2004 2009
Committee on Foreign Affairs
29.10.2007 PE396.481v01-00
AMENDMENTS 1-170
Draft report (PE390.404v02-00) Cem Özdemir EU Strategy for Central Asia (2007/2102(INI))
Motion for a resolution
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 1 Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the EU's increased focus on Central Asia, of which the adoption of the Central Asia strategy is the clearest expression; stresses that the EU's approach to human rights should not contrast with its more robust approach to energy, security and trade;
Or. en
Amendment by Jas Gawronski
Amendment 2 Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the EU's increased focus on Central Asia, of which the adoption of the Central Asia strategy is the clearest expression; notes, however, the slowness of implementation of the projects for the five countries;
Or. it
AM\689201EN.doc PE396.481v01-00 EN EN Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 3 Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the EU's increased focus on Central Asia, of which the adoption of the Central Asia strategy, together with the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Central Asia in November 2006, is the clearest expression;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 4 Paragraph 2
2. Is convinced that, while the values which the EU must promote always remain the same, the EU's interests, as well as prevailing conditions and opportunities in the five countries of the region, differ widely; in this context welcomes the fact that the Commission and Council in their relations with Central Asia take seriously the differing levels of development of the countries of the region and their major political, cultural and economic differences and take these differences into account;
Or. de
Amendment by Nirj Deva
Amendment 5 Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for the EU in its relations with Central Asia to take fully into account the differing levels of development of the countries of Central Asia and their cultural, political and economic differences;
Or. en
Amendment by Charles Tannock
Amendment 6 Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. In this context welcomes the fact that the EU in its relations with Central Asia takes
PE396.481v01-00 2/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN into account the different levels of social and economic development of the different countries of Central Asia in planning future partnership and cooperation;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 7 Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the definition of clear objectives and priorities for the EU's relations with each of the five countries, drawing on the general analysis of the region and the general catalogue of EU policy objectives contained in the EU strategy adopted; is convinced that it was vital for the EU’s Central Asia strategy, as a political framework for EU activities in Central Asia, to be formulated in regional terms, in order to address effectively topics which can only be resolved at regional level;
Or. de
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė, Philippe Morillon on behalf of the ALDE Group
Amendment 8 Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for the gradual inclusion of Afghanistan and Mongolia in EU regional policy towards Central Asia;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks
Amendment 9 Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Regrets the fact that in the Council’s strategy on Central Asia, Mongolia is not included among the countries referred to collectively as Central Asia (Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), especially in view of the substantial progress made by Mongolia in establishing a state based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the region; calls on the Council and Commission to seek a resolution at EU level and prepare a statement about Mongolia’s development;
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 3/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 10 Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Urges the Council and Commission to ensure that all sectors of society in each country are integrated in the political dialogue and partnership with the EU and to involve a broader range of actors in its policy, particularly parliaments and civil society;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 11 Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the importance of the EU's promotion of fair and sustainable economic development in the region, its support for local initiatives for economic development and for reforms in the business regulatory framework as well as the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development;
Or. en
Amendment by Jas Gawronski
Amendment 12 Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Believes that the EU must speak with one voice on energy policy, in view of the presence in the region of projects of major interest to Europe in terms of energy supply;
Or. it
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 13 Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the EU should move away from treating Central Asia as a unified region and support regional cooperation and integration as longer-term goals and
PE396.481v01-00 4/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN that it should concentrate mainly on working on country-specific issues in relation to individual countries where reasonable prospects for success exist;
Or. en
Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 14 Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the EU should support regional cooperation where this is possible and compatible with the EU's values and interests, but that it should concentrate mainly on working on specific issues in relation to individual countries where reasonable prospects for success exist; emphasises in the same sense the importance of further developing inter-regional cooperation, in particular with the countries of the Black Sea region;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano
Amendment 15 Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the strengthening of political dialogue with the Central Asian countries and calls on the Commission to ensure that social as well as human rights issues do not come second to the economic and financial interests of the countries of Central Asia and the European Union in the fields of energy, construction and commerce;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 16 Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that reforms of social sectors, health, food security, the fight against corruption and a focus on sustainable and fair economic development are crucial to ensuring long-term stability, security and prosperity in Central Asian countries; is of the opinion, therefore, that the process of assessing needs at the national and regional levels provides a clear opportunity for the EU to gain visibility and credibility in an open dialogue with all stakeholders, including civil society, parliaments and local authorities;
AM\689201EN.doc 5/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Or. en
Amendment by Tunne Kelam
Amendment 17 Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the importance of cross-border cooperation, especially in understanding that common efforts to combat the trafficking of human beings and drugs will be more efficient thereby; urges the EU institutions, therefore, to provide technical help where needed, especially in spreading know-how and acting as mediator in encouraging dialogue between the Central Asian countries;
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 18 Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Believes that inclusion in the WTO is an important achievement for the economic stability of the region, but that this goal can be achieved only by respecting international standards for foreign investment and by having an independent judiciary;
Or. en
Amendment by Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, Emilio Menéndez del Valle
Amendment 19 Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that, as health is a human right and given the strong rise of infectious diseases in the region, specifically HIV/AIDS and STIs, health, including sexual and reproductive health, and rights should be a key priority in the strategy;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 6/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 20 Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Strongly emphasises that the EU must keep a clear stance on human rights and its values as the first step towards democratization and the economic development of the region;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 21 Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Emphasises that the EU's support for health system reforms and the fight against infectious diseases in the region should be a priority;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 22 Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Council and the Commission to cooperate closely with Central Asian countries in the implementation of educational reforms as well as to help to reform the "propiska" system (the legal requirement of a housing registration stamp that an individual gets in his or her passport when registering as a citizen) by de-linking a citizen's civil and social rights from property ownership;
Or. en
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 23 Paragraph 7
7. In this regard, calls on the Council and the Commission, in order to make democracy and human rights an integral part of the Central Asia strategy, to set (deletion) indicators and targets in these areas in cooperation with the Central Asian partner countries;
AM\689201EN.doc 7/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Or. de
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano
Amendment 24 Paragraph 7
7. In this regard, calls on the Council and the Commission, in order to make democracy and human rights an integral part of the Central Asia strategy, to set clear benchmarks, indicators and targets in these areas, as has been done in the other fields of cooperation; calls on the Council and the Commission to pay particular attention to the release of political prisoners and to the independence of the media;
Or. en
Amendment by Adrian Severin
Amendment 25 Paragraph 7
7. In this regard, calls on the Council and the Commission, in order to make democracy, good governance, the rule of law and human rights an integral part of the Central Asia strategy, to set clear benchmarks, indicators and targets in these areas, as has been done in the other fields of cooperation;
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 26 Paragraph 7
7. In this regard, calls on the Council and the Commission to maintain a consistent and united front on human rights issues and to make democracy and human rights an integral part of the Central Asia strategy, and to set clear benchmarks, indicators and targets in these areas, as has been done in the other fields of cooperation;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 8/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 27 Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to offer special assistance for reform and improvement of judiciary in the region in order to enable it to work with greater independence and effectiveness, including in the fight against corruption;
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 28 Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that EU contacts with security structures or support for security cooperation involving highly repressive states should be minimised and that any such contacts should always be conducted transparently; (deletion)
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 29 Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that EU contacts with security structures or support for security cooperation involving highly repressive states should be minimised and that any such contacts should always be conducted transparently; welcomes the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Mr Pierre Morel; stresses however that the mandate of the Special Representative should be better defined so as to enable him to play a more effective role, including by contributing to the better coordination of Member States' policies in the region;
Or. en
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 30 Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that EU contacts with security structures or support for security cooperation (deletion) should be minimised and that any such contacts should always
AM\689201EN.doc 9/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN be conducted transparently; welcomes the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Mr Pierre Morel;
Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 31 Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Mr Pierre Morel, and calls on the Council to provide him with the necessary means to carry out his mandate;
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 32 Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses with regard to the challenge of terrorism that enhancing cooperation on security is important, but that any approach to combating radicalisation and extremism that does not balance security needs with human rights and good governance is self-defeating; calls on the Council and the Commission to promote good governance, human rights and democracy, as well as education and economic prosperity, through the political dialogue and assistance programs, and to consider engaging with the religious community in Central Asia, including not only officially sanctioned structures and institutions, but also unofficial ones, particularly women’s religious institutions;
Or. en
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 33 Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Considers that active cooperation on migration, along the lines of the mobility partnerships in the context of the ENP, should be contemplated as part of the European Union’s Central Asia strategy; takes the view that this might permit the active management of migratory flows, with a view to counteracting illegal migration while at the same time improving opportunities for legal migration into the European Union;
PE396.481v01-00 10/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 34 Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Considers that the EU should encourage responsible and sustainable use of the region's natural resources, including through promoting revenue transparency via support to state and NGO' participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), where relevant;
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 35 Paragraph 9
9. Supports EU efforts to increase oil and gas imports from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and to diversify transit routes; calls for active EU energy cooperation (deletion) with the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and, if possible, Uzbekistan, in order to address energy problems of particular importance to their huge human and economic development needs, difficult inter-state relations and precarious security of supply;
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 36 Paragraph 9
9. Supports EU efforts to increase oil and gas imports from the region and diversify transit routes; calls for active energy cooperation, investing in the development of alternative energy sources, energy efficiency and energy saving, and new infrastructures in the energy sector with modernisation of the existing ones, with a view to supporting human and economic development objectives, reducing risks of conflict and contributing to efforts to mitigate global climate change;
Or. es
AM\689201EN.doc 11/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 37 Paragraph 9
9. Supports EU efforts to increase oil and gas imports from the region and diversify transit routes; calls for active energy cooperation, in particular with the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and, if possible, Uzbekistan, with a view to supporting human and economic development objectives, reducing risks of conflict and contributing to efforts to mitigate global climate change; believes that further strengthened cooperation between Central Asia and the Black Sea region in the fields of energy and transportation is essential for the accomplishment of the above mentioned goals of the EU;
Or. en
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 38 Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Highlights the geopolitical situation of Central Asia and the growing interest of other economic and political powers, such as Russia, the United States and China, in the region; considers therefore that close cooperation with Central Asia is very important;
Or. en
Amendment by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 39 Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Asks that special attention be given to projects connecting oil and gas fields and the distribution system of Central Asia to pipelines connecting with the European Union, including to future projects such as Nabucco;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 12/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 40 Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges the Commission to mobilise, in coherent fashion, all the instruments at its disposal, from political dialogue and Community policies (especially those for trade, development, competition, research and the environment) to subsidies and loans, including those of the EIB, the EBRD and other international financial institutions, with a view to accelerating the realisation of these projects;
Or. es
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano
Amendment 41 Paragraph 10
10. Notes that Tajikistan, which lacks natural resources such as oil and gas, is one of the 20 poorest countries in the world, and that there are very serious concerns about the level of exploitation there, as well as in Uzbekistan, of women and children in pursuit of what is effectively a cotton monoculture;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 42 Paragraph 12
12. deleted
Or. de
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 43 Paragraph 13
13. Takes the view that developing and supporting a genuine civil society is a prerequisite for any progress; deplores the difficult situation of NGOs in some of the Central Asian states, whose activities are continuously hampered by governments; stresses that the EU must continue to support civil society, both through financial assistance and by ensuring visibility (through fora and consultation), which would help to build up a
AM\689201EN.doc 13/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN participatory democracy; is of the opinion that the EU should consider civil society as a partner in contributing to sustainable societies, social stability and the promotion of the EU's values and standards;
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 44 Paragraph 13
13. Takes the view that developing and supporting a genuine civil society is a prerequisite for any progress; urges the Commission to continue to support human rights and democracy projects, particularly in as far as they relate to women; deplores the difficult situation of NGOs in some of the Central Asian states, whose activities are continuously hampered by governments;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 45 Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Underlines that the situation of women and women's rights is deteriorating due to unequal access to education, health and employment, and stresses that the third Millennium Goal of promoting gender equality and empowering women should become a priority and a benchmark for the EU's strategy;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 46 Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Urges the EU to maintain a twin-track approach to gender in the region by mainstreaming across all other activities and specific actions and by emphasising gender and women's empowerment;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 14/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 47 Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Stresses that the EU must take a clear stance on women's rights as a fundamental aspect of the rule of law, support specific actions and reforms in relation to women's empowerment and recognize the specific role of women;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 48 Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Urges the EU to support the full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and use it as a benchmark for deeper cooperation;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 49 Paragraph 14
14. Condemns the persecution of human rights defenders in Central Asia in general; calls on the Council and the Commission to make every effort to protect their activities and physical integrity, and calls on the relevant governments to guarantee a fair trial for all human rights defenders imprisoned or compulsorily detained in psychiatric hospitals and/or for political reasons;
Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 50 Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Draws attention to the problem of child labour and forced labour in the region with regard, in particular, to cotton harvesting, the cultivation of tobacco and coal mining, in spite of measures adopted by some of the governments concerned; calls on the relevant authorities to fully implement the relevant laws and to step up
AM\689201EN.doc 15/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN controls in order to make them more stringent and effective; urges the Commission to set up a special programme within the framework of DCI on this matter;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 51 Paragraph 15
deleted
Or. en
Amendment by par Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 52 Paragraph 15
deleted
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 53 Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Takes the view that the EU strategy has also to focus on the public health sector since this has until now largely been left to the Member States; believes that, given the dire status of public health in the region, it deserves the concentrated and coordinated attention of the donor community as a whole, including the Commission;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 16/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 54 Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Urges the Commission to develop a real and participatory dialogue on migration, where the root causes of migration, such as the lack of economic prospects in rural areas, should be addressed, and to help mitigate its effects, such as the increase in urban poverty, through specific local economic development programmes;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 55 Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Urges the Council and the Commission to make full use of their experience and best practice in promoting human rights protection for migrants, especially for asylum seekers and refugees;
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 56 Paragraph 16
16. Urges the Commission to proceed without further delay to set up full delegations in all Central Asian countries where the circumstances so permit, as a full presence on the ground is a precondition for effective EU action; notes plans to set up a full delegation in Bishkek and Dushanbe in 2008, which will significantly increase the EU's visibility in the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan and should lead to a strengthening of cooperation;
Or. en
Amendment by Pasqualina Napoletano, Katrin Saks, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 57 Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Condemns the forced extradition of asylum seekers, and in particular Uzbek refugees, by the governments of Central Asian countries, and calls on the Council
AM\689201EN.doc 17/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN and the Commission to cooperate with the UNHCR to defend and support political refugees; Or. en
Amendment by Pasqualina Napoletano, Katrin Saks, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 58 Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Strongly encourages EU support for education and training, thereby offering greater possibilities for Central Asian students to study in the EU, and for exchanges with students from EU universities;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 59 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; (deletion)
Or. en
Amendment by Alojz Peterle
Amendment 60 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; stresses, in this regard, China's, Russia's, Turkey's and the United States' key role in Central Asia, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of these countries' historical relations with and strong presence in the region, fully involving them in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 18/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Adrian Severin
Amendment 61 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region, as well as between the EU and other interested states; stresses, in this regard, Turkey's key role in Central Asia, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of Turkey’s historical relations with the region, fully involving that EU candidate country in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 62 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; stresses, in this regard, Turkey's key role in some of the countries in the region, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of Turkey’s historical relations with the region, fully involving that EU candidate country in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. en
Amendment by Ria Oomen-Ruijten
Amendment 63 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; stresses, in this regard, Turkey's key role in Central Asia, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of Turkey’s close relations with countries in the region, fully involving that EU candidate country in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. nl
AM\689201EN.doc 19/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Jas Gawronski
Amendment 64 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; stresses, in this regard, Turkey's key role in Central Asia, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of Turkey’s historical, economic and social relations with the region, fully involving that EU candidate country in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. it
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 65 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; stresses, in this regard, Turkey's key role in Central Asia, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of Turkey’s historical and cultural relations with the region, fully involving that EU candidate country in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. en
Amendment by Metin Kazak
Amendment 66 Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Council and the Commission to find ways to improve the coordination of the individual actions and policies of EU Member States in the region; stresses, in this regard, Turkey's key role in Central Asia, and calls on the Council and the Commission to make the most of Turkey’s historical and cultural relations with the region, fully involving that EU candidate country in the development and implementation of the strategy;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 20/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 67 Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Takes the view that the European Union has to explore areas of possible co- operation with Russia and China, identifying those areas where interests coincide without conflicting with concerns over human rights;
Or. en
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 68 Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Notes that the funding allocated to the region under the TACIS programme ran out at the end of 2006; stresses that the new ENP instrument should be provided with the appropriate funding for the region;
Or. de
Amendment by Charles Tannock
Amendment 69 Paragraph -19 (new) (under Heading Kazakhstan)
-19. Welcomes the initiative to strategically reinforce relations with neighbours of the Eastern ENP countries, in particular the countries of Central Asia; points out, in this respect, that links could be developed between the ENP ad the recently adopted Central Asia strategy; stresses that, given Kazakhstan's key political, economic and energy role in this region, as well as its distinctive and successful secular multi- ethnic structures, serious consideration should be given to ways of involving it in the ENP, with the possible grant to it in the future of full ENP country status, subject however to the condition that it undertakes extensive political reforms, with special attention to be paid to respect for human rights and democratic principles;
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 21/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda, Katrin Saks
Amendment 70 Paragraph -19 a (new) (under Heading Kazakhstan)
-19a. Welcomes Kazakhstan’s interest in strengthening cooperation with the European Union and recognizes the mutual importance of reinforced political and economic relations between the EU and Kazakhstan; considers that the EU should continue its approach of positive engagement towards Kazakhstan but emphasises that the development of EU-Kazakhstan relations cannot be disconnected from Kazakhstan’s efforts to honour its international and OSCE obligations in the field of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy;
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 71 Paragraph 19
deleted
Or. en
Amendment by Charles Tannock
Amendment 72 Paragraph 19
deleted
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 73 Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that Kazakhstan is a key ally and strategic partner in the fight against international terrorism, drug trafficking and religious fundamentalism; urges the Council and Commission to support the government and civil society in Kazakhstan with a view to the further promotion of the rule of law and the holding of democratic elections in the future; notes once again the importance it attaches to cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union in the economic, political
PE396.481v01-00 22/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN and cultural spheres;
Or. de
Amendment by Nirj Deva
Amendment 74 Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the last general election, held on 18 August 2007, failed (deletion) to meet OSCE and other international standards, in particular with regard to elements of the new legal framework and to the vote count; nonetheless draws attention to the fact that having made considerable progress, Kazakhstan is potentially now the region's most democratic country, with elections to the Majilis (lower house) showing welcome progress in both the pre-election process and conduct during the vote itself;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 75 Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the last general elections, held on 18 August 2007, failed, despite some improvements, to meet OSCE and other international standards; expresses its concern that all the seats in the Parliament were taken by the ruling, pro-presidential party, which will lead to monopolisation of power on the part of President Nazarbayev and his supporters; calls upon the Kazakh Government to abolish all disproportionate restrictions on the registration of new political parties, for example the unrealistic number of members (50 000) necessary to form a political party;
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 76 Paragraph 19
19. Notes that, in the absence of decisive progress towards meeting democratic standards, Kazakhstan cannot currently be regarded as ready to assume the presidency of the OSCE, and strongly encourages Kazakhstan to make the necessary progress in order to make its bid successful;
AM\689201EN.doc 23/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 77 Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the last parliamentary elections, held on 18 August 2007, failed, despite some improvements, to meet OSCE and other international standards; notes that, in the absence of decisive progress towards meeting democratic standards, Kazakhstan cannot currently be regarded as ready to assume the presidency of the OSCE; (deletion)
Or. en
Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 78 Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the last general elections, held on 18 August 2007, failed, despite some improvements, to meet OSCE and other international standards; notes that, in the absence of decisive progress towards meeting democratic standards, Kazakhstan cannot currently be regarded as ready to assume the presidency of the OSCE, and strongly encourages Kazakhstan to make the necessary progress, particularly in the fields of electoral law and freedom of the media, in order to be able and ready to assume this presidency;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 79 Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Underlines that while the 18 August 2007 elections for the Majilis (lower house) of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan showed welcome progress in the pre- election process and the conduct of the vote, a number of OSCE commitments and Council of Europe standards were however not met, in particular with regard to elements of the new legal framework and to the vote count;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 24/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 80 Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes that, if no decisive progress towards meeting democratic standards is made, Kazakhstan cannot be regarded as ready to assume the presidency of the OSCE, and strongly encourages Kazakhstan to make the necessary progress in order to make its bid successful; calls on Kazakhstan to comply with the rules of the OSCE and to fulfil its other international obligations, especially in the fields of political pluralism, transparency, media freedom and freedom of speech;
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 81 Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Urges the government to move more determinedly towards a democratic institutional system, recalling the continuous progress that has been made since Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991;
Or. es
Amendment by Nirj Deva
Amendment 82 Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes that Kazakhstan is a key ally and strategic partner in the fight against international terrorism, drug trafficking and religious fundamentalism; calls on the Council and the Commission to prioritise support for the Government of Kazakhstan as well as its civil society with a view to building a legal state as well as to the further promotion of democratic elections in the future;
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 83 Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Stresses Kazakhstan's importance for the EU's trade in energy, as its main trading
AM\689201EN.doc 25/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN partner in Central Asia; recalls the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding focused on promoting cooperation with the EU with a view to developing safe energy and industrial cooperation; notes, recalling that Kazakhstan has the world's third largest uranium reserves, that this memorandum has been complemented by an agreement on energy cooperation and a declaration on the peaceful use of nuclear energy by Euratom and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Or. es
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 84 Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Underlines the absence of a real freedom of press and expresses concern about presidential control of all major media and the systematic prosecution of opposition journalists; furthermore expresses concern over the new draft media law which would make journalists responsible for disseminating discrediting information and strengthen the criminalization of slander and the insult of one’s dignity and under which suit may be brought against any journalist for publishing information concerning a public figure’s private life; notes that the existing laws provide sufficient protection against unethical journalists;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 85 Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Recognises the important role of Kazakhstan in promoting racial and religious harmony in a country which is home to more than 100 different ethnic groups and 45 different religions;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 86 Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Recognises the important role of Kazakhstan as the leading economic actor in Central Asia, where the EU is the number one trading partner, and where Kazakhstan pursues a strategy of advanced social, economic and political
PE396.481v01-00 26/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN modernisation;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 87 Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Welcomes the signing by Kazakhstan of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and calls for its speedy ratification and implementation;
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 88 Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Takes note of the outcome of the referendum on constitutional changes that was held on 21 October 2007; expresses its concern, in this regard, at the fact that the Kyrgyz authorities did not engage in a wide-ranging public debate on this delicate matter so as to involve all the components of Kyrgyz society; urges the Kyrgyz authorities to safeguard and guarantee the separation and independence of powers;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 89 Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Expresses its concern that the new draft of the Constitution, voted on in the referendum of October 21 2007, could significantly alter the balance of power in favour of the executive branch at the expense of the legislative branch; urges the Kyrgyz authorities to safeguard the appropriate checks and balances; calls for the referendum to be held in accordance with international norms and standards;
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 27/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 90 Paragraph 21 (to be placed after Paragraph 14)
21. Draws attention to the widespread abuse of women in a number of regions throughout Central Asia (for example forced marriages, trafficking for sexual exploitation, rape), and calls on the governments of the countries of Central Asia to implement the existing laws to protect the rights of women, and on the Commission to include relevant actions in assistance programmes;
Or. en
Amendment by Metin Kazak
Amendment 91 Paragraph 21
21. Draws attention to the widespread abuse of women in the Kyrgyz Republic (forced marriages, rape, domestic violence), and calls on the government to implement the existing laws to protect the rights of women and to take the necessary action for the further strengthening of those laws; is concerned about the significant amount of trafficking in women and children within and from the Kyrgyz Republic and urges the Kyrgyz Government to implement an efficient regulatory mechanism for fighting human trafficking;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 92 Paragraph 21
21. Draws attention to the widespread abuse of women in the Kyrgyz Republic (forced marriages, abductions, rape), and calls on the government to implement the existing laws to protect the rights of women;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 28/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Metin Kazak
Amendment 93 Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Emphasises the high percentage of child labour in the Kyrgyz Republic, and calls on the government to implement effectively existing measures for combating this, to draw up a consistent national policy on child labour and fully to support and take part in projects for eliminating child labour launched by international organizations and NGOs;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 94 Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Strongly supports Kyrgyzstan’s progress in press and media freedom as well as the efforts of politicians and civil society to enact constitutional reform; calls upon the Kyrgyz Government to ensure the safety of its journalists, to complete the promised media and anti-corruption reforms and to make more progress in political and budgetary decentralisation;
Or. en
Amendment by Tunne Kelam
Amendment 95 Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes that Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the president of the Kyrgyz Republic, has dissolved Parliament and called for new elections this year; calls on the EU to respond to this by asking the Kyrgyz Republic to respect essential democratic principles in its conduct of those elections;
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 29/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 96 Paragraph 23
23. Welcomed the positive development of a multi-party and power-sharing system in Tajikistan after the civil war ended in 1997 but notes that Tajikistan has been living in a state of precarious stability since then, with a President who, although apparently enjoying genuine popular support, has systematically repressed all opposition and imposed strict controls over print media and broadcasting; regrets the absence of any genuine civil society in the country, which will undermine future democratic development, and stresses the need for further significant reform and respect for human rights; in this field calls for the adoption of all necessary measures to respect the International Convention against Torture, in particular by bringing to justice officials that are responsible for degrading or ill treatment;
Or. en
Amendment by Pasqualina Napoletano, Katrin Saks, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 97 Paragraph 24
24. Given Tajikistan's role as a transit country for drugs from neighbouring Afghanistan, encourages the EU to further strengthen its related support activities in Tajikistan (deletion);
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 98 Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Expresses concern over the new draft religious law that will, if adopted, include restrictive provisions as to legal status for religious communities, especially in respect of the gaining of legal status by non-Muslim communities; notes that several provisions of this law violate Tajikistan’s Constitution and international norms that Tajikistan has signed; also expresses concern that mosque leaders will be subject to religious tests in Tajikistan and calls upon the Tajik government to respect the beliefs and existence of religious minorities;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 30/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 99 Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Stresses, however, that Turkmenistan must make progress in key areas in order for the EU to be able to move ahead with the Interim Agreement, inter alia by allowing the ICRC free and unfettered access, by unconditionally releasing all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, by abolishing all government impediments to travel, and by allowing all NGOs and human rights bodies to operate freely in the country;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 100 Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Welcomes the decision of President Berdymukhammedov to grant amnesty to eleven political prisoners sentenced to long terms of imprisonment for their opposition to the policies of the late President Saparmurat Niyazov; encourages the taking of further steps towards the release of all political prisoners in the country;
Or. en
Amendment by Daniel Caspary, Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler
Amendment 101 Paragraph 26
26. Draws attention to the urgent need for improvement as regards the dire human rights situation and insists that the further development of EU-Turkmenistan relations, including the possible conclusion of a fully-fledged Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, must be closely linked to clear evidence that a process of significant improvement in this area is under way, as well as genuine signs that it will continue; regards the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-Related Matters, following the first small steps taken by the new government, as a necessary first step by the European Union in this process with a view to encouraging the government of Turkmenistan along its chosen path; calls, therefore, for the rapid ratification of the Interim Agreement;
Or. de
AM\689201EN.doc 31/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 102 Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Expresses its deep concern at the recent outbreak in Turkmenistan of an epidemic of a flu-like disease which is very likely to be linked to cotton cultivation and harvesting; calls on the Commission, within the DCI framework, to offer assistance to the Turkmen Ministry of Health in order to investigate the nature of the illness and its causes and find the most effective remedies; urges the Commission to assist the Central Asia countries so as to reduce the use of pesticides in the cultivation of cotton and introduce environmentally friendly techniques;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 103 Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the Council’s decision of 15 October 2007 conditionally suspending visa restrictions for (deletion) 6 months and setting concrete indicators for the achievement of the objectives pursued in this connection; stresses that the European Parliament too, in its resolution of 26 October 2006 on Uzbekistan, called for a constructive solution of this nature based on dialogue;
Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 104 Paragraph 27
27. Confirms its support for the sanctions against Uzbekistan imposed by the EU after the Andijan massacre; notes that the Council suspended the visa ban in spite of the absence of any improvement in the human rights situation in the country; regrets the fact that that this can be misinterpreted, but supports the criteria established for a continuation of the suspension; emphasises that these criteria must be fully adhered to;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 32/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda, Katrin Saks
Amendment 105 Paragraph 27
27. Confirms its support for the sanctions against Uzbekistan imposed by the EU after the Andijan massacre; regrets the very limited progress made in relation to the set criteria for assessing the general development of the human rights situation; notes the Council’s decision of 15 October 2007 to extend the arms embargo for another 12 months and conditionally lift the visa restrictions for an initial period of 6 months; urgently calls on the Uzbek authorities to take advantage of this window of opportunity to take concrete steps to improve the human rights situation, honour its commitments to international obligations in this area and satisfy the conditions set by the EU;
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 106 Paragraph 28
28. Supports the establishment of a human rights dialogue between the EU and Uzbekistan; notes the (deletion) difficulties which this involves, and stresses that expectations should be kept at a realistic level; stresses in this connection that the first round of a human rights dialogue between the European Union and Uzbekistan, and two meetings of experts to investigate the Andijan massacre, took place on 8 and 9 May 2007 in Tashkent, and calls for this bilateral human rights dialogue to be continued by both parties at an early date and on an ongoing basis;
Or. de
Amendment by Pasqualina Napoletano, Katrin Saks, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 107 Paragraph 28
28. Supports the establishment of a human rights dialogue between the EU and Uzbekistan; notes the great difficulties which this involves, and stresses that expectations should be kept at a realistic level; rejects every tendency to use the mere existence of this dialogue as an excuse for lifting sanctions and for portraying human rights issues as now being properly dealt with; reaffirms that only results count and underlines that the Uzbek commitment to ensure justice and accountability for the Andijan massacre is an essential element in any further cooperation with the EU;
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 33/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Katrin Saks, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 108 Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Notes, as a positive step towards reform of the criminal justice system in Uzbekistan, the approval by the Uzbek Parliament of the laws on the abolition of the death penalty by 1 January 2008 and the authorisation of courts to issue arrest warrants; calls on the Uzbek government to sign an official moratorium on capital punishment before its complete abolition comes into force; calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the criminal justice system that would effectively promote the implementation of these reforms;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 109 Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Calls on the Uzbek government to abide by international standards pertaining to freedom of religion or belief; expresses concern over the denial of registration to peaceful religious groups which do not disturb public order and which are not a threat to national security; calls on Uzbekistan to recognize the freedom of worship and assembly of unregistered communities, and to stop criminalizing their activities;
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda
Amendment 110 Paragraph 28 c (new)
28c. Urges the Commission to lay down concrete obligations and establish more efficient monitoring mechanisms in addition to the human rights clause and EU sanctions in order to achieve a real improvement in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 34/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 111 Paragraph - 29 (new) (new heading and paragraph)
Addressing state fragility
-29. Urges the EU to honour its commitment to improve its response to difficult partnerships and fragile states and support the prevention of state fragility through governance reforms, rule of law, anti-corruption measures and the building of viable state institutions in order to help those states fulfil a range of basic functions and meet the needs of their citizens, which include education, health and all basic services;
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 112 Paragraph - 29 a (new)
-29a. Notes that the EU has committed itself to support disaster prevention and preparedness in countries vulnerable to natural disasters, climate change, environmental degradation and external economic shocks; therefore, considering the present situation in Central Asian countries, stresses that these commitments need to be fully taken into account in the EU strategy;
Or. en
Amendment by Jaromír Kohlíček
Amendment 113 Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Notes that a large part of the region uses a high number of water sources for irrigation in agriculture, but not in a sophisticated way, and that this creates huge problems for rivers, lakes (such as the Aral Sea) and further development, not only in the agriculture sector; recommends therefore implementing new techniques and methods in order to improve water management in the agriculture sector, for example by better stemming of irrigation canals;
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 35/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 114 Paragraph - 30 (new) (new heading and paragraph)
Energy
-30. Notes the region’s importance to the EU in terms of energy policy; stresses that the region plays a major role for the EU with regard to the diversification of suppliers and transport;
Or. de
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 115 Paragraph - 30 a (new)
-30a. Considers that cooperation on the EU's external energy policy is of the greatest importance in the context of the EU’s Central Asia strategy; supports, therefore, efforts by the European Union to boost gas and oil imports from the region and to diversify transit routes; calls for active cooperation on energy policy between the region and the European Union;
Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 116 Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Supports the proposal to establish in Bishkek a so-called "Water and Energy Academy" for all the Central Asia countries with the aim of achieving proper sustainable water use and the generation of hydro-power, improving transmission technology, protecting biodiversity and improving agriculture and irrigation techniques;
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 36/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 117 Paragraph 31
31. Notes that Tajikistan's only abundant raw material is water, and that, as environmentally-friendly hydroelectric power projects require sizeable capital investment, increased foreign investment would help Tajikistan to diversify its economy away from its cotton monoculture, with its associated environmental, health and child labour costs, bringing greater economic, welfare and environmental benefits; calls on the government of Tajikistan to work to strengthen its legislative and fiscal framework and its public administration, and to remedy its lack of basic infrastructure, as well as to tackle endemic levels of corruption, in order to encourage investment in the country;
Or. es
Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 118 Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Encourages open and efficient dialogue with all the countries of Central Asia in the field of the environment and efficient use of resources, and calls for its practical realization;
Or. en
Amendment by Tunne Kelam
Amendment 119 Citation 5 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 26 September 2007 towards a European foreign policy on energy1;
Or. en
1 Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0413.
AM\689201EN.doc 37/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 120 Citation 6
– having regard to relevant Council Conclusions, including the conclusions on Uzbekistan of 23 May, 13 June, 18 July, 3 October and 14 November 2005, 13 November 2006 and 5 March, (deletion) 14 May and 15 October 2007, and to the conclusions on Central Asia of 23 April 2007,
Or. en
Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 121 Citation 6
– having regard to relevant Council Conclusions, including the conclusions on Uzbekistan of 23 May, 13 June, 18 July, 3 October and 14 November 2005, 13 November 2006 and 5 March, (deletion) 14 May and 15 October 2007, and to the conclusions on Central Asia of 23 April 2007,
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 122 Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the Baku Initiative for the development of energy cooperation and transport between the EU and the countries of the Black Sea and Caspian region,
Or. es
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 123 Citation 6 b (new)
– having regard to the Memorandums of Understanding concluded with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in the context of developing a foreign policy at the service of Europe's energy interests,
Or. es
PE396.481v01-00 38/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 124 Citation 8
– having regard to the sanctions imposed on Uzbekistan by the EU following the Andijan massacre, which have been consecutively extended, and to the partial and conditional suspension for a period of six months of the visa sanctions in October 2007,
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 125 Citation 8
– having regard to the sanctions imposed on Uzbekistan by the EU following the forcible suppression of the protests in Andijan in May 2005, and to the partial lifting of those sanctions in November 2006 and in May and October 2007,
Or. de
Amendment by Vural Öger
Amendment 126 Citation 8
– having regard to the sanctions imposed on Uzbekistan by the EU following the Andijan massacre, and to the partial lifting of those sanctions in November 2006 and in May and October 2007,
Or. de
Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 127 Citation 10
– having regard to the Foreign Ministerial Troika meeting with Central Asia, held in Berlin on 30 June 2007 and in New York on 25 September 2007,
AM\689201EN.doc 39/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 128 Recital B
B. whereas the EU has a clear interest in seeing progress towards greater stability and rising levels of human development and human security throughout Central Asia and must always uphold its commitment to promoting human rights and democracy through coherent policies and the use of the means best suited thereto; whereas this will safeguard its credibility and ultimately contribute to making it an increasingly efficient actor vis-à-vis the region, as well as beyond,
Or. en
Amendment by Tunne Kelam
Amendment 129 Recital B
B. whereas the EU has a clear interest in seeing progress towards greater stability and rising levels of human development and human security throughout Central Asia and must always uphold its commitment to mainstream human rights in all agreements with third states and to promote democracy through coherent policies and the use of the means best suited thereto,
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 130 Recital B
B. whereas the EU has a clear interest in seeing progress towards greater stability and rising levels of economic and democratic development and human security throughout Central Asia and must always uphold its commitment to promoting human rights and democracy through coherent policies and the use of the means best suited thereto,
Or. de
PE396.481v01-00 40/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Jas Gawronski
Amendment 131 Recital B
B. whereas the EU insists on the need for progress towards greater stability and rising levels of human development and human security throughout Central Asia and needs to uphold its commitment to promoting human rights and democracy through coherent policies and the use of the means best suited thereto,
Or. it
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 132 Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the five Central Asian republics are Official Development Assistance recipients, which means that EU assistance to those counties is regarded as development assistance,
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 133 Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas there is a global interest in stability in Central Asia since serious and prolonged instability in one of the five countries could have disastrous consequences for the entire region and could also affect the EU and its Member States in many ways,
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 134 Recital C
C. whereas it follows from the EU's security and other interests, as well as from its values and support for the Millennium Development Goals, that the hardship and lack of opportunities faced by many people in this (deletion) region, parts of which are affected by poverty, the (deletion) threats to human security partly linked to the
AM\689201EN.doc 41/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN security problems of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan and the risks of destabilisation and conflict must be placed at the very core of the EU's approach to Central Asia,
Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 135 Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas there is, on the one hand, a strong case for cooperation among the countries of the region but, on the other hand, a strong resistance to such ideas and efforts, not least from the Government of the centrally situated - and by far the most populous - state of Uzbekistan,
Or. en
Amendment by Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Amendment 136 Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the primary objective of EU development cooperation is the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development, including in the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals,
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 137 Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas health conditions have deteriorated in all Central Asian republics after the break-up of the Soviet Union and health systems are in crisis; whereas the potential spill-over effects of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and drug-resistant tuberculosis present a long-term threat to the EU; whereas the avian flu has demonstrated the capacity to travel rapidly across Europe; whereas the social consequences of the health crises in the various countries threaten their overall stability and development prospects, and have implications for European security,
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 42/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, Emilio Menéndez del Valle
Amendment 138 Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the right to health is a fundamental human right and universal access to healthcare is essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals; and whereas infection rates for transmittable diseases, especially HIV/AIDS and STIs, are growing in Central Asia,
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė, Philippe Morillon on behalf of the ALDE Group
Amendment 139 Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas Afghanistan, which borders with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is culturally, ethnically and geographically connected to the area and should be taken gradually into account in the EU regional policy towards Central Asia,
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė, Philippe Morillon on behalf of the ALDE Group
Amendment 140 Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas Mongolia shares a similar background to that of the Central Asian republics, having historical, cultural and economic elements and environmental and energy policies that must be considered in a consistent way in the framework of the EU strategy for Central Asia,
Or. en
Amendment by Aloyzas Sakalas
Amendment 141 Recital D
D. whereas energy and water are key issues for human security and inter-state relations within the region, particularly in relation to the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and
AM\689201EN.doc 43/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Uzbekistan, and whereas poverty reduction remains crucial to reducing social instability,
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 142 Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the Central Asian countries are, to varying degrees, endowed with oil, gas, mineral or hydropower resources and the exploitation of such resources should significantly facilitate economic and social development; and whereas under the wrong conditions, unwelcome side-effects such as serious environmental degradation, reduced competitiveness of other economic sectors, massive wealth inequalities and increased political and social tensions may arise and might even outweigh the positives (the so-called "natural resources curse"),
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 143 Recital D a (new)
Da. having regard to the risks involved in being dependent on imports from unstable regions and suppliers and to the need to establish reliable, accessible and viable energy channels,
Or. es
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 144 Recital E
E. whereas the EU has an interest in security and stability and in respect for human rights and the rule of law in the states of Central Asia, since strategic, political and economic developments and the growing trans-regional challenges in Central Asia also have a direct or indirect impact on the interests of the European Union; whereas the states of Central Asia can contribute, with their significant energy resources and by their efforts towards diversification among trading partners and supply routes, to meeting the European Union’s need for energy security and energy supply,
PE396.481v01-00 44/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Or. de
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 145 Recital E
E. whereas the EU has an interest in importing more oil and gas from Central Asia, preferably through new routes, and whereas the countries that are relevant in this context are Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan,
Or. en
Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras,
Amendment 146 Recital E
E. whereas the EU has an interest in importing more oil and gas from Central Asia, preferably through new routes and establishing a clear and transparent framework for the production and transportation of energy,
Or. es
Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 147 Recital E
E. whereas the EU has an interest in importing more oil and gas from Central Asia, preferably through new transportation routes,
Or. en
Amendment by Alojz Peterle
Amendment 148 Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas on 10 October 2007 representatives from Ukraine, Poland, Azerbaijan and Georgia met in Lithuania to discuss a new oil transport network designed to bring crude oil from the Caspian Sea via Baku and Odessa to the Polish port of Gdansk,
AM\689201EN.doc 45/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Or. en
Amendment by Alojz Peterle
Amendment 149 Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas Russia and China tried to preserve their mutual sphere of influence in Central Asia through the establishment of the Shanghai Five in 1996, which brought together China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan in a forum for managing cross-border issues and which in 2001 became the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which today is the largest Central Asia regional organization and now includes Uzbekistan as a full member and Pakistan, India, Iran and Mongolia as observers,
Or. en
Amendment by Alojz Peterle
Amendment 150 Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas at the Caspian Sea Summit on 16 October 2007 in Teheran the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan agreed to endorse "peaceful" nuclear activities in the region and not to allow their territories to be used for a military attack on any member of the Caspian Group,
Or. en
Amendment by Alojz Peterle
Amendment 151 Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas the departure from Karshi-Khanebad (K2) air base in Uzbekistan on 21 November 2005 reduced US military facilities in Central Asia to one base in Manas, near the Kyrzys capital of Bishkek,
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 46/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Roberta Alma Anastase
Amendment 152 Recital F
F. whereas political, economic, social and other conditions differ widely among, and in some cases also within, the Central Asian states and whereas this makes it absolutely essential for the EU to differentiate its policies accordingly,
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 153 Recital G
G. deleted
Or. de
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 154 Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the Central Asian republics have yet to conduct an election, presidential or parliamentary, judged wholly free and fair by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR),
Or. en
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 155 Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas Central Asia is the transit route for as much as 30 % of Afghan heroin, largely for Russian markets, which leads to traffic-related organised crime and corruption, as well as to addiction and related health and social problems, with major implications for regional stability,
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 47/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 156 Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the proximity of the region to Afghanistan has made certain countries valued partners in the fight against terrorism; whereas EU Member States have also used airports or airspace in the region; whereas at the same time EU action to promote human rights in Central Asia in general and certain countries in particular has been disappointingly weak,
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 157 Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas civil society is particularly active in most Central Asian countries through a network of local NGOs and associations that need to be protected and valued as the expression of the willingness of citizens to be part of the democratisation and social process of their countries,
Or. en
Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 158 Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas political, economic and social improvements can effectively be achieved in the region through the establishment of a genuinely independent judiciary and a real fight against rampant corruption,
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 48/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Ona Juknevičienė
Amendment 159 Recital H c (new)
Hc. whereas the human rights situation is different in the various Central Asian republics and is overall far from OSCE standards, and whereas Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in particular systematically violate fundamental rights and lack any democratic and pluralistic progress,
Or. en
Amendment by Elisabeth Jeggle, Struan Stevenson, Michael Gahler, Daniel Caspary
Amendment 160 Recital I
I. Whereas EU concerns include the need to stem the flow of drug trafficking from or through Central Asia, the fight against organised crime, including human trafficking, and preventing a growth in terrorism; proceeding from understanding, the fight against terrorism can be used as a cover for repressive actions against those who criticise the government, human rights defenders, religious movements and ordinary businesspeople; (deletion)
Or. en
Amendment by Metin Kazak
Amendment 161 Recital I
I. whereas EU concerns include the need to stem the flow of drug trafficking from or through Central Asia, the fight against organised crime, including human trafficking, and preventing a growth in terrorism; whereas in some cases the "fight against terrorism" is used as a cover for repressive actions against those who criticise the government, human rights defenders, religious movements and ordinary businesspeople; (deletion) whereas there is reason to believe that such persons have also been targeted in the framework of Uzbekistan's security cooperation with neighbours; whereas it is recognized that there is a migration of child labour that demands new forms of international and social partnership involving all parties interested in a comprehensive resolution to the problem,
Or. en
AM\689201EN.doc 49/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN Amendment by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Amendment 162 Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas the EU's principles include the defence of fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and the protection of human rights activists,
Or. es
Amendment by André Brie
Amendment 163 Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas EU assistance to the region has largely taken the form of technical assistance implemented through the TACIS programme, and whereas assessments of TACIS's effectiveness have been mixed,
Or. en
Amendment by Aloyzas Sakalas
Amendment 164 Recital K
K. whereas there is considerable interest in the region in cooperation with the EU in the field of education, and whereas such cooperation can contribute to intensifying civil society contacts and spreading European values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights,
Or. en
Amendment by Yiannakis Matsis
Amendment 165 Recital K
K. whereas there is considerable interest in the region in cooperation with the EU in the fields of science, healthcare and education, and whereas such cooperation can be valuable to both sides,
Or. en
PE396.481v01-00 50/52 AM\689201EN.doc EN Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 166 Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas a number of disparate countries have had, historically or more recently, vested interests in the region; whereas not all Member States have embassies in the region; and whereas there is often a lack of coordination with regard to the region between Member States,
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 167 Recital L a (new)
La. whereas Kazakhstan compares favourably with most other states in the region; whereas its most recent parliamentary elections, held on 18 August 2007, show that despite some improvements, it is not yet fully respecting its commitments or complying with OSCE and other international standards for democratic elections,
Or. en
Amendment by Katrin Saks
Amendment 168 Recital L a (new)
La. whereas most of the Central Asian countries suffer from human rights violations, from the lack of an appropriate judicial system, from restrictions imposed on opposition parties and independent civil society bodies, and from lack of media freedom,
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 169 Recital L a (new)
La. whereas the EU imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan after the Andijan massacre in May
AM\689201EN.doc 51/52 PE396.481v01-00 EN 2005, but the Uzbek government keeps blocking an independent international investigation into the events and continues its repressive policies, including its persecution of human rights defenders; whereas in October 2007 the Council nevertheless decided to suspend for a period of six months a visa ban on eight persons directly responsible for the indiscriminate use of force in Andijan; whereas the Council through this suspension seeks to stimulate the Uzbek authorities into changing their policies and whereas the ban will be automatically re-activated in [April/May] 2008 unless a set of criteria adopted as part of the Council decision is met,
Or. en
Amendment by Cem Özdemir
Amendment 170 Recital L b
Lb. whereas in varying respects both Mongolia and Afghanistan share some common features with the five principle states of Central Asia but are not focused on in the Council's strategy paper and are themselves covered by different EU instruments,
Or. en
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