Activities of Ulrike LUNACEK related to 2016/2314(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
2016 Report on Kosovo (debate)
2016 Report on Kosovo (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2016 Commission Report on Kosovo PDF (309 KB) DOC (65 KB)
Amendments (16)
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the entry into force of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on 1 April 2016 as the first contractual relationship and an essential step for the integration of Kosovo into the EU; welcomes the launch of the European Reform Agenda on 11 November 2016 as a platform to facilitate implementation of the SAA and calls on Kosovo to show clear political will and determination to implement the agreed roadmap including the setting up of the coordination mechanism for the SAA, and to seize the positive momentum created by the SAA; welcomes the holding of the 2nd Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee on 23/24 November 2016, and the holding of the first meeting of the EU-Kosovo Association and Stabilisation Council on 25 November 2016;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the progress made in implementing the various agreements signed since August 2016 in the normalisation process with Serbia, after months of little to no progress; calls on both Kosovo and Serbia to show more engagement and sustained political will as regards the normalisation of relations and recalls that this is a condition for accession to the EU; takes note of some progress on other technical issues such as cadastre, university diplomas and licence plates and on the implementation of the agreement on the Mitrovica Bridge; welcomes the allocation of an independent international telephone code to Kosovo; reiterates its call on the European External Action Service to carry out an evaluation of the performance of the sides in fulfilling their obligations; stresses that the agreements reached should improve the daily life of ordinary citizens; notes that the benefits of the dialogue are not evident to the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia and emphasises the need for the utmost transparency in communicating the outcomes of the dialogue, in particular in northern Kosovo;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Notes that in 2003 Serbia adopted a law on universal jurisdiction for war crimes; regrets that this law has so far been misused to pursue citizens of countries that belonged to former Yugoslavia as proven by the recent case of Ramush Haradinaj in spite of his acquittal by the ICTY in 2008 and 2012; stresses that such actions jeopardise the ongoing EU-facilitated dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the Association of Serbian Municipalities has not yet been set up and that the Statute still has to be drafted, and urges Kosovo to establish the association in line with the agreement reached under the EU-facilitated dialogue and with the ruling of the Kosovo Constitutional Court; encourages, in this regard, the Kosovo authorities to appoint a high-level working group with a clear and time-bound mandate to propose a Statute for public input and parliamentary review; expresses concern at the continued presence of Serbia’'s parallel structures and calls for their dismantlement; encourages all stakeholders to find an acceptable and mutually agreeable long-term solution for the status of the Trepca mining complex;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the establishment of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor Office in The Hague as an essential step for ensuring justice and reconciliation, and invites Kosovo to fully cooperate with the Court; underlines that witness protection is a crucial issue for the Court to be successful; calls on the EU and the Member States to ensure proper funding of the Special Court; calls on Kosovo to address the issue of missing persons and to ensure effective compensation to the victims of war rape; welcomes the willingness of the Netherlands to host the court;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that, while some progress has been achieved in adopting legislation for the proper functioning of the judiciary, the administration of justice remains slow and inefficient and is hampered by the remaining shortcomings of criminal legislation, political interference, lack of accountability and limited financial and human resources, including in the Special Prosecution Office; encourages Kosovo to address these issues as a matter of priority; urges the competent authorities to conduct a properfinalise investigation into the death in prison of Mr Astrit Dehari;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses serious concerns at the lack of progress with regard to the protection of freedom of expression and media freedom, and at the increased political interference and pressure and intimidation exerted on the media; urges the Kosovo authorities to fully recognisze and protect freedom of expression in line with EU standards and to end impunity ofor attacks against journalists; urges the government to guarantee the independence and the sustainability of the public service media RTK and to introduce an adequate financing scheme; calls for the adoption of sound legislation on copyright and on media ownership;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Calls on the Government of Kosovo to ensure that cases of physical attacks against journalists and other forms of pressure are promptly investigated and to accelerate and strengthen the adjudication of cases by the judiciary, to continue to unequivocally condemn all attacks against journalists and media outlets, and to ensure transparency of media outlet ownership to combat increase risks of undue pressures on editors and journalists;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Kosovo authorities to address gender mainstreaming as a priority and to ensure that governing bodies and authorities lead by example; is concerned about the structural challenges hampering the implementation of theat law on gGender eEquality, and; remains concerned about the under-representation of women in decision-making positions; is concerned that no progress has been made on combating domestic and gender-based violence; urges the authorities to encourage publicly and put in place protection mechanisms and shelter measures for women who break the silence and denounce domestic violence, and welcomes in this respect the NGO ‘B"be a Mman’" founded by men in Prishtina; expresses concern about the low level of property ownership among women; calls on the authorities to actively ensure that property rights for women are secured;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the increased efforts to counter, prevent and combat violent extremism and radicalisation and recognises the important work carried out by Kosovo in this areadomain; notes that many foreign fighters have returned to Kosovo and calls on the authorities to establish a comprehensive approach with effective policies for prevention, de-radicalisation and reintegration;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the improvement of the economic situation and the increase inof tax revenues which arethat makinge more resources available for the government to carry out its policies; expresses, however, its concerns about the sustainability of Kosovo’s budget with regard, in particular, to the amount of the benefits allocated to war veterans, and calls, in this connectionregard, for the reform of the relevant law as agreed with the InMF; reiternational Monetary Fundes its concern for the high youth unemployment rate;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the extension of the mandate of EULEX Kosovo and calls for continued EU efforts in further strengthening independent justice, police and customs systems beyond 2018 with a view to Kosovo’'s full ownership of these functions; calls for an efficient and smooth transition of judicial cases dealt with by EULEX prosecutors to national prosecutors with appropriate safeguards to guarantee that victims of past violations have access to truth, justice and reparation;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. CWelcomes that several Serb religious and cultural sites regrettably destroyed in 2004 have been renovated with Kosovo tax payers' money, like the orthodox Cathedral; acknowledges Kosovo's commitment for protecting sites of cultural heritage and calls on the authorities to implement all UN conventions ion cultural heritage at all levels regardless of the status of Kosovo vis-àa-vis UNESCO; welcomes, in this connectionrespect, the EU-funded programme aimed at protecting and reconstructing small cultural heritage sites with a view to fostering intercultural and interreligious dialogue in all multi-ethnic municipalities;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges the Kosovo authorities to adopt a credible long-term energy strategy based on energy efficiency, the diversification of energy sources and the development of renewables; stresses that in 2017 Kosovo will hold the presidency of the Energy Community Treaty and reminds the authorities of Kosovo's legal obligations stemming from this treaty of reaching 25% of electricity from renewables by 2020; calls on the government to respect the agreement to close down Kosovo A power plant and makemaking use of the EUR 60 million Euros allocated for this purpose by the EU within the framework of IPA funds; calls for a hydropower strategy for the whole Western Balkans as a whole;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Welcomes the efforts of the European Commission aimed at unblocking the power interconnection grid between Albania and Kosovo that has been blocked for months by Serbia and calls for constructive cooperation between Serbia's and Kosovo's electricity authorities;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26 b. Expresses its concern at the alarming level of air pollution in Kosovo with regard, in particular, to Pristina urban area and calls on the state and local authorities to urgently take adequate measures to cope with this emergency;