Activities of Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO related to 2015/0263(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme for the period 2017 to 2020 and amending Regulations (EU) No 1303/2013 and (EU) No 1305/2013
Amendments (50)
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Several Member States have been undergoing and continue to undergo adjustment processes to correct macroeconomic imbalances accumulated in the past and many are facing the challenge of low potential growth. The Union has identified the implementation of structural reforms among itsuffering from low potential growth, high unemployment rates and a severe crisis affecting their main production systems. There is therefore a need for socially responsible structural reforms that boost growth and social cohesion, which should be among the Union’s policy priorities to set the recovery on a sustainable path, unlock the growth potential to strengthen the adjustment capacity, create jobs, foster investment and support the process of upward convergence.
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Reforms are by their very nature complex processes that require a complete chain of highly-specialised knowledge and skills. Addressing structural reforms in a variety of public policy areas is challenging since their benefits often take time to materialise. Therefore, early and efficient design and implementation is crucial, be it for crisis-struck or structurally-weak economies. In this context, the provision of support by the Union in the form of technical assistance has been crucial in supportingimportant in supporting the fiscal consolidation process and structural reforms in recent years, especially in the countries covered by the economic adjustment programme. Ownership of Greece and Cyprus in the last yearsforms by the Member States, including regional and local authorities, the social partners and civil society, is essential for the support programme to have a positive effect on the economy and society.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Member States may benefit from support in addressing challenges as regards the design and implementation of structural reforms in line with the EU’s economic and social objectives. These challenges may be dependent on various factors, including limited administrative and institutional capacity or inadequate application and implementation of Union legislation, which could have caused reforms to be poorly conceived and thus incapable of meeting these objectives.
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The Union has a long-lasting experience on providing specific support to national administrations and other authorities of Member States as regards capacity building and similar actions in certain sectors (e.g. taxation, customs, support to small and medium-sized enterprises) and in relation to the implementation of cohesion policy. The experience gained by the Union in assisting national authorities designing and carrying out reforms should be used in order to enhance the capacity of the Union to provide support to Member States. Comprehensive and integrated action is indeed necessary in order to provide support to those Member States that are undertaking growth- enhancing reforms and request assistance from the Union in this respectreforms so that such reforms are truly able to promote sustainable growth, create quality jobs and strengthen our industry and production systems and social cohesion and request assistance from the Union in this respect. These support measures must be based on an integrated approach taking into account the links between the different areas covered by reforms.
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) The European Court of Auditors' Special Report No 19/2015 entitled 'More attention to results needed to improve the delivery of technical assistance to Greece' includes useful recommendations on how the Commission can lend support to Member States which should be taken into account in the implementation of the support under the programme and in learning from the errors of the past.
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Against this background, it is necessary to establish a Structural Reform Support Programme ('the Programme') with the objective of strengthening the capacity of Member States to design, prepare and implement sustainable growth-enhancing administrative and structural reforms, including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds, in particular the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds). The Programme is intended to contribute to the achievement of common goals towards obtaining economic recovery, job creation, boosting Europe's competitiveness and stimulating investment in the real economy and economic and social cohesion. The Programme is not intended as an incentive mechanism but as a support for Member States in their reform agenda.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Support under the Programme should be provided by the Commission upon request by a Member State, in areas such as budget and taxation, public function, institutional and administrative reforms, the justice system, anti-fraud, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering, business environment, private sector development, investment, competition, public procurement, privatization processes, access to finance, investment, trade, sustainable development, innovation, education and training, labour policies, public health, asylum, migration policies, agriculture and rural development and financial sector policies. Member States wishing to avail themselves of the Programme must involve, where appropriate, local and regional authorities, the social partners, civil society and other stakeholders in the process of drawing up the application, based on the code of conduct of the applicable partnership, as required by cohesion policy.
Amendment 128 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Further to a dialogue with the requesting Member State, including in the context of the European Semester, the Commission should analyse the request, taking into account the principles of transparency, equal treatment, partnership and sound financial management and determine the support to be provided based on urgency, breadth and depth of the problems as identified, support needs in respect of the policy areas envisaged, analysis of socioeconomic indicators, the reform’s positive effects on society and the general administrative capacity of the Member State. The Commission should also, in close cooperation withnational authorities must have informed their parliaments of the request prior to making it. What is more, taking into account existing initiatives and activities financed by Union funds or other Union programmes, the Commission and the Member State concerned, should identify the priority areas, the objectives, an indicative timeline, the scope of the support measures to be provided and the global financial contribution for such support, taking into account the existing actions and measures financed by Union funds or other Union programmeso be set out in a cooperation and support plan. The European Parliament should be fully informed of the receipt of a request for support under the Programme and of the analysis undertaken by the Commission. The Commission should provide the cooperation and support plan to the European Parliament as soon as possible.
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) Once a Member State’s request for assistance has been approved, the content of the conclusions of such technical assistance must be disclosed to the public, including details of any partners, objectives and priorities, as well as the parties responsible for providing such assistance (organisations, companies or individuals) and a breakdown of funds allocated. This information shall be forwarded to the national parliaments, the relevant consultative committees and the social partners.
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 b (new)
Recital 10 b (new)
(10b) The Member State wishing to receive support may, for a specific area or areas of support, enter into a partnership with one or more Member States as reform partners to help devise strategies and roadmaps for reform, design high- quality assistance or oversee the implementation of strategies and projects. The European Parliament and the national parliaments should be kept fully informed about the participation of a reform partner and its role in the cooperation and support plan.
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The Commission Communications ‘The EU Budget Review’13 and ‘A budget for Europe 2020’14 underline the importance of focusing funding on activities with clear European added value, i.e. where the Union intervention can bring additional value compared to action of Member States alone. Against this background, the support actions carried out under the Programme should ensure complementarity and synergy with other programmes and policies at national, regional, local, Union and international level. The actions under the Programme should allow elaborating and implementing solutions that address national challenges which have impact on cross-border or Union-wide challenges and achieve a consistent and coherent implementation of Union law. In addition, they should contribute to further develop trust and promote cooperation with the Commission and among Member States. Moreover, the Union is in a better position than Member States to provide a platform for the provision and sharing of good practices from peers as well as to mobilise expertise. __________________ 13 14COM(2010) 700 final, 19 October 2010. COM(2010) 700 final, 19 October 2010. 14 COM(2011) 500 final, 29 June 2011. COM(2011) 500 final, 29 June 2011.
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) The funding source for this programme should not constitute a precedent for any future proposals. As part of the mid-term review, the Commission and the Court of Auditors must conduct a rigorous analysis of the relevance of the programme, its European added value and whether other sources of funding can be considered.
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) The funding source for this particular Programme should not constitute a precedent for any future proposals irrespectively whether for this or other programmes and instruments. MFF remains the relevant framework for programming of the EU budget.
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) This Regulation should be implemented in compliance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/201218 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the annual budget of the European Union. The Commission should adoptbe delegated, pursuant to Article 290 of the TFEU, the powers to adopt delegated acts by laying down multi- annual work programmes that set out the politicalsocial and economic objectives pursued, the expected results of the support and the funding priorities in the respective policy areas. Those elements should be further specified in annual work programmes adopted by implementing acts. __________________ 18 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1).
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Considering the importance of sustaining the efforts of Member States in pursuing and implementing socially responsible structural, institutional and administrative reforms, it is necessary to allow a co-financing rate of 100% of the eligible costs in order to achieve the objectives of the Programme, whilst ensuring compliance with the principles of co-financing and no-profit.
Amendment 164 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) In the event of unforeseen and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring immediate response, such as a serious disturbance in the economy or significant circumstances seriously affecting the economic or social conditions in a Member State going beyond its control, uponniquely upon the request of a Member State, the Commission and the Member State should be able to adopt special measures, for a limited proportion of the annual work programme for no longer than six months, in accordance with objectives and actions eligible under the Programme to support the national authorities in addressing the urgent needs. The European Parliament should be fully informed about the adoption of such measures.
Amendment 167 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) In order to ensure the efficient and coherent allocation of funds from the Union budget and the principle of sound financial management, actions under this Programme should complement and be additional to ongoing Union programmes, whilst avoiding double funding for the same expenditure. In particular, the Commission and the Member State concerned, in close cooperation with their regional and local authorities and in accordance with their respective responsibilities, should ensure at Union and Member State levels, in all stages of the process, effective coordination in order to ensure consistency, complementarity and synergy between sources of funding supporting actions in the relevant Member States with close links to this Programme, specifically with measures being financed from the Union funds in the Member States. It is of particular importance that the Commission does all it its power to ensure complementarity and synergies with support provided by other relevant international organisations.
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) To facilitate the evaluation of the Programme, a proper framework for monitoring the results achieved by the Programme should be put in place from the very beginning. An annual monitoring report on the implementation of the programme, including an analysis of how the criteria for assessing the support request were applied and a justification for requests that were refused, and a mid- term evaluation looking at the achievement of the objectives of the Programme, its efficiency and its added value at the European level should be carried out. A final evaluation should, in addition, deal with the long– term impact and the sustainability effects of the Programme. Those evaluations should be based on the indicators, measuring the effects of the Programme.
Amendment 194 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
2a. National authorities: the authorities in a Member State, including those at regional and local level, in accordance with both the Member State's institutional and legal framework and the partnership principle;
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
b) their complementarity and synergy with other Union programmes and policies at national, regional, local, Union and international level;
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
The general objective of the Programme shall be to contribute tosupport Member States in fostering economic and social cohesion, socially responsible institutional, administrative and structural reforms in the Member States by providing support to national authorities for measures aimed at reforming institutions, governance, administration, economic and social sectors in response to economic and social challenges with a view to enhancing competitiveness, growth,safeguarding the European social model, enhancing competitiveness, sustainable growth, quality jobs, and investment, in particular in the context of economic governance processes, including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds.
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) institutional reform and efficient and service-oriented functioning of an effective, high-quality, public service- oriented public administration, effective rule of law, reform of the justice system and reinforcement of anti-fraud, anti- corruption and anti-money laundering, as well as policies aiming at combating tax avoidance and evasion;
Amendment 228 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) business environment, reindustrialisation, changes in production systems, energy sectors, private sector development, investment, privatization processes, trade and foreign direct investment, competition and public procurement, sustainable sectoral development and support for innovation and digitalisation;
Amendment 230 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) education and training, labour market policies, social inclusion geared to creating quality jobs, social inclusion and combating poverty, social security and social welfare systems, public health and healthcare systems, asylum, migration and borders policies;
Amendment 237 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the provision of expert(s) (including resident experts) whose selection must be duly justified, for a short or long period, to perform tasks in specific domains or to carry out operational activities, where necessary with interpretation, translation and cooperation support, administrative assistance and infrastructure and equipment facilities;
Amendment 249 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. Taking into account the principles of transparency, equal treatment and sound financial management, further to a dialogue with the Member State, including in the context of the European Semester, the Commission shall analyse the request for support referred to in paragraph 1 based on the urgency, breadth and depth of the problems identified, support needs in respect of the policy areas concerned, analysis of socioeconomic indicators and general administrative capacity of the Member State. Taking into account the existing actions and measures financed by Union funds or other Union programmes, the Commission, in close cooperationagreement with the Member State concerned, shall identify the priority areas for support, the objectives, an indicative timeline, the scope of the support measures to be provided and the global financial contribution for such support.
Amendment 259 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament of the receipt of a request for support under the Programme and of the analysis undertaken by it. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament with the cooperation and support plan as soon as possible.
Amendment 260 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Any refusal of aid shall be duly justified. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council once a year of all its decisions rejecting the granting of aid, with due justification.
Amendment 264 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission may, at the request of the Beneficiary Member State, define the support envisaged for Beneficiary Member States in cooperation with other Member States or international organisations.
Amendment 266 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. The Beneficiary Member State, in coordination with the Commission, may enter into partnership with one or more other Member States which shall act as Reform Partners in respect of specific areas of reform on the basis of a reciprocal agreement. A Reform Partner shall, in coordination with the Commission and the Beneficiary Member State, help formulate strategy, reform roadmaps, design high- quality assistance or oversee implementation of strategy and projects. The Commission and the Member States shall keep the European Parliament and national parliaments, respectively, fully informed about the participation of a partner in the reform and its role in the cooperation and support plan.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10
Article 10
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point g
Amendment 277 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. Grants may be awarded to Member States' national, regional and local authorities, the European Investment Bank group, international organisations, and public and/or private bodies and entities legally established in any of the following:
Amendment 279 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 4
Article 12 – paragraph 4
4. Support may also be provided by individual experts who may be invited to contribute to selected activities organised under the Programme wherever that is necessary for the achievement of the specific objectives set out in Articles 5. Experts shall be selected on the basis of their experience in the area concerned and their professional career.
Amendment 280 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 5
Article 12 – paragraph 5
5. In order to implement the Programme, the Commission shall adopt, by way of implementing acts,The Commission shall adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 16 for the adoption of multi-annual work programmes. Multi-annual work programmes shall set out the policy objectives pursued through the envisaged support and the expected results, as well as funding priorities in the relevant policy areas. The multi-annual work programmes shall be further specified in annual work programmes, adopted by way of implementing acts, identifying the measures needed for their implementation, together with all the elements required by Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.
Amendment 281 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 6
Article 12 – paragraph 6
6. To ensure timely availability of resources, the annual work programme may indicate that in the event of unforeseen and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring an immediate response, including a serious disturbance in the economy or significant circumstances seriously affecting the economic or social conditions in a Member State going beyond its control, the Commission may, on request by a Member State, adopt special exceptional measures in accordance with the objectives and actions defined in this Regulation to support the national authorities in addressing urgent needs. Such special measures may account only for a limited proportion of the annual work programme and shall not be subject to the conditions set out in Article 7. These special measures shall end within six months and may be replaced by support in accordance with the conditions set out in Article 7.
Amendment 282 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Once assistance for a Member State has been approved, the content of the final conclusions of that technical assistance shall be made public, including any partners, the objectives and priorities and those responsible for the implementation of that assistance (organisations, companies or individuals) and distribution of funds. That information shall be forwarded to the national parliaments, the corresponding advisory committees and the social partners.
Amendment 284 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) ensure close cooperation between those responsible for implementation at Union and local, regional and national level to deliver coherent and streamlined support actions.
Amendment 288 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2
Article 15 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall provide the European Parliament and the Council with annual monitoring reports, including requests that have been rejected, on the implementation of the Programme including an analysis of the application of the criteria referred to in Article 7(2) for assessing the requests for support submitted by Member States and an analysis, where possible, of the impact of technical assistance, as well as an interim evaluation report, by mid of 2019, at the latest, and an ex-post evaluation report by end of December 2021. The final evaluations shall be carried out by the Commission or its European control bodies.
Amendment 290 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 12(5) and the second subparagraph of Article 15(1) shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of four years from 1 January 2017.
Amendment 291 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3
Article 16 – paragraph 3
3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 12(5) and the second subparagraph of Article 15(1) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect on the day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.
Amendment 292 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 5
Article 16 – paragraph 5
5. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 12(5) and the second subparagraph of Article 15(1) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two months of the notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.
Amendment 293 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 25
Article 25
Amendment 294 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 58 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3 – point l
Article 58 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3 – point l
Amendment 296 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – paragraph 1 – point a
Annex – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the number and type of national, regional and local authorities, administration services and other public entities such as national ministries or regulatory authorities, by Beneficiary Member State to which support under the Programme was provided;
Amendment 297 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – paragraph 1 – point c – point c
Annex – paragraph 1 – point c – point c
(c) support providers such as government bodies, public law bodies and bodies governed by private law with a public service mission, International OrganisatDoes not affect the English versions;.)
Amendment 298 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – paragraph 1 – point c – point d
Annex – paragraph 1 – point c – point d
(d) support recipients from the Beneficiary Member State such as national, regional or local authorities.
Amendment 299 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – paragraph 1 – point g
Annex – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) the feedback from national, regional or local authorities, administration services and other public entities having received support under the Programme as well as (if available) other stakeholders/participants on the results and/or impact of the actions under the Programme by specific objective, policy area and Beneficiary Member State, supported where available by quantitative or empirical data;