European Parliament resolution of 18 October 2023 on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 (11565/2023 – C9-0336/2023 – 2023/0264(BUD))

P9_TA(2023)0367 A9-0288/2023

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom(1),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014 and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(2) (the ‘Financial Regulation’),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(3) and to the joint declarations agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission in this context(4) and the related unilateral declarations(5),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 of 15 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(6),

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (“IIA”)(7),

–  having regard to its resolution of 20 April 2023 on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2024(8),

–  having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2023 on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027(9),

–  having regard to the Commission proposal of 20 June 2023 for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (COM(2023)0337),

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 20 June 2023 entitled ‘Mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027’ (COM(2023)0336) and the accompanying staff working document (SWD(2023)0336),

–  having regard to the proposal of 20 June 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility (COM(2023)0338),

–  having regard to the proposal of 20 June 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) and amending Directive 2003/87/EC, Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, (EU) 2021/1056, (EU) 2021/1057, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) 2021/1060, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697 and (EU) 2021/241 (COM(2023)0335),

–  having regard to its resolution of 10 May 2023 on the impact on the 2024 EU budget of increasing European Union Recovery Instrument borrowing costs(10),

–  having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2022 on upscaling the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework: a resilient EU budget fit for new challenges(11),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget(12),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (European Climate Law)(13),

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights of 13 December 2017(14) and its resolution of 19 January 2017 thereon(15),

–  having regard to its resolution of 16 February 2023 on an EU strategy to boost industrial competitiveness, trade and quality jobs(16),

–  having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2022 on the social and economic consequences for the EU of the Russian war in Ukraine – reinforcing the EU’s capacity to act(17),

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 1 February 2023 entitled ‘A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age’ (COM(2023)0062),

–  having regard to its resolution of 12 July 2023 on accession to the Schengen area(18), to its resolution of 11 December 2018 on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania: abolition of checks at internal land, sea and air borders(19), to its resolutions of 13 October 2011 and of 18 October 2022(20) on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area and to the report of 23 November 2022 of the complementary voluntary fact-finding mission to Romania and Bulgaria on the application of the Schengen acquis and its developments since 2011, sent to the European Parliament in December 2022, and to the Commission proposal on the two countries’ accession to the Schengen area,

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal (COM(2019)0640) and to Parliament’s resolution of 15 January 2020 in response thereto(21),

–  having regard to the EU gender equality strategy 2020-2025,

–  having regard to the Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 (the Paris Agreement) and to the Agreement adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Biodiversity Conference on 19 December 2022 (the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework),

–  having regard to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,

–  having regard to the draft general budget of the European Union for the 2024 financial year, which the Commission adopted on 5 July 2023 (COM(2023)0300),

–  having regard to the position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the 2024 financial year, which the Council adopted on 5 September 2023(22) and forwarded to Parliament on 8 September 2023 (11565/2023 – C9-0336/2023),

–  having regard to Rule 94 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Development, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Committee on Fisheries, the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality,

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0288/2023),

Section III – European Commission

1.  Stresses that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought further substantial economic and social consequences for the people of Europe and worldwide, pushing up inflation, generating energy insecurity and energy poverty, driving up food and energy prices and resulting in a cost of living crisis for millions, especially for the most vulnerable; underlines that the new geopolitical and economic context, coupled with the worsening climate and biodiversity crisis and the resulting unprecedented extreme weather events and natural disasters impacting people and communities in Europe and its neighbourhood, has given rise to new policy needs, notably in climate and energy, social investments, defence, agriculture and industrial policy;

2.  Recalls that the Commission, in drawing up the draft budget for 2024 (the “DB”) based on the existing multiannual financial framework (“MFF”) regulation, explicitly underlined the “limits” of the framework “after three years of unprecedented crises” and stressed that the regulation was agreed “in a completely different geopolitical and economic context”;

3.  Recalls, furthermore, that a fortnight after publishing the DB, the Commission tabled a proposal to revise the MFF regulation, alongside legislative proposals to establish the Ukraine Facility and the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), stating that the package must be in place by 1 January 2024 and therefore in time for the 2024 budget;

4.  Notes that, despite the Commission’s proposal to revise the MFF, the Council chose to formulate its position on the 2024 budget assuming no change to the framework; deeply regrets that, despite the drastic constraints, the Council elected to apply a ‘business as usual’ approach to its budget reading, cutting commitment appropriations in the DB by EUR 772 million and payment appropriations by EUR 515 million across the MFF headings in a way that would diminish the Union’s impact, ability to act and relevance globally and that pays no heed to the challenging economic and social context; considers that the cuts proposed by the Council are unjustified, are not driven by an objective assessment of needs or absorption capacity and run counter, in many instances, to shared policy ambitions and political agreements; decides, therefore, to restore appropriations on all lines cut by the Council to the level of the DB;

5.  Recalls that the budget can only be adopted in accordance with the MFF regulation in force; reiterates its firm conviction that a revised MFF regulation must provide the framework for the 2024 budget and, in order to ensure democratic decision-making in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty, considers it appropriate for Parliament to formulate its position on the basis of a revised framework; decides, therefore, to draw up its reading on the 2024 budget in alignment with its interim report on the MFF revision;

6.  Recalls its long-standing position that new policy priorities or tasks should be accompanied by fresh money and that Union institutions, bodies and decentralised agencies must be properly staffed and adequately resourced to fulfil their mandate; regrets that the current budgetary situation has led the Commission to redeploy significant funds over the MFF period; emphasises that all spending through the Union budget must be subject to parliamentary scrutiny;

7.  Underlines that swift progress on new own resources is essential both for the repayment of European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) borrowing costs and for the financial robustness and implementation of the current and future multiannual financial frameworks; welcomes the first basket of new own resources presented by the Commission in December 2021 and the adjusted second basket published in June 2023; calls on the Council to advance without delay to ensure the timely introduction of new own resources, in line with the legally binding roadmap annexed to the IIA; underlines that more robust new own resources will be needed to guarantee a fit-for-purpose Union budget in future years and looks forward to ambitious and innovative proposals from the Commission that go beyond the IIA;

8.  Underscores that the 2024 budget must be aligned with the Union's objectives and international commitments; stresses the need for continuous work to achieve the climate and biodiversity mainstreaming targets for Union budget spending laid down in the IIA, as part of the broader aim of making the Union climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest; reminds the Commission of its obligation under the IIA to regularly take stock of the progress towards climate mainstreaming targets; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the ‘do no significant harm’ principle and to take necessary corrective measures if and when needed;

9.  Is concerned by the Commission’s assessment that the 10 % target for biodiversity-related spending in 2026 and 2027 will most likely not be reached and by the absence of a clear path towards reaching the agreed targets; underlines, therefore, the need for further efforts within the 2024 budget to ensure that biodiversity spending targets for 2026 and 2027 are met; calls on the Commission to pay due attention to the conclusions of the European Court of Auditors special report on climate spending in the 2014-2020 budget and to the need to track climate- and biodiversity-related expenditure for all programmes and actions accurately; stresses the need to ensure consistency between climate and biodiversity funding;

10.  Reiterates that all Union programmes, policies and activities should be implemented in a way that promotes gender equality in the delivery of their objectives; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission’s work, in accordance with the IIA, to track gender equality-related spending, in particular through an ex-post gender impact assessment and reporting on volumes; calls on the Commission to apply this methodology to all MFF programmes in order to demonstrate results for the 2024 budget accompanied by the systematic collection, reporting and evaluation of gender-disaggregated data;

11.  Points out that multilingualism is a fundamental principle that makes the content of deliberations in the EU institutions more accessible and transparent, and ensures that proceedings are democratic;

Special Instruments

12.  Recalls that the Commission has proposed to establish two new special instruments over and above the MFF ceilings - the EURI to better manage debt repayment costs and the Ukraine Facility designed to ensure a longer-term structural solution to Ukraine’s funding needs - and to increase appropriations for the Flexibility Instrument and for the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve;

13.  Reiterates its assessment, now shared by the Commission, that a structural solution must be found for the repayment of EURI borrowing costs; recalls that Parliament has consistently insisted that the EURI repayment costs be placed over and above the MFF ceilings; notes that EURI repayment costs are estimated at EUR 4 billion in the DB as against the initially programmed EUR 2,1 billion and would therefore exhaust the Flexibility Instrument and use part of the Single Margin Instrument in 2024 without the MFF revision;

14.  Notes that the Council, in its position on the 2024 budget, reduces appropriations set aside for EURI borrowing costs based on the hope that borrowing costs are ultimately lower than forecast in the DB; insists that, in accordance with the principle of budgetary prudence, the budgetary authority should rely on the Commission’s objective forecasting and the updates in the Amending Letter; proposes, therefore, to restore the DB amount and, in line with its MFF interim report, to delete the line from Heading 2b and place the full amount in the EURI special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings;

15.  Welcomes the proposal to establish the Ukraine Facility as a longer-term structural solution to Ukraine’s funding needs anchored in the Union budget; underlines that support for Ukraine should also include cross-border actions, activities and projects in partnership with neighbouring countries; insists that the Ukraine Reserve must be mobilised by the budgetary authority in the annual budgetary procedure; insists that the budgetary nomenclature must provide for the necessary granularity and transparency to ensure proper oversight and decisions by the budgetary authority; proposes, therefore, the creation of new budget lines that would fulfil this purpose;

16.  Underlines that budgetary flexibility has been key for the Union to respond to unforeseen events and to adjust its spending priorities in light of evolving political, economic and social needs; highlights, however, that the Union budget is not equipped with the flexibility it requires; reiterates, therefore, its view that the Flexibility Instrument should be increased by EUR 1,457 billion in 2024 in line with its MFF interim report;

17.  Considers that demands on the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) are likely to increase and, therefore, that substantially reinforcing the SEAR is crucial to enable the Union to act in emergency situations caused by major natural disasters, extreme weather events or public health crises in Member States and accession countries and also to support non-EU countries suffering from conflicts, refugee crises, natural disasters or humanitarian emergencies; increases, therefore, allocations for the SEAR in 2024 by EUR 1,092 billion in 2024 in line with its MFF interim report; maintains appropriations for the European Global Adjustment Fund and the Brexit Adjustment Reserve as proposed in the DB;

Heading 1 - Single market, Innovation and Digital

18.  Recalls that programmes under Heading 1 play a key role in supporting research and innovation, in boosting the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU economy, in supporting SMEs and start-ups and in investing in cross-border infrastructure, thus contributing significantly to the green and digital transitions and to driving fair, sustainable and inclusive growth, economic and social development and quality job creation;

19.  Acknowledges that the Commission did not follow through on its commitment under the work programme for 2023 to ‘push to create a new European Sovereignty Fund’; acknowledges that, despite its limited size and scope, the STEP proposal has the potential to deliver results more quickly by using existing programme structures and seeking to create synergies and thereby helping to secure the open strategic autonomy of the Union, reduce dependence on non-EU countries and boost investment in key strategic sectors; considers that the STEP proposal should act as a testbed for a fully-fledged Sovereignty Fund in the next MFF period;

20.  Underlines that, as part of the STEP proposal, additional appropriations are to be allocated to InvestEU and to the European Innovation Council (EIC); proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the InvestEU guarantee by EUR 1,05 billion and for the EIC by EUR 125 million in 2024 in line with its MFF interim report; proposes, furthermore, to make available again EUR 500 million in research decommitments under Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation for the EIC under Horizon Europe, in addition to the EUR 95 million included in the DB;

21.  Recalls that the recently agreed Chips Act has a significant impact on the budget under Heading 1, in particular for Horizon Europe and for Digital Europe; finds Council’s cut to financing for the Chips Act especially difficult to understand as the legislation has recently been agreed and the cut goes against a clear Union priority; underlines that, in accordance with the political agreement on the Chips Act, an additional EUR 50 million is required to meet funding needs over the period 2024 to 2027; proposes, therefore, to cover 25 % of that shortfall by allocating EUR 12,5 million to the Chips Joint Undertaking in 2024;

22.  Recalls that the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is key to boosting investment in high-performance, sustainable trans-European networks, in ensuring the stability of the energy sector for the future, for example through support for renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to decarbonising the EU economy, thereby accelerating the green transition and promoting interconnectivity; underlines that CEF Transport, through “solidarity lanes” such as along the Danube, is vital in supporting transport infrastructure in and towards Ukraine, in developing infrastructure in the neighbouring regions and in enabling the transport of crops and critical goods in both directions and welcomes the decision to associate Ukraine to the programme; proposes, to increase appropriations for CEF Transport by EUR 100 million above the DB in 2024 in order to support these aims;

23.  Stresses that a well-functioning Single Market is critical for the Union’s competitiveness and to enhance access to markets for EU businesses, especially SMEs; emphasises that SMEs in particular have been hit hard by high inflation and energy prices and proposes, as a result, an increase of EUR 10 million above the DB for the SME strand of the Single Market programme; in particular for start-up and scale-up mechanisms; reiterates, furthermore, the programme’s role in contributing to human, animal and plant health; proposes, in that regard, an increase of EUR 5 million to ensure effective implementation of veterinary programmes for animal diseases and zoonosis, in particular to combat bovine tuberculosis;

24.  Underscores that the just green and digital transitions and a refocusing of industrial policy require significant investment in skills development, including through reskilling and upskilling, and in bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas through equal access to emerging technologies, enhanced digital literacy and improved opportunities in rural and less developed areas; points, for example, to the value of the Net Zero Academies; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for skills development under the Single Market programme by EUR 10 million;

25.  Highlights the vital role that Horizon Europe plays in supporting research and innovation and in helping to turn research results and innovative ideas into products and services that stimulate job creation, boost the global competitiveness of EU business and support efforts to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss; recalls that the programme remains heavily over-subscribed and is therefore unable to support a large number of research projects evaluated as ‘excellent’; proposes, therefore, to increase allocations for the programme by a total of EUR 140 million compared to the DB (excluding the STEP-related increases), with reinforcements for the European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Clusters ‘Health’, ‘Culture’ ‘Climate, Energy and Mobility’ and ‘Food’;

26.  Underlines the essential role played by the decentralised agencies active under this heading, in particular in light of geopolitical developments; proposes to increase appropriations and staffing for the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity and the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators in line with their identified needs and expanding mandates; 

27.  Reinforces Heading 1 by EUR 1 454 239 500 in commitment appropriations above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 1 684 239500 compared to the Council reading; points out that EUR 1 175 000 000 of its reinforcements are specific to STEP; underscores that, in line with its MFF interim report, the ceiling for Heading 1 would increase by EUR 1,375 billion in 2024;

Heading 2a - Economic, social and territorial cohesion

28.  Underlines the key role cohesion policy plays in delivering on EU policy priorities and boosting the EU economy by contributing to fair and sustainable growth and development, promoting economic and social convergence and solidarity between countries and regions, supporting the green and digital transitions, fostering innovation and employment and addressing regional and social inequalities; calls on the Commission and the Member States to accelerate implementation of cohesion policy and thereby ensure its timely absorption, especially in light of the additional implementation pressure from the Recovery and Resilience Facility; underlines the need to ensure project continuity through a proper phasing of projects from the 2014-2020 MFF period into the 2021-2027 period;

29.  Is deeply concerned by the stubbornly high energy and food prices and long-term high inflation with broad negative economic impacts, resulting, in particular, in a cost of living crisis across the Union; stresses the role of cohesion policy in mobilising resources to provide help and relief to the hardest hit people, communities and regions; highlights, in that regard, that, in 2024, EUR 4,8 billion of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) budget under shared management is to be allocated to food aid and basic material assistance for the most deprived persons, beyond the 4 % target; calls on Member States to allocate more of their ESF+ funds to organisations providing assistance and food aid to the most vulnerable and deprived persons in light of the current cost of living crisis;

30.  Stresses the importance of adequate funding for programmes under Heading 2a in order to ensure that cohesion policy, as the EU’s main investment policy, delivers on its objectives; underlines that local and regional authorities are key to ensuring effective implementation of EU programmes and calls for dialogue between the local and regional level, on the one hand, and the Union level, on the other, to be strengthened, including through adequate financing for relevant actions and institutions; emphasises the need for cities to receive sufficient funding to enable them to implement EU programmes locally;

31.  Regrets that, due to the limited flexibility of the current MFF, the Commission has resorted to reorienting cohesion policy, which is not a crisis response tool but has been repeatedly called on to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF to the detriment of its long-term policy objectives;

32.  Accepts the Council position with respect to Heading 2a;

Heading 2b - Resilience and values

33.  Underlines that ensuring all EURI borrowing costs are covered by the EURI special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings would have the effect of restoring some margin within Heading 2b and creating budgetary space in the Flexibility and Single Margin Instruments; underlines that, especially given the high interest rates, programmes under Heading 2b have been impacted by the EURI line’s presence within the same heading since the Commission has been de facto prevented from proposing reinforcements where they are needed;

34.  Points, in this regard, to the flagship Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes, which play a vital role in supporting learning mobility opportunities, improving people’s skills and employability and promoting social inclusion; highlights the role that Erasmus+ has in enhancing university cooperation, modernising education and supporting actions designed to reduce school drop-out rates; emphasises the valuable contribution it has made to supporting Ukrainian students and teaching staff since the war;

35.  Emphasises that both programmes are required by law to put in place measures to boost participation rates among people with fewer opportunities; regrets that participants from disadvantaged backgrounds are often prevented from taking part in the programme given that grants are insufficient in a context of soaring inflation and the increased cost of living; is committed to ensuring that Erasmus+ does not become a de facto selective programme open only to those who can afford to participate; recalls that the Commission is required to put in place financial support measures for people with fewer opportunities and calls for a readjustment of Erasmus+ grants to account for higher inflation and higher living costs; proposes, therefore, an increase of EUR 100 million for Erasmus+ and EUR 2 million for the ESC above DB specifically to ensure the programmes are accessible for all;

36.  Underlines the importance of a stronger Health Union and enhanced preparedness in post-pandemic Europe, as well as the need to better understand and treat the long-term effects and implications of COVID, including by financing translational research, clinical trials and pivotal studies; highlights the vital role that the EU4Health programme plays in this respect, as well as in supporting actions to achieve universal health coverage across the Union, encompassing quality access to sexual and reproductive health services and access to new technologies and remote monitoring devices, telemedicine and AI-supported diagnostic devices, which can help deliver better care in rural areas; proposes, therefore, to increase the programme’s appropriations by EUR 20 million above DB, including to help offset redeployments towards the European Health Emergency and Response Authority;

37.  Is alarmed by the growing impact of extreme weather events and natural disasters in Europe, its neighbourhood and globally and concerned about the Union’s ability to respond in an effective and timely manner; underlines that these disasters are increasingly linked to climate change and are therefore likely to occur with greater frequency and intensity in the future; stresses the need to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation measures, in particular in vulnerable regions and to boost the Union’s response capacity; increases, therefore, appropriations for the Union Civil Protection Mechanism by EUR 20 million above DB in order to ensure an effective response and protect human lives, including through the mobilisation of joint medical teams in emergencies;

38.  Emphasises the key role that Creative Europe plays in supporting the cultural and creative sectors, fostering media literacy and combatting disinformation, and promoting and protecting media freedom and pluralism as the basis for a functioning democracy; underscores that soaring energy prices and inflation, following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, have had a significant impact on the cultural and creative sectors, which are often made up of small organisations and individual artists; proposes, therefore, to increase financing for the Creative Europe programme by EUR 25 million above DB, with EUR 15 million for the Culture strand and EUR 10 million for the Cross-Sectoral strand;

39.  Reiterates the importance of Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme in promoting European values and citizens’ rights, in fostering active civic engagement and in building resilient societies; recalls that the programme is vital in combatting gender-based violence, especially important in the context of the measurable increase in violence against women, and violence against the LGBTQI+ community; underscores the programme’s value in supporting the key principles of democracy, the rule of law, solidarity, justice, non-discrimination, equality and inclusiveness; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the programme by EUR 6 million above DB, with reinforcements for the ‘citizens’ engagement and participation’, Daphne and ‘Union values’ strands;

40.  Deems it necessary to reinforce support to the Turkish-Cypriot line by EUR 2 million above DB in order to finance the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus and support the bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage;

41.  Underlines the significance of the social dimension in the Union budget and the need for effective social dialogue and proper information and training for workers’ organisations, with a view to further developing and increasing the capacity and involvement of social partners; increases, therefore, financing for the relevant lines by EUR 1 million each above DB;

42.  Recalls the essential role played by the decentralised agencies under Heading 2b; increases funding and staffing levels for the European Institute for Gender Equality, the European Labour Authority and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation in line with the agencies’ identified needs and to ensure that they are adequately staffed and resourced to handle their workload and deliver on their mandate;

43.  Underlines the importance of protecting the Union budget against fraud, corruption and other misconduct; stresses, in this regard, the central role that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) plays in protecting the Union’s financial interests, including with respect to the use of NextGenerationEU funds, and ensuring compliance with the rule of law; proposes, therefore, targeted reinforcements to the EPPO and increase its staffing levels to allow it to fulfil its mandate; calls on all the Member States to join the EPPO to ensure more robust protection of the Union’s financial interests;

44.  Reinforces Heading 2b overall by EUR 199 485 306 in commitment appropriations above DB levels (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 812 302 190 compared to the Council reading; recalls that, in line with its MFF interim report; EURI costs would not be considered under Heading 2b;

Heading 3 - Natural Resources and Environment

45.  Underlines that the STEP proposal includes additional commitment appropriations in 2024 for the Innovation Fund under Heading 3 and a commensurate increase in the ceiling; considers that the proposed allocation for the Innovation Fund marks important progress towards its full budgetisation; recalls the important role the Innovation Fund plays in supporting investment in hydrogen production and infrastructure; proposes, therefore, to create a new budget line for the Innovation Fund, with appropriations of EUR 1,25 billion in line with its MFF interim report;

46.  Reiterates its concern about the negative impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on global food security, affordability and supply chains and on the European agricultural sector and farmers’ ability to withstand inflationary pressure and increased input prices; calls on the Commission to analyse the war’s consequences on farmers and on food production, including with respect to imports from Ukraine, and to propose measures as needed; emphasises the need to help new and young farmers through additional support mechanisms as a structural solution and thereby ensure the sustainability of the sector and generational renewal; proposes, therefore, to increase income support to young farmers by EUR 40 million above DB;

47.  Underlines the importance of school schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy in ensuring broader access to healthy and nutritious food for children and points out that the schemes’ reach is impacted by rising food prices; decides, therefore, to increase by EUR 5 million above DB support for the schemes;

48.  Underlines the central role that the LIFE programme, as an EU flagship programme, plays in delivering on the European Green Deal and achieving the Union’s climate neutrality goal, in line with the Paris Agreement, supporting climate mitigation and adaptation measures, reducing emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy, creating a circular economy, protecting ecosystems and reversing the alarming trend of biodiversity loss; is concerned by the increase in climate change-driven extreme weather events and stresses the need for urgent action; emphasises the role of the LIFE programme in accelerating the just transition; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the programme by EUR 30 million above DB;

49.  Recalls that, traditionally, an Amending Letter will complete the picture regarding available resources under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and that the approach to amendments can be adjusted accordingly in the course of the conciliation;

50.  Reinforces Heading 3 by EUR 1 325 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 1 335 000 000 compared to the Council reading; points out that EUR 1 250 000 000 of its reinforcements are specific to STEP; underscores that, in line with its MFF interim report, the ceiling for Heading 3 would also increase by EUR 1,25 billion in 2024;

Heading 4 - Migration and Border Management

51.  Underlines that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, armed conflicts and instability in neighbouring regions, as well as poverty, hunger, the consequences of climate change and underlying trends in economic development, demographic changes, continue to push people to come to the Union for refuge, safety or freedom, in search of a better life or to reunite with close family members, placing significant pressure on programmes and agencies under Heading 4; recalls, in that regard, its view that financing under the Heading should be increased by EUR 250 million in 2024, in line with its MFF interim report;

52.  Reiterates the need to implement a migration and asylum policy that is based on solidarity, shared responsibility and respect for human rights in line with Union values and international commitments; stresses that the war has vastly increased pressure on asylum and reception systems in the Member States and that the Union must provide longer-term support to the host Member States to facilitate the reception and integration of refugees from Ukraine, as well as other refugees granted international protection, face recent migration trends and ensure the efficient management of migration, including as regards effective, safe and dignified return and readmission procedures; stresses, furthermore, the need to anticipate the financial implications of a timely agreement on the Pact on Asylum and Migration and bolster the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in view of its central role in ensuring the Pact’s successful implementation; recalls the important role that regional and local authorities play in the integration process on the ground while respecting the competences of the Member States; decides, in view of the above, to reinforce AMIF by EUR 110 million above DB in 2024 given its positive contribution in providing immediate support to refugees;

53.  Recalls the essential role played by the European Union Agency for Asylum in supporting Member States with respect to asylum and international protection procedures; proposes to increase staff and financing levels for the agency in line with its heavier workload;

54.  Stresses that effective and fair management and protection of the Union’s external borders are key to ensuring the security of the Union, guaranteeing the smooth and efficient implementation of the Union’s migration and asylum policy and preserving the free movement of people within the Union and the proper functioning of the Schengen area; stresses, moreover, the need to better prevent irregular migration to protect vulnerable people from smuggling and trafficking networks and address the instrumentalisation of migrants as part of hybrid attacks; underlines the vital role that the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) plays in that regard; notes that the Commission proposes to reinforce the BMVI above financial programming levels in the DB, though points out that this ‘reinforcement’ only partially offsets repeated redeployments from the BMVI to finance revised agency mandates; proposes to increase appropriations for the BMVI by EUR 60 million above DB, including to accelerate Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area and the implementation of the pilot schemes established with the Commission;

55.  Highlights the need for a further increase in appropriations and staff for eu-LISA to ensure that the agency can implement critical internal security and border management projects; underlines the need for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to have the requisite resources to carry out its mandate and operational activities effectively and decides, therefore, to restore the DB for the agency;

56.  Reinforces Heading 4 overall by EUR 173 941 500 in commitment appropriations above the DB and by EUR 193 941 500 compared to the Council reading; underscores that, in line with its MFF interim report, the ceiling for Heading 4 would also increase by EUR 250 million in 2024;

Heading 5 - Security and Defence

57.  Underlines that defence challenges have surged since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, rendering support to the defence sector more important than ever to ensure Europe is a safe continent; underscores the need to enhance the Union’s role in international security and considers that European defence cooperation leads to greater efficiency, potential savings and smarter spending and is key to enhancing the Union’s strategic autonomy; reiterates the need to quickly boost the defence industrial production capacity and interoperability of the Member States, particularly those on the frontline and therefore most exposed to current threats;

58.  Points out that significant steps forward have been taken with the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act on the defence demand side and the Act in Support of Ammunition Production(23) on the supply side; notes that the two regulations exhaust all Heading 5 margins and require use of the Flexibility Instrument in 2024, in addition to substantial redeployments from the European Defence Fund (EDF);

59.  Stresses that the STEP proposal includes additional appropriations for the EDF; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the EDF by EUR 625 million in 2024 in line with its MFF interim report;

60.  Notes the importance of ‘military mobility’ in enabling Member States to provide rapid support in the context of the war by upgrading infrastructure capacity for heavy and large-scale military transport, enhancing transport corridors and improving logistics; underlines that the programme is oversubscribed, has substantial absorption capacity and will be fully committed by the end of 2023; decides, therefore, to increase appropriations for ‘military mobility’ by EUR 45 million above DB;

61.  Reinforces Heading 5 overall by EUR 670 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB and by EUR 687 000 000 compared to the Council; points out that EUR 625 000 000 of its reinforcements are specific to STEP; underscores that, in line with its MFF interim report, the ceiling for Heading 5 would also increase by EUR 625 million in 2024;

Heading 6 - Neighbourhood and the World

62.  Emphasises that, in particular following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the international context has deteriorated rapidly as a result of the food, energy and economic crises, which have dramatically increased pressure on Heading 6; deplores the fact that funding under Heading 6 was woefully inadequate from the outset of the MFF and that the MFF did not factor in continued funding for the needs of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other countries, leaving almost no scope to cope with additional challenges;

63.  Notes that the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)-Global Europe cushion has been depleted very quickly and used beyond its core purpose of responding to emerging challenges and priorities, while the humanitarian aid budget has relied heavily on mobilisation of the severely stretched SEAR; reiterates, in that regard, that financing under the Heading should be increased by EUR 2,875 billion in 2024, in line with its MFF interim report;

64.  Stresses the importance of reinforcing the Southern Neighbourhood line in supporting political, economic and social reforms in the region, in providing assistance to refugees, in particular Syrian and Palestinian refugees, and in enabling support along the southern migration routes; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the line by EUR 650 million above DB, including to ensure adequate and predictable funding for UNWRA to respond to the intensified needs on the ground;

65.  Condemns unequivocally the brutal terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and its people; underlines that the Union budget must continue to provide support to build peace and stability in the region, to combat hate and fundamentalism and to promote human rights; calls on the Commission to conduct its announced review thoroughly, including the use of all Union funds in the region, and to provide the budgetary authority with the results as soon as possible; underscores that the humanitarian situation in the region is expected to worsen and calls on the Commission to reassess humanitarian aid needs for the region to ensure that Union funding continues to reach those in need of assistance;

66.  Underlines that the war has had a particularly significant effect on countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood, such as the Republic of Moldova, that have provided shelter and assistance to refugees fleeing the war and faced the knock-on effects of sky-high inflation and energy and food prices; underlines the importance of sustained support for candidate countries in implementing the necessary accession-related reforms and in enhancing their resilience and preventing and countering hybrid threats; welcomes the decision to grant Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova candidate country status and insists on the need to deploy the necessary funds to support their accession process; decides, therefore, to increase appropriations by EUR 450 million above DB for the Eastern Neighbourhood; proposes, furthermore, to increase accession-related support under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA III) by EUR 50 million in 2024 for the Western Balkans;

67.  Shares the Council’s assessment that the Commission should have factored humanitarian aid needs resulting from the war into the DB; considers that, given the highly challenging international context, increasing geopolitical instability, rising extreme poverty and more frequent natural disasters and extreme weather events, humanitarian aid needs in 2024 are likely to be more substantial than estimated by the Council in its reading; recalls, furthermore, that humanitarian aid to Ukraine will continue to be covered under Heading 6 rather than the Ukraine Facility; underlines that insufficient access to humanitarian aid hits the most vulnerable hardest, in particular women and children; points out that the Union’s humanitarian aid budget has relied heavily on the SEAR, driving resources away from the SEAR’s other objectives and reducing the Union’s ability to respond to emergencies; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for humanitarian aid by EUR 550 million compared to the DB;

68.  Recalls that the NDICI cushion is designed to enable the Union to respond in an agile and effective manner to a changing external policy landscape and emerging challenges through budgetary flexibility; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations in the cushion by EUR 800 million above DB in 2024;

69.  Underlines its support for the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and the need to continue relevant actions financed under the EU Trust Fund for Colombia; proposes, therefore, to reinforce appropriations by EUR 10 million above DB for 'The Americas' geographic programme under the NDICI; reiterates, furthermore, its unwavering commitment to protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms globally and increases by EUR 10 million above DB the allocation for the 'fundamental rights and freedoms' thematic programme;

70.  Reiterates its commitment to the international dimension of Erasmus+, which enables learning mobility exchanges with partner countries around the world; increases, therefore, appropriations for the international dimension of Erasmus+ by EUR 10 million above DB, split evenly between the NDICI and IPA III;

71.  Recalls that the interest due from the EUR 18 billion in MFA+ loans being disbursed to Ukraine in 2023 was to be covered by the Member States, with the Union budget only contributing in the event of available resources; considers that no such resources are available and therefore deletes the line and cuts the appropriations for the MFA+ interest rate subsidy;

72.  Reinforces Heading 6 overall by EUR 2 525 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB and by EUR 2 407 100 000 compared to the Council reading; underscores that, in line with its MFF interim report, the ceiling for Heading 6 would increase by EUR 2,875 billion in 2024;

Heading 7 - European Public Administration

73.  Recalls that spending under Heading 7 should be set at a level that guarantees that the Union has an effective and efficient administration; points out, in that regard, that the Commission’s proposal for a revision of the MFF would reduce the need for recourse to the Single Margin Instrument for spending under Heading 7 in 2024;

74.  Accepts the Council position for Heading 7 with respect to Section III;

Pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs)

75.  Recalls the importance of pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs) as tools for the formulation of political priorities and the introduction of new initiatives that have the potential to turn into standing Union activities and programmes; adopts, following a careful analysis of all the proposals submitted and taking fully into account the Commission's assessment of their compliance with legal requirements and implementability, a balanced package of PP-PAs that reflects Parliament’s political priorities; calls on the Commission to swiftly implement PP-PAs and provide feedback on their performance and results delivered on the ground;

Payments

76.  Underlines the need to provide a sufficient level of payment appropriations in the 2024 budget and decides, as a general rule, to reinforce payment appropriations on those lines which are amended in commitment appropriations; notes the low level of payments proposed by the Commission for 2024, attributable to delays in the implementation of some programmes due to their late adoption and the disruption to projects because of the COVID-19 crisis; underlines, in this context, the risk of a payments backlog in the later years of the MFF period and for the subsequent MFF and recalls its position on the MFF revision in that regard;

Other Sections

Section I – European Parliament

77.  Is aware of the constraints of Heading 7 in the current MFF; recalls that these constraints are the results of the cuts applied by the Council to the Commission’s already very low initial proposal when agreeing on the current MFF 2021-2027; expresses its astonishment and deep concern at the Commission’s unilateral decision to reduce Parliament’s estimates for 2024, which breaks once more the tradition of good cooperation between the two institutions; recalls that the Parliament’s estimates were prepared and adopted with particular attention to the Commission’s recommendations; against that background, restores the appropriations of its budget for 2024 set at EUR 2 383 401 312, in line with its estimates of revenue and expenditure adopted by the Plenary on 20 April 2023; incorporates budgetary-neutral technical adjustments to reflect updated information which was not available earlier this year;

78.  Notes that, while its budget is included under Section I - European Parliament, the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF) is an independent Union body; welcomes the fact that the number of posts allocated to the APPF is clearly identified in the establishment plan and that the specific amount related to its staff is included in the budgetary remarks for both Items 1200 and 1400; expects that this information will continue to be disclosed in the future budgets; agrees to remove on that basis Article 502 from the 2024 budget nomenclature onwards;

79.  Reiterates the Parliament’s priorities for the forthcoming financial year, namely, focusing Parliament’s budget on its core functions of co-legislator, acting as one arm of the budgetary authority, representing citizens and scrutinizing the work of other institutions, as well as providing the resources for priority projects on engaging with citizens, green Parliament promoting the saving of resources, accessible Parliament fully respecting gender issues and strengthening security, cyber-security and IT development;

80.  In line with its above-mentioned resolution of 20 April 2023 on its estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2024 and taking into account the answers provided by the Secretary-General on 19 July 2023:

Other Sections (Sections IV-X)

81.  Condemns the Commission’s horizontal approach to reduce the estimates of the institutions in order to adhere to the principle of stable staffing, and to a maximum increase of 2 % for non-salary related expenditure, despite the inflationary pressures for a second year in a row and irrespective of new tasks given to the institutions by the Commission and the co-legislators;

82.  Highlights that the largest parts of the institutions’ budgets are fixed by statutory or contractual obligations impacted by inflation and that they have no control over inflation rates and increasing energy prices; is concerned about the high cost of living and the increasing prices in Luxembourg, in particular the rising housing costs entailing difficulties for all institutions based in Luxembourg in recruiting staff; requests all institutions based in Luxembourg to address this long-standing issue also with Luxembourg counterparts;

83.  Highlights the need for the institutions to have sufficient staff in order to fulfil their mandate; welcomes the continuous efforts made by the institutions to redeploy staff and find additional efficiency gains but recognises the limits of this approach in the current inflationary context when paired simultaneously with increasing responsibilities;

84.  Increases, for the following duly justified cases, the level of appropriations or staff above the DB in order to give the institutions enough resources to respect their legal and contractual obligations and perform adequately, efficiently and effectively the growing number of tasks from their mandate; proposes therefore to:

o
o   o

85.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution, together with the amendments to the draft general budget, to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ L 424, 15.12.2020, p. 1. (2) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1. (3) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11. (4) OJ C 444 I, 22.12.2020. (5) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11. (6) OJ L 325, 20.12.2022, p. 11. (7) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28. (8) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0119. (9) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0335. (10) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0194. (11) OJ C 177, 17.5.2023, p. 115. (12) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1. (13) OJ L 243, 9.7.2021, p. 1. (14) OJ C 428, 13.12.2017, p. 10. (15) OJ C 242, 10.7.2018, p. 24. (16) OJ C 283, 11.8.2023, p. 18. (17) OJ C 479, 16.12.2022, p. 75. (18) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0278. (19) OJ C 388, 13.11.2020, p. 18. (20) OJ C 94 E, 3.4.2013, p. 13 and OJ C 149, 28.4.2023, p. 11. (21) OJ C 270, 7.7.2021, p. 2. (22) OJ C 317, 7.9.2023, p. 3. (23) Regulation (EU) 2023/1525 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 July 2023 on supporting ammunition production (ASAP) (OJ L 185, 24.7.2023, p. 7).

European Parliament resolution of 18 October 2023 on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 3/2023 of the European Union for the financial year 2023 – Update of revenue (own resources) and other technical adjustments including the set-up and financing for 2023 of the new Defence Industrial Reinforcement Instrument and of the European Chips Act (12435/2023 – C9-0225/2023 – 2023/0240(BUD))

P9_TA(2023)0368 A9-0287/2023

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(1), and in particular Article 44 thereof,

–  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, as definitively adopted on 23 November 2022(2),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027(3),

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources(4),

–  having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom(5),

–  having regard to its resolution of 11 July 2023 on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 2/2023 of the European Union for the financial year 2023 entering the surplus of the financial year 2022(6),

–  having regard to Draft amending budget No 3/2023, which the Commission adopted on 3 July 2023 (COM(2023)0406),

–  having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 3/2023 which the Council adopted on 18 September 2023 and forwarded to Parliament on the same day (12435/2023 – C9-0225/2023),

–  having regard to Rules 94 and 96 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0287/2023),

A.  whereas Draft amending budget No 3/2023 entails a revision of the own resources forecasts in relation to customs duties, which are 9,9 % higher than in the 2023 budget, the uncapped VAT base, which is 8,6 % higher than the May 2022 forecast, non-recycled plastic packaging waste base, which is 11,6 % higher than the May 2022 forecast, and the total EU GNI base, which is up 3,6 % compared to the May 2022 forecast;

B.  whereas Draft amending budget No 3/2023 provides an update of the United Kingdom contribution in 2023, which stands at just over EUR 9 billion, and gives cashed amounts of fines and penalty payments, which stand at just over EUR 690 million; whereas EUR 504 million of those fines and penalty payments are mainly for excess emissions premiums;

C.  whereas the overall impact of Draft amending budget No 3/2023 on expenditure amounts to an increase of EUR 54,8 million in commitment appropriations and a decrease of EUR 190,9 million in payment appropriations;

D.  whereas the Union is being asked to do more in a growing number of fields, including defence, health, climate, without a corresponding increase in the Union’s budget for those tasks;

1.  Welcomes Draft amending budget No 3/2023 as submitted by the Commission;

2.  Takes note that the increase in the amount of own resources other than GNI entails a decrease in the GNI contribution of EUR 4,4 billion compared to Draft amending budget No 2/2023; reiterates its view that Member States should take advantage of the reduction in their GNI-based contributions to increase funding for the Union budget, actions and programmes, inter alia to respond to the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine address climate change and support Europeans and SMEs in coping with high inflation;

3.  Urges the Council to approve the recent Commission proposals on own resources in order to increase the own resources available to the Union budget;

4.  Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 3/2023;

5.  Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 3/2023 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

6.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1. (2) OJ L 58, 23.2.2023, p. 1. (3) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11. (4) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28. (5) OJ L 424, 15.12.2020, p. 1. (6) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0254.

European Parliament resolution of 18 October 2023 on the 2022 Commission Report on Montenegro (2022/2202(INI))

P9_TA(2023)0369 A9-0277/2023

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Montenegro, of the other part(1), which entered into force on 1 May 2010,

–  having regard to Montenegro’s application for membership of the European Union of 15 December 2008,

–  having regard to the fifth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at deputy level of 30 June 2020 in Brussels, where negotiations on the last screened chapter, Chapter 8 on ‘competition policy’, were opened,

–  having regard to the Commission opinion of 9 November 2010 on Montenegro’s application for membership of the European Union (COM(2010)0670), the European Council’s decision of 16-17 December 2010 to grant Montenegro candidate status and the European Council’s decision of 29 June 2012 to open EU accession negotiations with Montenegro,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III)(2),

–  having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council meeting of 19-20 June 2003,

–  having regard to the declarations of the EU-Western Balkans summits of 17 May 2018 in Sofia, of 6 May 2020 in Zagreb, of 6 October 2021 in Brdo pri Kranju and of 6 December 2022 in Tirana,

–  having regard to the Berlin Process launched on 28 August 2014,

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 5 February 2020 entitled ‘Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0057),

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 29 April 2020 entitled ‘Support to the Western Balkans in tackling COVID-19 and the post-pandemic recovery’ (COM(2020)0315),

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),

–  having regard to the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans signed by Montenegro on 10 November 2020,

–  having regard to the Commission communication of 19 October 2021 entitled ‘2021 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy’ (COM(2021)0644), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Montenegro 2021 Report’ (SWD(2021)0293),

–  having regard to the Commission’s Overview & Country Assessments of July 2021 of the Economic Reform Programme of Montenegro and to the joint conclusions of the Economic and Financial Dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkans and Turkey, adopted by the Council on 12 July 2021,

–  having regard to the EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Accession Conference of 22 June 2021 and of 13 December 2021,

–  having regard to the 11th EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Council of 14 July 2022 in Podgorica,

–  having regard to the declaration and recommendations adopted at the 20th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, held on 2 December 2021,

–  having regard to Montenegro’s accession to NATO on 5 June 2017,

–  having regard to Special Report 01/2022 of the European Court of Auditors: EU support for the Rule of Law in the Western Balkans: despite efforts, fundamental problems persist, of 10 January 2022,

–  having regard to the speech by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the GLOBSEC 2023 Bratislava Forum on 23 May 2023,

–  having regard to Montenegro’s status as a Contracting Party to the Energy Community Treaty since 1 January 2007,

–  having regard to its recommendation of 19 June 2020 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Western Balkans, following the 2020 summit(3),

–  having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2021 on cooperation on the fight against organised crime in the Western Balkans(4),

–  having regard to its recommendation of 23 November 2022 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning the new EU strategy for enlargement(5),

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on Montenegro,

–  having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9-0277/2023),

A.  whereas enlargement is the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument, incentivising and encouraging fundamental reforms, including in the area of the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights and freedom of expression, and a strategic and future-oriented geopolitical investment in peace, stability, democracy and security throughout the continent, in particular in the light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has shown that non-enlargement comes at a massive strategic cost and can undermine security and stability in Europe;

B.  whereas the enlargement policy’s effectiveness has considerably decreased in recent years due to a lack of genuine political will in advancing fundamental reforms of some of the political leaders of the enlargement countries, as well as delays by the EU in delivering on some of its promises; whereas this has also created a breeding ground for malign external actors in the Western Balkans region, in particular Russia and China;

C.  whereas the new enlargement momentum sparked by the changed geopolitical reality and the applications for EU membership by some Eastern Partnership countries have prompted the EU to accelerate taking action on its long-overdue deliverables to the Western Balkans; whereas the future of the Western Balkan countries lies in the EU;

D.  whereas political leaders in the EU Member States, as well as in the enlargement countries, need to prove their genuine commitment to enlargement based on the Copenhagen criteria by taking concrete steps and making progress in order to re-energise the whole process, ensuring its continuity, consistency, credibility, transparency and impact;

E.  whereas each enlargement country is judged on its own merits; whereas the fulfilment of the enlargement criteria, the implementation of necessary reforms, in particular in the area of ‘fundamentals’, adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and good governance, alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, and legislative alignment determine the timetable and progress in the accession process;

F.  whereas the EU has reiterated its full and unequivocal commitment to Montenegro’s EU membership perspective; whereas nearly 80 % of Montenegrin citizens support future EU membership;

G.  whereas Montenegro has gone the furthest in the EU accession process, having opened all 33 screened chapters of the EU acquis and provisionally closed three; whereas its integration into the EU is vital for the stability and prosperity of all of south-eastern Europe;

H.  whereas Montenegro has accepted the gradual adoption of the European Union’s objectives and policies during the negotiation process;

I.  whereas Montenegro remains a candidate for EU accession and a NATO ally; whereas Montenegro is fully aligned with the EU’s common foreign and security policy;

J.  whereas the EU continues to be the biggest trading partner and largest provider of investment and financial assistance to Montenegro through the IPA III, the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe and macro-financial assistance;

K.  whereas Montenegro faces challenges stemming from malign foreign interference and disinformation campaigns, including from Russia;

Commitment to EU accession

1.  Commends Montenegro’s long-standing commitment to EU integration, underpinned by a high level of public support; reiterates its support for Montenegro in this regard; stresses that progress and the overall pace in negotiations depends on meeting interim rule of law benchmarks; notes that all 33 screened chapters have been opened, but regrets that no chapter has been closed in the past six years, slowing down Montenegro’s progress and negatively affecting its positive record and status as the most advanced Western Balkan country on its path towards EU accession;

2.  Reaffirms that the pace of the enlargement process remains linked to individual countries’ capacity to meet the accession criteria, but that it also depends on the commitment of the political leaders in the Western Balkan countries and the EU; regrets in this regard any repeated postponements and reluctance by the Montenegrin ruling political elite to make progress in the EU negotiations;

3.  Regrets the fact that high political tensions and polarisation, the failure to build consensus on matters of national interest and a lack of cross-party dialogue have delayed progress on EU-related reforms and plunged Montenegro into a deep political and institutional crisis; notes that, as a consequence, Montenegro’s EU accession process has stalled and an important momentum to make significant progress was lost;

4.  Takes note of the results of the presidential elections held in March and April 2023 and the early parliamentary elections held in June 2023; expresses its firm belief that Montenegro needs a stable pro-European government and an EU-oriented majority; encourages the formation of a new, stable and pro-European government capable and willing to continue on the EU accession path as soon as possible; encourages the President, the new parliament and the government to focus on the key reforms needed for the country to make progress in EU integration, ensure their properly and timely implementation, avoid deepening political polarisation and refrain from using inflammatory rhetoric and language in political discussions; remains ready to cooperate with all political actors to support the country in maintaining its strategic course;

5.  Calls on all Montenegrin authorities to work together for the country’s European future, thereby sending a clear message to Montenegrin citizens, and to communicate unambiguously on Montenegro’s close relationship with the EU in this regard; stresses the urgent need for political stability, commitment and credible engagement in consensus-building to move the stagnant EU reform process forward, in particular as regards the urgent rule of law reforms; underlines the importance of continued respect for democratic processes, norms and standards;

6.  Welcomes Montenegro’s acceptance of the revised enlargement methodology and calls on Montenegro to intensify its efforts in meeting the remaining interim benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24 and thereafter in closing chapters based on measurable progress and tangible results;

7.  Welcomes Montenegro’s continued full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including all of the sanctions adopted following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its support for an international rules-based order at the level of the United Nations; encourages the future government to remain committed in this regard;

8.  Commends Montenegro’s material and humanitarian support to Ukraine, worth more than EUR 10 million, as well as the temporary protection mechanism, which grants people fleeing from Ukraine the right to stay in Montenegro for one year; recalls that Montenegro is among the Western Balkan countries hosting the highest number of Ukrainian nationals; expresses concern, however, over the fact that increasing numbers of Russian citizens, including oligarchs, are taking up residence in Montenegro; urges the Montenegrin authorities to ensure that the country does not become a hub for entities and individuals wishing to circumvent sanctions;

9.  Welcomes Montenegro’s active involvement in EU common security and defence policy missions and operations, such as the European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta, and in NATO and other international and multilateral missions; recognises Montenegro’s strategic alliance with the EU and condemns any attempts by competent authorities to question its NATO membership;

10.  Remains seriously concerned by malign foreign interference, destabilisation efforts, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors in Montenegro that present the EU as an unreliable and uninvolved partner and undermine Montenegro’s progress on its European path, in particular those originating from Russia, China and Serbia; condemns Russia’s efforts to exploit ethnic tensions in Montenegro in order to inflame conflict, divide communities and disseminate deceptive information in a bid to destabilise the entire Western Balkans region; notes that religious institutions can be used as a tool for external influence and strongly condemns any undue interference by the Serbian Orthodox Church in this regard, including its attempts to promote Russia’s disinformation;

11.  Calls on Montenegro to make significant and systemic efforts towards identifying and dismantling disinformation factories and underlines the importance of media freedom and independence, quality reporting and improving media literacy as key to fighting disinformation; condemns the unprecedented cyberattack of August 2022 against Montenegro’s digital infrastructure, as well as past attacks in response to Montenegro’s accession to NATO in 2017; urges Montenegro to actively enhance its resilience in this regard in close cooperation with the EU, including via EU-funded cybersecurity tools, such as the Cybersecurity Rapid Response project for Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and with NATO; welcomes Montenegro’s interest in cooperating with the EU via the European Democracy Action Plan; calls for the urgent adoption of the strategy on countering hybrid threats and the relevant action plan, in alignment with EU strategic documents, including the 2022 EU Cyber Defence Policy; calls on the Commission to provide technical and financial assistance in this regard;

12.  Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Delegation of the EU to Montenegro to intensify their efforts to improve the EU’s visibility in the country and pursue an active and effective communication campaign on the importance and benefits of a close partnership between Montenegro and the EU, including EU-funded projects and Montenegro’s European future; calls for expanding StratCom monitoring to concentrate on cross-border disinformation threats in the Western Balkan countries and their neighbours; emphasises the added value of engaging with local and regional expertise from the private sector and civil society in order to produce evidence-based responses in the fight against disinformation and to identify troubling developments at an early stage;

13.  Urges the Commission once again to initiate an independent and impartial investigation into whether the conduct engaged in and the policies furthered by the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct for the Members of the Commission and of the Commission’s obligations under the Treaties;

14.  Underlines the need for the full respect of the Code of Conduct for the Members of the Commission and of the Commission’s obligations under the Treaties;

15.  Encourages Montenegro to re-engage in parliamentary cooperation through the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC); regrets the cancellation of the EU-Montenegro SAPC meeting in December 2022 due to Montenegro’s failure to follow the opinion of the Venice Commission with respect to the controversial adoption of the Law on amendments to the Law on the President;

Democracy and the rule of law

16.  Regrets the adoption of the controversial Law on amendments to the Law on the President by the Parliament of Montenegro in December 2022, which directly challenged respect for constitutionality and the rule of law, despite the urgent opinion of the Venice Commission and the EU’s calls against its adoption; welcomes the Constitutional Court’s launch of the procedure for reviewing the law’s constitutionality and its recent unanimous decision to overturn the law; underlines the importance of following the Venice Commission’s recommendations on matters related to legal provisions and the overall rule of law in the country;

17.  Regrets the deep polarisation, lack of dialogue, mistrust and political boycotts in the Montenegrin Parliament that have seriously hampered the legislative process; calls on the legislative and executive branches to strengthen loyal cooperation, including on the accession process; calls for strengthening the functioning and coordination between state institutions in order to achieve political stability and substantial progress in key EU-related reforms, in particular electoral and judicial reforms and the fight against organised crime and corruption;

18.  Urges the Montenegrin authorities to implement and adopt necessary measures to strengthen the independence, integrity, efficiency, accountability and professionalism of the judiciary and to combat any form of political interference in the judicial system, in line with rule of law principles and democratic standards;

19.  Welcomes the appointment of three new Constitutional Court judges as a step towards resolving the constitutional crisis; regrets the fact that the Constitutional Court was left without a quorum since September 2022; calls on the new parliament to finalise judicial appointments as a matter of utmost priority, in particular the Supreme State Prosecutor, as proposed by the Prosecutorial Council in May 2023, and three members of the Judicial Council;

20.  Regrets the lack of progress made on the reform of the electoral, legal and institutional framework, in which gaps and ambiguities persist that undermine its effectiveness and need to be addressed, including but not limited to transparency in the financing of political parties and their election campaigns, the misuse of state funds, the institutional advantage used by ruling parties for political gains and concerns about the accuracy of the voters’ registry; calls for the implementation of the outstanding recommendations by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, including with the aim of reforming the entire electoral legislation in line with European standards; notes the work started by the State Election Commission (SEC) to increase its transparency and implement recommendations; encourages the authorities to further strengthen the SEC’s integrity, impartiality and accountability in order to improve public trust; urges Montenegro to ensure a credible, independent and effective political and judicial follow-up to the ‘envelope affair’ case of alleged electoral fraud;

21.  Reiterates its call for local-level elections to be held on the same day; welcomes the fact that elections in 14 municipalities were held on the same day in October 2022; notes, however, that amendments to the Law on Self-Government were assessed as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Montenegro; calls for a robust legislative framework in this regard with a particular focus on achieving gender balance among the elected representatives, namely through equal representation for female candidates on electoral lists and improving and enforcing current internal rules in this regard;

22.  Notes that the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections were competitive and well-managed overall, and that candidates were able to campaign freely and enjoyed equal opportunities to reach out to voters; regrets, however, the fact that candidate registration was not inclusive and that long-standing shortcomings in the legal framework and campaign finance regulations remain unaddressed; is concerned about the vulnerability of the media to internal and external influences in terms of campaign coverage and allegations of the misuse of state resources in the pre-electoral period; takes note of the record low voter turnout of 56,4 % in the parliamentary elections;

23.  Urges Montenegro to put in place a credible and effective criminal justice response to corruption; notes the improvement in the prevention of corruption and the positive trend in the work of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, and encourages further strengthening the Agency’s integrity, impartiality and accountability to improve its performance and public trust; calls on the authorities to swiftly adopt a coordinated national strategy for the fight against high-level corruption and organised crime in line with Group of States against Corruption recommendations and EU standards and to foster an integrated approach to the prevention and repression of corruption; calls on the authorities to criminalise illicit enrichment;

24.  Notes with great concern the serious domestic and international criminal actions by Montenegrin organised crime organisations known as ‘clans’ and calls for a full investigation into their alleged connection to the political establishment in the country;

25.  Notes the efforts being made in the fight against organised crime through legislative changes and the arrest of key figures; takes note of the serious charges being brought against leading figures in the judicial system; notes the rising numbers of final convictions, but remains concerned by the lengthy trials and frequent adjournments; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to strengthen criminal investigations, increase the number of experts in this field, ensure enhanced cooperation and monitoring in the criminal justice system and deliver verdicts promptly, while respecting the right to a fair, independent and impartial trial and safeguarding the rights of the accused; calls for further alignment with the EU acquis on asset confiscation;

26.  Welcomes the positive efforts made in the area of illicit trade, namely cigarette smuggling; notes the new measures announced by the government in July 2022 prohibiting the storage of tobacco in Bar; reiterates the importance of further measures to tackle cigarette smuggling in the country, especially in the free zone of the Port of Bar;

27.  Urges Montenegro to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat human trafficking and protect victims and to ensure close cooperation with regional and international partners; welcomes Montenegro’s ongoing cooperation with EU agencies such as Europol and Eurojust and notes the importance of this cooperation in assisting Montenegro with tackling cross-border crime, including the trafficking of weapons, drugs and human beings, and with combating terrorism and extremism;

28.  Welcomes the adoption of the new 2022-2026 strategy for public administration reform, but regrets the lack of progress made in implementing it; remains concerned about the lowered requirements for the merit-based recruitment, competence and independence of civil servants and the loss of staff with knowledge of the EU accession process; urges Montenegro to effectively address these shortcomings, optimise state administration, implement managerial accountability and ensure transparency; underlines the importance of recruitment on all levels of public administration based on principles of merit, competence, as well as the de-politicisation of the public service; remains concerned by cases of abuse of office;

29.  Welcomes the second Citizens’ Assembly in Montenegro and the follow-up visit of its participants to the European Parliament;

Fundamental freedoms and human rights

30.  Calls on Montenegro to step up its efforts to combat hate speech, online harassment, which disproportionately affects human rights defenders and women, and politically biased reporting and foreign influence in the Montenegrin media; urges politicians and public figures to vehemently denounce any messages aimed at polarising society and undercutting media trust and fundamental democratic norms; recalls that hate speech incidents against ethnic and sexual minorities, such as incidents against LGBTIQ+ persons, are a matter of grave concern; notes also the slow progress made on freedom of expression;

31.  Expresses its concern about the deep political polarisation in the media landscape, the lack of independence of the public broadcaster (Radio and Television of Montenegro – RTCG) and, in particular, the growing volume of foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns that negatively impact democratic processes; notes with concern the pressure being put on the local media market by expanding regional media competition; emphasises the need for media independence and freedom as key elements of a strong democracy; calls on media regulatory bodies and all stakeholders to promote and support initiatives that encourage and foster balanced and unbiased reporting and the representation of different perspectives, as well as investigative journalism, in order to mitigate the impact of political polarisation;

32.  Notes the development of RTCG’s Development Strategy and Digital Transformation Strategy for the period 2023-2027, which recognises the role of RTCG as the primary source of information; calls on all authorities to refrain from taking any administrative, legislative or political action that would jeopardise the public broadcaster’s editorial, institutional or financial independence; expresses concern about the election of RTCG’s director-general in violation of a final court decision;

33.  Acknowledges the efforts made to complete the Media Strategy of Montenegro 2022-2026 and insists on the inclusion of media and civil society in the revision of media legislation, in line with EU standards; urges Montenegro to finally adopt a new set of media laws, namely a law on media, a law on public media and a law on audio-visual media services;

34.  Welcomes some positive steps, such as the introduction of tougher penalties for attacks and threats against journalists, and the establishment of the ad hoc commission for monitoring violence against the media and calls urgently for a renewal of its mandate; reiterates, however, the need for the effective implementation of its findings and recommendations; calls for more transparency regarding classified files concerning attacks against women journalists; urges Montenegro to increase the effectiveness of the legal response to threats and violence against journalists and other media professionals, including past cases, and urges the authorities to refrain from any verbal attacks or undue political pressure on independent media and journalists; emphasises the need to review the investigation of the murder of the journalist Duško Jovanović and to engage with foreign experts to ensure a full and effective investigation;

35.  Urges Montenegro to conduct the long-overdue population and housing census in line with EU and international standards as soon as the political stalemate in the country ends, so that this important matter is not used as yet another pretext to enhance the polarisation of society; expects this to be conducted in an open and transparent manner without any political interference, with all recognised national minorities counted properly without fear of intimidation or prosecution;

36.  Welcomes the country’s multi-ethnic identity and calls for the further promotion of and respect for all languages, cultural heritage and traditions of local communities and national minorities; regrets the fact that societal polarisation and divisions have intensified; emphasises the need to protect the rights of all national minorities, including their political, social and economic rights, and urges for strengthened, applied and implemented institutional and legal frameworks in this regard, including a new anti-discrimination law; calls on the authorities to tackle the intersectional discrimination that minorities face through a systemic and effective institutional approach;

37.  Calls on Montenegro to intensify efforts to ensure the non-discriminatory use of minority languages in education and in dedicated media space in state and local outlets; stresses the importance of equal representation of national minorities in the media, the judiciary, law enforcement and public institutions; emphasises the need to protect all of the national minorities’ political rights;

38.  Regrets that the most vulnerable groups in society, including Roma and Egyptians, persons with disabilities and LGBTIQ+ persons are increasingly subject to discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes; calls on Montenegro to strengthen measures against hate speech, social exclusion and discrimination and to improve vulnerable groups’ access to justice, employment, housing and healthcare; recalls the need to fully and effectively implement the 2021-2025 strategy for the inclusion of Roma and Egyptians; deplores the growing violence and hate speech toward LGBTIQ+ people and calls on Montenegro to adopt relevant legislation to fully protect their rights, including the full implementation of the Law on Same-sex Partnership;

39.  Underlines the multi-ethnic identity of the Bay of Kotor; stresses that Montenegro’s European perspective is closely entwined with the protection of minorities and their cultural heritage; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to nurture the multi-ethnic nature of the state, including the traditions and cultural heritage of the Croatian community in the Bay of Kotor; welcomes the election of the Croatian minority representative to the Parliament of Montenegro in the last elections;

40.  Is concerned by the increase in femicides, openly expressed misogyny, gender-based violence and violence against children; remains concerned about sexism directed at women in politics and public life and regrets that violence against women contributes to preventing women from becoming involved in political life; is concerned about the decreasing number of women among the Members of Parliament;

41.  Urges Montenegro to implement the standards of the Istanbul Convention, launch public awareness campaigns and ensure that such crimes are properly investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted; calls on Montenegro to eradicate all forms of discrimination, address deeply rooted societal discriminatory behaviours, improve access to justice and ensure better follow-up and enforcement of rights in proceedings on domestic violence, as well as enhanced prevention of and protection against domestic violence and support systems for victims; calls on Montenegro to establish regular monitoring mechanisms to oversee the effectiveness of family justice systems for victims of domestic abuse and introduce monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of policies and procedures relating to family justice on marginalised groups of women;

42.  Expresses concern about the lack of progress made and conflict of interest in the process of drafting amendments to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence; notes that the State Prosecutor, who is suspected of committing domestic violence, was delegated by the State Prosecution Office to the working group of the Ministry of Justice for drafting amendments to the law;

43.  Regrets the ongoing prevalence of discrimination against people with disabilities; laments the inconsistency between national laws and the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; calls for the effective implementation of strategies to address the gaps in upholding the rights of people with disabilities across sectors and policies, including healthcare, the labour market and in administrative and judicial proceedings; welcomes the fact that a reform of the National Disability Determination System is underway; stresses the urgent need for a de-institutionalisation strategy;

44.  Notes with concern the signing of the Fundamental Agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church amid criticism by civil society and political disagreements on the lack of inclusive consultations and transparency; is concerned about attempts by the Orthodox Church in countries such as Serbia and Montenegro to promote Russia as a protector of so-called traditional family values and to fortify relations between the state and the church;

45.  Underlines the key role of civil society organisations in functioning democracies; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to better involve civil society, together with independent experts and local stakeholders, in developing key legislation, in particular reforms related to the EU reform agenda and the accession process more generally, by strengthening cooperation and consultation mechanisms between state bodies and civil society organisations (CSOs); notes that funding rules for CSOs have been set up, but only a limited number of ministries have launched calls to award grants to these organisations; notes with concern undue actions by some CSOs; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to ensure that CSOs function in line with democratic standards and EU values; notes, in this context, that full transparency concerning the funding of CSOs would be an important contribution towards ensuring greater transparency; deplores verbal attacks made by state officials against CSOs;

46.  Calls on Montenegro to urgently and fully implement the recommendations by the Universal Periodic Review, the Committee Against Torture and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment with a view to combating the climate of impunity in the country; in this context, urges Montenegro to prohibit the statute of limitations for the criminal offences of torture and other forms of ill-treatment and to amend the definition of torture in accordance with the UN Convention Against Torture; calls on the authorities to secure prompt and effective investigations of cases of police violence and torture against detainees and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice; calls for perpetrators of torture to be immediately suspended from duty pending an investigation and to receive penalties commensurate with the seriousness of their actions if found guilty;

47.  Acknowledges the signing of an upgraded agreement between the EU and Montenegro on operational cooperation in border management with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), which entered into force provisionally on 1 July 2023; encourages further cooperation between Montenegro and Frontex in order to strengthen border management, support asylum procedures, fight smuggling and enhance readmission;

Reconciliation, regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations

48.  Notes Montenegro’s active participation in regional cooperation and emphasises the importance of addressing shared challenges, promoting good neighbourly relations and advancing regional stability and development; praises Montenegro for respecting minority rights and assuming a positive role in regional relations and encourages it to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes;

49.  Underscores the importance of inclusive economic cooperation that should be acceptable to all six Western Balkan countries, which establishes cooperation where they all have an equal footing and that fosters deeper adherence to EU norms and the acquis; recalls, in this regard, its hesitation concerning the Open Balkan initiative and notes Montenegro’s participation in the June and September summits as an observer;

50.  Welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process on the freedom of movement with identity cards, on the recognition of higher education qualifications and on the recognition of professional qualifications for doctors of medicine, dentists and architects; calls for their rapid adoption and implementation and commends their ratification by the Montenegrin Government; stresses the importance of making full use of all the regional and intergovernmental initiatives that are already in place, in particular the Adriatic Ionian Initiative, the Central-European Initiative, the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region and the Berlin Process, and of creating synergies between them;

51.  Urges Montenegro to step up efforts to identify, prosecute and punish war crimes and their glorification while also clarifying the fate of missing persons; calls on Montenegro to proactively investigate all war crime allegations and raise issues of command responsibility, aiding and abetting; calls, in this context, for effective regional cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of persons indicted for war crimes; commends Montenegro’s continued cooperation under the Sarajevo Declaration process; urges the authorities to review old cases that were not prosecuted in line with international humanitarian law or domestic law and ensure that all victims and their family members obtain redress and/or administrative compensation for their suffering; regrets that many challenges persist with regard to their economic and social integration and well-being;

52.  Is concerned about the dissolved Montenegrin Parliament’s adoption of the Law on Veterans and Disability Protection, which selectively prescribes the category of ‘civilian victims of war’ and their right to monetary compensation, despite the fact that this law has not yet taken effect;

53.  Calls on Montenegro to comply with provisions on succession to the former Social Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, especially as regards military assets;

54.  Calls for concrete steps to be taken by Montenegro and its neighbours to resolve long-standing bilateral disputes in a constructive and neighbourly manner, including the unresolved border demarcation issues with Serbia and Croatia, as early as possible during the accession process; encourages the promotion of cross-border initiatives, including the EU co-financed Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between Serbia and Montenegro;

55.  Reiterates its call to open the archives that concern the former republics of Yugoslavia and for access to be granted to the files of the former Yugoslav Secret Service and the Yugoslav People’s Army Secret Service in order to thoroughly research and address communist era crimes;

Socio-economic reforms

56.  Positively notes the reported budget surplus for the first quarter of 2023 and the projected economic growth in 2024; welcomes the easing of the inflation rate, but notes that it remains one of the highest in Europe;

57.  Encourages Montenegro to adjust its economic growth strategy in order to boost productivity and human capital and to accelerate its convergence with the EU as advised by the World Bank and in order to benefit all segments of society, including marginalised and vulnerable groups; reiterates the need for increased public investment in the education system for sustainable social and economic development;

58.  Notes the decrease in Montenegro’s public debt, but remains highly concerned by debt-related vulnerabilities; calls on Montenegro to take further steps towards the sustainability of public finances and to develop measures to reduce the informal economy;

59.  Calls on Montenegro to enhance its fiscal economic policies in order to align its public debt levels with the target set by the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact, ensuring they do not exceed 60 % of GDP; urges Montenegro to strengthen its foreign investment screening mechanism to enhance economic security, prevent political interference and address issues concerning bad governance; emphasises the importance of improving the sustainability of its exports by reducing overreliance on extractive industries, such as copper ore and raw aluminium extraction;

60.  Notes the increase in Montenegro’s public debt to foreign financial institutions and companies that can be used as a tool to influence its foreign policy decisions, in particular those related to China; notes China’s increased interest in investing in the Western Balkans and transportation infrastructure projects in Montenegro as part of its Belt and Road Initiative; notes with concern the signing of a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese consortium to build a highway connecting Budva and Tivat, bearing in mind Montenegro’s previous indebtedness to China, namely the USD 1 billion loan used to build the Bar-Boljare highway; calls on the authorities to reduce economic dependence on China and welcomes recent efforts made towards decreasing these fiscal vulnerabilities; calls on Montenegro to continue making use of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the EU Global Gateway Initiative with a view to finding greener and more transparent alternatives for financing infrastructure projects;

61.  Calls on the Montenegrin authorities to take further steps to implement digital services for micro, small and medium enterprises, prioritise the development of transactional electronic services and implement the strategy for digitalisation in the educational system; recognises the significance of investing in education and vocational training to address youth unemployment and promote economic growth and social cohesion in Montenegro;

62.  Welcomes Montenegro’s decision to terminate its citizenship by investment programme on 31 December 2022; notes that between 2019 and 2022 more than 70 % of these passports issued were granted to citizens of the Russian Federation; calls on the authorities to review past decisions, especially in the light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; underscores the security, corruption and money laundering risks such schemes can bring; emphasises, furthermore, the need for further alignment with EU visa policy;

63.  Encourages Montenegro to make the best use of the EU funds available under the IPA III and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, including the Western Balkans Investment Framework, the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans and the Erasmus+ programme; stresses that, in line with IPA III conditionality, funding must be modulated or suspended in the event of a significant regression or persistent lack of progress on fundamentals;

64.  Calls on the EU and the Western Balkan countries to establish a framework for effective cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO); calls on the Commission to make the necessary legal and political arrangements to extend the jurisdiction of the EPPO to EU funds devoted to Montenegro as a candidate country; encourages the Western Balkan countries to swiftly conclude bilateral working arrangements with the EPPO in order to facilitate close cooperation and prosecution for the misuse of EU funds, including through the secondment of national liaison officers to the EPPO;

65.  Reiterates its call for the Commission to implement the recommendations of special report 01/2022 of the European Court of Auditors and thus adapt its investments related to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, including in Montenegro;

Energy, the environment, biodiversity, sustainable development and connectivity

66.  Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package for the Western Balkans and underlines the utmost importance of designating emergency support package funds to relieve the effects of the energy crisis and support Montenegro’s transition towards an energy-efficient and renewable-energy-based economy, in line with the REpowerEU plan;

67.  Welcomes the launch of the day-ahead electricity market at the Montenegrin Power Exchange, which makes the market more liquid and transparent to the benefit of both consumers and producers, ensuring fair prices, more secure and reliable supply and the greater integration of renewable energy; calls on Montenegro to better integrate with EU Member States’ energy markets and to boost the implementation of energy efficiency measures in conjunction with facilitating the deployment of renewable energy with a view to transitioning away from fossil fuels;

68.  Calls on Montenegro to accelerate its sustainable energy transition in line with the Paris Agreement and EU decarbonisation goals; underlines that all new renewable energy projects must comply with the EU acquis on concessions, State aid and the environment; calls on the authorities to speed up the process of developing the Montenegro General Spatial Plan, which should be developed based on the public interest in a transparent manner and apply to all new energy projects; highlights the need to effectively transpose and implement the revised clean energy for all Europeans package; expresses deep concerns about the changes introduced to the Law on Industrial Emissions and the consequent extension of the operation of the Pljevlja coal power plant, despite the ongoing infringement procedure launched by the Energy Community Secretariat in view of the breach of the Large Combustion Plan Directive under the Energy Community Treaty; calls on Montenegro to remedy this without delay; notes the start of the plant’s ecological reconstruction worth EUR 70 million;

69.  Notes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Montenegro and the US while work is advancing to install a liquefied natural gas terminal in the port of Bar; expects Montenegro to commit to diversifying energy supply and enhancing energy security;

70.  Calls on Montenegro to step up the development and adoption of a coherent and credible national energy and climate plan, in line with the EU’s climate and energy policy framework; encourages Montenegro to adopt amendments to the Law on Protection against the Negative Impacts of Climate Change; calls on Montenegro to improve waste management practices and to protect water quality;

71.  Underlines the importance for Montenegro’s infrastructure investments to comply with the EU standards in the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and for respecting EU public procurement and State aid rules; deeply regrets the damage to the Tara River Basin Biosphere Reserve and the Durmitor National Park UNESCO heritage site linked to the construction of the Bar-Boljare highway; reiterates its calls on Montenegro to implement riverbed revitalisation measures and closely monitor the environmental impact of transport infrastructure construction;

72.  Reiterates its call on Montenegro to take urgent measures to effectively conserve protected areas and encourages it to continue identifying potential Natura 2000 sites; underlines the need to ensure compliance with the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive when undertaking new investments that may affect potential Natura 2000 or Emerald sites, including Lake Skadar, Sinjajevina, Komarnica and others, or that may result in a deterioration of the status of water bodies; shares serious concerns expressed by Montenegrin citizens and civic activists that the Komarnica River Canyon might be irreversibly devastated by the construction of a dam for a hydropower plant and calls on the authorities to conduct a detailed cost-benefit analysis on its viability and existing alternatives;

73.  Encourages Montenegro to step up action on institutional and legislative reforms regarding hunting and fishing, with a particular focus on protected areas and protected species; urges the Montenegrin authorities, against this backdrop, to enforce effective, dissuasive and proportionate penalties for all environmental offences and to root out corruption in this sector;

74.  Welcomes the Tirana Summit agreement on reducing roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans from 1 October 2023 with a view to full removal thereafter; welcomes the agreement of 3 May 2023 between 38 telecommunication operators from the EU and the Western Balkans to reduce the costs of data roaming; calls on the authorities, private actors and all stakeholders to facilitate reaching the agreed targets to achieve a substantial reduction in roaming charges for data exchange;

o
o   o

75.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and to the President, Government and Parliament of Montenegro.

(1) OJ L 108, 29.4.2010, p. 3. (2) OJ L 330, 20.9.2021, p. 1. (3) OJ C 362, 8.9.2021, p. 129. (4) OJ C 251, 30.6.2022, p. 87. (5) OJ C 167, 11.5.2023, p. 105.

European Parliament legislative resolution of 18 October 2023 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EC) No 810/2009 and (EU) 2017/2226 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1683/95, (EC) No 333/2002, (EC) No 693/2003 and (EC) No 694/2003 and Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, as regards the digitalisation of the visa procedure (COM(2022)0658 – C9-0165/2022 – 2022/0132A(COD))

P9_TA(2023)0370 A9-0025/2023

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2022)0658),

–  having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 77(2), point (a) and 79(2), point (a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C9‑0165/2022),

–  having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 26 October 2022(1),

–  having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 21 June 2023 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the decision by the Conference of Presidents of 6 July 2023 to authorise the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to split the abovementioned Commission proposal and to draw up two separate legislative reports on the basis thereof,

–  having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Budgets,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A9-0025/2023),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 18 October 2023 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2023/… of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EC) No 810/2009 and (EU) 2017/2226 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 693/2003 and (EC) No 694/2003 and Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, as regards the digitalisation of the visa procedure

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EU) 2023/2667.)

(1) OJ C 75, 28.2.2023, p. 150.

European Parliament legislative resolution of 18 October 2023 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 as regards the digitalisation of the visa procedure (COM(2022)0658 – C9-0307/2023 – 2022/0132B(COD))

P9_TA(2023)0371 A9-0268/2023

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2022)0658),

–  having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 77(2), point (a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C9‑0307/2023),

–  having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 26 October 2022(1),

–  having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 21 June 2023 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the decision by the Conference of Presidents of 6 July 2023 to authorise the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to split the abovementioned Commission proposal and to draw up two separate legislative reports on the basis thereof,

–  having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A9-0268/2023),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 18 October 2023 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2023/… of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 as regards the digitalisation of the visa procedure

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EU) 2023/2685.)

(1) OJ C 75, 28.2.2023, p. 150.