Activities of Marek BELKA related to 2020/0006(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Just Transition Fund
Amendments (48)
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The regulatory framework governing the Union’s cohesion policy for the period from 2021 to 2027, in the context of the next multi-annual financial framework, contributes to the fulfilment of the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by concentrating Union funding on green objectives, while at the same time not undermining the social and economic sustainability in the EU. This Regulation implements one of the priorities set out in the Communication on the European Green Deal (‘the European Green Deal’)11 and is part of the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan12 providing dedicated financing under the Just Transition Mechanism in the context of cohesion policy to address the economic and social costhallenges of the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by equivalent absorptions. __________________ 11 COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 12 COM(2020) 21, 14.1.2020.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The transition to a climate-neutral and, circular and globally competitive economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the Union. On 12 December 2019, the European Council e.g. through the New Green Deal endorsed the objective of achieving a climate-neutral Union by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transition from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the transition entails a wider social and economic impact for those regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels - especially coal, lignite, peat and oil shale - or greenhouse gas intensive industries. Such a situation not only creates the risk of a variable speed transition in the Union as regards climate action, but also of growing disparities between regions, detrimental to the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair, inclusive and socially acceptable for all as well as contribute to high-quality job-creation and eradication of poverty. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States must take into account its economic and social implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequences. The Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 93 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) which is one of the pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism implemented under cohesion policy. The JTF should strive to create synergies and complementarities with the other two pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism. The aim of the JTF is to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned, while, at the same time, enhancing the EU's global competitiveness as well as social and economic standard setting agenda. In line with the JTF specific objective, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to alleviate the impact of the transition by financing the diversification and modernisation of the local economy and by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment. This is reflected in the JTF specific objective, which is established at the same level and listed together with the policy objectives set out in Article [4] of Regulation EU [new CPR].
Amendment 106 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In view of the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement, the commitment regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the increased ambition of the Union as proposed in the European Green Deal, the JTF should provide a key contribution to mainstream climate actions. Resources from the JTF own envelope are additional and come on top of the investments needed to achieve the overall target of 25% of the Union budget expenditure contributing to climate objectives. Resources transferred from the ERDF and ESF+ will contribute fully to the achievement of this target.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources ofrom the JTF should be significantly increased and complement the resources available under cohesion policy in order to address the ambitious objectives of the EU. The establishment of the JTF should not lead to any cuts or transfers from other funds such as the new Common Provisions Regulation.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) The additional resources to the Union Budget to finance the JTF and its ambitious objectives should come from a basket of Union new own resources, including mechanisms and taxes that would have a beneficial impact on the just transition such as income from the carbon border adjustment mechanism, the income from the emission trading system but also from the taxation of digital services.
Amendment 121 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy is a challenge for all Member States. It will be particularly demanding for those Member States that rely heavily on fossil fuels or greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities which need to be phased out or which need to adapt due to the transition towards climate neutrality and that lack the financial means to do so. Hence, no Member State nor its citizens should be left alone by itself. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, but the distribution of its financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutrality.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies and are sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a gradual transition to a socially-balanced, innovative, economically sustainable, climate-neutral and circular economy. For dseclining sectorstors with high CO2 emissions level, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the phasing out of the activity and the corresponding reduction in the employment level, while cooperating on this matter with social partners, trade unions and other stakeholders to find a balanced yet ambitious timeframe for such actions. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission levels, support should promote newlower carbon activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or, new products or, under exceptional circumstances, affordable low emission energy, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 while maintaining and enhancing skilled employment and, avoiding environmental degradation and further strengthening the EU's global competitiveness. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a competitive, sustainable, climate- neutral and circular economy. __________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transition, the JTF should also cover the professional training, up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workerscitizens of affected by such changes (especially workers in such places), with the aim of helping them to adapt to new employment opportunities, as well as providing job-search assistance to jobseekers and their active inclusion into the labour market.
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition, the JTF should provide support to productive investment in SMEall companies, yet should concentrate mainly on SMEs and micro enterprises. Productive investment should be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises in view of producing goods and services thereby contributing to gross-capital formation and employment. For enterprises other than SMEs, productive investments should be supported if they strongly be supportecontribute to the transition to a low-carbon, competitive and sustainable economy and if they are necessary for mitigating job losses resulting from the transition, by creating or protecting a significant number of jobs and they do not lead to or result from relocation. Investments in existing industrial facilities, including those covered by the Union Emissions Trading System, should be allowed if they contribute to the transition to a climate- neutral economy by 2050 and go substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14 and if they result in the protection of a significant number of jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market and cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular, support to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should be limited to enterprises located in areas designated as assisted areas for the purposes of points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) TFEU. __________________ 14Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The JTF support should be conditional on the effective implementation of a transition process in a specific territory in order to achieve a climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders, including local and regional authorities, as well as the social partners and representatives of the civil society on the local and regional level and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with their National Energy and Climate Plans. To this end, the Commission should set up a Just Transition Platform, which would build on, but not limit itself to, the existing platform for coal regions in transition and its experience to enable bilateral and multilateral exchanges of experience on lessons learnt and best practices across all affected sectors.
Amendment 170 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The territorial just transition plans should identify the territories most negatively affected, where JTF support should be concentrated and describe specific actions to be undertaken to reach a climate-neutral economy, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or other greenhouse gas intensive activities, while preserving or offering jobs in the region in order to avoid social exclusion. Those territories should be precisely defined and correspond to NUTS level 3 regions or should be parts thereof. The plans should detail the challenges and needs of those territories and identify the type of operations needed in a manner that ensures the coherent development of climate-resilient economic activities that are also consistent with the transition to climate-neutrality and, where possible coherent with other EU and national funding schemes, as well as the objectives of the Green Deal. Only investments in accordance with the transition plans should receive financial support from the JTF. The territorial just transition plans should be part of the programmes (supported by the ERDF, the ESF+, the Cohesion Fund or the JTF, as the case may be) which are approved by the Commission.
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15a) Regions that are not identified as territories most negatively affected, shall be eligible for financial support under the JTF, in cases of business challenges resulting from actions to address climate change, and to be able to respond on an ad-hoc basis to unforeseen circumstances.
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) to provide support to the people and territories facing serious socio-economic, energy security and environmental challenges deriving from the transition process towards a climate- neutral economy of the Union by 2050.
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article [4(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the JTF shall contribute to the single specific objective ‘enabling regions and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’. in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, the UN SDGs as well as the Paris Agreement goals and the EU's goal to be climate- neutral by 2050.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall support the Investment for jobs and growth goal in all Member States.high-quality jobs and sustainable growth goal in all Member States. While the JTF should encourage and support the overarching ideas of the EU Green Deal, in order to address social, economic and environmental challenges connected to the transition to a low- carbon economy, a vast majority of the funds (>70%) should be targeted to regions listed as "Coal Mining Regions" in the Annex to the Terms of Reference for the Platform on Coal and Carbon- Intensive Regions;
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The resources for the JTF under the Investment for jobs and growth goal available for budgetary commitment for the period 2021-2027 shall be at least EUR 7.540 billion in 2018 prices, which may be increased, as the case may be, by additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act.including but not limiting itself to mechanisms and taxes that would have a beneficial impact on the just transition such as income from the emissions trading scheme, a carbon border adjustment mechanism, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act; the abovementioned amount should be new funds, not transferred from the allocations of the funds covered by e.g. the CPR or the EAFRD;
Amendment 221 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
For the purposes of programming and subsequent inclusion in the Union budget, the amount referred to in the first subparagraph shall be indexed at least 2% per year, depending on the economic situation.
Amendment 233 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
In accordance with paragraph 1, the JTF shall exclusively supportsupport particularly, yet not be limited to, the following activities:
Amendment 239 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in SMEs, including start-ups, leading to economic diversification and reconversioncompanies, in particular SMEs, start-ups, micro-enterprises or regional and local publicly-owned companies, leading to economic diversification and reconversion, while increasing economic and social sustainability;
Amendment 251 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in the creation of new firms, including SMEs through local and regional business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 252 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) sustainable investments in research and innovation activities, including through universities and research centres, and fostering the transfer of advanced technologies;
Amendment 265 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
(d) investments in the deployment of technology and infrastructures for affordable, low-emission or clean energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy;
Amendment 280 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investments in green energy solutions;
Amendment 284 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration, revitalisation and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects, including countering the results of e.g. drought in the coal mine regions;
Amendment 298 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
(h) professional training, upskilling and reskilling of workers; as well as investment in the silver economy for traditionally mining regions;
Amendment 313 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k a (new)
(ka) investment in public services of general interest, which contribute to an energy, economic, social and environmental transition;
Amendment 315 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k b (new)
(kb) any other actions agreed upon by Member States, social partners, specific regions and the Commission, aiming at addressing the goals of the EU Green Deal as well as mitigating its economic and social challenges connected to it;
Amendment 320 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Additionally, the JTF may support, in areas designated as assisted areas in accordance with points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) of the TFEU, productive investments in enterprises other than SMEs, provided that such investments have been approved as part of the territorial just transition plan based on the information required under point (h) of Article 7(2). Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessaryunderlined by the transitional regions to be crucial for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan.
Amendment 332 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the decommissioning or the construction of nuclear power stations, including storage of nuclear waste;
Amendment 335 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Amendment 346 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) investment related to the production, processing, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels, including the opening of new mines;
Amendment 352 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investments that - according to the Commission - are detrimentally harmful to climate and social objectives, according to the European Pillar of Social Rights and UN SDGs;
Amendment 356 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
(eb) companies and investment of companies registered in the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes;
Amendment 373 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Due to the urgency of the transition and the economic and social sensitivity on the regions being the beneficiaries of the JTF, the JTF should be able to cover up to 75% of the costs of the objectives underlined in Article 2;
Amendment 377 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant authorities oflocal and regional authorities and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders such as trade unions and the civil society in the territories concerned, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and soci, social and environmental impacts resulting from the transition, in particular with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity. __________________ 17 Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1).
Amendment 382 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. On an ad-hoc basis, JTF support should be given to regions in unforeseen business crisis resulting from actions to address climate change, to allow for an adequate response to crisis situations that may arise in the context of the change over, in particular through labour market policy measures in the area of retraining and the mitigation of redundancies . This is to ensure, that regions can get support, if they are not pre-labeled as impacted regions.
Amendment 391 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) an assessment of the transition challenges faced by the most negatively affected territories, including the social, economic, and environmental impact of the transition to a climate-neutral economy, while taking into account the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the UN 2030 Agenda, identifying the potential number of affected jobs and job losses, the development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation or closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities in those territories;
Amendment 395 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) a description of the expected contribution of the JTF support to addressing the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition to a climate-neutral and competitive economy;
Amendment 398 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) an assessment of its consistency with other national, regional or territorial strategies and plans relevant to the JTF goals and support;
Amendment 401 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) a description of the type of operations envisaged and their expected contribution to alleviate the impact of the transitionsocial, economic and environmental impact of the transition, also in the context of competitiveness of the region on the EU single market;
Amendment 405 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) where support is provided to productiveJTF- relevant investments to enterprises other than SMEs, an exhaustive and throughout list of such operations and enterprises and a justification of the necessity of such support through a gap analysis demonstrating that the expected job losses would exceed the expected number of jobs created in the absence of the investment;
Amendment 414 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. The preparation and implementation of territorial just transition plans shall involve the relevant partners in accordance with Article [6] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR] as well as a representation of civil society, social partners and different representatives of the industry affected.
Amendment 417 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Territorial just transition plans shall be consistent with the territorial strategies referred to in Article [23] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], with relevant smart specialisation strategies, the NECPs and, the European Pillar of Social Rights. as well as the UN SDGs.
Amendment 436 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) greenhouse-gas emissions of industrial facilities in NUTS level 2 regions where the carbon intensity, as defined by the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions of industrial facilities as reported by Member States in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council28 compared to the gross value added of the industry, exceeds by a factor of two the EU-27 average. Where that level is not exceeded in any NUTS level 2 regions in a given Member State, greenhouse-gas emissions of industrial facilities in the NUTS level 2 region with the highest carbon intensity is taken into account (weighting 249%), __________________ 28Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 January 2006 concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and amending Council Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC (OJ L 33, 4.2.2006, p. 1).
Amendment 443 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
(ii) employment in mining of coal and lignite (weighting 250%),
Amendment 453 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point b
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the allocations resulting from the application of point (a) are adjusted to ensure that no Member State receives an amount exceeding EUR 2 billion. The amounts exceeding EUR 2 billion26.7% of the total budget of the fund . The amounts exceeding 26.7% of the total budget of the Fund per Member State are redistributed proportionally to the allocations of all other Member States. The Member States shares are recalculated accordingly;