What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Added:X. whereas the lack of will on the part of the Member States to step away from their individual, political or economic interests in external relations in order to build joint capacity together and fully develop strategic autonomy is one of the main obstacles to the EU’s global leadership in preventive diplomacy;

Added:Y. whereas the EU should continue moving forward towards fully developing its own autonomous and permanent instruments in its external action, common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and common security and defence policy (CSDP);

Added:Z. whereas civilian crisis management is a fundamental component of the CFSP;

Added:AA. whereas coordination between the European External Action Service (EEAS), Parliament and the Member States needs to be reassessed and strengthened in order to build joint capacities and modernise current approaches to deliver tangible results and launch meaningful initiatives in preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and peacemaking; whereas the EU needs to speak with a single voice and its action on the ground should be aligned with that of its Member States, in terms of early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management; whereas conflict prevention is a common objective of all Member States;

Added:AB. whereas the EU’s credibility is a paramount requirement for the correct implementation of its preventive diplomacy actions as it reinforces trust towards the EU among the different actors involved in a conflict; whereas, in this regard, it is necessary to ensure the highest level of coordination and coherence in the EU’s external action, particularly by ensuring the leading role of the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP / HR) as a bridge builder between the CFSP and EU external relations; whereas the Commission needs to strengthen its coordination with the EEAS, including in the EU’s preventive diplomacy initiatives and actions, by guaranteeing full compliance with Articles 3(2) and 9 of the EEAS Decision;

Added:AC. whereas global funding for conflict prevention and peacebuilding is at a 15-year record low;

Added:AD. whereas, within the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation (NDICI – Global Europe) instrument, there is a thematic programme on peace, stability and conflict prevention; whereas the Commission has published a multi-annual indicative programme that allocates EUR 870 970 044 for the 2021-2027 period to this thematic area, of which only 13 %-18 % will be allocated to conflict prevention;

Added:AE. whereas the EU’s civilian and military operations have a mandate for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and crisis management; whereas their preventive toolbox capacity should be expanded and additional staff training should be provided;

Added:AF. whereas, regretfully, the EU has demonstrated on different occasions a lack of clarity in its external representation, clearly affecting its coherence and, therefore, its credibility worldwide; whereas it is necessary to clearly define the competences of the VP / HR, the President of the Commission and the President of the European Council on the EU’s external action and representation, as the current regulatory framework is unclear concerning the competences of each institutional figure;

Added:AG. whereas research shows that women and men experience, engage in and are affected by violent armed conflict differently and have a different understanding of peace;

Added:AH. whereas the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda represents an essential tool for confirming that a meaningful and equitable role in decision-making is secured for women of all ages during all stages of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacebuilding and post-conflict rehabilitation; whereas, in the EU Strategic Compass, Women, Peace and Security forms an integral part of the document;

Added:AI. whereas emblematic and cultural heritage monuments in war-affected areas contribute to peacebuilding and reconciliation among communities;

Added:AJ. whereas supporting culture and clearly targeted resources for international cultural relations would greatly enhance the EU’s ability to fully develop and support its intercultural relations with partners as a valuable component of the preventive diplomacy toolbox;

Added:AK. whereas the EU’s cultural diplomacy and the protection of cultural and historical heritage are important for coexistence, peace, democracy and sustainable development by promoting solidarity, tolerance and reconciliation through its delegations and actors on the ground;

Added:AL. whereas the return of the US to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is important for global cooperation on transnational challenges, including preventive diplomacy efforts;

Added:AM. whereas climate diplomacy frames climate change as an element of external action policy and highlights the need to integrate climate objectives and address climate risks at the highest diplomatic level and across all policy areas;

Added:AN. whereas cooperation with Member States, institutions, transatlantic and international partners, EU candidate countries and other countries through the exchange of tools, information and practices can play a key role in upgrading and improving the preventive diplomatic tools of the EU;

Added:1. Recommends that the Council, the Commission and the VP / HR:

Added:(a) acknowledge the strong link between EU internal and external policy and security dimensions and reflect this in their approach to conflict prevention and resolution, and that preventive diplomacy should happen both within and outside of the EU; fully exploit the possibilities offered by the Lisbon Treaty to strengthen existing coordination mechanisms; acknowledge the need to end the narrow interpretation of security and to start the discussion from a concept that does not neglect factors such as environmental hazards, threat of diseases, hunger, social injustice, disinformation and violence;

Added:(b) place the respect for fundamental, constitutional and human rights, and the safeguarding of civil liberties at the core of internal and external security policy and its preventive diplomacy efforts, as the EU’s ability to act as a global foreign policy player, a reliable international partner, honest broker and a credible security and defence actor rests on its ability to promote these values, while also proactively defining, asserting and defending its European interests in the world;

Added:(c) adapt and regularly update the EU’s conflict prevention and resolution tools to the changing nature of conflicts, including as a result of climate change and consequent disasters, geopolitical instability, environmental hazards, threat of diseases, hunger, social injustice, the rise of new technologies, the global race for raw materials, rising inequalities around the world and food scarcity, while continuously assessing emerging global challenges and effectively promoting peace, stability and security;

Added:(d) enhance their role and meaningful involvement in the processes of conflict prevention and resolution, as well as mediation of the implementation of the EU-brokered ceasefire agreements so as to ensure the efficient functioning of the instruments applied by the EU and to facilitate the tangible progress;

Added:(e) fully use the means at their disposal to prevent conflict, align the EU’s prevention and conflict resolution, further develop the tools in line with its geopolitical agenda and EU values and act as guarantor of the implementation of the EU-mediated ceasefire agreements and an equidistant and values-based mediator during crises and conflict around the world, in view of the fact that the EU is known for its legitimacy, credibility, impartiality and inclusivity; ensure respect for the sovereignty of countries in any act of preventive diplomacy; recall that the EU should play a major diplomatic role in order to put an end to the conflicts around the world;

Added:(f) integrate the EU’s preventive diplomacy tools into structural prevention mechanisms and actions, such as, for instance, political agreements among different actors involved in conflicts, national dialogues for reconciliation, peacebuilding and transitional justice, as well as truth and reconciliation commissions;

Added:(g) integrate cultural heritage into the EU’s overall approach to crisis management, as a cross cutting component of all actions within the EU toolbox for conflicts and crises;

Added:(h) call on the Member States to set aside individual interests in external relations and build joint capacity together in conflict prevention and mediation;

Added:(i) develop a set of clear and practical rules on the EU’s external action and representation by the VP / HR, the President of the Commission and the President of the European Council and ensure the consistency of their mandates; improve the EU’s mediation capacities by promoting political and fact-finding missions, inquiries and investigations;

Added:(j) ensure effective complementarity and a harmonised approach with Parliament and collaborate closely with Parliament’s preventive diplomacy actions, as parliamentary diplomacy and Parliament’s activities in this regard, such as its official missions to non-EU countries and to multilateral forums, contribute to the promotion of human rights, democratic standards and political pluralism worldwide, as well as conflict prevention and peacebuilding; present to Parliament annual assessments on the EU’s activities concerning preventive diplomacy worldwide, as well as reviews of the EU’s conflict Early Warning System when appropriate;

Understanding the local and cultural context

Change 2

Changed:(f)(k) improve the EU’s understanding of local, historical, political, geographical, religious, environmental, minority rights, social and cultural contexts and invest in cultivating the necessary skills among EEAS staff working on and for conflict prevention;prevention and resolution, as well as mediation and the implementation of ceasefire agreements and to develop guidance in this regard; improve the understanding and address the root causes of conflict in order to prevent conflict from arising and spreading;

Change 3

Removed:(g) tailor state-building assistance to the cultural, historical and political context of the relevant country receiving it and continuously update it in response to conditions on the ground through rigorous and detailed political analysis for a common strategic response;

Added:(l) diversify the EU and its Member States’ diplomatic corps to ensure that demographic diversity and the inclusion of minorities benefit the diplomatic process from both empirical and normative perspectives;

Added:(m) tailor state-building assistance to the cultural, historical, local, socio-economic, environmental and political context of the relevant country receiving it and continuously update it in response to conditions on the ground through rigorous and detailed political analysis for a common strategic response; foster open communication and consultation with local stakeholders and all parts of society in the relevant country, in particular civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations, to better understand the local and cultural context, build confidence, encourage people-to-people relations and gather early warning information in affected areas;

Added:(n) call on the European Council and the EEAS to further enhance the EU’s visibility in other non-EU and partner countries and strengthen the EU’s cultural diplomacy and international cultural relations dimension and activities as a relevant instrument for peace, peacebuilding and conflict prevention, as well as for addressing global challenges, and to demonstrate the EU’s added value and advance cooperation and relations with these countries and international partners; use and expand the cultural heritage protection component in conflicts and crises as a factor contributing to the development of peace, reconciliation and mutual understanding, and intercultural dialogue in conflict and post-conflict areas; increase the EU’s support to the creative and artistic sectors of non-EU countries, including assistance on capacity building; promote cultural co-creation between non-EU countries, including by fostering cultural exchanges and residences;

Added:(o) strengthen the gender-responsive approach in its preventive diplomacy activities, with a view to better protecting women’s and girls’ rights and increasing their participation in such activities; ensure gender equality among special representatives and special envoys in line with the policy framework on gender equality, notably the Gender Action Plan III and the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025; effectively implement the EU Strategic Approach to Women, Peace and Security and the Gender Action Plan in order to achieve sustainable and lasting peace and security;

Added:(p) develop and integrate gender-responsive conflict analysis that is sensitive to the local context and recognises the gendered drivers and gendered impact of conflict, into all planning assumptions in order to strengthen preventive efforts and mitigate risks of relapse to conflict;

Added:(q) include women’s participation and gender-responsive indicators in all early warning processes, conflict prevention and early response efforts;

Added:(r) use the full potential of ‘education diplomacy’ as a fundamental instrument within preventive diplomacy, particularly the EU’s Erasmus + programme; develop educational activities within this framework with non-EU countries, including through Erasmus+; promote the adoption in non-EU countries of student exchanges and student visits to sites of historical memory with the aim of promoting intercultural dialogue;

Added:(s) keep track of regional fragmentation and draft regional conflict analyses, with the aim of assessing and preventing transnational threats and interstate tensions, as well as existing or potential spillovers;

EU conflict Early Warning System

Change 4

Changed:(h)(t) ensure that the EU’s conflict Early Warning System is sufficiently proactiveproactive, provided with the necessary resources and based on forward-lookingforward-looking, comprehensive and robust analysis of risk factors;factors that frequently correlate with the outburst of violence, as well as management tools that identify, assess and help to prioritise situations at risk of violent conflict;

Change 5

Changed:(i)(u) closely and systematically involve the EU delegations in countries and regions at risk of conflict or dealing with frozen conflictand unresolved conflicts in monitoring the situation on the ground and regularly contributing to the EU conflict Early Warning System; advocate for full and unimpeded humanitarian access and respect for international law when exercising preventive diplomacy in frozen conflicts;

Change 6

Changed:(j)(v) assess the results achieved by the EU conflict Early Warning System and propose adjustments to make it more effective;effective so that it can identify structural risk factors and enable policymakers to develop timely strategic responses to mitigate risks and identify opportunities for conflict prevention;

Change 7

Removed:Role of special representatives and special envoys in preventive diplomacy, their accountability and overview of their results

Added:(w) ensure that this mechanism collaborates closely with the EU Intelligence and Situation Centre (INTCEN), the EEAS Crisis Response Centre and the Satellite Centre owing to the need for a pertinent flow of information in this regard; strengthen the EU INTCEN and the EEAS Crisis Response Centre by increasing their staff, financial resources and capabilities;

Removed:(k) consider cultural and historical background when appointing special representatives and envoys in order to avoid sparking controversy in conflict regions should the appointment come from a Member State with historical ties to the region concerned;

Added:(x) establish close cooperation with relevant UN offices and agencies and other international actors on the ground to pool information in the context of early warning efforts;

Removed:(l) thoroughly assess what initiatives EU special representatives and envoys have undertaken and how they are contributing to preventive diplomacy;

Added:(y) constantly improve the security protocols of the services working on intelligence and/or with sensible information;

Change 8

Changed:(m) provide regularRole andof thoroughspecial assessmentsrepresentatives onand thespecial accountabilityenvoys ofin thepreventive EUdiplomacy, specialtheir representativesaccountability and envoysoverview andof overviewingtheir theresults initiativesin theyconflict haveresolution undertaken;processes

Change 9

Removed:(n) improve the transparency and parliamentary scrutiny of the work of the EU special representatives and envoys by providing Parliament with regular and detailed reports on their activities and achievements;

Added:(z) consider local, cultural and historical backgrounds when appointing special representatives and envoys in order to avoid sparking controversy in conflict regions should the appointment come from a Member State with historical ties to the region concerned that could threaten their perception as honest broker; take into account the crucial importance of these representatives being properly familiarised with and trained in the area they will assess;

Added:(aa) thoroughly assess, including scrutiny in Parliament, the initiatives undertaken by EU special representatives and envoys, as well as their results and how they are contributing to preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution processes or the implementation of EU-brokered ceasefire agreements, where relevant;

Added:(ab) provide regular and thorough assessments on the accountability of the EU special representatives and envoys pursuant to their mandates, and an overview of the initiatives they have undertaken and the results they have achieved in the conflict resolution processes, as well as mediation of the implementation of the EU-brokered ceasefire agreements;

Added:(ac) improve the transparency and parliamentary scrutiny of the work of the EU special representatives and envoys by providing Parliament with regular and detailed reports on their activities and achievements pursuant to their mandates; promote closer relations between EU special representatives and envoys and Parliament in the light of the inter-parliamentary diplomatic efforts;

(ad) ensure that the appointment of EU special representatives, special envoys and ambassadors can only be confirmed after a positive assessment by Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs;

Change 10

Changed:Lessons learnt from EU-mediated conflict resolution and frozen conflicts and EU-brokered ceasefire agreements, as well as frozen and unresolved conflicts

Change 11

Changed:(p)(ae) drawconduct ona study into the lessons learnt from the EU’s prior actions, missed opportunities for preventive diplomacy and its achievements in the process of peaceful conflict resolution, for example, in the Sahel region, West Africa and the Horn of Africa, the Western Balkans, Nagorno-Karabakh,South Caucasus, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, AfghanistanAfghanistan, the Middle East, Moldova and Ukraine;

Change 12

Changed:(q)(af) prevent, in the future, the possible negative consequences of the premature suspension of EU missions in conflict regions, such as well the onecontinuation inof Mali,highly whichineffective leftmissions aor vacuumthose inthat thehave country’sthe securitypotential thatto washave fillednegative bypolitical theand Wagnersecurity Group;effects;

Change 13

Removed:(r) ensure a coordinated approach between the EU and its Member States in conflict prevention, as opposed to what occurred in Afghanistan where they were working in parallel in different regions;