Sittings · Document

Draft report (2025/2041(INI)) 2025-07-18

Institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

Amendment 1

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Citation 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	– having regard to the Granada Declaration of the European Council of 6 October 2023,

Or. en

Amendment 2

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Citation 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
– having regard to the Council Presidency Progress Report on the future of Europe of 10 June 2024,	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 3

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Citation 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
– having regard to its resolutions of 16 February 2017 on improving the functioning of the European Union building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty1, and of 11 July 2023 on the implementation of the passerelle clauses in the EU Treaties2,	deleted
_________________
1 OJ C 252, 18.7.2018, p. 215.
2 OJ C, C/2024/3996, 17.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3996/oj.

Or. pl

Amendment 4

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Citation 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
– having regard to the report of 9 May 2022 on the final outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe and to its resolution of 4 May 2022 on the follow-up to the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe3,	deleted
_________________
3 OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 109.

Or. pl

Amendment 5

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Citation 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
– having regard to its resolutions of 9 June 2022 on the call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties4, and of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties5, including through the activation of Article 48 TEU asking the European Council to agree to call a Convention to reform the Treaties,	deleted
_________________
4 OJ C 493, 27.12.2022, p. 130.
5 OJ C, C/2024/4216, 24.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4216/oj.

Or. pl

Amendment 6

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Recital A

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
A. whereas 9 of the 10 countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of which have held this status for many years; whereas the candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas Georgia unilaterally suspended EU accession negotiations on 28 November 2024;	A. whereas 9 of the 10 countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of which have held this status for many years; whereas the candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009 and was granted candidate status in 2010, but withdrew from the accession process in 2015; whereas in 2016 Switzerland too withdrew the application it had made in 1992 and which had not seen any progress since then; whereas the UK left the EU on 1 February 2020 after 47 years as a Member State; whereas Georgia suspended EU accession negotiations on 28 November 2024 after the Council concluded on 27 June 2024 that the accession process had ‘de facto’ come to ‘a halt’6a; whereas Georgia can therefore no longer be considered to have aspirations to join the EU; whereas Türkiye, although it applied in 1987 and has been a candidate country since 1999, has moved away from the EU, instead drifting towards Islamism and adopting a provocative diplomatic, migration and military stance vis-à-vis the EU and its Member States; whereas on 26 June 2018 the Council concluded that Türkiye’s accession negotiations had ‘come to a standstill’6b and that there were no longer any plans to take them further;
	_________________
	6a Conclusions (EUCO 15/24), 27 June 2024, paragraph 36, p. 10.
	6b Council conclusions (10555/18), 26 June 2018, paragraph 35, p. 13.

Or. fr

Amendment 7

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Recital A

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
A. whereas 9 of the 10 countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of which have held this status for many years; whereas the candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas Georgia unilaterally suspended EU accession negotiations on 28 November 2024;	A. whereas 9 of the 10 countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of which have held this status for many years; whereas the candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas Montenegro and Albania are clear frontrunners which could be ready to join the Union before 2030 if their current reform trajectory continues; whereas the 'Georgian dream' government unilaterally suspended EU accession negotiations on 28 November 2024 against the will of the majority of Georgian people, sparking widespread protests;

Or. en

Amendment 8

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Recital A

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
A. whereas 9 of the 10 countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of which have held this status for many years; whereas the candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process and negotiations; whereas Georgia unilaterally suspended EU accession negotiations on 28 November 2024;	A. whereas 9 of the 10 countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of which have held this status for many years; whereas the candidate countries are at various stages of the accession process and negotiations;

Or. en

Amendment 9

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing geopolitical challenges, including a worrying shift in transatlantic relations, have given new geostrategic meaning and impetus to European unification;	B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing geopolitical challenges, including a worrying shift in transatlantic relations, have given new geostrategic meaning and impetus to European unification; whereas this renewed momentum for enlargement has prompted the EU to accelerate progress on its long-overdue commitments to the Western Balkans;

Or. en

Amendment 10

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing geopolitical challenges, including a worrying shift in transatlantic relations, have given new geostrategic meaning and impetus to European unification;	B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing geopolitical challenges have given additional geostrategic meaning to European unification;

Or. pl

Amendment 11

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Recital B

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing geopolitical challenges, including a worrying shift in transatlantic relations, have given new geostrategic meaning and impetus to European unification;	B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing geopolitical challenges, including a worrying shift in transatlantic relations, have given new geostrategic meaning and impetus to the EU accession process and European unification;

Or. en

Amendment 12

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital B a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	B a. Whereas accession to the European Union must remain a merit-based process, based on an assessment of each applicant’s fulfilment of the Copenhagen criteria and the implementation of the necessary reforms - in particular in the area of ‘fundamentals’ adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and good governance, as well as alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, - in order to ensure that enlargement strengthens rather than undermines the EU and its single market;

Or. en

Amendment 13

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Recital C

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
C. whereas enlargement is a historic commitment and a strategic geopolitical priority, representing an investment in the future of the European continent;	C. whereas enlargement is a historic commitment and a strategic geopolitical priority, representing an investment in the future of the European continent; whereas enlargement can only be carried out if it is linked to ambitious social and environmental harmonisation so that it becomes a tool serving a fairer and more inclusive European Union;

Or. en

Amendment 14

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Recital C

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
C. whereas enlargement is a historic commitment and a strategic geopolitical priority, representing an investment in the future of the European continent;	C. whereas enlargement is an option to consider where it would be beneficial to the Member States and the citizens of the Union as it currently stands, and whereas we should guard against messianic attitudes according to which enlargement is seen as ‘a historic commitment’ but no thought is given to ascertaining whether it is appropriate and feasible;

Or. fr

Amendment 15

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Recital C

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
C. whereas enlargement is a historic commitment and a strategic geopolitical priority, representing an investment in the future of the European continent;	C. whereas enlargement is a historic commitment, a strategic geopolitical priority and one of the EU's most successful policies, representing an investment in the future of the European continent;

Or. en

Amendment 16

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital C

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
C. whereas enlargement is a historic commitment and a strategic geopolitical priority, representing an investment in the future of the European continent;	C. whereas enlargement is a key EU foreign policy tool, a historic commitment and a strategic geopolitical priority, representing an investment in the future of the European continent;

Or. en

Amendment 17

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, is barely adequate for a Union of 27 Member States; whereas the prospect of future enlargements makes the reform of EU institutions, policies and decision-making procedures more indispensable and urgent than ever;	D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, is adequate;

Or. pl

Amendment 18

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, is barely adequate for a Union of 27 Member States; whereas the prospect of future enlargements makes the reform of EU institutions, policies and decision-making procedures more indispensable and urgent than ever;	D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, has been often perceived as barely adequate for a Union of 27 Member States yet in practice it was satisfying enough for continued functioning of the Union with 28 members; whereas the prospect of future enlargements no later than by the end of 2030 makes the reform of EU institutions, policies and decision-making procedures more indispensable and urgent;

Or. en

Amendment 19

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, is barely adequate for a Union of 27 Member States; whereas the prospect of future enlargements makes the reform of EU institutions, policies and decision-making procedures more indispensable and urgent than ever;	D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, is barely adequate for a Union of 27 Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 20

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital D

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
D. whereas the EU’s institutional framework, and in particular its decision-making process, is barely adequate for a Union of 27 Member States; whereas the prospect of future enlargements makes the reform of EU institutions, policies and decision-making procedures more indispensable and urgent than ever;	D. whereas preparing for enlargement requires internal reforms within the EU and whereas the enlargement process should be pursued in parallel with the institutional and decision-making reforms necessary to safeguard the Union’s integration capacity; whereas the prospect of future enlargements makes the reform of EU institutions, policies and decision-making procedures more necessary and urgent than ever;

Or. en

Amendment 21

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital D a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	D a. whereas the EU must maintain the momentum for the acceleration of its enlargement policy while accession countries continue to reform and achieve the required benchmarks related to the EU acquis; whereas consistent messages and a clear path towards integration for candidate countries are vital for keeping the pro-European perspective alive;

Or. en

Amendment 22

Adrián Vázquez Lázara

Motion for a resolution

Recital E

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
E. whereas all previous enlargements have been preceded or accompanied by internal institutional reforms;	E. whereas all previous enlargements have been preceded or accompanied by internal institutional reforms in the governance of the EU and whereas those enlargement processes have usually provided a powerful spur for the development and the economic and democratic progress of the candidate countries;

Or. es

Amendment 23

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital E

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
E. whereas all previous enlargements have been preceded or accompanied by internal institutional reforms;	E. whereas enlargements are often preceded or accompanied by internal institutional reforms;

Or. en

Amendment 24

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Recital E a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E a. Whereas, in its Granada declaration of 6 October 2023, the European Council acknowledged that the necessary acceleration of reform efforts in candidate countries should be matched by a parallel process of groundwork and reforms within the Union;

Or. en

Amendment 25

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Recital E a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E a. whereas the strengthening of democratic institutions, the reinforcement of the European pillar of social rights to boost living standards, and EU institutional reforms are key elements in realising the full potential offered by enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 26

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Recital E b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E b. Whereas, in its conclusions of 27 June 2024, the European Council sets out a roadmap for future work on internal reforms; whereas the European Council recognises that, in order to make the Union stronger and enhance European sovereignty, it is necessary to lay down reforms to fulfil the EU long-term ambitions, achieve its policies and priorities, as well as its capacity to act in the face of the new geopolitical realities and challenges;

Or. en

Amendment 27

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Recital E c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	E c. Whereas, according to those conclusions, internal reforms should advance in parallel with the enlargement process, so that policies are fit for the future and financed in a suitable manner, and that EU institutions continue to function and act effectively; whereas the European Council invited the Commission to present an in-depth policy review in 2025 focusing on four strands, and namely on values and rule of law, policies, budget, and governance;

Or. en

Amendment 28

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Recital F

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
F. whereas the perspective of an upcoming enlargement exposes the EU to a threefold challenge of ensuring efficient decision-making procedures (the efficiency challenge), gathering sufficient resources to deliver on its strategic objectives (the power and resource challenge) and safeguarding the democratic legitimacy and accountability of its actions (the democracy challenge);	F. whereas the perspective of an upcoming enlargement exposes the EU to a fourfold challenge of ensuring efficient decision-making procedures (the efficiency challenge), gathering sufficient resources to deliver on its strategic objectives (the power and resource challenge), ensuring fair, inclusive and sustainable polices (the upward social convergence challenge) and safeguarding the democratic legitimacy and accountability of its actions (the democracy challenge);

Or. en

Amendment 29

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Recital F

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
F. whereas the perspective of an upcoming enlargement exposes the EU to a threefold challenge of ensuring efficient decision-making procedures (the efficiency challenge), gathering sufficient resources to deliver on its strategic objectives (the power and resource challenge) and safeguarding the democratic legitimacy and accountability of its actions (the democracy challenge);	F. whereas the perspective of an upcoming enlargement exposes the EU to a multiple challenges of ensuring efficient decision-making procedures (the efficiency challenge), gathering sufficient resources to deliver on its strategic objectives (the power and resource challenge);

Or. en

Amendment 30

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Recital F a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	F a. Whereas several studies6a show that, in order for the EU to absorb a substantial enlargement round, including Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, while matching or improving the levels of economic growth and socio-economic convergence achieved in the previous enlargement rounds, a reform of current budgetary instruments and an increase of approximately 5% in the next MFF (corresponding to around 75 billion euro) will be necessary; whereas these studies illustrate that a substantial enlargement scenario, accompanied by strong convergence conditions, could lead to an estimated EU GDP of over 55 trillion USD by 2035, compared to 45 trillion USD in a scenario without enlargement or convergence, by far outweighing the projected absorption costs;
	_________________
	6a "Adapting the EU budget to make it fit for the purpose of future enlargement", Budgetary Support Unit, DG for Budgetary Affairs, Jan. 2025: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2025/769193/BUDG_STU(2025)769193_EN.pdf; "Towards renewed and beneficial EU enlargement", EPRS, June 2025: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/765773/EPRS_BRI(2025)765773_EN.pdf

Or. en

Amendment 31

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Recital G

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
G. whereas pre-enlargement reforms of the EU’s institutional framework imply a possible advancement of differentiated integration solutions whenever the Treaties allow; whereas procedures pursuant to Articles 20, 42 and 46 TEU on enhanced cooperation and on permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) allow willing Member States to deepen their integration and enhance their cooperation within the framework of the EU’s non-exclusive competences;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 32

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital G

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
G. whereas pre-enlargement reforms of the EU’s institutional framework imply a possible advancement of differentiated integration solutions whenever the Treaties allow; whereas procedures pursuant to Articles 20, 42 and 46 TEU on enhanced cooperation and on permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) allow willing Member States to deepen their integration and enhance their cooperation within the framework of the EU’s non-exclusive competences;	G. whereas procedures pursuant to Articles 20, 42 and 46 TEU on enhanced cooperation and on permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) allow willing Member States to deepen their integration and enhance their cooperation within the framework of the EU’s non-exclusive competences;

Or. en

Amendment 33

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Recital G a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	G a. Whereas Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) should have contributed to improving and harmonising the EU’s defence capabilities and to enhancing operational readiness within the European Union, but has so far fallen short of such ambition, mostly due to lack of commitment, trust and cooperation between Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 34

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas; whereas the TEU establishes that the ultimate objective of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence by unanimous decision of the European Council, which must be compatible with NATO;	H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas;

Or. en

Amendment 35

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas; whereas the TEU establishes that the ultimate objective of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence by unanimous decision of the European Council, which must be compatible with NATO;	H. whereas unanimity remains a fundamental safeguard of Member States’ sovereignty in the Council decision-making process and must be preserved in all policy areas where unanimity currently applies; whereas the TEU establishes that the ultimate objective of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence by unanimous decision of the European Council, which must be compatible with NATO

Or. en

Amendment 36

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas; whereas the TEU establishes that the ultimate objective of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence by unanimous decision of the European Council, which must be compatible with NATO;	H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas; whereas Articles 42(1) and 42(2) TEU establish that the ultimate objective of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence by unanimous decision of the European Council, which must be compatible with NATO;

Or. en

Amendment 37

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Recital H

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas; whereas the TEU establishes that the ultimate objective of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence by unanimous decision of the European Council, which must be compatible with NATO;	H. whereas passerelleclauses could be used immediately to switch from the requirement for unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in specific policy areas; whereas the TEU establishes that the ultimate stage of the progressive framing of a common EU defence policy is the establishment of a common defence only when the European Council would decide it by unanimous decision;

Or. en

Amendment 38

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, a more in-depth reform by means of targeted Treaty changes should be envisaged; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 39

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, a more in-depth reform by means of targeted Treaty changes should be envisaged; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU;	I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, a more in-depth reform by means of targeted Treaty changes should be envisaged; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU; points out that the EU is an international organisation that owes its existence to treaties concluded by the Member States in accordance with their internal constitutional laws; emphasises that any amendment of the Treaties should similarly be subject to the unanimous agreement and ratification of the Member States;

Or. fr

Amendment 40

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, a more in-depth reform by means of targeted Treaty changes should be envisaged; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU;	I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, a more in-depth reform by means of targeted Treaty changes should be envisaged, however a far-reaching reform of the Treaties increases the risk of their non-ratification, particularly through referendums; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU;

Or. en

Amendment 41

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Recital I

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, a more in-depth reform by means of targeted Treaty changes should be envisaged; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU;	I. whereas, due to the limited flexibility of the Treaties, targeted Treaty changes could be envisaged; whereas Parliament has activated the Treaty revision procedure and has submitted proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU;

Or. en

Amendment 42

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Recital I a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	I a. whereas prior to the amendment of the Treaties in accordance with Article 48(2) TEU, a more limited and urgent set of reforms could be envisaged through their inclusion into the accession treaty of the next EU Member State, such as Montenegro or Albania;

Or. en

Amendment 43

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Recital J

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
J. whereas Member States have on several occasions resorted to intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties where unanimity prevented the widening of EU competences in key policy areasand have at a later stage enshrined this cooperation in the Treaties;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 44

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Recital J

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
J. whereas Member States have on several occasions resorted to intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties where unanimity prevented the widening of EU competences in key policy areasand have at a later stage enshrined this cooperation in the Treaties;	J. whereas Member States have on several occasions resorted to intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties where unanimity prevented the widening of EU competences in key policy areas, thereby confirming that unanimity is an essential safeguard which may be complemented by voluntary intergovernmental initiatives and have at a later stage enshrined this cooperation in the Treaties;

Or. en

Amendment 45

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
The cost of not reforming the enlarged EU	Unlocking the EU's future through enlargement and reform

Or. en

Amendment 46

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
The cost of not reforming the enlarged EU	The cost of postponing reforms of the enlarged EU

Or. en

Amendment 47

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph -1 (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	-1. Recognises that a clear, inclusive and ambitious 'Agenda 2030' to prepare for substantial enlargement and fundamental reform would create a values-based, safe, prosperous and confident Union of 500 million citizens and over 30 Member States, defending human values and rights through a unified democracy with a strong rule of law, delivering a green and just transition, competing with global powers, and stabilising its neighbourhood;

Or. en

Amendment 48

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
1. Argues that the EU and candidate countries have always used enlargement as a policy and geopolitical tool to promote democracy, stability, security, the fight against climate change, and prosperity across the continent; is of the view that EU enlargement represents a long-term geostrategic investment;	1. Underlines the importance of the EU enlargement policy as a transformative policy to promote democracy, peace, stability, security, the fight against climate change, and prosperity across the continent; is of the view that EU enlargement represents a long-term geostrategic investment while promoting the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms and being one of the most successful EU policies to date; underlines the importance of EU enlargament as an investment in the future of the EU as a whole;

Or. en

Amendment 49

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
1. Argues that the EU and candidate countries have always used enlargement as a policy and geopolitical tool to promote democracy, stability, security, the fight against climate change, and prosperity across the continent; is of the view that EU enlargement represents a long-term geostrategic investment;	1. Argues that the EU and candidate countries have always used enlargement as a policy and geopolitical tool to promote democracy, stability, security, the fight against climate change, fairness and prosperity across the continent; is of the view that EU enlargement represents a long-term geostrategic investment;

Or. en

Amendment 50

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
1. Argues that the EU and candidate countries have always used enlargement as a policy and geopolitical tool to promote democracy, stability, security, the fight against climate change, and prosperity across the continent; is of the view that EU enlargement represents a long-term geostrategic investment;	1. Argues that the EU and candidate countries have always used enlargement as a policy and geopolitical tool to promote democracy, stability, security and prosperity across the continent; is of the view that EU enlargement represents a long-term geostrategic investment;

Or. pl

Amendment 51

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 1 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	1 a. Recalls that EU accession is a merit-based process and that each candidate country must be assessed on its own merits; urges accession countries to implement decisively the required reforms and to achieve concrete and irreversible progress in core elements of the enlargement process;

Or. en

Amendment 52

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage, since a larger single market makes the EU an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood;	2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage, since a larger single market makes the EU an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood; stresses, however, that enlargement must proceed strictly in accordance with the principle of own merits, whereby the accession of each candidate country is conditional upon its full alignment with the EU acquis, the fulfilment of all opening, interim and closing benchmarks in every negotiating chapter, and the demonstrable achievement of the Copenhagen criteria.

Or. en

Amendment 53

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage, since a larger single market makes the EU an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood;	2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage while empowering shared democratic values across the EU enlargement region; underlines the importance of an enlarged single market to both the EU and accession countries while making it an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could present opportunities for other, non-democratic regimes to exert economic and political power over EU accession countries while ultimately pushing them to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood;

Or. en

Amendment 54

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage, since a larger single market makes the EU an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood;	2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher political, economic and military power and leverage on the global stage, since a larger single market makes the EU stronger provider of security an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement would undermine the EU's economic and security interests and could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted even from those countries that have remained in candidate status for too long;

Or. en

Amendment 55

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage, since a larger single market makes the EU an even more competitive economic player and an attractive trading partner; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood;	2. Recognises that an enlarged EU would gain higher economic power and leverage on the global stage; stresses that future enlargements must be accompanied by strong social and environmental harmonisation policies in order to ensure an inclusive European integration and to offer positive prospects to Europeans; expresses concern that the failure to make progress in terms of EU enlargement could ultimately push non-EU countries on the European continent to align economically and politically with other blocs (e.g. Russia and China), potentially creating rival economic zones and reducing the EU’s global economic influence, while creating opportunities for destabilisation efforts to be conducted from the immediate EU neighbourhood;

Or. en

Amendment 56

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 3

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
3. Stresses that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other geopolitical challenges accentuate the urgency of advancing the enlargement process; maintains that a successful and sustainable enlargement requires long-term political vision and bold decisions, aiming at promoting an efficient, powerful and democratic Europe;	3. Stresses that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other geopolitical challenges accentuate the urgency of advancing the enlargement process; maintains that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on its own merit in terms of its meeting the Copenhagen criteria in their entirety; stresses that the EU and the Member States should support with financial and technical assistance the candidate countries to achieve those criteria; highlights that there cannot be short-cuts on EU values and fundamental principles; maintains that a successful and sustainable enlargement requires long-term political vision and bold decisions, aiming at promoting an efficient, powerful and democratic Europe;

Or. en

Amendment 57

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 3

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
3. Stresses that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other geopolitical challenges accentuate the urgency of advancing the enlargement process; maintains that a successful and sustainable enlargement requires long-term political vision and bold decisions, aiming at promoting an efficient, powerful and democratic Europe;	3. Stresses that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other geopolitical challenges accentuate the urgency of advancing the enlargement process; maintains that a successful and sustainable enlargement requires long-term political vision and bold decisions, aiming at promoting an efficient, powerful, inclusive, fair and democratic Europe;

Or. en

Amendment 58

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	3 a. Recalls that the enlargement process is not solely a geopolitical tool, but a political project that must be built on an ambitious social, democratic and environmental agenda to further progress in all Member States; stresses that progress must be built on the European Pillar of Social Rights and the social progress protocol, aimed at achieving upward social convergence across all Member States and enlargement countries;

Or. en

Amendment 59

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents an ideal forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 60

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents an ideal forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;	4. Underscores that the European Political Community (EPC) represents an ideal forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy, but underlines that the EPC does not replace the ongoing EU accession process;

Or. en

Amendment 61

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents an ideal forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;	4. Acknowledges the importance of initiatives such as the European Political Community, which enable political cooperation and contribute to regional dialogues and which could facilitate the gradual integration of candidate countries into the Union and to its policies, but are not alternatives to EU membership;

Or. en

Amendment 62

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents an ideal forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;	4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents an ideal forum to pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;

Or. en

Amendment 63

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents an ideal forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;	4. Underscores that the European Political Community represents a forum to promote European unification and pursue policy coordination and the alignment of candidate and other non-EU countries, notably in terms of EU foreign, defence and security policy;

Or. en

Amendment 64

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity;	5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 23.62 % in terms of real GDP per inhabitant6d; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity; underlines, nevertheless, that economic growth is a general indicator that is of no value if the citizens of Europe do not personally benefit from it; underlines that any enlargement, in order to be desirable, should generate genuine economic benefits for the EU and its Member States, whose public debts are unsustainable and only getting worse; underlines that enlargement that merely seeks not to harm the growth of existing Member States would not be desirable for net contributor countries, who would bear the actual cost of integrating new countries;
	_________________
	6d Eurostat table sdg_08_10, 1 July 2025, https://doi.org/10.2908/SDG_08_10.

Or. fr

Amendment 65

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity;	5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas, including an increase of GDP per capita of 30% on average; notes that on average, all new Member States, visible within 5 years of accession, experienced an additional 12% of GDP growth compared to non-enlargement baseline scenarios; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity, with a clear causal relationship to the expanded markets, connectivity and investments as a result of enlargement; notes that every region experiences economic growth through enlargement, but that the poorest regions experience the highest relative economic growth6b;
	_________________
	6b B. Grassi, "The EU miracle: When 75 million reached high income", CEPR, June 2024: https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/eu-miracle-when-75-million-reached-high-income; S. Weber, "Regional Economic Outlook Europe. Accelerating Europe's Income Convergence through Integration", IMF European Department, Dec. 2024: https://www.jvi.org/fileadmin/jvi_files/News/2024/24WR06_Dec3/24WR06_Presentation_1.pdf

Or. en

Amendment 66

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity;	5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity; notes that past enlargement processes also led to significant social dumping and unequal level playing field;

Or. en

Amendment 67

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity;	5. Underlines that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 and the EU as the whole have experienced substantial economic growth and higher standards in several areas; highlights that over the past 20 years, the EU’s economy has grown by 27 %; underlines, furthermore, that the countries that were already part of the EU at the time of the 2004 enlargement have also experienced growth and prosperity;

Or. en

Amendment 68

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	5 a. Recalls that while the benefits of enlargement are significant, they should not obscure its substantial economic cost; notes that between 2000 and 2003, the European Commission allocated €13.2 billion to pre-accession assistance, and that over €41 billion was committed for the 2004–2006 period, including €40.8 billion for the new Member States—covering agricultural subsidies, regional and infrastructure development, nuclear safety, public administration and border protection—and €540 million for all Member States, particularly in the fields of research, culture and education ;

Or. en

Amendment 69

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence;	6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence; notes that studies6c show that the addition of 10 new Member States would narrow the GDP per capita gap between the EU and US by 10%; reiterates that the expanded access to i.a. labour markets, industrial capacity, digital technologies, in particular AI, and critical rare earth minerals would enable the Union to accelerate the green, digital and just transition while decreasing its costs, at the same time becoming more strategically autonomous from Russia, China and other systemic competitors; stresses that scenarios combining substantial enlargement with strong convergence could add up to an estimated 10 trillion USD to the EU’s GDP by 2035;
	_________________
	6c Campos, Nauro F. and Coricelli, Fabrizio and Moretti, Luigi, "Economic Growth and Political Integration: Estimating the Benefits from Membership in the European Union Using the Synthetic Counterfactuals Method", IZA Discussion Paper No. 8162, May 2014: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2432446; "Towards a renewed and beneficial EU enlargement", EPRS, June 2025: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/765773/EPRS_BRI(2025)765773_EN.pdf

Or. en

Amendment 70

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence;	6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, yet it must be noted that some candidate countries have demonstrated steady economic growth over recent years, which enables a differentiated, merit-based and forward-looking approach; highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence; recalls the importance of pre-accession instruments such as PHARE, SAPAR and ISPA, which provided valuable experience for designing modernised support tolls tailored to specific country needs;

Or. en

Amendment 71

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence;	6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence; stresses the need to strengthen cohesion policies to speed upward social convergence;

Or. en

Amendment 72

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of EU enlargement in 2004 demonstrates the positive impact that membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic convergence;	6. Recalls that GDP per capita of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remains around or below 50 % of that of the EU, and that the pace of achieving convergence is slow, but highlights that the experience of all EU enlargements demonstrates the positive impact that EU membership and membership of the EU single market and access to structural funds have on economic and social convergence;

Or. en

Amendment 73

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6 a. Recognises that EU enlargement is a significant steps towards integrating into the EU's Single Market, which in turn contributes to boosting the EU's competitiveness as well; welcomes the various programs designed for candidate and potential candidate countries in order to prepare future Members and deepen EU-related reforms; in this respect, welcomes the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which aims to integrate the region into the EU’s Single Market, promote regional economic cooperation and strengthen economic governance;

Or. en

Amendment 74

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 6 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	6 a. Stresses that a socially sustainable EU enlargement must be supported by stronger EU policies that improve living and working conditions across all Member States and regions, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights; emphasises that such measures are essential to promote upward social convergence, reduce inequalities, and ensure that enlargement contributes to social cohesion, equal opportunities, as well as inclusive development throughout the European Union.

Or. en

Amendment 75

Adrián Vázquez Lázara

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;	7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU, as previous enlargements have shown, will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, money laundering and the rule of law; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States, but that those tools should lead to practical action by the Commission to safeguard the political stability of the European project and the values recognised in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union in both candidate countries and the Member States; points out, what is more, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;

Or. es

Amendment 76

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;	7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;

Or. en

Amendment 77

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;	7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened, including the introduction of a broader rule of law mechanism covering all of the Union’s fundamental values as defined in Article 2 TEU;

Or. en

Amendment 78

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;	7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the only instrument consistent with the Treaties that is available to the EU to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States is the Article 7 TEU procedure;

Or. pl

Amendment 79

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that bringing those countries into the EU will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;	7. Recognises that some countries outside the European Union are dealing with varying levels of political instability and that the implementation of the EU membership related reforms in these countries will bring stability to the region and help protect the EU’s external borders, in particular as regards organised and cross-border crime, drug trafficking, the prevention of irregular migration and the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, interference in democratic and electoral processes, and money laundering; stresses that the EU has at its disposal an extensive set of tools to enforce compliance with fundamental values in the Member States and safeguard the political stability of the European project as a whole; points out, however, that this set of tools must still be strengthened;

Or. en

Amendment 80

Alexandre Varaut, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7a. Emphasises that the situation of the candidate countries raises very serious institutional and constitutional questions that have yet to be answered; emphasises, therefore, that Ukraine is currently facing a war of aggression and is partially occupied, and that its accession to the EU might well draw the Member States into the conflict under the obligation of assistance enshrined in Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union; points out that the Council, when asked about this, replied that it was not in a position to describe the consequences of accession in the light of Article 42(7) because it had not discussed the issue6e; insists that there is no precedent on this point, because the Treaties in force at the time of the Falklands War, the invasion of Cyprus and the accession of Cyprus to the EU did not contain any clauses equivalent to that laid down in Article 42(7) TEU, which first appeared in the Lisbon Treaty of 2007; emphasises that, in the same vein, an armed bid for secession has been ongoing in the Transnistria region of Moldova since 1990, and that it is unclear whether Transnistria would de jure become part of the European Union if Moldova’s accession were to be validated by the Council; emphasises, furthermore, that Georgia, whose borders lie beyond the Caucuses, is not geographically located in Europe; emphasises that there is an element of uncertainty surrounding the notion of a ‘European State’ as referred to in Article 49 TEU, which characterises the States eligible to join the EU; points out that in 1987 the Council rejected Morocco’s application on the grounds of its geographical location6f;
	_________________
	6e Question for written answer E-000959/2024 of 27.3.2024 on the conditions for and consequences of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, and reply of 9.7.2024.
	6f Council Decision of 1.10.1987.

Or. fr

Amendment 81

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 7 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	7 a. Recognises that enlargement can only work if it comes with a clear understanding of the new responsibilities, benefits and challenges for both the EU and candidate countries; highlights that Commission and Parliament should develop large-scale awareness-raising campaigns with clear timelines in candidate countries, in order for citizens to be genuinely excited about the opportunities enlargement provides; stresses that foreign actors, mainly Russia, have demonstrated a willingness and the resources to attempt to derail the EU accession process of countries such as Moldova and decrease public support for enlargement in EU Member States; points out that the EU and its Member States must become more resilient against such Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), especially in the context of eventual accession treaties which have to be ratified in 27 EU Member States, some through referenda or constitutional votes in national parliaments; emphasises that many of the best practices to counter such FIMI operations can be found in candidate countries, such as Moldova and Ukraine, the accession of which would thus strengthen the EU as a whole;

Or. en

Amendment 82

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;	8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges and opportunities of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed when the scope and timeline of the enlargement is agreed upon and before the candidate countries become Member States, which are best addressed in a timely and pragmatic manner to ensure the smooth functioning of the Union; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project has strengthened the European projects and was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;

Or. en

Amendment 83

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;	8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that should be addressed in a timely manner, preferably before candidate countries become Member States, in order to ensure the effective functioning of the Union;

Or. en

Amendment 84

Adrián Vázquez Lázara

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;	8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed through simultaneous reforms when the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks rushing and institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;

Or. es

Amendment 85

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;	8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges that create an institutional and political opportunity that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;

Or. en

Amendment 86

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional and political nature that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;	8. Notes that experience shows that each new wave of enlargement brings new challenges of an institutional, political and social nature that have to be addressed before the candidate countries become Member States, or else the EU risks institutional gridlock and its functioning becoming unwieldy and ineffective; points out that every enlargement in the history of the European project was preceded or accompanied by the necessary internal institutional reforms;

Or. en

Amendment 87

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which could slow down accession of new members due to bilateral issues, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 88

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which could slow down accession of new members due to bilateral issues, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 89

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which could slow down accession of new members due to bilateral issues, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;	9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more complex to manage and more prone to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process;

Or. en

Amendment 90

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which could slow down accession of new members due to bilateral issues, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;	9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process;

Or. en

Amendment 91

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which could slow down accession of new members due to bilateral issues, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;	9. Underlines the importance of addressing the difficulties caused by unanimity in the Council, including the use of unanimity for the enlargement policy, which slow down the EU accession of new members due to bilateral issues; takes note of the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the possible redistribution in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds; recalls that EU enlargement is an opportunity to recalibrate key EU policies in this respect; supports all initiatives aimed at a more effective decision-making process, which is key to enhancing the EU's competitiveness;

Or. en

Amendment 92

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will be more cumbersome to manage and more prone to paralysis with regard to the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which could slow down accession of new members due to bilateral issues, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the cumbersome and outdated structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;	9. Acknowledges that an enlarged EU will require more sophisticated coordination in addressing the challenges faced in the current enlargement process: the use of unanimity in the Council for foreign affairs issues and for the enlargement policy, which serves to ensure the legitimate concerns of all Member States are addressed, the composition of the Commission and of Parliament, the complex structure and governance of the EU budget, and the redistribution shocks in the allocation of agricultural and cohesion funds;

Or. en

Amendment 93

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 9 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	9a. Rejects blackmail based on the claim that the enlargement process would allegedly justify a departure from the principle of unanimity and profound Treaty and institutional changes; stresses that the enlargement process is based on objective criteria and is strictly defined by the Treaties; calls for the European future of the candidate countries not to be jeopardised by attempts to use blackmail to impose federalising or centralising theories;

Or. pl

Amendment 94

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union and European unificationshould proceed hand in hand; stresses that EU institutional and financial reforms are needed to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 95

Adrián Vázquez Lázara

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union and European unificationshould proceed hand in hand; stresses that EU institutional and financial reforms are needed to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;	10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union, enlargement processes and European unification have to proceed hand in hand; reiterates that institutional reforms can only enter into force when new countries join and stresses the need to carry out those institutional and financial reforms to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;

Or. es

Amendment 96

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union and European unificationshould proceed hand in hand; stresses that EU institutional and financial reforms are needed to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;	10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union, EU accession process and European unification should proceed hand in hand; stresses that EU institutional and financial reforms are needed to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;

Or. en

Amendment 97

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union and European unificationshould proceed hand in hand; stresses that EU institutional and financial reforms are needed to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;	10. Reiterates its position that the deepening of the Union and its enlargement should proceed hand in hand; stresses that EU institutional and financial reforms are needed to face those challenges and to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration without destabilising the other Member States’ economies or exacerbating social tensions;

Or. en

Amendment 98

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 10 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	10 a. Stresses that future enlargements must be conditional on upward convergence in social and democratic standards, in particular the existence and strengthening of effective collective bargaining structures, trade union rights, and mechanisms for social dialogue; underlines that robust collective bargaining institutions are essential to ensuring fair wages, reducing inequalities, and building a socially inclusive European Union;

Or. en

Amendment 99

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
11. Recognises that ad hoc solutions could serve as temporary fixes, but they lack the predictability, democratic transparency and accountability, and long-term sustainability that only structural reforms can bring about;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 100

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
11. Recognises that ad hoc solutions could serve as temporary fixes, but they lack the predictability, democratic transparency and accountability, and long-term sustainability that only structural reforms can bring about;	11. Recognises that ad hoc solutions play a positive role proceeding with enlargement in a realistic and sequenced manner;

Or. en

Amendment 101

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
12. Encourages the Commission to develop an ambitious and comprehensive pre-enlargement policy and funding review in line with the below recommendations;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 102

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
12. Encourages the Commission to develop an ambitious and comprehensive pre-enlargement policy and funding review in line with the below recommendations;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 103

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
12. Encourages the Commission to develop an ambitious and comprehensive pre-enlargement policy and funding review in line with the below recommendations;	12. Encourages the Commission to develop multiple scenarios for the review of policies and funding mechanisms in line with the below recommendations;

Or. en

Amendment 104

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 12 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	12 a. Demands that the Member States, EU institutions and candidate countries issue a joint pledge to be enlargement-ready by 2030, accompanied by a clear operational strategy; proposes to transform the pre-enlargement policy reviews, originally due for spring 2025, now postponed to fall 2025, into a full 'Agenda 2030' by introducing clear goals, timelines and milestones, through an EU Council conclusion and an EU Commission communication, for the EU to already accede the most advanced candidate countries, and be ready through reform for substantial enlargement, by 2030; believes that this should include the accession of those candidate countries that have made the most substantial progress in aligning with the EU acquis and meeting the membership criteria, and whose negotiations are the most advanced; is convinced that setting clear deadlines incentivises ambitious reform agendas on both the EU and candidate country sides, creates a sense of urgency, ownership and citizen empowerment, and spurs healthy internal competition amongst candidate countries; proposes therefore:
	1. To commit to clear bi-annual roadmaps for meeting the EU’s 2030 accession/reform timeline and milestones by each of the incoming EU Council Presidencies in its priorities, through a standardised and quantifiable methodology that can easily be monitored and built upon by each incoming Presidency;
	2. Calls upon the Commission and Council to agree on country-specific accession timelines at the start of negotiations with a new candidate country;
	3. Calls upon the Commission and Council to prepare for a likely new round of EU candidacy applications from countries meeting the Article 49 TEU requirements;
	4. Proposes to deepen relations other European democracies not currently seeking EU membership, e.g. through security and defence, technology and trade, market regulatory partnerships, while preparing for potential applications;

Or. en

Amendment 105

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Subheading 2

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
Objectives of the institutional pre-enlargement reforms: efficiency, power and democracy	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 106

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
13. Firmly believes that the EU institutional reforms, regardless of the decision-making procedure for their adoption, should increase the EU’s ability to act in an efficient and timely manner; points out that the pre-enlargement reforms of the EU institutional framework should meet the objectives of improving the EU’s efficiency, making the EU more powerful on the global stage and making the EU more democratic, legitimate and accountable;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 107

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
13. Firmly believes that the EU institutional reforms, regardless of the decision-making procedure for their adoption, should increase the EU’s ability to act in an efficient and timely manner; points out that the pre-enlargement reforms of the EU institutional framework should meet the objectives of improving the EU’s efficiency, making the EU more powerful on the global stage and making the EU more democratic, legitimate and accountable;	13. Firmly believes that well-designed EU institutional reforms, regardless of the decision-making procedure for their adoption, should increase the EU’s ability to act in an efficient and timely manner; points out that the pre-enlargement reforms of the EU institutional framework should be targeted and based on the specific scope and timeline of the enlargement and meet the objectives of improving the EU’s efficiency, making the EU more powerful on the global stage and making the EU more democratic, legitimate and accountable;

Or. en

Amendment 108

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 13

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
13. Firmly believes that the EU institutional reforms, regardless of the decision-making procedure for their adoption, should increase the EU’s ability to act in an efficient and timely manner; points out that the pre-enlargement reforms of the EU institutional framework should meet the objectives of improving the EU’s efficiency, making the EU more powerful on the global stage and making the EU more democratic, legitimate and accountable;	13. Firmly believes that the EU institutional reforms, regardless of the decision-making procedure for their adoption, should increase the EU’s ability to act in an efficient and timely manner; points out that the pre-enlargement reforms of the EU institutional framework should meet the objectives of improving the EU’s efficiency, making the EU more powerful on the global stage and making the EU more democratic, inclusive, legitimate and accountable;

Or. en

Amendment 109

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, the composition of the EU institutions must be changed and their functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status;	14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, the composition of the EU institutions should be adapted, made more efficient and their functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status; notes positively, as a good example of such gradual integration, the European Commission’s efforts to involve candidate countries in the areas of security and defence, notably through their reference in the White Paper on the future of EU defence and in the Internal Security Strategy;

Or. en

Amendment 110

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, the composition of the EU institutions must be changed and their functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status;	14. Suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status;

Or. pl

Amendment 111

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, the composition of the EU institutions must be changed and their functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status;	14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, only the most fundamental and inevitable institutional aspects must be changed and their functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, in the same manner as it was successfully applied at the time of the 2004 enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 112

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, the composition of the EU institutions must be changed and their functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status;	14. Underlines that, in order to improve the enlarged EU’s efficiency, functioning enhanced; suggests that the enlargement process should be supported by the early and close involvement of candidate countries in the functioning of the EU institutions, e.g. through observer status;

Or. en

Amendment 113

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14 a. Proposes, in particular, to expand the successful policy of 'gradual integration', based on the principle of more for more, less for less, where candidate countries can progressively integrate in different EU sectors and policies even before full membership, with reforms rewarded through tangible benefits and thus maintaining momentum for reform, while having the possibility of reversing the process in case of backsliding; stresses that this approach can be beneficial in substantifying tangible improvements in the lives of citizens of candidate countries while their governments and civil societies remain committed to ambitious reform agendas; proposes to introduce new possibilities for gradual integration, which can only be attained if the candidate country has full CSFP alignment, which should be automatically reversible in the event of democratic or rule of law backsliding; stresses therefore:
	1. That these gradual integration steps must not become a substitute for full EU membership, but rather a transitional stage;
	2. That new possibilities for gradual integration include:
	(a) full participation of relevant levels of officials from the respective country in all Council meetings, without voting rights, for chapters that have been fully closed;
	(b) observer status in the European Parliament, for a number of national parliamentarians corresponding to the number of seats the candidate country would hold as a full Member State;
	(c) participation of relevant technical experts from the candidate country’s public administration or other institutions in the work of the European Commission and EU agencies, limited to the policy areas corresponding to the chapters that have been closed;
	(d) access to specific and limited forms of EU programs, policies and budget lines, for relevant chapters which the country has closed;

Or. en

Amendment 114

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14 a. Stresses that reforms improving efficiency should not delay enlargement, but rather proceed simultaneously, providing candidates with a clear signal that the EU is preparing internally to function effectively with new members;

Or. en

Amendment 115

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14 b. Emphasises that the European Parliament, as the house of democracy for all Europeans, can and should be the first mover in any such forms of enhanced participation for candidate country parliamentarians, so that they may develop the skills, contacts and understanding of the EU institutional dynamics and procedures far ahead of formal accession; proposes in particular to establish a systematic and structured participation for those parliamentarians as observers with speaking rights in all relevant committee and political group meetings; in line with the possibilities provided by Rules 13 and Rule 230 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament;

Or. en

Amendment 116

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 14 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	14 b. Emphasizes that the pace of enlargement must remain merit-based, driven by the concrete progress of the candidate countries, while EU institutional reforms should accompany, not precede, this process;

Or. en

Amendment 117

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;	15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation;

Or. pl

Amendment 118

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;	15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;

Or. en

Amendment 119

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;	15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation respecting the principle of degressive proportionality; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;

Or. en

Amendment 120

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;	15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered, while fully preserving unanimity in all policy areas where it currently applies;

Or. en

Amendment 121

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that Parliament’s composition should be the exclusive prerogative of Parliament and should be reconsidered together with the voting system in the Council;	15. Notes that institutional pre-enlargement reforms must address the implications of enlargement for the composition of Parliament; underlines that, while ensuring appropriate democratic representativeness, Parliament should remain a workable size; highlights the need to prioritise internal and interinstitutional work on the identification of a permanent seat allocation mechanism, capable of ensuring fair, transparent and durable demographic and geographical representation; recalls its position that seat allocation in the European Parliament should be considered together with the voting system in the Council

Or. en

Amendment 122

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 123

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties; recommends to this effect to revert back to the original intention of Article 17(5) TEU to enable a College of Commissioners to be composed of a maximum number of Commissioners, corresponding to up to two thirds of the Member States, and enable mid-term rotation of portfolios;

Or. en

Amendment 124

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the Treaty of Lisbon provides the flexibility for possible institutional changes linked to future enlargement rounds;

Or. en

Amendment 125

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties; highlights in this context gender equality as a core EU value and the important responsibility to promote, encourage and ensure gender balance in the composition of the Commission;

Or. en

Amendment 126

Alexandre Varaut, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; reiterates its commitment to the principle of the equal representation of Member States within the College of Commissioners; takes the view that the Member States should be more fairly represented, geographically and demographically, when it comes to administrative posts at the Commission and the other institutions, in particular as regards top-level posts;

Or. fr

Amendment 127

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon;

Or. en

Amendment 128

Adrián Vázquez Lázara

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the current composition of the Commission should be assessed, taking enlargement into account, once enlargement has taken place; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that any reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners coupled with the subsequent abolition of the ratio of one Commissioner per Member State should continue to ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;

Or. es

Amendment 129

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that any reassessment of the practice of appointing one Commissioner per Member State must ensure a geographically balanced composition of the Commission.

Or. en

Amendment 130

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the inevitable reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;	16. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take enlargement into account; recalls, in this regard, the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon; highlights that the possible reduction in the size of the College of Commissioners must ensure a geographically and demographically balanced composition of the Commission as established by the Treaties;

Or. en

Amendment 131

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	16 a. Proposes the establishment of a formalised hierarchy within the College, with a clear division of responsibilities and powers, and a system ensuring continuity of functions across mandates; proposes the conclusion of an interinstitutional agreement establishing clear and binding timelines and milestones for the appointment of the European Commission, culminating in a coalition agreement on the basis of which the European Parliament approves or rejects the President and the full College of Commissioners; underlines that such a mechanism would prevent post-electoral paralysis and strengthen democratic legitimacy; calls for the introduction of a procedure allowing the European Parliament to adopt a vote of no-confidence against individual Commissioners, leading to their resignation;

Or. en

Amendment 132

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;	17. Stresses the need for a cautious and consensus-based approach in any revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 133

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;	17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; recalls in this regard its proposals of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, notably on voting majorities in the Council; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 134

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;	17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 135

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;	17. Expresses its commitment to the functioning and decision-making process of the Council, in particular its remarkably egalitarian system of rotating presidencies; notes that the EU exists by virtue of the unanimous agreement of the parties to the Treaties and that, although it is desirable for qualified majority thresholds to vary in line with the importance or sensitivity of the issues to be decided within the Council, it is absolutely imperative to retain unanimity for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;

Or. fr

Amendment 136

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;	17. Recognises the need for reflection on the revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 137

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; proposes a review of the system of rotating presidencies of the Council; notes that qualified majority must be redefined to improve the balance between larger and smaller states and to retain higher thresholds for the most important and politically delicate decisions; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;	17. Stresses the need for a swift revision of the Council’s functioning and decision-making process in view of enlargement; stresses that any reform must preserve unanimity in all policy areas where it currently applies, while exploring procedural improvements that enhance efficiency without undermining the equality of Member States; calls for the utmost transparency and integrity of the Council’s decision-making process in the context of enlargement;

Or. en

Amendment 138

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	17 a. Acknowledges that the requirement for unanimity forces the Member States to work relentlessly to achieve compromise and unity, which is the source of the EU’s political leverage on the world stage; regrets, in this context, the fact that individual Member States have used their veto right to water down agreements, delay decision-making or thwart a common policy altogether;

Or. en

Amendment 139

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	17 b. Recognises that progress towards the application of qualified majority voting can only be gradual.

Or. en

Amendment 140

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	17 c. Considers that, due to Member States’ national, vital and sovereign interests, unanimity should be maintained for some crucial foreign, security and defence policies topics; reiterates, however, in order to improve the Union’s decision-making process and joint capacity to act, that QMV should be implemented in areas such as sanctions, interim steps in the enlargement process and certain other foreign policy decisions;

Or. en

Amendment 141

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 17 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	17 d. Acknowledges the concerns of some Member States, which fear a decreased ability to influence foreign and security policy at EU level; encourages, pending the full application of qualified majority voting to decisions without military or defence implications, the full use of all currently existing possibilities to enhance decisiveness in this regard, including the use of constructive abstention in line with Article 31(1) TEU;

Or. en

Amendment 142

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	deleted

Or. fr

Amendment 143

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 144

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 145

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented immediately in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations; reiterates that for most of the policy areas listed above, a shift to QMV can take place through the activation or interpretation of mechanisms which already exist in the Treaties, most importantly the passerelle clause; proposes as an interim measure to introduce a 'justification rule' for the European Council, making it mandatory for a Member State to provide a political explanation for issuing a veto in writing and publishing it within 48 hours of issuing a veto;

Or. en

Amendment 146

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented on a broader scale than at present;

Or. en

Amendment 147

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, while fully preserving unanimity in all policy areas where it currently applies and ensuring that matters such as the protection of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions, and other foreign-policy decisions continue to be decided by consensus in the Council.

Or. en

Amendment 148

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as well as sanctions, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;

Or. en

Amendment 149

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;	18. Is of the opinion that this can be achieved by simplified and more effective decision-making procedures; reiterates that QMV should be implemented in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), sanctions and other relevant foreign policy decisions, such the opening and closing of individual negotiation clusters and the sanctioning of backtracking during enlargement negotiations, but with the exception, for instance, of decisions authorising military missions or operations with an executive mandate, and the decisions to launch and to close the enlargement negotiations;

Or. en

Amendment 150

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18a. Opposes any departure from the principle of unanimity, particularly in the area of the common foreign and security policy, emphasising that these are areas that are fundamental to the preservation of Member States' sovereignty; considers that the last decade has clearly shown that the countries and political forces currently seeking to introduce majority voting have repeatedly been wrong on issues crucial to European security – not least through their persistent promotion of the harmful and dangerous Nord Stream project – which completely undermines their intentions and credibility and invalidates any arguments for giving them a decisive role in security and defence matters;

Or. pl

Amendment 151

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18 a. Recognises that the realisation of a larger and reformed Union within the ambitious timeline and scope proposed in this report is only possible if a fundamental issue is addressed, which is that the current EU enlargement process remains structurally flawed and must be transformed to become faster, fairer, and fire-proof;

Or. en

Amendment 152

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18 b. Notes that one of the most significant challenge to effective decision-making in the enlargement process is the repeated misuse of unanimity by several EU Member States, including in the most technical steps such as opening new chapters, in order to hold candidate countries hostage over bilateral political issues, which are often unrelated to merit-based accession criteria; stresses that such practices undermine reform enthusiasm and momentum in candidate countries, and makes it impossible for the EU to create predictable timelines for internal reform, as exemplified by the case of North Macedonia;

Or. en

Amendment 153

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18 c. Proposes therefore to change from unanimity to QMV for intermediate steps in the enlargement process, specifically the start of accession negotiations, the opening and closing of individual negotiation chapters or clusters, the setting of opening, interim and closing benchmarks, and the sanctioning of backtracking, which together represent over 100 decision-making moments; recalls that Article 49 TEU, under Title VI, governing enlargement, leaves the forms of decision-making open to interpretation, as enlargement remains technically an intergovernmental agreement between Member States and candidate countries; proposes, if necessary, any combination of the following set of measures, in order to make the transition to QMV politically feasible in the short term:
	1. The immediate suspension of Viktor Orban’s Hungarian veto rights through the activation of Article 7 TEU;
	2. A reduction in the number of decision-making moments, for example by Member States entrusting the Commission with the responsibility to manage a more substantial part of the accession negotiations, thereby reducing the number of political decision moments where a veto can be cast;
	3. The establishment of an appeals mechanism, enabling candidate countries to challenge decisions they consider to be the result of domestic politics leading to a bilateralisation of the enlargement process, and not based on an objective, merit-based approach in line with the Copenhagen Criteria;
	4. As an interim measure if QMV cannot be immediately introduced, the introduction of a 'suspensive veto' could be envisaged, meaning that if a Member State invoking a veto fails to obtain the support of at least three other Member States within 6 months, the matter would be referred to the CJEU to assess whether the dispute holds a reasonable, merit-based dimension in line with the Copenhagen Criteria, while, if the CJEU rules otherwise, the veto would be lifted;

Or. en

Amendment 154

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18 d. Proposes replacing the 'big-bang' approach with a 'regatta' model, whereby candidate countries join the Union in smaller groups or individually as soon as they are ready, based strictly on their own merits; stresses that, unlike the 2004 enlargement, the current political context requires greater flexibility, given that some Member States, such as Hungary, have instrumentalised their veto powers to block specific candidates, while reform progress among candidate countries varies significantly, with some advancing rapidly and others experiencing democratic backsliding; underlines that, to avoid the risk of 'chain vetoes', newcomers should not be granted veto power over future accessions until the enlargement framework has been reformed in line with the proposals from this report;

Or. en

Amendment 155

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 18 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	18 e. Calls upon the Commission to initiate a large-scale awareness-raising and citizen empowerment campaign, jointly between EU Member States and candidate countries, with the strong involvement of civil society, media, local and regional actors, trade unions, youth and different layers of government; stresses that such a campaign should focus on both the challenges and opportunities of enlargement, and that its conclusions should feed into the final accession treaties that will be signed; reiterates that Russia and other foreign actors will attempt to derail EU accession by influencing public opinion;

Or. en

Amendment 156

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 157

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 158

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed; emphasises that it has not been possible to conclude any of the procedures initiated on the basis of that article, demonstrating that there is profound political disagreement among the Member States as to the definition and binding effect of notions as abstract and open to interpretation as ‘values’; emphasises that any revision of the Treaties would do well to do away with this moral and political notion and replace it with precise and objective legal provisions;

Or. fr

Amendment 159

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity and by extending the qualified majority of 4/5 to decisions taken by the European Council pursuant to Art. 7.2 TEU to determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State of the values referred to in Art. 2 TEU; Further proposes to introduce a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;

Or. en

Amendment 160

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations, while fully preserving unanimity in European Council decisions

Or. en

Amendment 161

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	19. Proposes to strengthen and reform the procedure in Article 7 TEU by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;

Or. en

Amendment 162

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
19. Proposes that the procedure in Article 7 TEU be reformed by ending unanimity in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;	19. Proposes consider reforming the procedure in Article 7 TEU by expanding QMV vote in European Council decisions, by introducing a clear time frame and by making the Court of Justice of the European Union the arbiter of violations;

Or. en

Amendment 163

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 19 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	19 a. Stresses that strengthening the rule of law across the Union and candidate countries is essential to ensure the efficiency and cohesion of the EU in view of future enlargements; proposes, to this end, a structured set of measures, vital to guarantee the Union’s legal and institutional resilience ahead of and throughout the enlargement process, namely:
	1. the full and systematic application of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation to all EU funds, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), cohesion funds and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), and for its transformation into a mechanism to address breaches of all values set out in Article 2 TEU;
	2. the extension of the mandate of the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO), to deal with breaches of European sanctions, as also referenced by the Polish Presidency of the Council in its report of 24 June 2025;

Or. en

Amendment 164

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
20. Reiterates its call to revise the governance of the MFF, namely by attributing full co-legislative powers over both the expenditure and revenue sides of the EU budget, including the adoption of the MFF and the system of own resources;	20. Reiterates its call to revise the governance of the MFF, namely by attributing full co-legislative powers over the expenditure side of the EU budget, including the adoption of the MFF;

Or. en

Amendment 165

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
20. Reiterates its call to revise the governance of the MFF, namely by attributing full co-legislative powers over both the expenditure and revenue sides of the EU budget, including the adoption of the MFF and the system of own resources;	20. Reiterates its call to revise the governance of the MFF, namely by attributing full co-legislative powers over both the expenditure and revenue sides of the EU budget, including the adoption of the MFF;

Or. pl

Amendment 166

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	20 a. Is convinced that the existing mandatory revision clause in the event of enlargement should be maintained in the next framework and that national envelopes should not be affected; underlines that the next MFF will also have to put in place appropriate transitional and phasing-in measures for key spending areas, such as cohesion and agriculture, based on a careful assessment of the impacts on different sectors;

Or. en

Amendment 167

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 20 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	20 b. Considers that the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) will be crucial for preparing the Union for enlargement and the candidate countries for accession;

Or. en

Amendment 168

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
21. Urges the Commission and the Member States to abandon the self-imposed and outdated principle according to which the size of the EU’s long-term budget must not exceed 1 % of aggregated gross national income in its 2028-2034 MFF proposal;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 169

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
21. Urges the Commission and the Member States to abandon the self-imposed and outdated principle according to which the size of the EU’s long-term budget must not exceed 1 % of aggregated gross national income in its 2028-2034 MFF proposal;	21. Urges the Commission and the Member States to abandon the self-imposed and outdated principle according to which the size of the EU’s long-term budget must not exceed 1 % of aggregated gross national income in its 2028-2034 MFF proposal; stresses that the Draghi and Letta reports, and the vast majority of experts, have shown that significant additional fiscal resources are required for the EU to become more competitive, complete the just and green transition and be in a position to defend itself autonomously from Russian aggression by 2030;

Or. en

Amendment 170

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
21. Urges the Commission and the Member States to abandon the self-imposed and outdated principle according to which the size of the EU’s long-term budget must not exceed 1 % of aggregated gross national income in its 2028-2034 MFF proposal;	21. Urges the Commission and the Member States to abandon the self-imposed and outdated principle according to which the size of the EU’s long-term budget must not exceed 1 % of aggregated gross national income in its post 2027 MFF proposal;

Or. en

Amendment 171

Sandro Gozi

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; insists that the introduction of new own resources constitutes an indispensable prerequisite for increasing the size and strengthening the potential and impact of the next MFF; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management, and while avoiding increasing fiscal pressure on European citizens;

Or. en

Amendment 172

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement, continuing reducing regional disparities and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management; underlines that the next MFF and a more effective budget should enable the EU to move decisively towards enlarging while safeguarding existing policies, programs and priorities;

Or. en

Amendment 173

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives;

Or. pl

Amendment 174

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; Stresses that the introduction of new own resources is essential not only to ensure the timely and sustainable repayment of the borrowing undertaken under the NextGenerationEU instrument, but also to provide adequate financial assistance to candidate countries in view of their progressive integration and future accession;

Or. en

Amendment 175

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management, in particular through revenues arising from CBAM, digital and corporate taxes, a digital levy and a high-net wealth tax;

Or. en

Amendment 176

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting objectives of cohesion and upward convergence; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;

Or. en

Amendment 177

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the 2028-2034 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;	22. Stresses that the MFF should be adequately financed to deliver on the basic principles and strategic objectives that the EU is based on, including completing the upcoming rounds of enlargement and meeting the EU’s competitiveness objectives; calls on the Commission to propose a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources in the context of the post 2027 MFF, while ensuring sound financial management;

Or. en

Amendment 178

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
23. Stresses the importance of bolstering the democratic legitimacy of EU policies by reinforcing the decision-making and scrutiny rights of the European Parliament, which is the only directly elected institution representing EU citizens;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 179

Marc Angel, Gabriele Bischoff, Thijs Reuten, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
23. Stresses the importance of bolstering the democratic legitimacy of EU policies by reinforcing the decision-making and scrutiny rights of the European Parliament, which is the only directly elected institution representing EU citizens;	23. Stresses the importance of bolstering the democratic legitimacy of EU policies by reinforcing the decision-making and scrutiny rights, including strong right of inquiry, of the European Parliament, which is the only directly elected institution representing EU citizens;

Or. en

Amendment 180

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	23 a. Underlines the key role that EU accession countries' parliaments play in the process, notably in passing accession-related legislation, and emphasizes the importance of parliamentary cooperation and consensus-building on EU accession matters in this regard; reiterates the European Parliament’s readiness to use its political and technical resources to help parliaments in accession countries to move forward on EU-related reform agenda, including through democracy support activities; welcomes the advances made in a number of candidate countries, including through mediation activities and the Jean Monnet Dialogue process;

Or. en

Amendment 181

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 23 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	23a. Takes the view that the democratic legitimacy of the European Parliament is particularly undermined by Parliament’s repeated refusal to ensure that political balances are fully represented within its bodies and in the way it operates; takes that view that the systematic exclusion of certain political persuasions is characteristic of the authoritarian regimes that the EU is constantly condemning on the international stage; calls on Parliament to put an end to this immediately, and points out that it is possible to do this without changing the rules in any way;

Or. fr

Amendment 182

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
24. Stresses that reforming the EU decision-making processes requires the empowerment of Parliament by placing it on an equal footing with the Council; reiterates its call for Parliament to gain the full right of legislative initiative – the power to introduce, amend or repeal Union law;	deleted

Or. fr

Amendment 183

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
24. Stresses that reforming the EU decision-making processes requires the empowerment of Parliament by placing it on an equal footing with the Council; reiterates its call for Parliament to gain the full right of legislative initiative – the power to introduce, amend or repeal Union law;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 184

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
24. Stresses that reforming the EU decision-making processes requires the empowerment of Parliament by placing it on an equal footing with the Council; reiterates its call for Parliament to gain the full right of legislative initiative – the power to introduce, amend or repeal Union law;	24. Stresses that reforming the EU decision-making processes requires the empowerment of Parliament by placing it on an equal footing with the Council; reiterates its call for Parliament to gain the full right of legislative initiative – the power to introduce, amend or repeal Union law; is convinced that a general and direct right of initiative would further strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the Union and empower Union citizens;

Or. en

Amendment 185

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	24 a. Recognises that Parliament’s direct rights of initiative are far from sufficient to allow it to represent the European citizens, civil society and the social partners within the European institutions, effectively leaving the Commission with a monopoly on the exercise of legislative initiative;

Or. en

Amendment 186

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 24 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	24 b. Underlines that the Treaty of Lisbon already bestows direct rights of initiative on Parliament, acknowledging its competence to self-organise, its scrutiny function and its democratic legitimacy as the only directly elected EU institution;

Or. en

Amendment 187

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;	deleted
_________________
7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).

Or. pl

Amendment 188

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227 ; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;	25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227 , especially regarding the establishment of transnational lists, as a key step towards fostering a truly European political space; underlines the long-term objective of allocating up to half of the total political seats in the European Parliament to such transnational lists, in order to enhance the representation of European citizens; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;
_________________	_________________
7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).	7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).

Or. en

Amendment 189

Adrián Vázquez Lázara

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;	25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections, by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU and by pressing for ratification by all the Member States of the most recent European electoral reform of 2018; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;
_________________	_________________
7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).	7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).

Or. es

Amendment 190

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227 ; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;	25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the remaining Member State to ratify the Council Decision 2018/994; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227 ; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;
_________________	_________________
7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).	7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).

Or. en

Amendment 191

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections and by laying down uniform electoral rules across the EU; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227 ; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;	25. Considers it essential to improve the transparency and democratic accountability of Parliament, by strengthening the European dimension of the elections; calls on the Council to work on the suggestions put forward in Parliament’s position of 3 May 20227 ; reiterates its call for Parliament and the Council to make progress in discussions on the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the allocation of seats of the European Parliament;
_________________	_________________
7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).	7 European Parliament legislative resolution of 3 May 2022 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, repealing Council Decision (76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom) and the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to that Decision (OJ C 465, 6.12.2022, p. 171).

Or. en

Amendment 192

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 25 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	25a. Calls on the Commission to take more account of the principles of subsidiarity, proportionality and conferral in its proposals for legislative initiatives; calls once again on the institutions to step up their cooperation and dialogue with the national parliaments;

Or. fr

Amendment 193

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
26. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of the instruments for citizens’ participation in EU decision-making processes;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 194

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
26. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of the instruments for citizens’ participation in EU decision-making processes;	26. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of the instruments for citizens’ participation in EU decision-making processes; underlines, in particular, the need to significantly improve the accessibility and impact of such tools; reiterates its proposal to establish a European Agora working on a yearly basis which, on 9 May, presents its input to the consultation process on the Commission Annual Work Programme (CAWP) and will discuss throughout the year content related to the specific theme of the European Year; proposes that in the context of future enlargement, such an Agora should include citizens from both EU Member States and candidate countries, thus contributing to awareness-raising, citizen empowerment and quality policymaking in the framework of countries acceding the Union;

Or. en

Amendment 195

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
26. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of the instruments for citizens’ participation in EU decision-making processes;	26. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of the instruments for citizens’ participation in EU decision-making processes, which is key in building a more democratic, responsive and inclusive European Union;

Or. en

Amendment 196

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 a. Underlines that the deepening of democratic participation must go hand in hand with the enlargement process, in order to ensure the legitimacy, inclusiveness and resilience of EU decision-making in a larger Union; proposes, in this context, to reduce the signature threshold for the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) and to allow ECIs to initiate assemblies of randomly selected citizens on specific reform ideas, the result of which could be put to a European wide referendum; further proposes that the citizens of EU candidate countries engaging in gradual integration be allowed to participate in and sign ECIs, thereby fostering early democratic engagement and a sense of ownership in the future of the Union;

Or. en

Amendment 197

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 a. Recalls that accession to the European Union requires full compliance with the principles of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, as stipulated in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union; underlines that candidate countries must also meet the Copenhagen criteria, including the existence of stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; the existence of a functioning market economy; and the capacity to adopt and implement the acquis communautaire;

Or. en

Amendment 198

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 b. Highlights that the enlargement process offers a unique opportunity to raise democratic and transparency standards across the Union by incorporating best practices from candidate countries; encourages the EU to learn from and integrate into its institutional framework advanced civic transparency initiatives already in place in candidate countries, notably Ukraine; calls, in particular, for the development of single European digital platforms for citizens to monitor and scrutinise public procurement procedures and asset declarations of EU and national officials, inspired by Ukraine’s Prozorro platform and the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) electronic asset register; stresses that such tools would enhance public trust, accountability and democratic oversight in both current and future Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 199

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 b (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 b. Firmly asserts that Turkey does not currently meet these fundamental criteria; calls therefore for the formal termination of accession negotiations with Turkey, given its persistent and deliberate breaches of the principles and criteria that underpin the Union’s enlargement process;

Or. en

Amendment 200

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 c (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 c. Notes that, in a Union potentially expanding to 35 Member States and over half a billion citizens, a deeper reflection on how to ensure effective and democratic political representation becomes unavoidable; stresses that such a transformation would help simplify and manage the increased institutional complexity of an enlarged Union; is of the opinion that the European Union should eventually become a European bicameral parliamentary democracy, through the adoption of a European Constitution; proposes that the Council be reformed into a normal co-legislating second chamber; underlines that, in this model, a European Government should be formed on the basis of a democratic majority in the European Parliament, with an EU Prime Minister elected from among its Members;

Or. en

Amendment 201

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 d (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 d. Believes that the Prime Minister should appoint Ministers heading unified European Ministries, replacing the current Directorate-General structure of the Commission, and that each appointment should be subject to confirmation by the two chambers of Parliament; considers it essential that both individual Ministers and the Government as a whole be politically accountable to the Parliament and removable through a vote of no confidence;

Or. en

Amendment 202

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 26 e (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	26 e. Considers that such institutional transformations will be necessary to maintain the Union’s democratic legitimacy, effectiveness and unity in light of future enlargements, and calls for the convening of a European Convention to prepare the ground for this constitutional reform;

Or. en

Amendment 203

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
27. Considers that the above objectives of the institutional pre-enlargement reforms can be implemented by different means, including by activating the flexibilities offered by the current Treaties, through one or more targeted Treaty amendments or through accession Treaties and intergovernmental cooperation outside of the Treaty framework;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 204

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
27. Considers that the above objectives of the institutional pre-enlargement reforms can be implemented by different means, including by activating the flexibilities offered by the current Treaties, through one or more targeted Treaty amendments or through accession Treaties and intergovernmental cooperation outside of the Treaty framework;	27. Considers that the above objectives of the institutional pre-enlargement reforms can be implemented by different means, including by activating the flexibilities offered by the current Treaties, through one or more targeted Treaty amendments;

Or. en

Amendment 205

François-Xavier Bellamy

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 27 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	27 a. Stresses that, in light of the political, institutional and financial challenges posed by future enlargements, the Union should develop and promote differentiated integration formats; calls in particular for the establishment and use of a formal associate status, which would allow countries to participate selectively in certain EU policies and programmes—such as energy, climate, research or security ; Considers that this status could offer a realistic and flexible framework for deepening cooperation with neighbouring countries whose accession is not feasible or desirable in the medium or long term, while preserving the Union’s internal coherence and safeguarding its institutional capacity to function effectively;

Or. en

Amendment 206

Alexandre Varaut, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
28. Recalls that a number of flexibility instruments, such as passerelle clauses, enhanced cooperation, constructive abstentions, PESCO and opt-out mechanisms, are already possible under the current EU legal framework, as evidenced by the experiences of the Schengen area, one of the greatest achievements of the EU, and the single currency; recalls that phasing-in solutions, temporary derogations and transition periods can be negotiated for certain policy fields in the context of accession procedures;	deleted

Or. fr

Amendment 207

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
28. Recalls that a number of flexibility instruments, such as passerelle clauses, enhanced cooperation, constructive abstentions, PESCO and opt-out mechanisms, are already possible under the current EU legal framework, as evidenced by the experiences of the Schengen area, one of the greatest achievements of the EU, and the single currency; recalls that phasing-in solutions, temporary derogations and transition periods can be negotiated for certain policy fields in the context of accession procedures;	28. Recalls that a number of flexibility instruments, such as passerelle clauses, enhanced cooperation, constructive abstentions, PESCO and opt-out mechanisms, are already possible under the current EU legal framework, as evidenced by the experiences of the Schengen area, one of the greatest achievements of the EU, and the single currency; recalls that phasing-in solutions, temporary derogations and transition periods can be negotiated for certain policy fields in the context of accession procedures, allowing candidate countries to formally join the EU even if certain sectors have not yet been fully integrated into the internal market; emphasizes that this gradual approach could equally apply to other EU frameworks, including Schengen and the Eurozone;

Or. en

Amendment 208

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
28. Recalls that a number of flexibility instruments, such as passerelle clauses, enhanced cooperation, constructive abstentions, PESCO and opt-out mechanisms, are already possible under the current EU legal framework, as evidenced by the experiences of the Schengen area, one of the greatest achievements of the EU, and the single currency; recalls that phasing-in solutions, temporary derogations and transition periods can be negotiated for certain policy fields in the context of accession procedures;	28. Recalls that a number of flexibility instruments, such as enhanced cooperation, constructive abstentions, PESCO and opt-out mechanisms, are already possible under the current EU legal framework, as evidenced by the experiences of the Schengen area and the single currency, provided that these instruments are used only as a complement for unanimity in all policy areas where it currently applies; recalls that phasing-in solutions, temporary derogations and transition periods can be negotiated for certain policy fields in the context of accession procedures;

Or. en

Amendment 209

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	28 a. Reiterates its position that differentiated integration should always take place within the Treaty provisions, should maintain the unity of EU institutions and should not lead to the creation of parallel institutional arrangements or arrangements that indirectly contravene the spirit and the fundamental principles of EU law, but should instead enable specific bodies to be established where appropriate, without prejudice to the competences and role of the EU institutions;

Or. en

Amendment 210

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 28 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	28 a. Stresses the importance of ensuring that these policy reviews are comprehensive, evidence-based and inclusive, involving European Parliament, national parliaments and civil society from both, Member States and candidate countries;

Or. en

Amendment 211

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
29. Argues that enhanced cooperation is part of the solution for an efficient and deepened enlarged EU; notes that Member States willing to move forward with European integration in a wider array of policy areas should be allowed to do so; underlines that under such a system of differentiated integration, while all Member States would take part in decisions about issues in the area of common ground, only Member States willing to participate in areas of deepened integration would take part in the decisions concerned; notes that differentiated integration also implies differentiated financial arrangements;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 212

Alexandre Varaut, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 29

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
29. Argues that enhanced cooperation is part of the solution for an efficient and deepened enlarged EU; notes that Member States willing to move forward with European integration in a wider array of policy areas should be allowed to do so; underlines that under such a system of differentiated integration, while all Member States would take part in decisions about issues in the area of common ground, only Member States willing to participate in areas of deepened integration would take part in the decisions concerned; notes that differentiated integration also implies differentiated financial arrangements;	29. Argues that voluntary cooperation arrangements are part of the solution for an efficient EU; notes that Member States willing to move forward with European integration in a wider array of policy areas should be allowed to do so; cautions, however, against the principle of differentiated integration, the main effect of which will be to create many more layers of rights and obligations for the Member States, giving rise to rivalry and inequality among them, resulting in insurmountable red tape for businesses and the public, and making Europe a much less attractive place to do business; also cautions against the political risks of this system; to counter these risks, calls for the introduction of withdrawal options in all the areas concerned;

Or. fr

Amendment 213

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
30. Highlights that flexibilities provided by the current Treaties are essential for the creation of a defence union;	deleted

Or. fr

Amendment 214

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
30. Highlights that flexibilities provided by the current Treaties are essential for the creation of a defence union;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 215

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
30. Highlights that flexibilities provided by the current Treaties are essential for the creation of a defence union;	30. Highlights that flexibilities provided by the current Treaties are essential for the creation of a defence union; recalls that Article 24(1) TEU calls for “progressively framing a common defence policy that might lead to a common defence”, thus allowing for a broad use of existing Treaty provisions; underlines that the establishment of a permanent European Defence Union will ultimately require a unanimous decision in line with Article 42(2) TEU; stresses, however, that such a development must be embedded in a broader democratic and institutional reform of the Union, for which the use of Article 48 TEU would be necessary;

Or. en

Amendment 216

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
30. Highlights that flexibilities provided by the current Treaties are essential for the creation of a defence union;	30. Highlights that flexibilities provided by the current Treaties allow for more to be done for advancing towards a European Defence Union, without requiring a comprehensive Treaty reform process;

Or. en

Amendment 217

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 30 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	30 a. Underlines that in the current geopolitical context and in the context of enlargement, there is an urgent need for continuing to operationalise Article 42(7) TEU on mutual assistance, ensuring solidarity among Member States, especially those whose geographical position leaves them directly exposed to imminent threats and challenges, regardless of whether or not they are NATO members; calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to present concrete steps towards developing a true EU solidarity policy, including by clarifying the practical arrangements in the event of a Member State triggering Article 42(7) TEU;

Or. en

Amendment 218

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 219

Alexandre Varaut, Marieke Ehlers, Jean-Paul Garraud

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;	deleted

Or. fr

Amendment 220

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 221

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;	31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, PESCO has so far failed to deliver on the promises of a true institutionalisation of a common European defence; reiterates its regret that Member States continue not to make full use of the PESCO framework; urges willing Member States to make full use of its broader potential to institutionalise common defence without delay, including for defence industrial cooperation and joint development, management and deployment of capabilities; regrets that the Parliament is not in a position to properly scrutinise PESCO projects and calls for a change of paradigm for its governance, such that Parliament is adequately involved; reiterates its call on the Member States to provide an implementation report on PESCO projects to the European Parliament at least twice a year;

Or. en

Amendment 222

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;	31. Stresses that, in absence of political consensus for a Treaty revision, Member States willing to advance integration in the field of defence, should be able to do so by forming a structured cooperation, open to all others at a later stage; recalls that such deeper integration can be pursued under Article 20 TEU or through the use of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO); underlines, in this regard, that PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) provides a legal framework allowing a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;

Or. en

Amendment 223

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay, even in the absence of unanimity within the European Council;	31. Stresses that, in the field of defence, PESCO (ex Article 46 TEU) allows a group of Member States to move forward towards the creation of the European defence system; notes that, despite the fact that PESCO has mainly been used for industrial defence projects, it has the broader potential to allow willing Member States to institutionalise common defence without delay,

Or. en

Amendment 224

Ľubica Karvašová

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 31 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	31 a. Welcomes the candidate countries’ commitment to full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including EU restrictive measures related to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; welcomes the active involvement of EU accession countries in the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations; welcomes, in the same spirit, that a number of EU candidate countries are members of NATO;

Or. en

Amendment 225

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
32. Underscores that, pursuant to existing Treaty provisions, a decision taken by qualified majority would allow the creation of a European defence system under Article 42(6) TEU and Article 1(b) of Protocol 10, while leaving the door open for other Member States to join at a later stage, as was the case with the economic and monetary union; calls, in this respect, on the Commission and on willing Member States to activate PESCO provisions to this end without delay;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 226

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
32. Underscores that, pursuant to existing Treaty provisions, a decision taken by qualified majority would allow the creation of a European defence system under Article 42(6) TEU and Article 1(b) of Protocol 10, while leaving the door open for other Member States to join at a later stage, as was the case with the economic and monetary union; calls, in this respect, on the Commission and on willing Member States to activate PESCO provisions to this end without delay;	32. Underscores that, pursuant to existing Treaty provisions, a decision taken by qualified majority would allow the creation of a European defence system under Article 42(6) TEU and Article 1(b) of Protocol 10, while leaving the door open for other Member States to join at a later stage, as was the case with the economic and monetary union; calls, in this respect, on the Commission and on willing Member States to activate PESCO provisions to this end without delay, on the understanding that it should constitute a complementary step within a broader political roadmap towards a unified defence policy; stresses, furthermore, that such progress in defence integration is particularly necessary in light of the upcoming enlargement, specifically in the case of Ukraine, which will empower the Union to reinforce its strategic autonomy, internal cohesion and operational effectiveness;

Or. en

Amendment 227

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 228

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 229

Nikolas Farantouris

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament; reminds the European Council of its Treaty obligation to follow-up on Parliament’s activation of the ordinary Treaty reform procedure of Article 48 TEU; warns that Parliament is ready to activate all available political and legal means in order to ensure European Council’s compliance with its Treaty obligation;

Or. en

Amendment 230

Marc Angel, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Thijs Reuten, Gabriele Bischoff, Brando Benifei

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament; reminds the European Council of its Treaty obligation to follow-up on Parliament´s activation of the ordinary Treaty reform procedure of Article 48 TEU; underlines that the European Parliament is ready to activate all available political and legal means in order to ensure the compliance of the European Council with its Treaty obligation;

Or. en

Amendment 231

Reinier Van Lanschot

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament; highlights once more the proposal for a European bicameral parliamentary democracy as the long-term objective for the Union, as it is essential to ensure its democratic legitimacy and institutional functionality in a future with a significantly larger number of Member States;

Or. en

Amendment 232

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are unavoidable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties;

Or. en

Amendment 233

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, and further empowering the European Parliament;

Or. en

Amendment 234

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure, changes in the composition of the Commission, and further empowering the European Parliament;	33. Insists, that, in order to effectively reform the EU institutional framework in view of European unification, some targeted key Treaty changes are indispensable; recalls in this respect its suggestions from its resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, in particular with regard to the reform of decision-making in the EU, increasing the use of QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure and further empowering the European Parliament;

Or. en

Amendment 235

Liudas Mažylis

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 33 a (new)

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
	33 a. Calls on the Commission and Council to clearly communicate the findings of the policy reviews and to develop, in cooperation with the Parliament, a realistic, sequenced roadmap for implementing the necessary institutional reforms along with the enlargement process;

Or. en

Amendment 236

Patryk Jaki

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
34. Calls on the Member States to consider intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties through an additional Treaty among willing Member States, without prejudice to existing treaty law, and paving the way for differentiated integration within the EUas a last resort only; notes that differentiated integration of this kind, based on recent experiences, should subsequently be rapidly enshrined in the EU Treaties;	deleted

Or. pl

Amendment 237

Sebastião Bugalho, Loránt Vincze

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
34. Calls on the Member States to consider intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties through an additional Treaty among willing Member States, without prejudice to existing treaty law, and paving the way for differentiated integration within the EUas a last resort only; notes that differentiated integration of this kind, based on recent experiences, should subsequently be rapidly enshrined in the EU Treaties;	deleted

Or. en

Amendment 238

Anthony Smith

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
34. Calls on the Member States to consider intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties through an additional Treaty among willing Member States, without prejudice to existing treaty law, and paving the way for differentiated integration within the EUas a last resort only; notes that differentiated integration of this kind, based on recent experiences, should subsequently be rapidly enshrined in the EU Treaties;	34. Calls on the Member States to consider intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties through an additional Treaty among willing Member States, without prejudice to existing treaty law, and paving the way for differentiated integration within the EUas a last resort only;

Or. en

Amendment 239

Tomislav Sokol

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 34

Motion for a resolution	Amendment
34. Calls on the Member States to consider intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties through an additional Treaty among willing Member States, without prejudice to existing treaty law, and paving the way for differentiated integration within the EUas a last resort only; notes that differentiated integration of this kind, based on recent experiences, should subsequently be rapidly enshrined in the EU Treaties;	34. Calls on the Member States to consider intergovernmental cooperation outside the framework of the Treaties through an additional Treaty among willing Member States only where strictly necessary and provided that such cooperation fully respects existing treaty law, preserves unanimity in all policy areas where it currently applies, and is designed from the outset to be integrated into the EU Treaties through the amendment process

Or. en