33 Amendments of Markus FERBER related to 2021/0206(COD)
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8 a) However, as there is a clear link between the extension of the emission trading scheme and the measures in the Social Climate Fund, the provisions of the Social Climate Fund should only enter into force once the amended emission trading scheme has been agreed.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The increase in the price for fossil fuels may disproportionally affect vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium- sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users who spend a larger part of their incomes on energy and transport, who, in certain regions, do not have access to alternative, affordable mobility and transport solutions and who may lack the financial capacity to invest into the reduction of fossil fuel consumption.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) A Social Climate Fund (‘the Fund’) should therefore be established to provide funds to the Member States to support their policies to address the social impacts of the emissions trading for buildings and road transport on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium- sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users. This should be achieved notably through temporary income support and measures and investments intended to reduce reliance on fossil fuels through increased energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low- emission mobility and transport to the benefit of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) For that purpose, each Member State should submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’). Those Plans should pursue two objectives. Firstly, they should provide vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users the necessary resources to finance and carry out investments in energy efficiency, decarbonisation of heating and cooling, in zero- and low-emission vehicles and mobility. Secondly, they should mitigate the impact of the increase in the cost of fossil fuels on the most vulnerable and thereby prevent energy and transport poverty during the transition period until such investments have been implemented. The Plans should have an investment component promoting the long-term solution of reduce fossil fuels reliance and could envisage other measures, including temporary direct income support to mitigate adverse income effects in the shorter term.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Member States, in consultation with regional and local level authorities, are best placed to design and to implement Plans that are adapted and targeted to their local, regional and national circumstances as their existing policies in the relevant areas and planned use of other relevant EU funds. Therefore, Member States should be required to appropriately involve local and regional stakeholders in the preparation and implementation phase of the plan. In that manner, the broad diversity of situations, the specific knowledge of local and regional governments, research and innovation and industrial relations and social dialogue structures, as well as national traditions, can best be respected and contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall support to the vulnerable.
Amendment 132 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Ensuring that the measures and investments are particularly targeted towards energy poor or vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium- sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users is key for a just transition towards climate neutrality. Support measures to promote reductions in greenhouse gas emissions should help Member States to address the social impacts arising from the emissions trading for the sectors of buildings and road transport.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Pending the impact of those investments on reducing costs and emissions, well targeted direct income support for the most vulnerable would help the just transition. Such support should be understood to be a temporary measure accompanying the decarbonisation of the housing and transport sectors. It would not be permanent as it does not address the root causes of energy and transport poverty. Such support should only concern direct impacts of the inclusion of building and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, not electricity or heating costs related to the inclusion of power and heat production in the scope of that Directive. Eligibility for such direct income support should be limited in timeto 25% of the volume of the plan and should be limited in time to three years.
Amendment 163 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) The financial envelope of the Fund should, in principle, be commensurate to amounts corresponding to 25% of the expected revenues from the inclusion of buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC in the period 2026-2032. Pursuant to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/205341 , Member States should make those revenues available to the Union budget as own resources. Member States are to finance 50%two thirds of the total costs of their Plan themselves. For this purpose, as well as for investment and measures to accelerate and alleviate the required transition for citizens negatively affected, Member States should inter alia use their expected revenues from emissions trading for buildings and road transport under Directive 2003/87/EC for that purpose. _________________ 41 Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom (OJ L 424, 15.12.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 169 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The Fund should support measures that respect the principle of additionality of Union funding and should not replace national funding for social programmes. The Fund should therefore not be a substitute for recurring national expenditures, except in duly justified cases.
Amendment 178 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34 a (new)
Recital 34 a (new)
(34 a) In order to ensure the highest level of transparency and accountability, it is essential that the EU Social Fund is financed through the regular Union budget thus ensuring full budgetary control rights for the European Parliament.
Amendment 179 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34 b (new)
Recital 34 b (new)
(34 b) The duration of the Social Climate Fund should be aligned with the duration of the current multiannual financial framework. A potential extension of the Social Climate Fund beyond the current MFF should be discussed in the context of the deliberations of the next MFF. The review should therefore be completed in due time before the end of the MFF.
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3
Article 1 – paragraph 3
The measures and investments supported by the Fund shall benefit households, micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and transport users, which are vulnerable and particularly affected by the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, especially households in energy poverty and citizens without public transport alternative to individual cars (in remote and rural areas).
Amendment 195 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 4
Article 1 – paragraph 4
The general objective of the Fund is to contribute to the transition towards climate neutrality by addressing the social impacts of the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC. The specific objective of the Fund is to support vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users through temporary direct income support and through measures and investments intended to increase energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low-emission mobility and transport.
Amendment 213 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
Amendment 237 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’) together with the update to the integrated national energy and climate plan referred to in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in accordance with the procedure and timeline laid down in that Article. The Plan shall contain a coherent set of measures and investments to address the impact of carbon pricing on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium- sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users in order to ensure affordable heating, cooling and mobility while accompanying and accelerating necessary measures to meet the climate targets of the Union.
Amendment 241 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. When devising the national plans, Member States shall consult with the relevant stakeholders, including regional and local authorities.
Amendment 280 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) envisagedspecific milestones, targets and an indicative timetable for the implementation of the measures and investments to be completed by 31 July 2032;
Amendment 282 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
Amendment 291 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) the arrangements for the effective monitoring and implementation of the Plan by the Member State concerned, in particular of the proposed milestones and targets, including specific and quantifiable indicators for the implementation of measures and investments, which, where relevant, shall be those available with the Statistical office of the European Union European Statistical Office and the European Energy Poverty Observatory as identified by Commission Recommendation 2020/156354 on energy poverty; _________________ 54 OJ L 357, 27.10.2020, p. 35.
Amendment 294 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point j
(j) for the preparation and, where available, for the implementation of the Plan, a summary of the consultation process, conducted in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and with the national legal framework, of local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organisations, youth organisations and other relevant stakeholders, and how the input of the stakeholders is reflected in the Plan;
Amendment 301 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Payment of support shall be conditional upon achievingcompletion of the milestones and targets for measures and investments set out in the Plans. Those milestones and targets shall be compatible with the Union’s climate targets and cover in particular:
Amendment 307 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) reductions in the number of vulnerable households, especially households in energy poverty, of vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and of vulnerable transport users, including in rural and remote areas.
Amendment 326 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Member States may include the costs of measures providing temporary direct income support to vulnerable households and vulnerable households that are transport users to absorb the increase in road transport and heating fuel prices. Such support shall decrease over time and be limited to the direct impact of the emission trading for buildings and road transport. Eligibility for such direct income support shall cease within the time limits identified under Article 4(1) point (d)ree years. The overall volume of such income support schemes shall not exceed 25% of the total costs of the plan.
Amendment 328 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Member States may include the costs of the following measures and investments in the estimated total costs of the Plans, provided they principally benefit vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises or vulnerable transport users and intend to:
Amendment 343 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) grant freeimproving access to public transport or adapted tariffs for access to public transport, as well as fostering sustainable mobility on demand and shared mobility services;
Amendment 349 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
(f a) training, upskilling and educational measures;
Amendment 367 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Amendment 397 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall contribute at least two 50 percentthirds of the total estimated costs of their Plans.
Amendment 406 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
(i) whether the Plan represents a response to the social impact on and challenges faced by vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users in the Member State concerned from establishing the emission trading system for buildings and road transport established pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/EC, especially households in energy poverty, duly taking into account the challenges identified in the assessments of the Commission of the update of the concerned Member State’s integrated national energy and climate plan and of its progress pursuant to Article 9(3), and Articles 13 and 29 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, as well as in the Commission recommendations to Member States issued pursuant to Article 34 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in view of the long-term objective of climate neutrality in the Union by 2050. This shall take into account the specific challenges and the financial allocation of the Member State concerned;
Amendment 422 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point i
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point i
(i) whether the Plan is expected to have a lasting impact on the challenges addressed by that Plan and in particular on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable transport users, especially households in energy poverty, in the Member State concerned;
Amendment 444 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Where, as a result of the assessment referred to in paragraph 3, the Commission establishes that the milestones and targets set out in the Commission decision referred to in Article 16 have not been satisfactorily fulfilled, the payment of all or part of the financial allocation shall be suspended with immediate effect. The Member State concerned may present its observations within one month of the communication of the Commission’s assessment.
Amendment 464 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1
1. By 1 July 20286, the Commission shall provide the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions with an evaluation report on the implementation and functioning of the Fund.
Amendment 469 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 2
Article 24 – paragraph 2
2. By 31 December 203326, the Commission shall provide the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions with an independent ex post evaluation report.