The European Parliament's Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group has tabled a package of amendments to the draft resolution on the EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, proposing a fundamental shift from a conditionality-based approach to a more pragmatic, sovereignty-respecting partnership. The amendments, published on 12 May 2026 as part of report A10-0107/2026 by rapporteur Ilhan Kyuchyuk, reframe the EU's stance on Uzbekistan's NGO regulation, prioritise strategic cooperation on critical raw materials, and add concrete recommendations on labour migration.
The most contested change is Amendment 12, which reverses the original text's criticism of barriers to NGO registration and operation. Instead of regretting these barriers, the amendment recognises Uzbekistan's right to ensure transparency of foreign funding for national security and to prevent foreign malign influence. This fundamentally alters the Parliament's message from one of criticism to one of endorsement of restrictive NGO laws.
Amendment 15 shifts the focus on cooperation in critical raw materials from a general welcome to a specific emphasis on Uzbekistan's role as a leading producer of uranium, gold, copper, and rare earths. It explicitly links this to the EU's energy security and industrial sovereignty, framing the partnership as a strategic necessity for the EU rather than a development opportunity for Uzbekistan.
On labour migration, Amendments 13 and 14 add a focus on youth employment and introduce a new paragraph inviting Uzbekistan to leverage the skills of returning migrants to boost its own labour market and prevent brain drain. This adds a concrete, actionable recommendation focused on national economic benefit.
The ESN group is the only political group to have tabled amendments, representing a minority challenge to the consensus. The absence of amendments from other groups suggests broad agreement with the original text or a decision not to contest this resolution at this stage.
The resolution is part of the procedure on the EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (2024/0260M(NLE)). The next steps include a plenary vote on the resolution, which will set the Parliament's position ahead of the Council's final decision on the agreement.
The amendments, if adopted, would reduce pressure on Uzbek authorities to reform NGO regulations, potentially limiting space for civil society. EU businesses in the critical raw materials sector would benefit from a more strategic partnership focused on supply security. Uzbek labour migrants could see improved reintegration programmes, while EU taxpayers may face fewer conditionality-driven aid commitments.