Resolution by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on Common positions and concerns of the EU Member States and Eastern European partner countries over foreign policies and external threats to their security
Date: 2016-03-22
Institutions: Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, EU Member State, aid to refugees, computer crime, human rights, international conflict, international security, organised crime, territorial law, terrorism








C_2016193EN.01000101.xml










31.5.2016   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 193/1





RESOLUTION (1)

by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on Common positions and concerns of the EU Member States and Eastern European partner countries over foreign policies and external threats to their security
(2016/C 193/01)
THE EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,






—


having regard to the Constituent Act of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly of 3 May 2011,










—


having regard to the Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit of 21-22 May 2015, in Riga,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 9 July 2015 on the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy (2),










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 9 July 2015 on the European Agenda on Security (3),










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 11 June 2015 on the strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (4),










—


having regard to the Commission Communication of 28 April 2015 on the European Agenda on Security (COM(2015) 185),










A.


whereas the international security environment in Europe has changed dramatically in recent years, with a significant increase in global disorder and the emergence of new regional and local conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe; whereas the persistence of these conflicts, and of human rights violation in regions at war, have resulted in an unprecedented movement of people seeking protection in neighbouring countries and the EU Member States;










B.


whereas, in accordance with the Article 21 of the Treaty of the European Union, the EU is committed to effective multilateralism as a model of global governance; whereas the organisation of the United Nations provides a unique intergovernmental forum where its Member States can debate and take joint actions on global issues, such as peace and security, human rights, conflict prevention, disarmament and terrorism; whereas the EU and its Member States have engaged constructively at the United Nations and other international fora, together with partners and like-minded countries, to shape responses to issues of global and regional concern and of international law;










C.


whereas the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was created to strengthen the European Union's partnerships with neighbouring countries in order to develop an area of shared respect for democracy, human rights, rule of law, stability, security and prosperity;










D.


whereas the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has experience and expert knowledge within the field of constitutional law;










E.


whereas the Eastern Partnership is based on commitments to the principles of international law and to fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;










F.


whereas, when signing bilateral Association Agreements with the EU, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine committed, along with the EU, to promote, preserve and strengthen peace and stability in the regional and international dimensions, as one of the aims of political association;










G.


whereas, as highlighted in the Commission's fourth and final progress report to the European Parliament and the Council on Georgia's implementation of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP), adopted on 18 December 2015, since June 2012, when the EU-Georgia Visa Liberalisation Dialogue was launched, Georgia has undertaken all required reforms necessary to ensure effective and sustainable achievement of all the benchmarks set out in the four blocks of the second phase of the VLAP; whereas, in accordance with the VLAP, Georgia has carried out a series of legislative and institutional reforms in the following areas: document security, border management, migration management and asylum, public order and security (the fight against organised crime, corruption, trafficking, money laundering and drugs; judicial and law enforcement cooperation; personal data protection; and protection of human rights, including minority rights);










H.


whereas on 18 December 2015 the Commission released its sixth and last progress report on the Ukraine's implementation of VLAP;










I.


whereas on 7 December 2015 the EU and Armenia opened high-level negotiations in view of a new, comprehensive framework agreement that would cover political, economic and sectoral cooperation;










J.


whereas, as highlighted in the Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit on 21-22 May 2015, the acts of aggression by Russia against Ukraine and Georgia have shown that the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, with internationally recognised borders, cannot be taken for granted in the 21st century;










K.


whereas the inflow of ammunition, weaponry and terrorist fighters from Russia into the territories controlled by the illegal armed groups in Ukraine has caused a great number of casualties, more than two million internally displaced persons and refugees, as well as a persisting humanitarian crisis;










L.


whereas Russia continues to occupy the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, and has taken further steps to achieve their factual annexation, in violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law; whereas ethnic cleansing and forcible demographic changes have taken place in areas under the effective control of the occupying forces, which bear the responsibility for human rights violations in these areas, including violations of the rights to free movement, people-to-people contacts and education in one's native language;










M.


whereas the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by Russia, as well as military aggression by Russia in Ukrainian Donbas, have led to significant violations of human rights and of fundamental freedoms on the occupied territories;










N.


whereas Russia and the European Union have imposed reciprocal trade embargoes; whereas Russia has, without any legal basis, implemented arbitrary measures that violate universal standards and lack transparency in order to blacklist several EU politicians by denying them entry to Russian territory;










O.


whereas conflicts in the territories of Eastern European partner countries make them more vulnerable to political destabilisation and seriously endanger their economic and social situation; whereas, furthermore, these conflict-affected areas within and around the European continent pose a serious danger to the security of the EU and its partners;










P.


whereas North Africa and the Middle East have been filled with unrest, violence and civil war; whereas poverty, resource shortages, climate change-related effects, human rights violations and economic stagnation place great stresses on populations in many parts of the African continent and in the Middle East, especially minorities such as Christians and Yazidis, forcing them to flee their homes;










Q.


whereas in September 2014 a broad international coalition was formed with the aim of defeating the terrorist organisation calling itself the ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIL/Da'esh);










R.


whereas partner countries have engaged in cooperation with the EU in the area of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), in particular with regard to CSDP support to Security Sector Reforms (SSR) in partner countries;










S.


whereas Ukraine in 2005, and Georgia and Moldova in 2012, concluded Framework Agreements with the EU on participation in EU-led crisis management operations; whereas in 2014 Ukraine took part in the activity of EU Battlegroups and contributed with a frigate to the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia — Operation Atalanta, while, also in 2014, Moldova and Georgia participated for the first time in EU-led CSDP missions, namely the EU Training Mission (EUTM) in Mali and the EU military operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA);










T.


whereas the EU Member States and all partner countries are parties to multilateral disarmament treaties related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), such as the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions; whereas 17 EU Member States, and all partner countries, are also signatories of the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty;










U.


whereas the European Security Agenda for 2015-2020, as proposed by the Commission, sets out three priorities, namely tackling terrorism and preventing radicalisation, disrupting organised crime and fighting cybercrime;










V.


whereas some EU Member States, partner and neighbouring countries have faced external aggression, terrorist attacks, cross-border organised crime and cybercrime, which, in some of these countries, are linked to violent political extremism and religious radicalism; whereas ISIL/Da'esh has sponsored attacks on the soil of EU Member States;










W.


whereas the EU and the US have engaged in negotiations for establishing a new trade agreement, namely the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP);










X.


whereas the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the EU came into force on 1 January 2016; whereas Russia has since imposed economic sanctions on Ukraine, including restrictions on the transit of goods between Ukraine and Central Asia through Russia;










Y.


whereas most EU Member States and partner countries depend on external energy supplies, wherefore access to energy plays a critical role in shaping the geopolitical situation in Europe; whereas the EU's and its partner countries' energy policies must not undermine the core values of the Eastern Partnership or the coherence of their respective foreign policies;










Z.


whereas the US, Iran, Russia and other actors are directly or indirectly involved in the regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and could therefore contribute to finding political solutions to end them;










AA.


whereas the protracted instability and escalating violence in Libya represents a major security risk for Europe as a whole;










BB.


whereas Iran, the EU, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and the US (EU3+3), meeting in Vienna on 14 July 2015, have reached an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue that allows the progressive lifting of UN Security Council sanctions as well as multilateral and national sanctions pertaining to Iran's nuclear programme;










1.


Recalls that the Eastern Partnership was founded on a shared commitment to common values, including democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights, and to the principles of international law and fundamental freedoms, as well as to the stability, security and prosperity of the EU, the Eastern European partner countries and the entire European continent; underlines the responsibility of each Eastern Partnership country to guarantee the introduction and execution of a solid reform process, and to fight against corruption mechanisms; underlines the supporting role of the EU in this regard;










2.


Notes that the outcome of the ENP review will provide a basis for a serious discussion in 2016 on how, in the case of the three Eastern European partners that have Association Agreements, a differentiated approach can be translated in practice;










3.


Shares the view that the EU and its partner countries face multiple and simultaneous challenges to their security, the nature of which is more and more complex, in an environment characterised by a globalised economy, climate change, international mobility, digitalisation, demographic shifts and migrations, and the threats posed both by traditional state actors and by non-state organisations supporting terrorism or international crime;










4.


Calls on the EU and its partner countries to build a closer political relationship, and to seek to converge their respective foreign policies and make them more consistent in order to address common challenges and to safeguard their security; stresses that priority should be given to joint efforts to restore the European security order under international law; underlines that such an order must be based on democratic principles, the rule of law, fundamental values, respect for human rights, the protection of minorities, sovereignty, independence and the inviolability of borders;










5.


Recalls that re-engaging in a dialogue with civil society is crucial for ensuring wide support for any law-enforcement reforms;










6.


Rejects the perspective of a new division of the European continent into spheres of influence of great powers, as suggested by the policies and actions of Russia; reaffirms the principle of each country's sovereign right to decide freely and democratically its foreign and security policy and its military alliances; emphasises that, in accordance with the principles laid down in Article I of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, each country in Europe has the right to choose for itself whether to join any treaty of alliance, including NATO's founding treaty;










7.


Believes that the democratic governance of the United Nations should be strengthened; calls, to this aim, for the UN Member States to reform the UN Security Council, in order that it reflects better the new realities of the world, and to make the UN Security Council more efficient;










8.


Values the framework of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as an inclusive forum for dialogue on security issues and the resolution of conflicts; calls for the revitalisation of the OSCE, and for corresponding political and financial support; underlines the importance of further cooperation among the EU, its Member States, the Eastern European partner countries, the UN and the OSCE, and of joint efforts in managing crisis situations and finding peaceful settlements to conflicts in Europe; regrets, nevertheless, that no substantial progress has been made as regards finding peaceful resolutions and comprehensive settlements of the so-called frozen conflicts affecting most Eastern European partner countries, and calls for more effective and result-oriented action;










9.


Takes the view that dealing with refugees, displaced persons and migratory flows requires a common and holistic approach to foreign and migration policies, encompassing development, conflict prevention and settlement, crisis management, burden-sharing, humanitarian aid and joint endeavours to alleviate burdens; stresses the imperative need for the EU to cooperate with its neighbours if it is to manage the refugee crisis effectively while safeguarding the achievements of European integration for the free movement of people; stresses, moreover, the need to develop special procedures for the early identification, registration and documentation of unaccompanied or separated, internally displaced children, and of other vulnerable groups, and to ensure their access to assistance and services;










10.


Stresses that free and sustainable international trade is a driver of growth; underlines, therefore, the importance of developing free and fair trade relations, and of fostering foreign investments between the EU and the Eastern European partner countries, with a view to contributing to political convergence and economic integration;










11.


Urges the partner countries to implement reforms guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary; urges the partner countries, furthermore, to prevent political forces from exploiting legal systems in order to carry out selective justice;










12.


Stresses that media independence from political interests is key to pluralism in the media landscape; believes that independent media are the foremost forces against disinformation and propaganda; calls, therefore, on partner countries to cease actions compromising the integrity of such media; suggests that the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe assist partner countries in this regard;










13.


Notes that partner countries have to consider different foreign policy options when developing trade relations with the EU and their other neighbours; underlines that the DCFTAs between the EU, on one hand, and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, on the other, are aimed at significantly deepening relations, and developing trade and foreign investments, between the signatory partners; stresses that DCFTAs and deepening trade relations with other partners are not mutually exclusive; considers that the DCFTA is not the only option for the EU trade policy towards its Eastern European partners; calls on the EU, in collaboration with its partner countries, to offer alternative trade measures tailored to their respective needs and constraints; denounces the retaliatory trade measures imposed by Russia on Ukraine after the DCFTA came into force; calls on the Commission to put in place temporary countermeasures to minimise the negative effect of Russian trade sanctions on Ukraine;










14.


Welcomes the positive assessment by the Commission of the VLAPs for Ukraine and Georgia; calls on the Commission swiftly to present the necessary legislative proposal to the European Parliament, and on the Council to lift visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens;










15.


Calls on the EU and the US to open discussions with the Eastern European partner countries, in an open and transparent manner involving all stakeholders and civil societies, about the potential benefits of the TTIP on their economies and how the latter could be granted better access to markets of both sides of the Atlantic;





Policy with regard to Russia, Turkey and Iran









16.


Condemns policies of propaganda and disinformation, as well as the policies of confrontation and political or economic pressures; expresses its support for the EU Strategic Communication; calls on the EU to strengthen it and to cooperate with Eastern partner countries in order to counter propaganda and disinformation;












17.


Reiterates its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders; expresses concern, in this context, regarding developments in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, including Russia's implementation of the so-called ‘treaties’ deepening its integration with Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, the ongoing military build-up therein, the illegal installation of barbed wire fences and signposts along the occupation line, and the grave human rights situation on the ground;












18.


Calls on Russia to respect fully the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as the inviolability of the latter's internationally recognised borders, to reverse its recognition of the so called ‘independence’ of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and to implement the provisions of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement; calls on Russia, in particular, to end the occupation of Georgia's territories, to allow full and unimpeded access of the EU Monitoring Mission, and of human rights monitoring mechanisms, to Georgia's occupied regions, and to engage constructively in the Geneva International Discussions on the key issues set out on the agenda, namely the non-use of force, international security arrangements, and the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees;












19.


Condemns any military actions and aggression in the Eastern European partner countries that undermine the European security order, and insists on the need for peaceful settlement of disputes, according to the UN Charter, the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, the Russia-NATO Founding Act, the Budapest Memorandum and the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Russia and Ukraine; calls on the parties to the Minsk Agreements, to the ceasefire agreement signed between Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia in May 1994, and to the Russian-Georgian ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, to fulfil their commitments and ensure the full implementation of these agreements;












20.


Calls on gas supplying countries immediately to cease using energy access and pricing as a political tool for putting EU Member States and its partner countries under pressure; calls on the EU and its partner countries to intensify their efforts to diversify their energy supplies, develop alternative sources of energy, step up energy savings and harness ‘reverse flow’ gas arrangements, thereby lessening their dependence on energy imports;












21.


Stresses that the gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2 conflicts with EU strategic interests, such as security, diversification, liberalisation and the development of a strong energy union; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Council to adhere to the rules and ambitions spelled out in the Third Energy Package; urges the EU Members States concerned to cease all cooperation with the company Gazprom on the gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2;












22.


Is concerned by the risk of military incidents in Europe, where Russia and NATO have recently deployed further military forces and equipment, in particular in Eastern Europe, in the Black Sea Basin, in the countries on the Baltic Sea and in the Artic Sea region; believes that the cooperative relationship that NATO and Russia have been building since the end of the Cold War is severely affected by the violation of the law-based European peace order exemplified by Russia's illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea; recommends NATO and Russia to maintain open channels of communication and to consider new initiatives for avoiding incidents;












23.


Urges Russia, as the occupying state, to ensure respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in the city of Sevastopol, including the rights and freedoms of persons belonging to national minorities, in particular the Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and other vulnerable groups residing in Crimea, and to ensure that the relevant international human rights bodies can carry out their monitoring activities free and unimpeded on the peninsula;












24.


Stresses that developing an effective relationship, and closer cooperation, between the EU and any given partner country is to the benefit of all; calls, therefore, on the EU, its partner countries and Turkey to sustain high-level dialogue on foreign and security policy issues, with priority given to conflicts and security issues in the Middle East and their impact on migration flows;












25.


Recognises the prominent responsibility and the commendable efforts of Turkey to provide humanitarian aid, to ensure the protection of people escaping war and destruction in Syria and Iraq and to implement security measures; welcomes the EU-Turkey joint action plan to tackle together the challenges posed by migration and refugee flows to Europe, and calls on both parties to intensify their cooperation in order to ensure a quicker implementation of that plan;












26.


Reiterates that preparing the ground for dialogue between Turkey and Armenia is of utmost importance for the stability and prosperity of the region; calls for the implementation of the agreements in the Protocols on normalisation of the relations between the two countries (5), without preconditions, along the process of Turkish-Armenian societal reconciliation; stresses the unacceptability of the policy of closed borders on the European continent;












27.


Calls for further dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Co-Chairs, including at the level of Presidents, with a view to achieving a lasting and peaceful settlement that will bring stability and reconciliation, opening opportunities for regional development and cooperation;












28.


Welcomes the agreement reached by the EU3+3 and Iran on the latter's nuclear programme; expects the gradual lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran to begin in 2016, provided that Iran fulfils its commitments; notes that the prospects of sanction relief for Iran bring new economic opportunities for the EU, its Member States and its partner countries; considers that the Caucasus could be the first world region to benefit largely from a new and positive climate for investment as a result of the agreement with, and the sanction relief for, Iran; calls on the EU and its partners to cooperate in expanding economic ties with Iran, and to identify — and possibly initiate — new projects of common interest, especially in the transport and energy fields;





Increasing engagement in the Middle East and North Africa









29.


Stresses that there are a number of very serious and interconnected problems of political, economic, social and environmental nature that have destabilised the countries of the Middle East and Africa; notes that as long as these countries suffer from turmoil, human rights violation and political instability, they and neighbouring countries are exposed to serious threats to their security;












30.


Is concerned by the deterioration of gender equality and the increasing violence and oppression against women, as well as the intolerance shown ethnic and religious minorities, in certain countries of the Middle East and North Africa; takes the view that this negative trend may lead to tensions in these societies, and may prepare the ground for new conflicts and other negative consequences, such as population displacements or refugee flows;












31.


Calls for a new approach to security issues in the region, and for cooperation with the countries concerned, through strategic partnerships covering various policy areas, including development aid, cultural cooperation, climate-change adaptation, conflict prevention and border-control management;












32.


Calls on the EU and its partner countries to do their utmost to influence the parties concerned to bring an end to the civil war in Syria and to prepare for a political solution; believes that ISIL/Da'esh and other UN-designated terrorist groups must not have any ruling role in the post-war era or in the political future of Syria; takes the view that the protection of civilians in Syria must be a priority for the international community and calls, therefore, on the conflicting parties to stop disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks, including shelling, targeting civilian areas and preventing humanitarian relief from reaching civilians in conflict zones;












33.


Notes that the targeting of civilians, and the human right violations, in Syria have contributed to the rise of terrorist groups, in particular ISIL/Da'esh; considers that ISIL/Da'esh poses a threat to international peace and security, and that it has dramatically undermined stability in Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East, being responsible for systematic abuses of human rights and violations of international law, including deliberate killings of civilians and the persecution of individuals and entire communities, along with numerous other atrocities; welcomes the commitment of the international coalition partners to pursue their effort to counter ISIL/Da'esh;












34.


Takes the view that it is of the utmost importance for the stability of the whole Middle East to relaunch the peace process of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a view to reaching a lasting comprehensive settlement respectful of international law and based on the two-state principle;





Developing cooperation for security and defence









35.


Notes that external and internal threats to security have become more interdependent and complex, and thus more difficult to predict; points in particular to the hybrid threats involving the use of military and non-military means, ranging from intelligence, political subversion and disinformation to cyber-attacks and economic pressures;












36.


Calls on the EU and the Eastern European partner countries to reflect on, and take new joint actions to deter and counter, new threats to their security, inter alia, by increasing their cooperation and exchanging relevant information; supports the development of cooperation activities between the EU and its partner countries on security and defence issues, in particular within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Panel on Cooperation in this area; calls on the EU to reinforce the security and conflict sensitivity component within the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership by concentrating more initiative and resources on the areas of security sector reform (SSR), counter-terrorism, cooperation on CSDP matters, organised crime and border management; stresses the important need of judiciary and police cooperation, for instance through Europol and Eurojust;












37.


Welcomes the new focus of the reviewed ENP, and welcomes as well the EU's intention to step up cooperation with its partner countries in the fields of conflict prevention, counter-terrorism, anti-radicalisation, organised crime, border management and SSR; takes the view that such cooperation needs to be substantial, to aim at addressing common security threats and to hasten the development of joint efforts to promote viable settlement of conflicts, including through enhanced participation in CSDP missions and training activities, as well as through actions to ensure the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons;












38.


Believes that, in particular, closer cooperation is needed to increase knowledge of the EU concepts on SSR in partner countries; calls on the EU and its Member States to support partner countries further in conducting reforms, building proper state institutions and implementing good practices to deal with security issues, such as crisis management and intelligence; underlines the necessity of a proper parliamentary oversight of state bodies in charge of security and intelligence;












39.


Stresses the need to strengthen the resilience of the EU and its partner countries, which is the capacity to withstand and adapt to internal and external stresses and shocks, including hybrid threats; emphasises that, to this aim, it is essential to tackle the root causes of crises, strengthen state institutions, promote the rule of law and an independent judiciary, and implement effective measures to combat corruption; calls on the EU to support partner countries in conducting civilian security sector reforms, as these are crucial for preparing societies to resist sudden shocks of different kinds;












40.


Recommends the partner countries to strengthen their cooperation with the EU in the security and defence fields, and to seek common approaches with the EU on military strategies; welcomes the participation of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in EU-led crisis management operations, and emphasises that this will enhance military interoperability between the EU and its partners in the long term; suggests Georgia and Moldova to consider participating in the activities of the EU Battlegroups; recommends the EU to engage more actively in the process of peaceful settlement of conflicts on the territories of the Eastern European partner countries;












41.


Stresses the need to maintain stability in Moldova with regard to the political crisis it is going through, also with regard to the ongoing Transnistrian conflict, which needs to be treated through inclusive and open negotiations;












42.


Believes that the ‘frozen conflicts’ in the European Neighbourhood (Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Nagorno Karabakh) need to be treated urgently in order to bring stability to the region; believes that there should be closer cooperation among the Eastern European partner countries in order to put in place a strong foundation to ensure regional integration;





Pursuing engagement in disarmament and mitigating risks of weapon proliferation and trafficking









43.


Calls on the EU, its Member States and the partner countries to pursue actively their efforts to promote the universality of multilateral disarmament treaties; urges the EU and its Member States to exploit, in a better way, the potential to promote and support joint disarmament operations involving partner countries;












44.


Calls for stronger focus on the role of arms control within security policy and on fighting illegal arms trade; welcomes, in this regard, the entry into force on December 2014 of the United Nations' Arms Trade Treaty, which aims at strengthening responsibility and transparency in the arms trade; urges the Eastern European partner countries to join the EU common position on arms exports;












45.


Supports the cooperation between the EU its partner countries in mitigating the risks of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and of proliferation and smuggling of WMD components and of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons (CBRN); calls for further development of the skills and project support means of the EU CBRN Centre of Excellence for South-East Europe/Southern Caucasus/Moldova/Ukraine;












46.


Urges the EU to consider the intense militarisation by Russia of the illegally occupied Crimea, including the siting of nuclear weapons, as a serious threat to the security of the EU and of the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions; calls on Russia to respect the non-nuclear-weapon status of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders;





Fighting terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime









47.


Stresses the importance of multilateral and interstate cooperation at global and regional level to face the challenges posed by terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime, as highlighted by the Commission in its Communication of 28 April 2015 on the European Security Agenda; calls, therefore, on the EU Member States and the partner countries to strengthen cooperation between their national law enforcement bodies in fighting terrorism, transnational and cross-border crime, such as human trafficking — in particular the trafficking of women and children, and of drugs, arms and cultural goods — and economic crime and cybercrime; encourages the partner countries to reinvigorate cooperation among themselves in these fields, under regional formats;












48.


Urges the EU, its Member States and the partner countries to approach their policies on countering terrorism at home and abroad in a streamlined manner; recommends, in particular, that they tackle the underlying roots of home-grown terrorism (such as political and religious extremism), stem recruitment in terrorist organisations and eradicate incitement to terrorists attacks; calls for full use of the EU's foreign and development policies to combat poverty, discrimination and marginalisation, to fight corruption, to promote good governance and to prevent and resolve conflicts — as those elements are indispensable for keeping vulnerable groups of society away from extremist propaganda;












49.


Points to the organised crime and corruption prevalent in the region, and to the need to address these in order to avoid the negative consequences that could arise, affecting the process of regional integration, and in order to raise the level of trust in democratic institutions;












50.


Calls on the EU Member States and the Commission to strengthen cooperation with, and among, internet companies and social networking platform in order to restrict access to terrorist material available online and to remove terrorist propaganda, whilst ensuring respect for fundamental rights, especially data privacy and data protection rights;












51.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the President of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, the European External Action Service and the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States and the Eastern European partner countries.






(1)  Adopted on 22 March 2016 in Brussels, Belgium.

(2)  Texts adopted, P8_TA-PROV(2015)0272.

(3)  Texts adopted, P8_TA-PROV(2015)0269.

(4)  Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0232.

(5)  The Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations (2009) and the Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia.