2012/2025(INI)
Enlargement: policies, criteria and EU's strategic interests
Enlargement: policies, criteria and EU's strategic interests 2012/2025(INI)
Lead committee dossier: AFET/7/08878
Legal basis: RoP 048
| AFET | BUDG | REGI | |
| Lead Rapporteur | KOPPA Maria Eleni (S&D) | ||
| Opinion Rapporteur(s) | NEYNSKY Nadezhda (EPP) |
Legal basis: RoP 048
Procedure completed
2012/2025(INI) Enlargement: policies, criteria and EU's strategic interests
Lead committee dossier: AFET/7/08878
Legal Basis RoP 048
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET | KOPPA Maria Eleni (S&D) | |
| Opinion | BUDG | NEYNSKY Nadezhda (EPP) | |
| Opinion | REGI |
Legal Basis RoP 048
Subjects
Activites
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2012/11/22
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
- T7-0453/2012
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2012/11/21
Debate in Parliament
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2012/11/21
Prev DG PRES
- DG {u'url': u'http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/', u'title': u'Enlargement'}, FÜLE Štefan
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2012/10/03
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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A7-0274/2012
summary
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Maria Eleni KOPPA (S&D, EL) on the policies and criteria on enlargement and the European Unions strategic interests on the matter. Members recall firstly, that in accordance with Article 49 Treaty on the European Union (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, may apply to become a member of the Union. They also underline that each country aspiring to EU membership has to be judged on its own merits in fulfilling, implementing and complying with the same set of criteria. They also recall that the Copenhagen criteria are twenty years old and it is now time for a re-evaluation. In this context, Members also recall that the European Parliament, through its annual resolutions on the candidate and potential candidate countries, contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of the enlargement process by echoing the opinions of the European citizens and that, following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the role of Parliament has increased thanks to the recognition of co-legislative power, inter alia with regard to the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). General considerations: Members strongly support the enlargement process and believe that the policy must gain the support of the public both in the EU and in the candidate and potential candidate countries. In general, they consider that the EU and the candidate and potential candidate countries must fulfil all obligations and create the conditions for ensuring the success of future enlargements, inter alia by assisting the countries concerned in their efforts to meet the criteria for EU accession. Whilst they consider that the Copenhagen criteria continue to constitute a fundamental basis and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy, they also stress that the Unions integration capacity must be taken fully into account. Members consider that the concept of integration capacity comprises four elements: accession states should contribute to and not impair the ability of the Union to maintain momentum towards the fulfilment of its political objectives; the institutional framework of the Union should be able to deliver efficient and effective government; the financial resources of the Union should be sufficient to meet the challenges of economic and social cohesion and of the Unions common policies; a comprehensive communication strategy should be in place to inform public opinion concerning the implications of enlargement. Pointing out that the EU continues to be attractive with its combination of economic dynamism with a social model, Members regret that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process. They invite the Commission to address this issue, especially in the framework of Chapter 19 (Social Policy and Employment), to foster positive social transformation in the future EU Member States. They underline the impact of the acquis in the social field and the commitments undertaken within the framework of the European Social Charter of 1961 and the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers of 1989. In order to facilitate alignment of the economies of accession countries in developing in the same direction as those of EU Member States, Members encourage the formulation of feasible and country-specific targets for each of the EU 2020 headline targets. They also stress that, in order to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the enlargement strategy, the Copenhagen criteria must be fully respected and complied with by Member States as well, in order to avoid requiring applicant countries to meet higher standards than those applying in some EU Member States. To this effect, the Members stress the importance of defining the different stages more clearly, setting transparent and fair benchmarks throughout the process that translate the general membership criteria into concrete steps towards accession. A benchmark, once attained, should be sustained and that backsliding should elicit an appropriate response on the part of those setting the benchmarks. Stressing that the objective of the accession process is full EU membership, Members call on the Commission to maintain and further intensify its monitoring of progress in the accession process, as well as its assistance to candidate and potential candidate countries, so as to ensure that they achieve a high degree of preparedness. They also believe that the EU integration capacity of each candidate should be evaluated at an early stage (that is, in the Commissions opinion for each potential candidate state). In this context, Members emphasise that a successful enlargement process requires that the EU should maintain the capacity to act and develop with the financial resources to pursue its political objectives. Enlargement policies: welcoming the new negotiating approach for future negotiating frameworks, which prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs, Members call on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas. This focus on the areas in question should not be to the detriment of the efforts and progress made in the other areas. On the question of policies to be put in place by the candidates, Members highlight the main following priorities: the building of an efficient, independent and impartial judicial system and a transparent democratic political system that can strengthen the rule of law; the fight against corruption and organised crime; visa liberalisation; greater participation by civil society, non-state actors and social partners within the framework of a continuous dialogue; the enhancing of administrative capacities and human resources in order to make them capable of transposing, implementing and enforcing the acquis; recognition of the important role of social dialogue within the enlargement process and the development of enforcement mechanisms (such as labour inspection so as to protect workers and ensure respect for their social rights); more support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); the development of regional cooperation and facilitating genuine and lasting reconciliation (including the prosecution of war crimes, the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic, cultural and religious communities, and the protection of minorities); the strengthening of gender equality and anti-discrimination, including the rights of the LGBT community; putting in place the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. Other questions were raised such as improving the quality of the accession process by making it more merit-based and more transparent and benchmark-driven. From this perspective, Members recommend that the progress reports should be clearer in their assessments. The benchmarks should not set additional conditions for the candidate and potential candidate countries, but should translate the general membership criteria and the objectives of the EUs pre-accession assistance into concrete steps. The question of conflicts and good neighbourhood relations: Members take the view that any acceding state should resolve its main bilateral problems and major disputes with neighbours, particularly those concerning territorial issues, before it can join the Union. Therefore, they call on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes. All parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to impair implementation of the acquis should engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, if necessary, refer the matter to the International Court of Justice. In this context, the Commission and the Council are called upon to start developing, in accordance with the EU Treaties, an arbitration mechanism aimed at resolving bilateral and multilateral disputes. The IPA and the question of financing accession: Members urge the Commission to plan a non-decrease in real terms of overall funding for each beneficiary. Members note that this calculation should be made taking into consideration the following: a) the ratio of overall programmed IPA assistance to each countrys GDP should not decrease in relative terms; b) the number of countries with access to funding through the future instrument is likely to decrease with the accession of Croatia; c) with the suggested changes to the new Instrument serving to remove differentiation between countries on the basis of their candidacy status, more countries will be able to access funding. For a concerted communication policy: Members take the view that it is essential to accompany EU enlargement with a concerted communication policy, more effective and more transparent. In order to encourage support among EU citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continuing with reforms, it is crucial to present clear and comprehensive information on the political, socioeconomic and cultural benefits of enlargement. They consider it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how enlargement has brought new investment and export opportunities, and how it can contribute to attaining the EUs objectives in terms of promoting conflict prevention, tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, facilitating the free flow of labour, protecting the environment while improving living conditions as well as reducing social and economic imbalances. Prospects and the EUs strategic interests: Members consider that EU membership provides stability in the swiftly changing international environment, and that belonging to the European Union continues to offer the perspective of social development and prosperity. They are also of the opinion that enlargement is a long-term strategic interest of the EU. For their part, Members consider that the Parliament should remain fully committed to the prospect of enlargement. They recognise, however, that not all European states will choose to seek full membership and that some which do seek it will not fulfil the accession criteria. They recommend, therefore, that at the next general revision of the Treaties, without prejudice to any ongoing enlargement negotiations, Parliament should initiate a discussion on the introduction of a new category of associate membership of the Union. Members recall that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stress the importance of effective implementation. They consider that EU Member States should also be assessed for their continued compliance with the EUs fundamental values. Therefore, they call on the Commission to work out a detailed proposal for a monitoring mechanism, building on the provisions of Article 7 TEU and Article 258 TFEU. Noting that the global financial crisis and the difficulties of the eurozone, Members underline the importance of further consolidating economic and financial stability and fostering growth, also in the candidate and potential candidate countries so as to maintain sound public finances. It is therefore necessary to provide adequate and better-targeted pre-accession financial assistance. Members note the Commission's proposal for a new IPA, including increased financial support for the financial perspective 2014-2020. They also call for closer examination of the use of innovative financial instruments requiring coordination structures, such as, for example, the Western Balkans Investment Framework, which is complementary to the administrative structures for the IPA and has the goal of attracting and channelling support for priority areas. Members finally emphasised the need to focus the process of enlargement on a model of sustainable economic growth in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy.
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A7-0274/2012
summary
- 2012/09/13 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
- 2012/06/08 Amendments tabled in committee
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2012/06/06
Deadline Amendments
- 2012/04/03 Committee draft report
- 2012/03/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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2012/02/16
EP officialisation
Documents
- Committee draft report: PE486.099
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE487.935
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0274/2012
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0453/2012
Votes
A7-0274/2012 - Maria Eleni Koppa - § 24/2
2012/11/22
| Position | Total | ALDE | ECR | EFD | GUE/NGL | NI | PPE | S&D | Verts/ALE | correctional |
| For | 586 | 70 | 38 | 5 | 24 | 14 | 229 | 153 | 53 | 4 |
| Against | 31 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Abstain | 16 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
A7-0274/2012 - Maria Eleni Koppa - § 26/2
2012/11/22
| Position | Total | ALDE | ECR | EFD | GUE/NGL | NI | PPE | S&D | Verts/ALE | correctional |
| For | 532 | 71 | 40 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 234 | 160 | 1 | 1 |
| Against | 100 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 0 |
| Abstain | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
A7-0274/2012 - Maria Eleni Koppa - § 27
2012/11/22
| Position | Total | ALDE | ECR | EFD | GUE/NGL | NI | PPE | S&D | Verts/ALE | correctional |
| For | 592 | 70 | 38 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 229 | 159 | 55 | 1 |
| Against | 32 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Abstain | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A7-0274/2012 - Maria Eleni Koppa - Résolution
2012/11/22
| Position | Total | ALDE | ECR | EFD | GUE/NGL | NI | PPE | S&D | Verts/ALE | correctional |
| For | 571 | 71 | 41 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 224 | 158 | 54 | 1 |
| Against | 34 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abstain | 35 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
A7-0274/2012 - Maria Eleni Koppa - Resolution
2012/11/22
| Position | Total | ALDE | ECR | EFD | GUE/NGL | NI | PPE | S&D | Verts/ALE | correctional |
| For | 571 | 71 | 41 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 224 | 158 | 54 | 1 |
| Against | 34 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abstain | 35 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 302 |
2012/2025(INI) Enlargement: policies, criteria and EU's strategic interests
2012/08/06
AFET
287 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 – having regard to its resolutions of 13 December 2006 on the Commission communication on the Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2006-2007, of 10 July 2008 on the Commission's 2007 enlargement strategy paper, and of 26 November 2009 on the Commission's 2009 enlargement strategy paper concerning the Western Balkan countries, Iceland and Turkey, as well as the communication of the Commission on the Enlargement Strategy of 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) – having regard to the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) (COM(2011)0838/4),
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) – having regard to the Commission Communication on Enlargement and Main Challenges 2011-2012 of 12 October 2011,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) – having regard to the Council Conclusions of 5 December 2011 on Enlargement and the Stabilisation and Association Process,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) – having regard to the "positive agenda", launched in May 2012 between the Commission and Turkey,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 b (new) – having regard to the renewed enlargement consensus, adopted by the Council in 2006 and the consolidated enlargement strategy implemented by the Commission thereafter,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas, in accordance with Article 49 TEU, any European state which respects and remains fully committed to the promotion and implementation 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 common to the Member States, in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution 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 common to the Member States; should a European state fail to comply with this it may not apply;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution 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 and in particular of religious and ethnic minorities, may apply to become a member of the Union; whereas these values are common to the Member States;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution 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 rising from the six founding members to the current 27 (soon to be 28); whereas a further number of countries
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution 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 rising from the six founding members to the current 27 (soon to be 28); whereas a number of countries still aspire to become EU members, as a guarantee for a secure, democratic and prosperous future;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas the policy of integration over the past decade has shown that enlargement benefits the EU as a whole and allows it to be better positioned to address global challenges;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas enlargement has been a success
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas enlargement has been a success story for the EU and Europe as a whole
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution 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, enhancing conflict-prevention, stimulating reforms and consolidating liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, as well as the market economy and socially and ecologically sustainable development;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution 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 liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, as well as the market economy, despite the present negative consequences of the world economic crisis;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas although after 20 years
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas Parliament must contribute
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas the European Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the 1993 Copenhagen summit affirmed the prospects for membership of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe and set the criteria for accession; whereas the 2002 Copenhagen summit confirmed the European perspective of the countries of the Western Balkans; whereas the 2003 Thessaloniki summit set an agenda for the Western Balkans; whereas 20 years after the 1993 Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement and thereby increasing public support for this process;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement and thereby increasing public support for this process, both within Member States and within candidate or potential candidate countries; whereas the division among public opinion in Croatia concerning EU accession, a situation eventually decided by referendum, shows that candidate countries must not feel discriminated in relation to the EU Member States;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole, without prejudice to the ongoing negotiations with candidate countries the procedures and principles of which are governed by negotiating frameworks; whereas Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement and thereby increasing public support for this process;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas, 20 years after the Copenhagen summit, the moment has come for a general re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas the European Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of the enlargement process by echoing the opinions of the European citizens and thereby increasing public support for this process;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general critical re-evaluation of the accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a whole; whereas Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement and thereby increasing public support for this process;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the European Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement and thereby increasing public support for this process; whereas, following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the role of the European Parliament in providing democratic scrutiny over the enlargement policy has increased by, inter alia, introducing co-legislative power with regard to the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance; whereas the resolutions of the European Parliament on the enlargement countries should form an integral part of the political framework for assisting the pre-accession process;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has been a candidate state since December 2005, but the EU so far has been unable to open formal accession negotiations;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the re-evaluation of the accession criteria should take into account the possibility of internal enlargement inside the EU;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the prospect of EU accession has a significant impact on the legal system, socio-political, economic and cultural landscape of
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the prospect of accession has a significant transformative impact on the
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the prospect of accession has a significant impact on the socio-political, economic and cultural landscape of the countries wishing to join the EU, and acts as a powerful incentive for
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the prospect of accession has a
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. whereas it is of the utmost importance that Member States continue to fully respect and uphold the accession criteria and fundamental rights in order to strengthen the credibility and the consistency of the enlargement process and avoid any kind of discrimination towards potential new members;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. whereas a commitment to political, economic and legislative reforms is first and foremost in the best interest of the candidate and potential candidate countries and their citizens;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. whereas, commitment, conditionality and credibility have been situated at the core of the accession process;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country has to be judged on its own merits in fulfilling the same set of criteria; whereas the pace of the accession process should be dictated by
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each (potential) EU candidate country has to be judged on its own merits in
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country aspiring to EU membership has to be judged on its own merits in fulfilling the same set of criteria; whereas the pace of the accession process should be dictated by effective compliance with the 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;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country has to be judged on its own merits in fulfilling the same set of criteria; whereas the pace of the accession process should be dictated by effective compliance with the 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 perception of politically motivated division lines between founding states and new member states can limit societal mobilisation in the candidate and potential candidate countries to accomplish the accession conditions;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country has to be judged on its own merits in fulfilling the same set of criteria; whereas the pace of the accession process should be dictated by effective compliance with the accession criteria, as well as fulfilment of the priorities of the European and 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;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) F a. whereas the enlargement process has a significant impact also on the European Union itself, serving as an opportunity to better define its identity, goals, values and policies, and also as a suitable moment to better communicate these to its citizens;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution 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 members; whereas integration capacity is a major consideration and a prerequisite for the sustainability of enlargement policy and the overall integration process; whereas this consideration has been a
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution 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 members; whereas integration capacity is a major consideration and a prerequisite for the sustainability of enlargement policy and the overall integration process; whereas this consideration has been a
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution 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 members; whereas integration capacity is a major consideration and a prerequisite for the sustainability of enlargement policy and the overall integration process; whereas this consideration has been a positive incentive for institutional deepening, as demonstrated by the consecutive treaty revisions that have accompanied the different waves of enlargement, extending the functions and activities of the Union but should not be used as a pretext to deny or refuse the legitimate European aspirations of candidate, potential candidate or potential applicant countries;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution 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 members; whereas the integration capacity of the EU is a major consideration and a prerequisite for the sustainability of enlargement policy and the overall integration process; whereas this consideration has been a positive incentive for institutional deepening, as demonstrated by the consecutive treaty revisions that have accompanied the different waves of enlargement, extending the functions and activities of the Union;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas true reconciliation between different peoples and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between countries are essential to sustainable peace and stability and contribute substantially to a genuine European integration process,
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas true reconciliation between different
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas true reconciliation between different peoples and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between 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, hence all affected parties should work overtly towards the resolution of bilateral tensions;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas true reconciliation between different peoples and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between 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; whereas these issues should be resolved prior to accession;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas true reconciliation between different peoples, peaceful resolution of controversies and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between 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 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas true reconciliation between different nations and peoples and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between 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 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU to
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it,
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU to fulfil the promises already made
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible and long term policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU to fulfil, within a reasonable timeframe, the promises already made and to create the conditions for ensuring that future enlargements are successful;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU to fulfil the promises already made and to create the conditions for ensuring that future enlargements are successful, hence it is vital to define the appropriate success criteria;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly supports the enlargement process and believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU to fulfil the promises already made and to create the conditions for ensuring that future enlargements are successful;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution 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) 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 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis 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
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy; underlines, however, the need to
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis 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; calls on the Commission to make updated criteria clear and transparent to all candidate countries so that they are aware of all commitments that they undertake in order to become EU members;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy, especially the respect for and protection of human rights including protection of rights of national minorities; 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 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Considers that the concept of integration capacity comprises four elements: (i) accession states should contribute to and not impair the ability of the Union to maintain momentum towards the fulfilment of its political objectives; (ii) the institutional framework of the Union should be able to deliver efficient and effective government; (iii) the financial resources of the Union should be adequate to meet the challenges of social and economic cohesion and of the Union's common policies; (iv) a comprehensive communication strategy should be in place to inform public opinion about the implications of enlargement;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, amongst other things because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to reflect on possible options, including developing a set of social criteria, to address this deficiency and foster positive social transformation in the future EU Member States;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to reflect on possible options,
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to reflect on possible options
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of econom
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to reflect on possible options, including developing a set of social criteria, to address this deficiency and foster positive social transformation in the future EU Member States; furthermore, calls on the Commission to involve enlargement countries in its initiatives aiming at social inclusion - such as the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies -, to better mobilize the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) to this end, as well as to urge enlargement countries through the mechanism of the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAAP) to realize these goals; stresses that failure to comply with the EU's common basic social standards constitutes a form of social dumping which is detrimental to European enterprises and workers;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to reflect on possible options, including developing a set of social criteria, to address this deficiency and foster positive social transformation in the future EU Member States; stresses that failure to comply with the EU's common basic social standards constitutes a form of social dumping which is detrimental to European enterprises and workers; also stresses that maintaining big gaps between Member States and candidate countries, or even increasing them, weakens the social and the political cohesion; mentions that the perspective of building a European demos is endangered not so much by cultural differences, but by social gaps;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to attach the necessary importance and pay due attention to social justice and reflect on possible options, including developing a set of social criteria, to address this deficiency and foster positive social transformation in the future EU Member States; stresses that failure to comply with the EU's common basic social standards constitutes a form of social dumping which is detrimental to European enterprises and workers;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Is of the view that the set of accession criteria should be adequately translated into clear, specific and measurable objectives in the Instrument for Pre- accession Assistance (IPA) in order to clearly demonstrate the link between Union-funded policies in the enlargement countries and progress in meeting the general accession criteria;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Recognises the need for the economies of accession countries to develop in the same direction as those of EU Member States to facilitate alignment; encourages therefore accession countries to formulate feasible country-specific targets for each of the EU 2020 headline targets towards a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a candidate and/or potential candidate country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next, only
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process on a clear set of criteria, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage; notes, however, certain tendencies to exaggeration, and recommends avoiding requiring of candidate and potential candidate countries higher standards than those applying in the EU; stresses the importance of setting transparent and fair benchmarks throughout the process; it should also be clear that a benchmark, once attained, should be sustained and that backsliding should elicit the appropriate response on the part of those setting the benchmarks;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage; notes, however, certain tendencies to exaggeration, and recommends avoiding requiring of candidate and potential candidate countries higher standards than those applying in the EU; stresses the importance of setting transparent and fair benchmarks to measure whether the abovementioned conditions have been met throughout the process;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that countries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions are confirmed have been met at each stage; notes, however, certain tendencies to exaggeration, and recommends avoiding requiring of candidate and potential candidate countries higher standards than those applying in the EU; stresses the importance of setting transparent and fair benchmarks throughout the process;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Takes also the view that, within the enlargement process, the EU should make the distinction between the performance criteria that should and could be fulfilled better and/or faster before accession and the performance criteria that could be better and/or faster fulfilled after accession without hindering the EU internal macro-equilibriums; to this end, the EU must acknowledge that the acceding states cannot have the same level of development and performance as the already existing Member States, and therefore it has to request from the former a no bigger performance progress than the one necessary for a basic legislative, social, economic and institutional compatibility and interoperability between the acceding and the old Member States;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Stresses that the objective of the accession process is full EU membership and that this in no way should be turned into an open-ended process with delaying tactics leading to possible different solutions unless a new perspective has been agreed between the parties;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to maintain and further
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to maintain and further develop a toolbox that draws on conditionality, and to intensify its monitoring of progress in the accession process,
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to maintain and further develop a toolbox that draws on conditionality and experience from previous enlargements, and to intensify its monitoring of progress in the accession process, so as to ensure that candidate and potential candidate countries achieve a high degree of preparedness which will benefit both them and the EU;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to maintain and further develop a toolbox that draws on strict and fair conditionality, and to intensify its monitoring of progress in the accession process, so as to ensure that candidate and potential candidate countries achieve a high degree of preparedness which will benefit both them and the EU;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Considers it essential, in order to safeguard the post-accession integration within the Union, that by each accession treaty the Commission receives the power to monitor the Member States, both old and new ones, for a period of at least five years following every new EU accession event, as far as their compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, the basic principles of the economic, social and territorial cohesion and the obligation of cooperation in good faith among them are concerned; believes that in case of breaches related to the monitored obligations, the Commission must have the means to enhance appropriate measures going up to the suspension of the right of vote for a limited time; this post-enlargement mechanism may not be construed in a way which would grant the EU institutions more powers in relation with the new Member States than with the other members through the accession treaties or bilateral agreements;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission to examine, in cases of non-compliance and failure to fulfil obligations by candidate countries, the reasons behind this and, where appropriate to take corrective actions, not excluding the possibility of imposing sanctions or even, freezing the negotiation process;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be evaluated at an early stage and should be properly considered in the Commission's ‘opinion’ for each potential candidate state, outlining the major concerns in this regard; is of the view that a comprehensive impact assessment should then follow; insists that, if for objective reasons, the accession process of a certain state runs over an exceptionally long period of time, in order to certify its credibility and keep its dynamic, the EU may proceed with a gradual accession by granting the respective candidate state an interim status, which might go as far as sharing the policies and resources, as well as granting consultative voting rights in the decision making process of the institutions;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be evaluated at an early stage and should be properly considered in the Commission's ‘opinion’ for each potential candidate state, outlining the major concerns in this regard; is of the view that a comprehensive impact assessment should then follow; in this context, considers essential the Union's ability to act and take decisions democratically and efficiently, the overall contribution of the Union's financial resources to economic and social cohesion as well as the Union's capacity to pursue its political objectives;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU’s integration capacity should be evaluated at an early stage and should be properly considered in the Commission’s ‘opinion’ for each potential candidate state, outlining the major concerns in this regard; is of the view that a comprehensive impact assessment should then follow; in this context emphasises that a successful enlargement process requires that the EU should have the capacity to act and develop;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU’s integration capacity should be evaluated at an early stage and should be properly considered in the Commission’s ‘opinion’ for each potential candidate state, outlining the major concerns in this regard; is of the view that a comprehensive impact assessment should then follow; points out that enlargement should not be an end in itself;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be evaluated at an early stage and should be properly considered in the Commission's ‘opinion’ for each potential candidate state, outlining the major concerns in this regard and the ways to overcome them; is of the view that a comprehensive impact assessment should then follow;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that, in order to maintain the credibility of the enlargement process, the EU's integration capacity should be evaluated at an early stage and should be properly considered in the Commission's ‘opinion’ for each potential candidate state, outlining the eventual major concerns in this regard, should they exist; is of the view that a comprehensive impact assessment should then follow;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 bis (new) 6 a. Stresses the importance of the concept of integration capability, which includes the following elements: that the Union's capability to maintain its momentum in achieving its political goals should not be prejudiced by the acceding State; the development of an institutional framework capable of effective governance; adequate resources to meet the challenges of social and economic cohesion and for EU common policy, and also a comprehensive communication strategy in the terms defined in subsequent paragraphs;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the Council and the Member States to take a greater responsibility to live up to made commitments and to avoid blocking progress, as for example the long delay for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to open up the negotiations; underlines that the Member States carry a joint responsibility to work out solutions to such deadlocks;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach for future negotiating frameworks, that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that the corresponding chapters should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, a
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that the corresponding chapters should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, as they require the establishment of convincing track records; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas, and for the monthly pre-accession reports of the EU delegations to be
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that the corresponding chapters should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, as they require the establishment of convincing track records; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas, and for the monthly pre-accession reports of the EU delegations to be forwarded to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; notes, however, that the focus on the areas in question should not be to the detriment of the efforts and progress in the other areas outlined in the individual enlargement agendas of the candidate and potential candidate countries;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach for future candidate countries that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that, based on the fulfilment of obligations, the corresponding chapters should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, as they require the establishment of convincing track records; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas, and for the monthly pre-accession reports of the EU delegations to be forwarded to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach for future negotiating frameworks that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that the corresponding chapters should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, as they require the establishment of convincing track records; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas, and for the monthly pre-accession reports of the EU delegations to be forwarded to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution 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 need to ensure freedom of the media in law and in practice, as well as to effectively fight corruption
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution 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 need to ensure freedom of the media in law and in practice, as well as to effectively fight corruption and organised crime; is of the view that in doing that, the Commission must approach only questions of legislation and of institutional construction, in order to avoid politicking and personalizing the corruption issue; the Commission must avoid the transformation of the fight against corruption into a means for settling the political rivalries within the candidate states while acknowledging the transnational character of corruption and organized crime, sometimes involving the Member States as well;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution 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 need to ensure freedom of the media in law and in practice, as well as to effectively fight corruption and organised crime; calls, in this respect, on the Commission to take a firmer and more active and timely stance towards those Member States whose internal policies undermine the credibility of the EU in these fields;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution 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 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers it important to give adequate priority within enlargement policy to the building of an efficient, independent and impartial judicial system and a transparent democratic political system that can strengthen the citizens' confidence in the rule of law; underlines, at the same time, the need to ensure freedom of the media in law and in practice, as well as to effectively fight corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution 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 need to ensure freedom of the media and the internet in law and in practice, as well as to effectively fight corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Welcomes the new approach by the Commission in the European Neighbourhood Instrument, including the "more for more" and "mutual accountability" principles; reiterates in this regard also the position that the distribution of funds between the Eastern and Southern dimensions should be flexible and adequate for both regions while keeping the regional balance, with a performance-driven approach centred on commitments and progress as regards reforms in partner countries;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Stresses, nonetheless, that the specificities of each candidate country should be given due consideration and that the chapters addressing fundamental rights and the independence of justice should be prioritized only in negotiations with countries that face challenges in fully respecting these parts of the acquis;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Stresses that visa liberalisation is a good example of EU conditionality combining political and technical criteria with a desirable goal and tangible benefits; welcomes and supports, therefore, the efforts of the Commission and that of interested countries in this field;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 bis (new) 8 a. Points out that if a country scores lower than 6.0 in the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International1, that country should not be allowed to apply for EU membership; __________________ 1 Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International: http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/result s).
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Calls on the Commission to simplify the administration procedure and reduce the administrative burden for the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) funding, with the aim of making it more accessible to and enhance the participation of smaller and non- centralised civil organisations, trade unions and other beneficiaries;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors, particularly the social partners, in the accession process; stresses that
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process and calls on candidate and potential candidate countries to ensure their involvement at all stages; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; regards it essential that a structured dialogue between the Commission and all relevant bodies / structures of the candidate states' civil society (trade unions, professional NGOs, SMEs etc), is organized as a distinct dimension of the accession negotiations, in order to ensure the appropriate European integration at the societal level and the popular acceptance for the accession arrangements; within this context, is of the opinion that the involvement of civil society in the accession process can be a success only if NGOs act transparently and in a non- partisan manner, avoiding to become pseudo-parties or vehicles of national or transnational economic interest groups; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; underlines the importance of active and independent civil society organisations for democracy; emphasizes the importance of dialogue with and proper ENI funding for the civil society organisations; stresses the crucial role of civil society actors in contributing to enhanced regional cooperation on social and political aspects and democratic development; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility; stresses also the importance of facilitating contacts and cooperation between the European civil society organisations and their counterparts in candidate and potential candidate countries;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda and strengthening of the democratic support for the accession in the candidate countries; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process and thus urges the Commission to keep up continuous dialogue with civil society and non-state actors; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors from the candidate countries, as well as from the Member States; in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Encourages greater and meaningful participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an important engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; calls for additional financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Strongly emphasises the need to enhance administrative capacities and human resources able to transpose, implement and enforce the acquis; takes the view that processes in the framework of enlargement should not be merely 'technical' and stresses the need to make the screening process more connected to the realities on the ground; calls, therefore, on the Commission to involve NGOs, trade unions and major stakeholders, as appropriate, in this exercise;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. In recognition of the important role that social dialogue plays in EU decision- making, calls for stronger emphasis on strengthening the capacities of social partners and the role of social dialogue within the enlargement process; furthermore, asks for more attention for developing enforcement mechanisms such as labour inspection to protect workers, in order to ensure their social rights, health and safety standards and to combat exploitation of especially undeclared workers;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Is of the opinion that gender equality and anti-discrimination should be given further priority within the enlargement policy; encourages women's participation in the accession process and underlines the importance of mainstreaming gender equality policies;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9 b. Calls for greater engagement of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in the enlargement process; highlights its role in transmitting good practices to candidate and potential candidate countries, as well as in rallying civil society behind the cause of European integration in the EU; supports the further strengthening of dialogue between civil society organisations from the EU and the enlargement countries and encourages greater cooperation among the EESC, the Commission and the European Parliament;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9 c. Recalls that achieving sustainable economic recovery is a major challenge for most enlargement countries and underlines the need to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy; calls for strengthening support to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), critical for socio-economic progress in all enlargement countries, and urges the Commission to insist for priority reforms that create a favourable regulatory environment for innovative and high- potential SMEs; stresses, at the same time, the need for continued attention to the issues of a growing informal sector, high unemployment and integration of most vulnerable people in society;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Str
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Strongly believes in the need to promote a climate of
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution 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 accession process in regions with a
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Strongly believes in the need to promote a climate of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, as prerequisites for stability and as means of facilitating reconciliation; stresses that the peaceful co-existence of the majority and the traditional national minority communities is an art of living together rather than just next to each other; suggests therefore that the promotion of the teaching and learning of each others' history, language and cultural heritage during and after the accession process would facilitate the mutual understanding and the historical reconciliation; considers that the prosecution of war crimes and the reintegration of refugees and displaced persons must be fundamental elements of the accession process in regions with a recent history of conflict;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution 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; in this regard, reiterates that regional cooperation and unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations remain essential parts of the accession process; considers that the prosecution of war crimes and the reintegration of refugees and displaced persons must be fundamental elements of the accession process in regions with a recent history of conflict;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Strongly believes in the need to promote a climate of tolerance, non- discrimination, protection and integration of minorities, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, as prerequisites for stability and as means of facilitating reconciliation; considers that the prosecution of war crimes
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution 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, refusal of territorial claims towards third states and of secessionism and the return and
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Strongly believes in the need to promote a climate of tolerance, good neighbourly relations and regional and cross-border 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 accession process in regions with a recent history of conflict;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution 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 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Underlines the importance of the respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities and anti-discrimination policies and legislation; encourages the candidate and potential candidate countries that have yet to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and Protocol 12 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms to do so without further delay;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Emphasizes that, in order to avoid post accession social tensions and/or socio-economic imbalances within the enlarged Union, the Commission must promote pre-accession policies aimed at mitigating the structural social inequities, as well as to overcome the cultural cleavages within the acceding states prior to the time of accession; is of the view that the national integration of social and cultural minorities should be considered a priority, thus preventing their post accession mass displacement towards other Member States;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Stresses that equality between men and women as a fundamental right is a core value of the EU and a key principle in its external action as well as holding great potential for reaching the objectives of Europe 2020 by contributing to growth and full employment; therefore calls on the Commission to make the issue of women's rights central to negotiations with candidate countries;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Points to the particularly vulnerable situation of Roma people in most accession countries; calls on those countries to actively participate in the Decade for Roma Inclusion and to improve the social and economic position of Roma people, to ensure their access to housing and to guarantee their fundamental rights;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Calls for the assessment of the existence of anti-discrimination policies and the effective implementation thereof, to be an important part of the accession process so as to ensure discrimination is prohibited on all grounds; stresses that this assessment should include the rights of the LGBT community and the integration of minorities in political, social and economic life;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues should
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues should not represent or be used as an obstacle in the accession process, but should be addressed
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues should not represent or be used as an obstacle in the accession process
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues 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; highly recommends the resolution of major disputes with neighbours before the start of accession negotiations so that these negotiations are not negatively affected;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution 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 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues 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 and preferably before the opening of accession negotiations, 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 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues 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, or impose unilateral solutions, notwithstanding the obligation to fully comply with the acquis and respect the principles on which the EU itself is founded;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Reiterates its position that, for future negotiating frameworks, bilateral issues should be addressed in a constructive spirit and as early as possible, taking account of the EU's overall interests and its values, as well as the compliance of candidate countries with the accession criteria; stresses that the accession negotiations should fully comply with the acquis and respect the principles on which the EU itself is founded;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Believes that whenever the need to take controversial decisions on sensitive topics within a relatively short period of time after one or more states' accession can be anticipated, the Commission must make sure that the acceding states commit themselves to abstain blocking those decisions after their accession is accomplished;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and,
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution on the basis of norms and principles of international law and the decisions and documents approved in this framework, in particular UNSC resolutions and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice; stresses the utmost importance for the exercise of the right to self-determination at all times being in conformity with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and with the relevant norms of international law, including those relating to the territorial integrity of States;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to start developing, in accordance with the EU Treaties, a generally applicable arbitration mechanism aimed at solving bilateral issues between enlargement countries and Member States;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice; calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of creating an EU arbitration mechanism to solve bilateral or multilateral disputes;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice if appropriate or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice, or to work constructively within an intensive mediation mission;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of international law and the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, if appropriate, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to impair the implementation of the acquis or endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including frozen conflicts and border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Is of the opinion that all EU decisions recognizing the candidate status of an applicant state must be conceived as legally binding; consequently, is of the view that the Commission, the Member States and the candidate states must be entitled to appeal to the European Court of Justice whenever a European institution or one or more Member States attempt to hinder, delay or slow down the accession process and/or promote policies raising artificial barriers against the European integration efforts of the candidate states and/or adopt a discriminatory approach towards a candidate state, which cannot be justified by the respective state's specificity or the specific historical context within which its accession takes place;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Takes note of initiatives such as the positive agenda on Turkey
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Takes note of 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, but stresses that these initiatives must in no way replace the formal negotiation procedures, but to be in full line with the negotiating framework;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Takes note of recent new initiatives such as the 'positive agenda' on Turkey and the high-
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Takes note of initiatives such as the
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 bis (new) 13 a. Asks to put an immediate end to Turkey’s accession process because it is occupying an EU Member State, namely Cyprus;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Stresses that enlargement policy is
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Stresses that enlargement policy
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution 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 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Stresses that enlargement policy is an instrument for modernisation, democratisation and stabilisation, and also has the aim of strengthening the EU; 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 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Recommends that the accession negotiations and the whole political dialogue accompanying them are conducted in observance of the principle of full compatibility between the candidate states' accession and growth policies; in order to avoid that the fulfilling of the accession conditionalities generates the economic weakening of the candidate states, while observing the need to assure their smooth integration within the EU structures, the Commission must make the necessary recommendations to the Member States for the implementation of appropriate internal structural reforms in preparation for the accession of the new members;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Calls on the Commission to prepare an accession roadmap for possible new Member States emerging from inside the EU;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the accession process by making it more benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be more assertive and clearer in their demands;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the accession process by making it more benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the future accession process by making it more benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be more assertive and clearer in their demands; stresses that the benchmarks should not set additional conditions for the candidate and potential candidate countries, but should translate the general membership criteria into concrete steps towards accession, in full compliance with the negotiating framework;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the accession process by making it more benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be more assertive, predictable and clearer in their demands; stresses that the benchmarks should not set additional conditions for the candidate and potential candidate countries, but should translate the general membership criteria into concrete steps towards accession; points out that last minute changes of the accession criteria are harming the enlargement process and its credibility among candidate countries;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the accession process by making it more benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be more assertive and clearer in their demands; stresses that the benchmarks should not set additional conditions for the candidate and potential candidate countries, but should translate the general membership criteria and the objectives of the EU's pre-accession assistance into concrete steps and results towards accession;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the accession process by making it more merit based, benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be more assertive and clearer in their demands; stresses that the benchmarks should not set additional conditions for the candidate and potential candidate countries, but should translate the general membership criteria into concrete steps towards accession;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15 a. Emphasizes the utmost importance of the fight against corruption and organized crime for the success of the accession process; calls on the Commission to adopt a new approach to this issue by drawing attention of the authorities of aspirant countries to individual cases of systemic corruption; calls on to Commission to closely cooperate with GRECO and anti- corruption bodies in these countries; underlines that the new approach would be highly beneficial for the image of the Union among the citizens of the aspirant countries and would potentially facilitate the fight against corruption;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Recalls the need to accompany EU enlargement with a concerted and more effective and transparent communication policy involving all EU institutions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and representatives of civil society with a view to triggering an open and frank debate on the consequences of enlargement in both the public opinions of EU Member States and the ones of candidate countries;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Recalls the need to accompany EU enlargement with a concerted and more effective and transparent communication policy involving all EU institutions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and representatives of civil society; stresses that a similar communication policy should also be applied in the candidate countries in cooperation with all actors;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Highlights the need to identify synergies between joint bodies established under the Stabilisation and Association Agreements; proposes that joint meetings between Joint Parliamentary Committees and Civil Society Joint Consultative Committees – run by the EESC - be organised in the near future in order to reach out to a larger audience in the candidate countries;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs,
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU’s citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to provide them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio-economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuit of the enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can contribute to achieving the EU’s objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits and costs of enlargement; believes that the citizens of both the Member States and candidate countries must be informed about the costs of the enlargement process in order to avoid further discussion upon this subject; is of the view that the benefits on the long-term must also be emphasized; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people and trade unions, as well as key opinion-formers such as journalists, representatives of civil society and economic actors;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people and trade unions, as well as key opinion-formers such as journalists, representatives of civil society and economic actors; is of the view that similar efforts by candidate and potential candidate countries should be encouraged and supported;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people and trade unions, continued attention to education, the provision of the widest possible access to the internet, as well as key opinion-formers such as journalists, representatives of civil society and economic actors;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. . Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of promoting conflict- prevention, enhancing peaceful conflict- resolution, tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people and trade unions, as well as key opinion-formers such as journalists, representatives of civil society and economic actors;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain the support of the EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people, both men and women, and trade unions, as well as key opinion-formers such as journalists, representatives of civil society and economic actors;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Strongly believes that the EU can still attain
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution 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 concept, which cannot necessarily be measured in terms of short-term balance sheets;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Strongly believes that the EU
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Strongly believes that the EU can still attain great strategic benefits through enlargement policy; emphasises that EU membership
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution 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
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Strongly believes that the EU can still attain great strategic benefits through enlargement policy; believes that the Commission's communication strategy must emphasize that enlargement creates benefits not only for candidate countries, but also for Member States, by bringing new markets and business opportunities, as well as new assets in terms of sustainable geo-political security and stability; 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 concept, which cannot necessarily be measured in terms of short-term balance sheets; considers it important to take due account of its value as representing soft but nevertheless essential power for the EU; considers that EU enlargement is a necessary step for adapting to global economic and political competition;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement, and calls on the Member States to maintain the momentum of the enlargement process
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement, and calls on the Member States to maintain the momentum of the enlargement process by reconfirming the European perspective of every candidate and potential candidate country, notwithstanding the requirement of strict compliance with the Copenhagen criteria;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement, and calls on the Member States to maintain the momentum of the enlargement process by reconfirming the European perspective of every candidate and potential candidate country
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement, and calls on the Member States to maintain the momentum of the enlargement process by reconfirming the European perspective of every candidate and potential candidate country,
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement, and calls on the Member States to maintain the momentum of the enlargement process by reconfirming the European perspective of every candidate and potential candidate country, notwithstanding the requirement of strict compliance with the Copenhagen criteria; at the same time, calls on the European Council to consider granting a clearer European perspective to other European countries that have strong European aspirations and show commitment to do the necessary reforms, based on their progress; stresses its conviction that with the Lisbon Treaty the EU can both pursue its enlargement agenda and maintain the impetus of deeper integration;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Recognises, however, that not all European states will choose to seek full membership and some that do will not fulfil the accession criteria; recommends, therefore, that at the next general revision of the Treaties European Parliament initiates a discussion on the introduction of a new category of associate membership of the Union;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Calls, furthermore, for the development of a credible long-term strategy for those European non-EU countries that, based on the provisions of Article 49 of the Lisbon Treaty, may apply for EU membership in the future;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Recalls that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stresses the importance of effective implementation;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Recalls that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stresses the importance of effective implementation; considers that in order to maintain the credibility of the accession conditions,
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Recalls that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stresses the importance of effective implementation; considers that in order to maintain the credibility of the accession conditions, existing Member States should
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Recalls that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stresses the importance of effective implementation both of the acquis and of the Copenhagen criteria; considers that in order to maintain the credibility of the accession conditions, existing Member States should also be assessed for their continued compliance with the EU's fundamental values and the fulfilment of their commitments concerning the functioning of democratic institutions and the rule of law; calls on the Commission to work out a detailed proposal for a monitoring mechanism, building on the provisions of Article 7 TEU and Article 258 TFEU;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Recalls that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stresses the importance of their effective implementation and respect in the long term; considers that in order to maintain the credibility of the accession conditions, existing Member States should also be assessed for their continued compliance with the EU's fundamental values and the fulfilment of their commitments concerning the functioning of democratic institutions and the rule of law; calls on the Commission to work out a detailed proposal for a monitoring mechanism, building on the provisions of Article 7 TEU and Article 258 TFEU;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 – point a (new) (a) Considers that the mandate of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) should be reviewed to include the necessary competences to regularly monitor the situation of democracy and the rule of law after accession, and be given adequate resources; is of the view that this monitoring activity should in the future also cover the monitoring of the situation in all EU Member States; asks the FRA to publish annual situation reports and present them to the European Parliament;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 – point b (new) (b) Calls on the Commission to activate a monitoring mechanism, akin to the cooperation and verification mechanism introduced in the field of judiciary after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, in the case the FRA finds in its report serious breaches of democracy and the rule of law in the EU Member States;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 – point c (new) (c) Awaits with great interest the assessments that were to be launched in December 2011 further to Article 30 of the FRA Regulation (n°168/2007); asks the Commission to include the monitoring activities described under point (a) in its proposal for a revision of the Regulation further to Article 31 paragraph 2 of the Regulation;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes that the global financial crisis and the difficulties in the eurozone have highlighted th
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes that the global financial crisis and the difficulties in the eurozone have highlighted the interdependence of national economies, both within and beyond the EU; emphasises, therefore, the importance of further consolidating economic and financial stability and
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes that the global financial crisis and the difficulties in the eurozone have highlighted the interdependence of national economies, both within and beyond the EU; emphasises, therefore, the importance of further consolidating economic and financial stability and fostering growth, also in the candidate and potential candidate countries;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes that the global financial crisis and the difficulties in the eurozone have highlighted the interdependence of national economies, both within and beyond the EU; emphasises, therefore, the importance of further consolidating economic and financial stability and fostering growth, also in the candidate and potential candidate countries; in these difficult circumstances, stresses the need to provide adequate and better targeted pre-accession financial aid to candidate and potential candidate countries; welcomes the
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes that the global financial crisis and the difficulties in the eurozone have highlighted the interdependence of national economies, both within and beyond the EU; emphasises, therefore, the importance of further consolidating economic and financial stability and fostering growth, also in the candidate and potential candidate countries; strongly opposes the requirement that all candidate countries should join the eurozone; in these difficult circumstances, stresses the need to provide adequate pre-accession financial aid to candidate and potential candidate countries; welcomes the increase proposed by the Commission for the financial perspective 2014-2020; stresses, in this regard, the need to simplify and speed up procedures, as well as to strengthen the administrative capacity of the beneficiary countries, in order to ensure a high level of participation in EU programmes and to enhance absorption capacity;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States and of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Kosovo, Montenegro,
source: PE-487.935
2012/10/04
BUDG
15 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that a streamlined, forward- looking enlargement policy could be a valuable strategic tool for the EU's and the region's economic development, and should aim to create budgetary synergies
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that a streamlined, forward- looking enlargement policy could be a valuable strategic tool for the EU's and the region's economic development, and should aim to create budgetary synergies with national, EU and
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the suggested increase of 7.3 % in the Instrument for Pre-Accession for the next multiannual financial framework (from EUR 11.668 billion in 2007–2013 to EUR 12.520 billion in 2014–2020, in constant 2011 prices1 ) and welcomes the proposed changes, in particular as regards enhanced differentiation of assistance according to the specific needs of each beneficiary country, incentives for good performance, the sector-based approach, conditionalities, transparency and accountability, and the improved use of instruments and collaboration with partners to create greater financial and policy leverage; calls for simplification of funding rules that should lead to reduction of the administrative burden and enhance the participation of civil society and non-governmental organisations in funding programmes; favours the continuation of the support to institutional reforms and public sector capacity building with the view of establishing reliable institutional structures for the management of funds in beneficiary countries; emphasizes the need for continuous efforts in the fight against corruption;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the suggested increase of 7.3 % in the Instrument for Pre-Accession for the next multiannual financial framework (from EUR 11.668 billion in 2007–2013 to EUR 12.520 billion in 2014–2020, in constant 2011 prices1) and welcomes the proposed changes, in particular as regards enhanced differentiation of assistance according to the specific needs of each beneficiary country, incentives for good performance, the sector-based approach, conditionalities, transparency and accountability, and the improved use of instruments and collaboration with partners to create greater financial and policy leverage and develop new partnerships;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Urges the Commission to plan a non- decrease in real terms of overall funding for each beneficiary; notes that this calculation should be made while taking into consideration that: first of all, cumulative real GDP growth for the period 2007-2013 of each beneficiary country, except Croatia, would range between 10 and 30%1; second of all, the number of countries with access to funding of the future Instrument decreases with the accession of Croatia which potentially changes the comparative distribution within the pool of funding; third of all, with suggested changes to the new Instrument to remove differentiation between countries based on their candidacy status, more countries would have access to funding in policy areas focusing on socio-economic development previously inaccessible for countries without a candidate status; in that context, recommends that no beneficiary is precluded from sufficient and fair access to funding due to limited EU resources, especially in the policy area of institution-building; __________________ 1 Own estimates, based on DG-Budget figures and forecasts for candidate countries; in addition, forecasts for real growth of potential candidates based on reports from an independent forecasting entity
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Underlines that the goals of Europe 2020 are built around universal principles which have been a strong driver for economic well-being;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Underlines that the goals of Europe 2020 are built around universal principles which have been a strong driver for economic well-being; therefore, recommends that progress on flagship initiatives is included in the pre-accession dialogue and incentivised with additional funding; considers that a low-carbon growth model merits special attention and should be actively implemented during the enlargement process;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Underlines that the goals of Europe 2020 are built around universal principles which have been a strong driver for economic well-being; therefore, recommends that progress on flagship initiatives is included in the pre-accession dialogue and incentivised with additional funding; in particular with regard to the initiative "European Platform against poverty" bearing in mind the crucial socio- economic problems these countries have to face with scarce public resources;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Highlights the systemic importance of national fiscal stability and the increased EU focus on economic governance within the realms of European legislation; thus, recommends that the pre-accession dialogue addresses the role of sound public finances; also recommends that the goals of the enlargement policy are carefully aligned to reflect the growth-oriented EU agenda to modernise the economy, boost competitiveness, improve conditions for SMEs and tackle youth unemployment;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Highlights the systemic importance of national fiscal stability and the increased EU focus on economic governance; thus, recommends that the pre-accession dialogue addresses the role of sound public finances; also recommends that the goals of the enlargement policy are carefully aligned to reflect the growth-oriented EU agenda to modernise the economy, boost competitiveness, improve conditions for SMEs and tackle youth unemployment; stresses the importance of including civil society and social partners in the accession process; recalls the need to foster participation of civil society organisations in the funding programmes;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Insists that candidate countries should make full use of the learning curve and period of exposure to the instrument for pre-accession assistance in order to improve their administrative capacity and ensure a successful absorption of EU funds;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls for closer examination of the use of innovative financial instruments, such as the Western Balkans Investment Framework, complimentary to IPA with a goal to channel supports to priority areas; emphasises the potential of using a combination of IPA funds, national funds, loans and other external instruments for big infrastructure projects under the condition that good financial management and the coordination of key actors is ensured;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Underlines the importance of providing a sufficient level of resources for both pre- and post-accession assistance, highlighting that adequate allocations of funds early in the process should create the necessary institutional and economic conditions for a lesser involvement at a later stage;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses the need for candidate and potential candidate countries to make improvements in the fields of democracy, human rights, and reconciliation processes, which should be permanent priorities of the enlargement process and mirrored in financial instruments; reminds in this regard of the importance of financial assistance taking into account the need for restoration of cultural heritage in conflict areas, bearing in mind the role this has in building confidence and inclusiveness between different ethnic and religious communities;
source: PE-487.688
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