of need in terms of human resources (there are not enough teachers), course content (which has not kept pace with changing labour markets) and syllabus quality (teaching methods and materials are out of date); asks that the authorities’ efforts to address these shortcomings be actively supported and proposes cooperation on an ambitious scale in higher, secondary and primary education;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Regrets that the Erasmus Mundus programme remains virtually unknown in the region as a whole, mainly because of lack of information; welcomes the initiatives taken by French, British and German universities to establish university partnerships and exchange programmes; recalls, however, that Europe continues to lag behind the United States and Asia in this area; calls on the Commission to designate information days for the promotion of European scientific teaching and research on site; insists that these exchange programmes should target students, teachers, researchers and administrative staff, while ensuring a balanced gender representation; believes that exchange programmes should be established for younger age groups by targeting secondary school and high school students;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)