Macro-financial assistance to the Arab Republic of Egypt

Wording as published by the EP, in English.

1. Amendment 29Rejected

   Recital 6 a (new)

   Tabled by Manon Aubry · The Left

   Added: (6a) Until safe return, the Union should call on Egypt to ensure official recognition and legal status of Palestinian refugees, guaranteeing them access to essential services, in particular the enrolment of their children in public schools.

2. Amendment 30Rejected

   Article 1 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2

   Tabled by Manon Aubry · The Left

   … the Council of developments regarding the Union's macro-financial assistance, including disbursements thereof, Added: as well as progress made in terms of respect for human rights, freedom of the press and the release of political prisoners, and shall provide those institutions with the relevant documents in due time.

3. Amendment 32Rejected

   Article 3 – paragraph 2

   Tabled by Manon Aubry · The Left

   … enhancing the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the public finance management systems Added: and the rule of law in Egypt, including for the use of the Union's macro-financial assistance. Progress in mutual market opening, the development of rules-based and fair trade, Removed: and other priorities Added: democracy, freedom of the press, the release of political prisoners, the prohibition of torture and respect for human rights, in the context of the Union's external policy shall also be duly …

4. Amendment 33Rejected

   Recital 28 a (new)

   Tabled by Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Tineke Strik · Greens/EFA

   Added: (28 a) All external financial instruments adopted by the Union should be in line with the United Nations Human Rights Council’s guiding principles to ensure economic recovery measures. Namely, economic policymaking must be anchored and guided by substantive human rights impact assessments, crucial to ensuring that economic reforms advance, rather than hinder, the enjoyment of human rights by all, including the prohibition of retrogression.

5. Amendment 34Rejected

   Article 1 – paragraph 1

   Tabled by Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Tineke Strik · Greens/EFA

   … to covering Egypt's balance of payments needs as identified in the IMF Removed: programme. Added: programme and to improve the socioeconomic situation for the Egyptian people.

6. Amendment 35Rejected

   Article 3 – paragraph 2 a (new)

   Tabled by Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Tineke Strik · Greens/EFA

   Added: 2 a. The Memorandum of Understanding shall also list the clear and credible steps agreed upon with the Egyptian authorities, which they will take to improve the human rights, rule of law and democracy situation of the country in conformity with the conditions of eligibility for EU macro-financial assistance. The Memorandum of Understanding shall detail clear and tangible benchmarks and indicators with specific fulfilment deadlines by which the implementation of those conditions will be assessed, for the release of every instalment of macro-financial assistance. The agreement of those benchmarks and indicators shall be decided after a transparent public consultation process with the participation of civil society organisations.

7. Amendment 36Rejected

   Article 4 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 – point a

   Tabled by Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Tineke Strik · Greens/EFA

   (a) the Removed: pre-condition Added: political pre-conditions set out in Article Removed: 2(1); Added: 3, as assessed in accordance with the agreed benchmarks in the Memorandum of Understanding;

8. Amendment 37Rejected

   Article 4 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 – point b

   Tabled by Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Tineke Strik · Greens/EFA

   … a continuous satisfactory track record of implementing a policy programme that contains Removed: strong adjustment and structural reform measures supported by a non-precautionary IMF credit Removed: arrangement; Added: arrangement, that should primarily aim to reduce poverty and inequalities;

9. Amendment 38Rejected

   Recital 6

   Tabled by Brando Benifei · S&D

   (6) Recalling the Added: global and regional geo-political challenges, such as the consequences of Hamas terrorist attacks across Israel on 7 October Removed: 2023 Added: 2023, followed by Israel's large-scale military offensive in Gaza, the escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa and the safety of navigation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, as well as Added: migratory pressure from the conflict in Sudan, Added: uncertainties in Syria, the instability in Libya, Egypt’s responsibilities as a host to large numbers of refugees and migrants and the strategic importance of Egypt as the largest country in the … and a pillar of stability for the whole Middle East, the Union Removed: is embarking on concluding Added: has embarked on a Strategic and Comprehensive partnership with Egypt as outlined in the Joint …

10. Amendment 39Adopted

    Recital 3

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    … commitments contribute to the advancement of the partnership and to Egypt’s sustainable Added: social and economic development and stability. The increased and constructive engagement between the EU and … rights issues, which the EU would like to continue and build on. Removed: The Added: A future improvement of the human rights situation in Removed: Egypt Added: Egypt, such as improving the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, introducing a moratorium on death penalty, combating torture and enforced disappearances, and improving the conditions of prisons, will have a positive impact on EU-Egypt relations.

11. Amendment 40Adopted

    Recital 5

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    (5) The EU recognises Egypt's key role for regional security and Removed: stability. Terrorism, organised crime and conflicts Added: stability, and has a strong interest in preventing short-term economic instability in the country that could have broader consequences as well as benefit geopolitical rivals. Terrorism, organised crime, disinformation, conflicts and the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities are common threats against our security and the social fabric of nations … in full compliance with international law, including human rights and international humanitarian Removed: law. Added: law, as well as in promoting joint interests and addressing common challenges.

12. Amendment 41Rejected

    Recital 22

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +74 · Members

    … granting the Union's macro-financial assistance to Egypt should be that the country Removed: continues to make Added: takes concrete and credible steps towards respecting Added: and enhancing effective democratic mechanisms – including a multi-party parliamentary system – and the …

13. Amendment 42Adopted

    Recital 28

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +74 · Members

    (28) The Union's macro-financial assistance should be subject to economic policy Added: and democracy, rule of law and human rights conditions, to be laid down in a Memorandum of Understanding. In order …

14. Amendment 43Rejected

    Article 1 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    … the Council of developments regarding the Union's macro-financial assistance, including disbursements thereof, Added: as well as on the progress made relating to economic and democratic reforms in Egypt and shall provide those institutions with the relevant Removed: documents Added: documents, including third-party independent assessments, in due time.

15. Amendment 44Adopted

    Article 1 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 a (new)

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    Added: The transparent management of funds allocated under this macro-financial assistance is essential in order to ensure that resources are used wisely, in accordance with the set objectives. The Union shall ensure that effective and independent control and audit mechanisms are put in place to prevent any misappropriation.

16. Amendment 45Rejected

    Article 2 – paragraph 1

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    … A pre-condition for granting the Union's macro-financial assistance shall be that Egypt Removed: continues to make Added: takes concrete and credible steps towards respecting effective democratic mechanisms – including a multi-party parliamentary system – and the rule of law, and Removed: guarantees Added: makes a quantitative and substantial improvement in the respect for human Removed: rights. Added: rights, since the signing in June 2024 of the Memorandum of Understanding linked to the EUR 1 billion macro-financial assistance package, and that it continues to make concrete and credible improvements in those areas throughout the period covered by this Decision.

17. Amendment 46Rejected

    Article 2 – paragraph 2

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    … the fulfilment of this pre-condition throughout the life-cycle of the Union's macro-financial Removed: assistance. Added: assistance in a transparent process in which civil society and international entities such as UN organisations are able to contribute, and report, regularly and in writing, to the European Parliament on the conditions referred to in Article 2(1).

18. Amendment 47Rejected

    Article 3 – paragraph 1

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    … policy and financial conditions, focusing on structural reforms and sound public finances, Added: as well as on democracy, rule of law and human rights conditions, to which the Union's macro-financial assistance Added: and the release of each separate instalment is to be subject, to be laid down in a Memorandum of …

19. Amendment 48Rejected

    Article 3 – paragraph 2

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    … The conditions referred to in paragraph 1 shall aim, in particular, at Added: introducing reforms towards respecting effective democratic mechanisms - including a multi-party parliamentary system - and the rule of law, and ensuring respect for human rights, enhancing the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the public finance management systems … the use of the Union's macro-financial assistance. Progress in mutual market opening, Added: poverty reduction, good governance, the fight against corruption, the development of rules-based and fair trade, and other priorities in the context of the Union's external Removed: policy Added: policy, including those relating to democracy, rule of law and human rights, shall also be duly taken into account when designing the policy measures. …

20. Amendment 49Adopted

    Article 4 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 – point c

    Tabled by Tineke Strik, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Brando Benifei +73 · Members

    (c) the satisfactory implementation of the economic policy Removed: conditions and financial conditions Added: conditions, financial conditions, and democracy, rule of law and human rights conditions, agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding.