11. Calls on the EEAS and the Commission, under their new ‘more for more’ performance-based approach, to continue to encourage all types of political reform, taking into account the needs and level of economic growth and social development of each partner country; calls on them to provide a clear and adequate methodology and detailed benchmarks to assess the record of the ENP countries concerning respect for and promotion of democracy and human rights (including in particular freedom of speech, conscience, religion, association and the media) and to deliver regular sufficiently detailed reports, which should be the basis for the allocat ...[+++]ion of funds under the new performance-based approach ‘more for more’; asks for these evaluations to be included in the ENP progress reports and to be presented annually to its Committee on Foreign Affairs; insists on the need to systematically include civil-society organisations at all stages of the review process; takes the view that this performance-based approach also means ‘less for less’ and reiterates its call for effective implementation of the Human Rights and Democracy Clause in EU agreements with third countries;

11. Calls on the EEAS and the Commission, under their new ‘more for more’ performance-based approach, to continue to encourage all types of political reform, taking into account the needs and level of economic growth and social development of each partner country; calls on them to provide a clear and adequate methodology and detailed benchmarks to assess the record of the ENP countries concerning respect for and promotion of democracy and human rights (including in particular freedom of speech, conscience, religion, association and the media) and to deliver regular sufficiently detailed reports, which should be the basis for the allocat ...[+++]ion of funds under the new performance-based approach ‘more for more’; asks for these evaluations to be included in the ENP progress reports and to be presented annually to its Committee on Foreign Affairs; insists on the need to systematically include civil-society organisations at all stages of the review process; takes the view that this performance-based approach also means ‘less for less’ and reiterates its call for effective implementation of the Human Rights and Democracy Clause in EU agreements with third countries;

(14) While this Directive does not aim to harmonise national laws on the selection procedures and qualification criteria for board positions in detail, the introduction of certain minimum standards as regards the requirement for listed companies without balanced gender representation to take appointment decisions for non-executive directors on the basis of an objective comparative assessment of the qualifications of candidates in terms of suitability, competence and professional performance is necessary in order to attain gender balance among non-executives directors.

19. Welcomes, therefore, the systematic inclusion of human rights clauses and insists on the incorporation of a specific implementation mechanism in all new bilateral agreements, including sector-specific agreements, signed with third countries; recalls, in this connection, the importance of the recommendations issued with a view to more effective and systematic implementation of the clause, namely the formulation of objectives and reference criteria and regular evaluation; reiterates its call for the human rights clauses to be implemented through a more transparent procedure of consultation between the parties, including the European Parliament and civil society, detailing the politica ...[+++]l and legal mechanisms to be used in the event of a request for bilateral cooperation being suspended on the grounds of repeated and/or systematic human rights violations in breach of international law; supports the procedural model established under the Cotonou Agreement for reacting to grave violations of human rights, for democratic principles and for the rule of law; believes that the system of intensive political dialogue (Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement) and consultations (Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement), before and after the adoption of appropriate measures, has in several cases provided a successful instrument for improving the situation on the ground;

19. Welcomes, therefore, the systematic inclusion of human rights clauses and insists on the incorporation of a specific implementation mechanism in all new bilateral agreements, including sector-specific agreements, signed with third countries; recalls, in this connection, the importance of the recommendations issued with a view to more effective and systematic implementation of the clause, namely the formulation of objectives and reference criteria and regular evaluation, reiterates its call for the human rights clauses to be implemented through a more transparent procedure of consultation between the parties, including the European Parliament and civil society, detailing the polit ...[+++]ical and legal mechanisms to be used in the event of a request for bilateral cooperation being suspended on the grounds of repeated and/or systematic human rights violations in breach of international law; supports the procedural model established under the Cotonou Agreement for reacting to grave violations of human rights, for democratic principles and for the rule of law; believes that the system of intensive political dialogue (Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement) and consultations (Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement), before and after the adoption of appropriate measures, has in several cases provided a successful instrument for improving the situation on the ground;

In order to examine human rights issues in greater depth, the EU and a particular South East Asian country [20] may also decide to initiate a bilateral dialogue specifically on human rights.