Activities of Karlo RESSLER related to 2020/1998(BUD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021
Opinions (1)
OPINION on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021
Amendments (28)
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Decides to increase to the levels set up in the MFF interim report of November 2018 the fifteen flagship programmes identified in its resolution of 23 July 2020 (Horizon Europe, InvestEU, Erasmus+, the Child Guarantee, the Just Transition Fund, Digital Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility, LIFE+, EU4health, the Integrated Border Management Fund, Creative Europe, the Right and Values programme, the European Defence Fund, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and humanitarian aid, as well as relevant EU agencies such as the EU- Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large- Scale IT-Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-Lisa) and the European Borderand Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control(ECDC), and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office); decides further to base its reading on the MFF ceilings proposed by the Commission in the DB; considers that any increase for the flagship programmes should be accompanied by the corresponding rise of the ceiling of the given MFF heading; decides to reinforce funding for Parliament’s priorities inter allia in the fields of security, migration, fundamental rights and external action;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Decides to increase to the levels set up in the MFF interim report of November 2018 the fifteen flagship programmes identified in its resolution of 23 July 2020 (Horizon Europe, InvestEU, Erasmus+, the Child Guarantee, the Just Transition Fund, Digital Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility, LIFE+, EU4health, the Integrated Border Management Fund, Creative Europe, the Right and Values programme, the European Defence Fund, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and humanitarian aid, as well as relevant EU agencies and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office); decides further to base its reading on the MFF ceilings proposed by the Commission in the DB; considers that any increase for the flagship programmes should be accompanied by the corresponding rise of the ceiling of the given MFF heading; decides to reinforce funding for Parliament’s priorities inter allia in the fields of security, migrationresearch, space, SMEs, tourism, security, migration, border management, fundamental rights and external action;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points to the importance of ensuring that sufficient financial resources and adequate human resources capacities are allocated to Union agencies such as the EU-Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large- Scale IT-Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-Lisa) and the European Borderand Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), enabling them to fulfil their mandate, execute their tasks and respond optimally to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak; underlines the fact that proper coordination and synergies between agencies are needed to increase the effectiveness of their work, especially where there is convergence towards specific policy objectives, in order to allow for a fair and efficient use of public money;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of integrated border management to ensure the functioning and further integration of the Schengen area; highlights the important role of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in this regard and calls for a significant budget increase for 2021 to EUR 838 000 000 in order to allow the Agency to build and train its standing corps as well as to purchase own equipment, thereby allowing a successful deployment and operational support to the Member States at the external borders;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes note of the estimation of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (‘the EPPO’) that it will process information equivalent to 4,300 cases and 2,000 investigations in its first year of operation; expects the workload to increase further during the coming years; reminds that the EPPO is a prosecution office with mandatory competences; notes with concern the low funding level proposed in the Draft EU Budget 2021; stresses that a substantial funding increase to EUR 55 000 000 will be required to allow the EPPO to meet its legal obligation to translate a huge volume of documents that are transmitted to judges at national level, to cover recruitment and staff related expenditure, especially for security infrastructure, and to provide it with the requested 140 European Delegated Prosecutors and 219 staff members;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Highlights that Horizon Europe provides very strong European added value and stresses the importance of the programme for significant areas of European research; points out the importance of Horizon Europe in making the European Green Deal a success, and contributing to the transition towards a climate-neutral economy and society by 2050, and in supporting the digital transformation, which is vital for the Union’s future prosperity; stresses also that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to invest in health research on Covid 19, but also other important health areas such as cancer; proposes therefore significantly to increase Horizon Europe, in line with its long-held position calling for an overall budget of EUR 120 billion; considers, furthermore, that the full amount of decommitments made over the whole of the current MFF should be made available, in accordance with Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation, to support the climate and digital transitions and health research;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Is convinced that the fight against cancer should be an absolute priority for the Union, and that significant efforts need to be stepped up in this direction; underlines the fact that cancer research is an important pillar in this process; supports, therefore, an increase of financial resources of Horizon Europe; stresses that research intensifies in this field without any delay;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the 2021 Union budget to ensure that the InvestEU Programme delivers on both its long term objective by providing more investment capacity aimed at supporting sustainable infrastructure, research, SMEs, and social investments and its new short term mission to support the economic recovery via strategic investments; notes with deep regret that the European Council has cancelled the Commission proposal on a Solvency Support Instrument(SSI); supports its line envisaged in the EP preparatory works to the legislative file to transfer the appropriations foreseen for the SSI to the InvestEU Programme;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the crucial role of the Connecting Europe Facility in fostering the development of a high-performance trans- European network, supporting energy projects in the shift towards a climate- neutral economy with security of supply, and buttressing the digital transition, including the up-skilling and re-skilling of Union workers; proposes therefore major increases, in particular for the transport, digital and energy strands;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers that it is also necessary to strengthen further important priorities in the heading; calls, inter alia, for a substantial increase in the amount dedicated to SME objectives; recalls the important role that Union agencies play in helping to achieve Union policy objectives; calls therefore for sufficient funding and staffing for all agenciesobjectives of SMEs which are a cornerstone of the Union economy and play a crucial role in delivering excellent quality investment and job creation in all Member States as well as key programmes of the Space Cluster; recalls the important role that Union agencies play in helping to achieve Union policy objectives; calls therefore for sufficient funding and staffing for all agencies such as EU-Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), European Union Agency for Railway, European Banking Authority (EBA), European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), European Union for the Space Programme and Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) in line with their tasks and responsibilities;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Considers that it is also necessary to strengthen further important priorities regarding SMEs, which are a cornerstone of the Union economy and play a crucial role in delivering excellent quality investment and job creation in all Member States; highlights the need to ensure enough funding in 2021 for SMEs in sectors which have been the most affected by the pandemic COVID-19, such as tourism, creative industry and transport;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Notes that tourism is an important economic sector, that ensures 23 million direct and indirect jobs in Europe, especially to young people, and that it is one of the most affected industries by the COVID-19 pandemic; proposes therefore to present new budget line for Tourism in order to support the European tourism ecosystem;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Emphasises the need to allocate additional resources to the EU4Health Programme, contributing in particular to address the significant structural needs identified during the COVID-19 crisis, focus on disease prevention, setting out key action areas such as the improvement of national health systems and reduce health inequalities, the availability and affordability of medicines and other crisis- relevant products and to ensure continued and timely provision of accessible and safe sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, strengthening the EU fight against cancer;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises the importance of Erasmus+ as a symbolickey flagship and one of the most successful Union programmes withat is broadly known among its citizens. Stresses that Erasmus +the primary programme for education, training, youth and sport represents strategic investment in the Union's future; recalls that insufficient funding for the Erasmus+ programme would endanger the continuation of creation of new opportunities for young people and increase their employability as well as its capacity to reach its new objectives and to uphold the challenges of becoming increasingly more inclusive and ecological; decides therefore to substantially increase Erasmus+ in line with its position to triple its budget;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls that the cultural and creative sector is one of the most hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and calls for adequate answers and financing to reduce thecontinuing substantive losses of the sector due to the unforeseeable closure of venues during the pandemic; proposes therefore to substantially increase the respective budget lines of Creative Europe;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Decides to create new budget line 07 06 04 “Protect and promote Union values” in order to reinforce the funding focus on protecting and promoting democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights including supporting activities by civil society organisations in this area;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses the crucial role of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme to protect and promote the rights and values enshrined in the EU Treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and insists that additional appropriations are required for each stand and notably for promoting citizens engagement and participation in the life of the Union, the Daphne strand to fight violence against women;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Emphasise the importance of the Justice Programmein contributing to the further development of a European area of justice based on rule of law, mutual recognition and mutual trust. Decides therefore to reinforce lines promoting juridical cooperation, juridical training and effective access to justice;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29 b. Deems it necessary to increase appropriations for the Turkish Cypriot Community budget line for the purpose of contributing decisively to the continuation and intensification of the mission of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus and supporting the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, thereby promoting trust and reconciliation between the two communities;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31 a. Considers that it is also necessary to strengthen further important priorities in the heading; calls therefore for sufficient funding and staffing for all agencies such as the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Medicines Agency (EMA),the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the European Labour Authority (ELA) in line with their tasks and responsibilities;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Increases funding for Parliament’s priorities in the fields of migration and border management, most prominently the Integrated Border Management Fund and the Asylum and Migration Fund; at the same time, aims to enhance budgetary transparency by reflecting both Funds’ specific objectives into the budget structure, so that the budgetary authority can track expenditure more closely; notes the recently presented migration package of the European Commission and an upcoming proposal to widen the mandate of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol); asks the Commission to present a Draft Amending Budget should further resources become necessary during the implementation of the budget 2021;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Underlines that it is of paramount importance to invest in adequate funding and staffing levels for all agencies operating in the fields of migration, asylum and border management; such as the European Asylum Support Office(EASO), the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT-Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-Lisa) and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex);
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Calls for increased funding for mMilitary mobility with the aim of helping Member States act faster and more effectively; notes that sufficient funding is needed to support missions and operations under the common security and defence policy, including by measures such as funding dual-use transport infrastructure and simplifying diplomatic clearances and customs rules;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Recalls that the important role played by decentralised agencies operating in the field of security such as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and proposes targeted increases to allow them to properly perform their tasks;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Points to the persistent challenges in the Union’s Eastern and Southern neighbourhood, as well as the importance of endowing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East with adequate financial resources; recalls the importance of developing stable relations and strong cooperation between the EU and Africa and deems appropriate to dedicate sufficient financial resources to the development of this continent, which would contribute inter alia to mitigating the root causes of forced migration;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Highlights the relevance of the accession process of the Western Balkan countriesUnderlines the need for a meaningful financing for Western Balkans countries in a view of the accession process as well as numerous challenges that the EU and the candidate countries need to face; deems it essential that the new nomenclature for the IPA III instrument comprises separate budget lines for the Western Balkans and Turkey, in view of the highly sensitive nature of EU funding for Turkey;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. In the light of threats related to cybersecurity as well as the spreading of fake news, highlights the need for the Union budget to better address and respond to them on a horizontal level, both at the headquarters and at EU delegations around the world; Deems necessary to reinforces therefore lines dedicated to strategic communication for external action;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Recalls the importance of pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs) as tools for the formulation of political priorities and the introduction of new initiatives that have the potential to turn into standing Union activities and programmes; having carried out a careful analysis of all the proposals submitted adopts a balanced package of PP-PAs that reflects Parliament’s political priorities; calls on the Commission to swiftly implement PP- PAs, in close cooperation with the members of the European Parliament, and provide feedback on their performance and results delivered on the ground;