1532 Amendments of Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Recalls that in 2018 OLAF concluded another investigation which led to findings linked to e.g. mismanagement of human resources, the resignation of the Agency’s executive director at that time and the adoption by the Agency’s MB of a governance action plan aimed at restoring trust internally and externally, reinforcing the governance structure, and rebuilding internal capacity; observes that in spite of the reorganisations performed by the Agency in recent years, issues still appear to exist which may indicate to the existence of structural problems; calls in this context on the Commission to identify solutions for the performance of an independent assessment of the Agency’s recent reorganisatthe Court, in its Annual Report, closed and deemed as being addressed the observation regarding the high number of management posts which were vacant as well the issues related to the precarity at the level of managerial positions which may have impaired EUAA's leadership and its strategic continuity; recalls in this context that according to Article 41(1)(t) of the EUAA Regulation, the Management Board shall take all decisions ion ~~order to evaluate the degree to which the Agency’s current organigram and distribution of responsibilities among the Agency’s middle and senior management posit~~the establishment of the Agency’s internal structures whereas the Commission as a~~re prone to risks of inefficiencies, mismanagement of human resources, and lack of transparency (including towards the Agency’s MB) among other~~ member of the Agency’s Management Board regularly oversees Agency’s reorganisations;

2024/02/12
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the increased use of the transparency register as an information and reference tool for interest representation activities at Union level, shown by the rise in applications for registration and increased number of visits to the website year-on-year; notes the continuous improvement in the quality of information on the public database resulting from eligibility and data quality checks of new applicants, increased targeted quality monitoring and as a result of investigations based on complaints or own initiative investigations by the Secretariat; welcomes the regular communication, helpdesk and awareness-raising activities undertaken by the Secretariat among stakeholders both within the institutions and outside, as well as the development of IT solutions to improve the transparency register;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Monika HOHLMEIER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55

55. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and therefore of Parliament; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, their status over the years has been recognised; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; notes, that since then, APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work; notes that on 11 December 2023 the Bureau adopted amendments to the ‘Implementing Measures for Title VII of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union’, governing the employment of accredited parliamentary assistants (APAs); notes that according to this decision the rules applicable to missions undertaken by officials and other servants of Parliament will apply to APAs mutatis mutandis;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55 a (new)

55a. Observes that the Bureau Decision on applicable rules on Committee missions outside of the three places of work as amended in November 2011, following discussions in the Conference of Presidents in April 2011 and in the Bureau in November 2011, currently prohibits APAs to accompany Members on official Parliament delegations and committee missions; notes that allowing APAs to participate to EP missions unofficially puts the Parliament in a serious reputational risk and imposes specific challenges with regards to their insurance coverage; reminds that MEPs are already accompanied by representatives of political groups on these missions;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

89a. Notes that in the year 2022, the amount of 261.891 EUR was recovered by the European Parliament from individual MEPs on revenue budget line 3300 "Repayment of amounts wrongly paid"; notes that large part of this amount is not related to parliamentary assistance allowance; notes that in general, amounts recovered on revenue budget line 3300 (from individual MEPS but also from political groups/parties/foundations, third parties, staff, other individuals, etc.) for the largest part represent technical recoveries such as the regularisation of amounts spent related to contracts evolved or terminated and for a large majority they do not concern APAs; observes that these amounts also include cases which relate to the voluntary reimbursements by a limited number of MEPs and the specific case of corrections, which were due either to administrative errors in the EP calculations or retroactive change of the rules in some Member States and off- set; notes that changes in terms of contracts and potential related recoveries after validated adaptations of the terms of contract are also falling under this category;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Angelika WINZIG

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96 a (new)

96a. Notes that in 2022 OLAF investigated 32 cases involving Parliament on issues related to, in particular, Members’ financial and social entitlements, the use of appropriations under budget item 400 and the discharge of professional obligations by staff; highlights that OLAF issued 14 reports, some of which had more than one recommendation, of which 5 included financial recommendations, 5 included disciplinary recommendations, 1 included an administrative recommendations, and 7 did not include any recommendations; takes note that in 2022 the European Public Prosecutor’s office (EPPO) investigated 4 cases involving Parliament on issues related to Members’ financial and social entitlements, and the financing of political structures; notes that none of the investigations conducted by EPPO in 2022 was concluded on the same year;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96 b (new)

96b. Notes that in 2022 there were no cases in which OLAF requested access to offices or email accounts of Members; notes that a procedure to strengthen the mandate of OLAF in the European Parliament could be completed in accordance with the principle of immunities as laid down in Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Monika HOHLMEIER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111

111. Welcomes Parliament’s zero tolerance policy on harassment and the awareness-raising campaigns carried out; stresses that the Code of Appropriate Behaviour for Members of the European Parliament seeks to ensure that Members behave towards everyone working in Parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect and without prejudice or discrimination; recalls that in 2022, 56 MEPs participated in the training session; notes that, since November 2018, when the first sessions were offered, a total of 324 current MEPs had participated in the training session, plus 56 former Members whose mandate has ended; notes that in 2022, 106 members of staff and APAs had participated in anti-harassment training courses; notes with concern that cases of harassment are still occurring regardless of the activities being carried out to eliminate harassment in the work place; acknowledges that to help build a better working environment in the European Parliament and avoid any abuse of power, on 10 July 2023, the Bureau further approved a training concept on ‘How to create a good and well-functioning team’, recommending that such training should be mandatory for Members as of the beginning of the next parliamentary term; the content of the modules would cover among others the recruitment of assistants, successful team management administrative and financial aspects of parliamentary assistance as well as harassment prevention;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2130(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125

125. Notes that, in 2022, the Authority gave European political parties and European political foundations the right to be heard as well as the opportunity for corrective measures in 9 cases; further notes that these were cases relating to reporting requirements, rules concerning revenue and joint activities; highlights that the Authority’s early scrutiny indicates that the immediately relevant corrective measures were implemented by the European political parties and foundations concerned in all these cases; takes note that the Authority will continue to monitor that corrective measures with a long-lasting effect will ensure sustained compliance in the areas concerned; welcomes the fact that no sanctions ~~wer~~had to be adopted in 2022;

2024/01/31
Committee: CONT

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas in the 2014-2020 programming period, cohesion policy, as the EU’s main investment policy, has effectively supported its Treaty-based objective of achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion across the EU; whereas, at the same time, it has been an essential investment pillar of the Europe 2020 Strategy, by contributing to its goal of achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

A b. whereas cohesion policy investments across the EU have resulted in unparalleled positive impacts on regions, cities, rural, border and remote areas; whereas directly or indirectly, every EU Member State has experienced the positive effects of financing through the EU budget;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)

A c. whereas the multi-priority investment approach of cohesion policy, combined with its shared management have contributed to the EU’s priorities: SME support, research and innovation, digitalisation, farming, urban infrastructure, tourism, large transport infrastructure, culture and education, healthcare, cross-border projects, the energy transition, energy efficiency, climate and environment; whereas EU cohesion investments build the EU in times of peace and rebuild it in times of crisis;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)

A d. whereas the outcomes of the thousands of local projects confirm the indispensable role of regional investment through cohesion policy and consolidate its role and visibility in the multiannual financial framework;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)

A e. whereas, despite not being a crisis instrument, cohesion policy was a key element of the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the refugee and energy crises caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; whereas cohesion policy is a long-term investment and should not become a source of emergency funding to address every new challenge;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the delayed adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the multitude of crises as well as the introduction of the Next Generation European Union instruments hindered the speedy implementation of cohesion policy across the EU, posed programming and delivery challenges and introduced uncertainty in the context of initially planned regional EU investments;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas the additional funding provided in response to the recent crises, including NGEU, has put an additional strain on the administrative systems in the Member States, to the detriment of the implementation pace, but also to the detriment of their control and audit capacities;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)

B c. whereas demographic ageing in the EU as a whole has led to a shrinking working age population; whereas many EU regions are facing the departure of their young and skilled workers to wealthier areas; whereas rural, peripheral, outermost and industrial transition regions in the EU are particularly affected by this worrying demographic trend;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)

B d. whereas the principles of multi- level governance and partnership need a major overhaul in order to effectively involve the local level in the processes of programming, re-programming and implementation of European funds;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)

B e. whereas the rigidity of cohesion policy's programming, including thematic objectives, thematic concentration, partnership agreements, strategic documents and territorial strategies, hinders flexibility in the context of eventualities that occur during the programming period;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)

B f. whereas European Union pre- accession and enlargement processes require a well-balanced and targeted role of regional development and cohesion policy;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B g (new)

B g. whereas public procurement rules in many Member States, alongside extra layers of national audits and controls, generate burden for managing authorities, beneficiaries and the overall implementation of cohesion policy;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Acknowledges that when it comes to research and innovation, cohesion policy funding has strengthened cooperation between the research community and businesses, helping turn research returns into marketable products or services; notes that according to Commission’s figures, by the end of 2021 more than 61 000 companies cooperated with research institutions and around 30 000 introduced new products to the market thanks to ERDF support; also notes that by the same date, more than 57 000 researchers were working in better facilities;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1 a. Underlines that cohesion policy has also helped bridge the digital divide between regions by supporting the development of ICT infrastructure in less developed regions; welcomes that as a result, by the end of 2021 6.3 million households had been provided with better broadband access, and this figure was expected to reach 11.5 million by the end of 2023, of which 83 % will be in Spain, Italy and Poland;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 b (new)

-1 b. Points out that cohesion support has also brought tangible benefits to thousands of SMEs; stresses that this has been one of the best performing areas of ERDF support; underlines that this Fund had provided support to more than 2 million businesses by the end of 2021, which created 310 000 jobs; notes that evaluations carried out in Czechia, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria contain examples of SMEs that have become more competitive and innovative, increased their productivity and achieved better access to international markets;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 c (new)

-1 c. Underscores that cohesion has also played an essential role in the transition to a low-carbon economy; welcomes also that reducing energy consumption in buildings is a major component of this shift and support from cohesion policy has already borne fruit; welcomes the fact that valuations by the Member States show that measures to improve energy efficiency have been effective across the EU; notes that by the end of 2021, for example, ERDF had helped improve the energy efficiency in 460 000 households;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 d (new)

-1 d. Acknowledges that there is evidence that cohesion policy supported investments in several coal regions that were highly relevant for decarbonisation; notes that in Asturias, Spain, interventions focused on employment of youth and women in rural areas, incentivising entrepreneurship and social inclusion also notes that in Bulgaria, in the region of Yugoiztochen, cohesion funds have focused on energy efficiency, the modernisation of SMEs and the promotion of skills development;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 e (new)

-1 e. Acknowledges that measures aimed at addressing renewable energy production have increased renewable production capacity in the EU by 3 660 MW by the end of 2021, with a target of 8 800 MW by the end of 2023; notes that positive results in this area are reported, for example, in Estonia and regions of France;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 f (new)

-1 f. Underlines that evaluations of interventions in the area of climate change adaptation and risk prevention show a need of cooperation across borders to make measures financed by cohesion policy truly effective; underlines that some countries have already taken joint risk prevention and civil protection measures: there are examples of such cooperation between Italy and France, Czechia and Poland, and Italy and Austria; stresses that in regards to climate change adaptation, thanks to cohesion investments 21.7 million people are now less exposed to flooding;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 g (new)

-1 g. Notes that cohesion support from ERDF and CF has also allowed to increase the number of people benefitting from better water supply (5.1 million people by the end of 2021) and a better management of their municipal waste; notes that most of the targeted beneficiaries (70 %) of the measures to improve drinking water, for example, live in Romania, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria and Czechia; also notes that in France and Belgium, cohesion-funded projects helped boost the circular economy;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 h (new)

-1 h. Stresses that energy and transport networks have received significant investments from ERDF and CF; notes that although the impact of this kind of infrastructure projects can only be properly assessed in the longer term, according to evaluations carried out in Poland and Czechia some of the investments in road and rail infrastructures have already resulted in fewer road accidents, reduced travel times and less pollution; notes that in addition, in Member States such as Poland and Bulgaria the natural gas projects financed have contributed to the strategic objective of diversifying their energy supply; welcomes that fact that the Greece- Bulgarian gas interconnector in Bulgaria, supported by the ERDF, started operating in October 2022 and contributes to the EU’s strategic aims of autonomy of energy supply and diversification of sources;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 i (new)

-1 i. Acknowledges that cohesion, especially through the ESF and YEI, has supported successful employment, social inclusion and educational and vocational training measures; stresses that by the end of 2021, 6.4 million people had found a job thanks to measures supported by ESF and YEI, and 8.8 million people had gained a qualification;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 j (new)

-1 j. Underlines that evaluations from Member States such as Italy, Germany, Poland and Ireland showed that people, and especially young people, that had participated in training measures, apprenticeships and traineeships supported by cohesion funds had significantly increased chances of finding jobs; notes that Poland and Ireland achieved good results with projects aimed at the long-term unemployed; also notes that an evaluation of the Youth Employment Initiative 2014-2020 carried out in Hungary found that the programme had contributed significantly to the probability of participants being employed on the short-run, although this impact was declining with time; stresses that another evaluation from Hungary concluded that the labour market integration support schemes financed through the ESF had a positive and substantial impact on gaining employment; notes that an evaluation of the YEI carried out in Sweden found overall positive effects on employment for participants, especially those with a foreign background; stresses that training measures both for pupils and teachers have had a positive impact in early school leaving rates, for example in Germany, Portugal and Spain;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 k (new)

-1 k. Notes that ESF helped entrepreneurs launch new businesses and provided training so that companies could better adapt to changes in the market; underlines that the dimension of the ESF programme in Thuringia, Germany, dedicated to strengthening entrepreneurship, supported, among other projects, the Thuringian Center for Start- ups and Entrepreneurship (ThEx); acknowledges that until the end of 2021, the centre had helped approximately 2 900 people start a new business in the region;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 l (new)

-1 l. Stresses that cohesion policy financial support in for projects in the healthcare sector, mainly through ESF and ERDF investments: by the end of 2021, 59 million people had access to improved healthcare services across the EU; underlines that in Lithuania, for example, cohesion funded projects have managed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and the suicide rate;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 m (new)

-1 m. Welcomes the cohesion policy contribution to territorial cooperation; notes that this specific goal of the ERDF helped fund cross-border transnational, or interregional projects in areas such as research, development and innovation and the environment; underlines that as reported by the Commission, without this specific cohesion support, most of these cooperation projects would not have taken place; stresses that by the end of 2021 more than 33 500 businesses had participated in cross-border transnational, or interregional research projects, and 165 000 people had benefitted from cross- border mobility initiatives;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 n (new)

-1 n. Underlines that the impact evaluation of the Central Europe Interreg OP 2014-2020 showed that by end of 2021, the programme had had positive outcomes in the fields of innovation, low carbon, environment, culture and transport; underlines that 62 452 people were trained and 1 276 new full-time jobs were created; welcomes the fact that the Romania-Serbia Interreg programme also contributed to strengthening the cooperation of both countries in all relevant areas and the Sweden, Denmark and Norway Interreg programme showed positive results in the area of the green economy;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 o (new)

-1 o. Welcomes cohesion policy's response to the latest crises; notes that more than 300 CRII(+) programme amendments were adopted, resulting in the redirection of almost EUR 28 billion of funds to tackle the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis; underlines that EUR 8 billion, for example, were redirected to provide business support to the companies most affected by the COVID-19 crisis; also notes that there is evidence that the ERDF business support in Hungary, for example, made possible by these flexibilities had a positive effect in the companies targeted; notes that the Commission’s preliminary evaluation of the support provided by ESF and FEAD under CRII(+) was also mainly positive; underlines that CRII(+) reached their objectives in most Member States, which used these flexibilities to efficiently reallocate remaining resources to fund short-term working arrangements, social inclusion measures, and their healthcare system, depending on their national contexts; stresses that thanks to CRII (+) governments were also able to maintain their level of contracting and expenditure during this difficult period Coronavirus Dashboard, EC, data of August 2023;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 p (new)

-1 p. Notes that REACT-EU support focused on recovery measures driven by future-oriented priorities, such as the green and digital transition: an example of such support is the project Green Change Zealand, that helped 20 SMEs in the region reduce their energy and material consumption through green conversion plans;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 q (new)

-1 q. Notes that cohesion policy has effectively helped to reduce disparities over the years but, as made clear by the 8th Cohesion Report, some disparities still remain, for example in the area of employment, and new ones, such as the regional innovation divide, have now emerged; underlines that another very important challenge is the one of the development traps: while eastern EU regions have been catching up, other regions, especially in southern EU, have stagnated; notes also that demographic change will also affect all of the EU’s regions, but especially rural regions, which are already shrinking; underlines that this will, in turn, exacerbate the urban-rural divide; stresses that the green and digital transition is moving at very different speeds across EU regions;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 r (new)

-1 r. Notes that, as evidenced by the analyses of cohesion policy funds performance, including by the ECA, there is room for improving the effectiveness of cohesion policy interventions for delivering on the EU’s overarching priorities and territorial challenges, such as competitiveness or the greening of the economy; cotes that a broader response involving other EU policies and an effective targeting of funds will be therefore essential to fight the geography of discontent;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 s (new)

-1 s. Acknowledges that the repeated mobilisation of cohesion policy to response to crises and emergencies, however, has raised important questions; notes that as the Court of Auditors has already pointed out, the effects of this constant erosion of cohesion resources on the long-term objectives of the policy need to be carefully analysed; also notes that the administrative effort required for reprogramming might have affected implementation at a key moment in the operational programmes’ lifecycle; points out that the pressure to spend large amounts in a very short period of time has unfortunately contributed to an increase in irregular spending;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 t (new)

-1 t. Stresses that structural funds and instruments are increasing in number and being scattered under different legal and strategic frameworks; notes in particular the creation of the RRF, which pursues cohesion priorities under a different legal framework and delivery model, or the exclusion of the EAFRD from the ESI Funds;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 u (new)

-1 u. Stresses that a creeping erosion of the policy is taking place, with the emergence of thematic funds or initiatives supporting a particular sector or goal which rely on contributions from cohesion policy, such as STEP and ASAP proposals, ReactEU or RePowerEU, while the territorial approach of the policy is diluted;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 v (new)

-1 v. Stresses that while it is difficult to deny cohesion policy support in the face of an emergency, it is evident that a proper emergency fund is needed and, with regards to cohesion policy funds, clear rules should be established to ensure the structural approach, on the one hand, and the need to face unforeseen events, on the other;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 w (new)

-1 w. Acknowledges that if there is one thing that both advocates and opponents of cohesion policy agree on, it is the need for reform to achieve further simplification; notes that the regulatory framework 2021-2027 already introduced measures to simplify the delivery and management of cohesion policy, but it is clear from stakeholders’ feedback that this drive towards simplification must continue;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 x (new)

-1 x. Acknowledges that the performance framework introduced in the 2014-2020 was an attempt to improve the result orientation of the policy, but it was the object of major criticism; notes that some sources suggested it should be more results-oriented, and not indicator- oriented, in order to focus on addressing the real underlying problems that the policy intends to solve; points out that the Court of Auditors analysis concluded that the new model did not make a noticeable difference to the way EU funding was allocated and disbursed; assumes that some part of those conclusions could be relevant for the implementation of the 2021-2027 programming period;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 y (new)

-1 y. Underlines that the emergence of budgetary support instruments based on direct management and with a more simple delivery model could lead to a renationalisation of cohesion policy and endanger one of the basic principles of cohesion policy: multi-level governance; notes that there is a feeling of disappointment with the implementation of the RRF at local and regional level; underlines that a performance-based approach won’t work unless the regional and local level have a say on the definition of the targets against which the success of the policy will be measured;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Insists that due to its regional focus, strategic planning and effective implementation model , cohesion policy should remain the EU’s main instrument for reducing disparities and stimulating regional growth and continue to be a key contributor to supporting recovery from symmetric and asymmetric shocks; calls for a clear demarcation as well as complementarity between cohesion policy and other instruments in order to avoid overlaps and competition between EU instruments; believes that there must be an increase in the overall cohesion budget and in the MFF’s share of the policy compared to the 2021-2027 programming period;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses that cohesion policy should cover the territories of all Member States and all types of regions; underlines that this is the only way to address regional challenges in order to achieve a more balanced development pattern across the EU and in order to tackle unique regional development problems locally;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Underscores that the cohesion policy budget should not be used for ~~new~~ non- cohesion policy instruments and programmes, either within or outside the MFF~~; stresses that flexibility in the~~, including through optional transfers; acknowledges the need for built-in crisis flexibility including through repurposing of cohesion funding; s~~hould be a bottom-up driven process, initiated either~~tresses, however, that such process should not be triggered by new legislative initiatives of the Commission but by athe Member State ~~or by its~~s in a bottom-up fashion, initiated by a central government after binding consultations with regional orand local levels;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Asks the Commission to adjust the methodology to determine the level of support based on a region’s characteristics, such as areas with growth potential, the intensity of their particular challenges or their level of exposure to the impacts of ongoing transitions, to better define the path of each region towards convergence;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Believes that the trade-off between the necessary place-based orientation and the support to Union thematic priorities could be addressed through higher flexibility, a selectable menu of thematic objectives and challenges, accessible by regions proportionally to their development levels and needs; underlines that such a model reduces the rigidity of the programming process and factors in regional characteristics; stresses that cohesion policy should continue tracking the local landscape of needs in order to address them effectively in the context of closing regional disparities across the EU;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Believes that streamlining the architecture of EU funding instruments should be achieved through a merger of Cohesion Fund, European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund +, Just Transition Fund, possibly extended to the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, while the latter should be covered by the Common Provisions Regulation; acknowledges that such a reform would dramatically simplify the programming and implementation of the policy, enhance its visibility and effectiveness, and improve beneficiaries' accessibility; stresses that the adoption of individual fund specific regulations increases implementation delays and programming complexity; notes that such a grouping of funds should preserve the thematic orientation of the financing as well as the proportions of the individual financing streams for the respective fields;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3 d. Calls for an enlargement-ready cohesion policy by 2030 at the latest; stresses that existing cohesion policy budget cannot and must not cater for the expected reconstruction financing demand; stresses that existing cohesion policy budget should focus on convergence objectives; stresses that any reconstruction objectives should be achieved through distinct financing mechanisms, outside the scope of the MFF, through direct budgetary contributions from Member States, the private sector and external resources;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3 e. Believes that the legislative proposal for the future cohesion policy must be released only after it takes into consideration the outcomes of a major consultation effort and an EU-wide line- up of events and formats on the ground that bring together all levels of governance and all other stakeholders;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 f (new)

3 f. Believes that cohesion policy needs major simplification, which should also enable accelerated implementation and absorption pace; calls, in this regard, for drastic modernisation of the delivery model - a shift from an activity-to- payment cycle to a performance-based implementation, based on tangible milestones, together with linkage to regional growth enhancing reforms underscoring the basics of cohesion policy; underlines that such a change should not undermine transparency, accountability and the protection of Union's financial interests; notes that audit and control system should nonetheless be adapted to the decoupling of payments from real expenditure and that further exploration of reliance on national systems is necessary;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for disaster prevention and preparedness investments to be guaranteed either through a dedicated policy objective, thematic concentration or a specific enabling condition to ensure investments in local infrastructure and risk management in less developed urban and rural areas, including border regions; believes that targeted financing should focus on ~~climate change adaptation and mitigation by tackling the side effe~~risk reduction and preparedness for a broad spectrum of disasters (climate-related, geological, health-related, man-made); believes that this should include a strong focus on climate change adaptation to help local authorities better manage risk and prepare to respond to the local impacts of climate change ~~locally (~~from slow onset events as well as extreme weather events), (including wildfires, floods, landslides, heatwaves, coastal erosion andmong other ~~event~~s);

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the creation of a tTechnical aAssistance ~~programme specifically designed for~~and Advisory Programme (TAAP) targeting smaller municipalities and cross-border and rural areas ~~that fac~~for facing the new challenges such as ~~the~~ green transition and climate change; ~~believes that the support should be~~underlines that TAAP should complement existing technical and financial advisory instruments including those developed in collaboration between the EIB and the Commission, including on energy efficiency; calls for targeted support in the form of 100 % EU co- financing for technical, financial and administrative capacity- building, project design and preparation, identifying and building project pipeline as well as strategic planning capabilities (including planning instruments)~~, while~~ for municipalities; underlines that the allocation criteria should ~~include the~~be a cross-point between number of inhabitants and ~~the needs and challenges of these areas~~actual needs; believes that the new initiative should provide a single point of contact for municipalities to access support modalities as part of the URBIS platform;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls for cohesion policy to include a stronger urban dimension through designated investments in urban areas as well as stronger links between urban and rural projects and investments in order to address the demographic challenge, the development trap and the urban-rural divide; calls for the proportion of national ERDF allocations for urban development to be increased from 8 % to 12 %; calls for this funding to be co-programmed with local authorities and for their benefit; underlines in this context that technical, financial and administrative capacity is essential for ensuring that managing bodies and local authorities acquire technical knowledge, especially on climate change, which they can use for urban planning and urban management; is convinced that this will lead to better design and evaluation of project proposals, more effective allocation of resources and satisfactory budgetary implementation without significant risk of decommitments; acknowledges that integrated territorial investments have a fundamental role in quality implementation and absorption of resources;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers that for the allocation of funds for local projects, the focus should be on a smaller number of higher budget, common benefit projects, instead of scattering the limited resources across a high number of low budget projects; calls for the combination of smaller regional financial instruments with larger regional platforms to enhance efficiencies and policy impact; calls for guidance and planning support to avoid decommitments and repurposing;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Calls for further involvement of Commission initiatives such as the EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy in the process of designing and implementing the next generation of cohesion policy rules; believes that city networks play an indispensable role in bridging the gap between policy-making and implementation on the ground; acknowledges that policy and implementation support, geared to mayors and local authorities, generates significantly better outcomes in the context of policy implementation;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Encourages multi-city projects and collaboration agreements in order to harness pooled capacities and economies of scale in EU investments in infrastructure, innovation, climate change ~~and the green~~mitigation/adaptation as well as green and digital transition; believes that this process should lead to a greater sense of ownership of projects and the consolidation of investments, instead of fragmentation and lack of synergies;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/2121(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls for the further involvement of the EIB Group in cohesion policy investments, especially in less developed regions, through the provision of support to sustainable cities, sustainable energy and local innovation projects, including through further use of financial instruments and support for private sector investment; calls for the expansion of the local project assistance and financial instruments that complement and leverage EU grants; acknowledges that in many Member States EIB financing, such as the Structural Programme Loans, contributes significantly to the national co-financing obligations under cohesion policy, which in turn facilitates and accelerates the implementation of the programmes;

2023/12/13
Committee: REGI

2023/0053(COD)

Proposal for a directive
Recital 29 a (new)

(29a) The partnership between vocational schools and transport and logistics companies should be incentivised, including through specific EU budget support, in order to tackle professional drivers' shortage in the EU. Such partnerships should offer to future professional drivers the opportunity to become more familiar with the benefits and the challenges of the profession, to improve their operational and organisational skills and to gain experience, while using advanced technologies and techniques. The form of support may include, among others, EU co-financing to obtain certain qualifications such as CPC (Certificate for Professional Competence) or dedicated trainings for future drivers.

2023/09/26
Committee: TRAN

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes that, in particular, the Court further examined a payment of EUR 74.9 million related to the purchase of the Scholl building on Rue Wiertz, the purchase of which was financed from funds that were not used during the COVID-19 crisis and carried over from 2020; notes that, when seeking offers, Parliament used award criteria that weighted 50% of points for both price and quality of the proposed building; notes that Parliament received two offers and awarded the contract to the tenderer proposing the Scholl building, significantly closer to Parliament’s main site ~~but 30% more expensive per square metre than~~; underlines that the purchase of the building ~~proposed by the~~allows, among other, tenderer; notes that the Court considered that Parliament’s award criteria significantly reduced the importance of price as a basis for the purchase decision, making it unlikely that any other offer could have been acceptedo strengthen the security of Parliament’s central complex by excluding any external private property owners, maintain the direct connection to other Parliament buildings, and to preserve for the future investments made so far in the building;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes the response given by Parliament to the Court’s observation that the distance criterion played a major role in the quality criteria (namely a weighting factor of 20/50 quality points), and the possibility of interconnection with the central buildings received an additional weighting factor (4/50 quality points), which led Parliament to consider the Scholl building on Rue Wiertz as the most economically advantageous offer ~~despite the substantial price difference~~; underlines also that when approving the acquisition the Bureau estimated that the acquisition should be analysed against the situation where Parliament would have not acquired the building. The usufruct contract signed by Parliament in 2009 did not include an exit clause, entailing that Parliament would have in any case had to pay the full amount of due usufruct payments for the remaining contractual period (EUR -24 000 000). Therefore, in the event Parliament would have not acquired the building, it would have paid in any case the usufruct and in addition would have totally also lost the already realised investment. In total, this represents EUR 39 300 000 (the payment of a usufruct during the remaining contractual period, for a total of EUR -24 000 000 plus the loss of all the investments already done by Parliament of a total of EUR 15 300 000);

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Recalls that~~Welcomes that pursuant to Rule 25 of and Annex V to the Rules of Procedure and Articles 6 and 166 of the Financial Regulation once the Plenary calls for different rules or measures to be implemented by Parliament, such proposed rules or measures ~~should b~~are discussed and voted on by the Bureau, pursuant to Rule 25 of and Annex V to the Rules of Procedure and Articles 6 and 166 of the Financial Regulation; is deeply disappointed, however, that each year very concrete demands adopted by Plenary in discharge resolutions are not reflected in the discussions of the Bureau meetings despite the fact; reminds, in light of Rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure that the Bureau is responsible to take decisions on financial, organisational and administrative matters concerning Members; highlights, that bothe Bureau members and the Secretary-General are aware of the discharge resolutions and have the capacity to submit proposals under the aforementioned Rule 25; is disappointed that the Secretary-General's written replies to Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control are often limited to quoting the current rules without any is composed of democratically elected Members of all political groups; notes, that the members of the Bureau participate in deliberations and vote on resolutions related to Parliament’s draft estimates and discharge procedures; highlights, that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandedmic~~ated discussion in the Bureau and thus, lacking a genuine effort or intention to review those rules in accordance with Parliament’s will; believes that this situation is detrimental to the exercise~~ in March 2020 and until the gradual lifting of sanitary restrictions at the beginning of 2022, the Bureau`s deliberations were focused primarily on decisions aimed at protecting the integrity of dMem~~ocratic scrutiny which is carried out via the discharge procedure and for which Parliament should be a role model for all Union institutions and bodies~~bers and staff while ensuring business continuity and implementing practical solidarity measures vis-à-vis the three host Member States of the Parliament;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recalls that the Bureau has been mandated by the Plenary to decide all administrative, staff and organisational matters concerning Members and is concerned that the decisions of the Bureau often fail to respect the will expressed by the Plenary in discharge resolutions; reiterates the importance of the discharge procedure as set in the Financial Regulation and the Rules of Procedure and demands that resolutions affecting the functioning of Parliament be thoroughly taken into consideration and followed up in a legitimate, transparent manner; re~~comme~~minds that the ~~Committee~~agendas onf Budgetary Control should be systematically informed whenever a proposal arising from a discharge resolution is going to be discussed by the Bureau and calls on the Secretary-General to always include a clear list of the Bureau discussions and votes when providing the replies to the discharge resolutionsreau meetings are published beforehand and are made available on Parliament's internet site and that all Bureau discussions and decisions, including the ones in camera, are minuted and, once approved by the Bureau, the minutes are also accessible on Parliament's internet site; recommends that the Committee on Budgetary Control should be systematically informed whenever a proposal arising from a discharge resolution is going to be discussed by the Bureau;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Notes that the impact of the continuance of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 led to substantial transfers within Parliament’s budget, and that a budgetary surplus became available in areas such as travel expenses, organisation and reception of groups of visitors, the operation of Parliament visitors’ centres, in-person training, and lower energy consumption; notes that, at the same time, the pandemic created additional budgetary needs in other areas, notably health and prevention, as well as technical equipment and logistics for multilingual hybrid meetings and votes; observes that a substantial part of the savings were ~~used to amortise the costs of the expansive~~transferred to building policy of the last few years;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. ~~Is concerned~~Observes that the measures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in modified working conditions in specific services within Parliament ~~which had a negative impact on staff~~, for example at the copy shop in Brussels where members of staff had to work in isolation for a long period of time even after the safety measures were lifted; ~~asks Parliament’s administration to proactively re-evaluate the working conditions changed in possible similar situations~~highlights, that 2021 imposed numerous challenges on the work of the Parliament, the main one being the uncertainty as regards the evolution of the pandemic and the corresponding measures to be taken by the authorities to maintain fair working conditions; notes that isolation was a result of maintaining the measures preventing further spread of the pandemic;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Praises the key role of Parliament’s medical services at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response and acknowledges the enormous workload involved, which included treatment, testing and vaccination of staff, providing psychological support and advising on mitigation measures; ~~regrets the fact~~welcomes the statutory right laid down in Article 59(6) of the Staff Regulations giving the right to a staff annual medical check-up; notes that the staff annual medical check-up ~~was~~had to be cancelled in 2021 ~~and recalls that is a statutory right laid down in Article 59(6) of the Staff Regulatio~~; highlights that the year of 2021 was a challenging year impacted enormously by the COVID-19 pandemic which required most of the extraordinary measures introduced in 2020 to be maintained and adapted to minimise the risk for Members and staff while ensuring that the Parliament remains able to continue its core activities and to fulfil its mandate as democratic representation of the EU citizens; welcomes the creation, in October 2021, of the Medical Preparedness and Crisis Management Unit (MPCMU) made up of staff from the medical services in Brussels and Luxembourg with the objective of enhancing Parliament’s response capacity for future crisis;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Recalls that Article 4 of the President’s decision of 1 June 2021 on security measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 provided for temperature checks on any person entering Parliament’s buildings; notes that, for that purpose, Parliament purchased different models of body temperature detectors for a total amount of EUR 595 459.,63 (382 515,63 in 2020 and EUR 212 944 in 2021); observes that of the equipment purchased in 2021, 40 temperature detection units installed in the metal detectors were not used as of the 14 March 2022 and 4 cameras are now kept in storage; recalls that no provision was introduced to prevent people who had been denied entry from simply trying again moments later; observes that there is no data on the number of persons having been denied access to Parliament’s premises during the period of validity of the measure; regrets the conclusion that it is thus not possible to assess the effectiveness of the body temperature checks or the purchase of the equipmentnevertheless, highlights that during the summer it was often the case that persons have been denied access being influenced by the high temperature outside, which has nothing to do with high fever; observes that there is no data on the number of persons having been denied access to Parliament’s premises during the period of validity of the measure; also observes that with respect to Article 10 of Regulation 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data, Parliament did not treat nor collect this data, which is considered to be sensitive data;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Notes that a reduction in cleaning staff was not necessary in Brussels as the buildings remained open and that in Strasbourg and Luxembourg the increase in cleaning needs compensated for the decrease in activity and thus, no losses were incurred by the cleaning providers over the year; notes that at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the two cleaning contractors in Brussels launched a satisfaction survey among their employees as requested in the 2020 discharge resolution; notes that the employees completed the questionnaire anonymously and that the answers were received and stored on a secured platform; underlines that for the first contractor, the analysis of the results shows that over 90% of the staff is motivated to perform well, receives a good example from their management and feels part of a well united team; notes that for the second contractor, the results were quite similar; notes that, as of 9 November 2022, all cleaning services in Parliament’s premises in Brussels are provided by two new service providers;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Stresses the major negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Parliament’s catering staff which led to worsening working conditions and even dismissals; welcomes the solidarity measures implemented from April 2020 to December 2021, namely the provision of ‘charity meals’ and a business continuity fee in the three places of work, that at least helped to safeguard 37 jobs for catering staff; welcomes the fact that there 20 new jobs have been created since the restart of all catering activities in March 2022~~, but regrets the fact that Parliament’s administration has not communicated how many jobs were lost during the pandemic with the pretext that it is a concession contract;~~; notes, that catering and cleaning services are carried out by external service providers due to their specific nature which does not meet the conditions for internalisation; therefore, is of the opinion that the internalization of ~~essential~~these services ~~such as catering and cleaning~~ should not be considered by the governing bodies~~, as Parliament has recently done with security and IT services, and it was also made with the CPE2 crèche in Luxembourg~~;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. ~~Is concerned about the reported hearing problems that resulted from remote interpreting for long periods of time; is alarmed~~Observes that 63,5% of respondents (127 out of 200) reported hearing problems in a survey on remote simultaneous interpreting conducted by the Staff Interpreters’ delegation at the beginning of 2021 and 54% of respondents (702 out of 1 602) mentioned in a survey conducted among staff and freelance interpreters in May 2022 that working under the conditions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on their health and well-being; ~~recalls the duty of care owed by the European institutions to their employees, which must be taken into account when implementing preventive measures to avoid harm to the health of interpreters~~highlights, that the health issues reported by interpreters are being followed up by Parliament’s Medical services; notes that the follow-up by the Medical Service did not detect an increase in hearing problems for interpreters; highlights, that the administration has deployed targeted actions to improve sound quality;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Observes that Parliament’s interpreters held a strike from June to October 2022 with the aim of improving working conditions, primarily better sound quality and a limitation on the number and duration of interpreting hours of remote speakers as done during the COVID-19 pandemic; ~~regret~~notes that Parliament's administration resorted to external interpreting services, with a total cost of EUR 47 324.,80, during this interpreters' strike ~~as this decision jeopardised Parliament’s quality standard for interpretation, damaged its image and more importantly obstructed workers' right to strike~~; stresses that external remote interpretation services, despite being cost- efficient, should generally not be provided to core meetings of parliamentary bodies; highlights that the core work of Parliament depends on interpretation and thus resorting to external service providers can be optional in duly justified cases; welcomes the Interim Working Arrangements for meetings with remote participation agreed between the trade union, interpreters’ representatives and Parliament’s administration on 17 October 2022 and notes that negotiations on interpreters’ working conditions will be conducted to reflect on Parliament’s post- pandemic working methods; stresses that DG LINC should plan its future interpretation capacity needs with 23% of Conference Interpreting Agents being above 60 years old and look towards recruiting new interpreters in a timely manner;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Notes that 877 out of 6 621 posts (13,2%) were vacant at the end of 2021; acknowledges the general difficulties encountered by the Union institutions, including Parliament, in attracting and retaining talent, which has an impact on the diversity and geographical distribution of the workforce; notes that in 2021 two surveys were run by Parliament’s Directorate-General for Personnel (DG PERS) to find out the main reasons for applying for a job in Parliament and that the results pointed to salaries, but also job significance and flexible working conditions; notes the opinion of Parliament’s administration on the slowness of the competitions conducted by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) but recalls the current transformation process aiming to shorten the duration of competitions, to make them more efficient and to better target specialist profiles while keeping objectivity and equality of treatment at the core of the process; notes that in 2021 Parliament started running internal competitions ~~and is concerned about the internal criticisms which have stressed that fast-track recruitment procedures may lead to discrimination between professional categories~~;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43

43. ~~Calls for a deep reflection on~~Acknowledges the new ways of working that can reconcile the needs of Parliament’s administration (including team cohesion, internal communication, and on-boarding of newcomers) with the expectations and satisfaction of its staff, which would positively impact their performance as well as the attractiveness of Parliament as an employer; highlights in this context the importance of a genuine social dialogue with the staff representatives on crucial points like a flexible work environment, health and welfare and training and career opportunities; also draws attention to the need to review the rules on harassment in relation to these new forms of work; suggests that a joint committee be established that assists DG PERS in monitoring the effective implementation and compliance of clear guidelines on teleworking and the right to disconnect that can be adaptedhighlights that physical presence is of crucial importance for the efficient interaction of all actors in every parliamentary process; also draws attention to the need to review the rules on harassment in relation to these ne~~eds of the different services~~w forms of work;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44

44. Recalls the seriously inadequate staffing levels in Parliament’s committee secretariats at the end of 2020 due, inter alia, to the increased workload, the working methods applied under the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of new temporary committees; welcomes the fact that further to the adoption of the 2022 budget, 66 new organigram posts (12 for the Directorate-General for External Policies (DG EXPO) and 54 posts for the Directorate-General for Internal Policies (DG IPOL)), were created in the establishment plan with a view to swiftly reinforcing the support to parliamentary committees; is concerned that, currently, the net increase of staff (including organigram posts and contract agents) is planned to only include 8 additional members of staff, notably as the number of contractual agents has decreased by 23 between January and November 2022; ~~reminds~~welcomes the efforts of the Secretary- General to~~f the commitment to an actual~~ reinforce~~ment of~~ the human resources capacity in DG EXPO and DG IPOL, including an adequate level of contract agents; ~~points out~~acknowledges that all available resources in committees, policy departments, horizontal and support services ~~should~~are to be assigned to the implementation of Parliament’s legislative, budgetary and control powers and procedures; ~~calls therefore for the available resources to be distributed according to the committees’ level of activity in these areas and not only to the number of legislative reports;~~

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45

45. ~~Is concerned about~~Welcomes the Bureau decision of 21 November 2022, based on a Secretary- General’s proposal, on General Implementing Provisions giving effect to Article 27 of the Staff Regulations; welcomes the further efforts of the Secretary-General and the Bureau following the 2020 discharge resolution that called for further efforts to ensure that employment at Parliament is equally attractive to all Union nationalities; insists on the importance of achieving a fair geographical balance among Parliament’s staff provided that the measures are “appropriate”, as required by Article 27, and stresses that competitions must respect fundamental principles enshrined in the Staff Regulations and Charter of Fundamental Rights, such as the principles of equality, non-discrimination and proportionality; reminds that Article 27 of the Staff Regulations enables Parliament to adopt appropriate measures in the event that a significant imbalance between nationalities among officials is observed, which is not justified by objective criteria; recalls furthermore that Article 27 states that “those appropriate measures must be justified and shall never result in recruitment criteria other than those based on merit”; ~~calls for an immediate referral of these General Implementing Provisions to Parliament’s Legal Service for a compliance assessment;~~

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47

47. ~~Expresses concerns regarding the~~Observes particular difficulties in finding candidates willing to work for Parliament in Luxembourg, mainly due to the high cost of living and the increasing price of housing while availing of a salary that is adapted to living conditions in Brussels; asks Parliament’s administration to ~~urgently~~ forward a request to the Commission to address the long-standing and serious problem of salary indexation in Luxembourg by adopting a delegated act to correct the relevant Staff Regulations provision;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51

51. Recalls that, according to Article 9 of the Staff Regulations, the Staff Committee represents the interests of the staff vis-à-vis their institution and maintains continuous contact with them; points out that decisions taken by Parliament’s governing bodies often have a significant impact on staff and thus, reiterates that it is essential for staff representatives to be heard when general matters affecting Parliament’s staff policy are discussed; reiterates furthermore its request to the Secretary-General to take the appropriate measures to implement this key approach, for instance setting up a mandatory consultation procedure with staff representatives during the preparation of the proposals for Bureau decisions on staff matters;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52

52. Recalls Parliament’s recommendation to the Commission in its resolution of 18 April 2018 ‘to review its administrative procedure for the appointment of senior officials with the objective of fully ensuring that the best candidates are selected within a framework of maximum transparency and equal opportunities, thereby also setting an example for the other European institutions’; is of the opinion that an accelerated appointment procedure and an interview made up of only three questions to select its Secretary-General falls short of what is expected of Parliament in terms of transparency, accountability and good adminisreminds that the appointment procedure of the Secretary-General was a transparent process, where candidates were treation, and it is profoundly damaging to the institution’s reputation; recalls furthermore its own recommendation that officials from staff representatives bodies should sit on Parliament’s senior management selection panels; calls therefore on the Secretary-General to submit a proposal to the Bureau to modify its decision of 16 May 2000 laying down the steps in the procedure for appointing senior officials, in order to enable staff representatives to participed in a fair and equitable manner whilst complying with all necessary eligibility requirements; highlights, that the decision made on the selection of the successful candidate was ~~observers in the Advisory Committee, which is fully compatible with Article 3(4) of Annex III of the Staff Regulations~~carried out with a large majority of the Bureau;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54

54. Reiterates its demand for APAs to receive the same subsistence allowance as the officials and other statutory staff for their missions to attend the part-sessions in Strasbourg taking into consideration that the parliamentary allowance envelope remains unchanged; is of the opinion that the current situation, aggravated by the accumulated increase in prices over the last few years, ~~is unacceptable as APAs~~puts APAs in a more difficult financial situation haveing to travel to Strasbourg to carry out their work ~~in exactly the same way as Parliament's officials and other statutory staff; fails to understand this discriminatory treatment regarding the missions to Strasbourg while~~; notes that expenses incurred by APAs in undertaking missions outside Parliament’s three places of work are reimbursed, mutatis mutandis, in accordance with the rules applicable to officials’ missions; ~~highlights that aligning the daily subsistence allowance with that of statutory~~notes nevertheless that MEPs hire their own staff, would also put an end to the discriminatory existence of three levels of allowances to choose from, which is maintained without any administrative or financial justification; reiterates, therefore, its request to the Bureau to modify its decision of 2 October 2017 with the aim of implementing such alignmentithin a budget set by Parliament under the same employment conditions as temporary EU staff; highlights also that it is in the hands of the MEPs to decide the daily allowances to Strasbourg for their APAs;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55

55. ~~Regret~~Observes that the applicable rules adopted by the Bureau and the Conference of Presidents currently prohibit APAs to accompany Members on official Parliament delegations and committee missions; points out that the technical support that APAs provide during missions is of key importance to the participating Members, in particular when they are involved in the organisation or play a specific role; is concerned that this situation compels Members to resort tois concerned that the situation of financing APAs’ travel with the gGeneral eExpenditure aAllowance ~~and obliges APAs to use their annual leave, thus jeopardising their insurance coverage, which represents~~puts the Parliament in a serious reputational risk ~~for Parliament; regre~~; highlights, that neither the Bureau nor the Conference of Presidents have followed up on the long-standing request to allow APAs, under certain conditions yet to be determined, to accompany Members on official Parliament delegations and missions~~, as reiterated by~~ ; highlights, that the presence of APAs on EP official missions could damage EP’s image and credibility; observe~~ral discharge resolutions; urges the Bureau and the Conference of Presidents to respond positively to this demand~~s also that allowing APAs to participate on official missions imposes specific risks with regards to their insurance coverage; reminds that MEPs are already accompanied by representatives of political groups on these missions;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56

56. Welcomes the fact that the Bureau’s last revision of the rules for visitors’ groups introduced the possibility for Members to designate professionals to hold the financial responsibility, which has brought about a decrease of APAs as heads of visitors’ groups to 28%; ~~reiterates that APAs should not be compelled to take~~highlights that it is preferred when APAs are not designated as heads of groups as this level onf suchbstantial financial responsibility~~, which can amount to substantial sums of money in some cases; insists,~~ might compromise the appropriate auditing procedures following the groups’ visits especially in the case when APAs have left the EP and are no longer MEPs’ staff but some of the audits might take place up to 3 years following the groups’ visit; asks therefore, to the Bureau t~~hat APAs be~~o consider eliminateding APAs from the list of permitted heads of groups, leaving only a member of the sponsored group or a professional, such as paying agents or travel agencies, to take up the role or to consider adjusting APAs liability especially in the cases when they are no longer EP’s employees;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60

60. Notes that the reduction for trainees in Parliament’s canteens, amounting to EUR 1,00 ~~as of 1 April 2022,~~ is based on previous discounts which are in turn based on the contracts signed and the prices at the time; believes that this reduction is at the moment purely symbolic and ~~absolutely~~ insufficient and calls, therefore, on Parliament’s administration to ~~establish~~consider whether an automatic update on the basis of the food price variations could be introduced;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Markus PIEPER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60

60. Notes that the reduction for trainees in Parliament’s canteens, amounting to EUR 1,00 as of 1 April 2022, is based on previous discounts which are in turn based on the contracts signed and the prices at the time; believes that this reduction is at the moment purely symbolic and ~~absolutely~~ insufficient and calls, therefore, on Parliament’s administration to establish an automatic update on the basis of the food price variations;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61

61. Stresses that transparency, accountability, and integrity are essential ethics principles within the Union institutions and particularly Parliament as house of the European democracy; recalls that unethical behaviours must be prevented, persecuted and condemned for significantly damage the credibility and legitimacy of the Union and constitute a serious threat to democracy and public trust; recalls the Court’s conclusions and recommendations in its special report 13/2019 on the ethnical frameworks of Union institutions, as well as Parliament’s resolution of 16 September 2021 on strengthening transparency and integrity in the Union institutions ~~by setting up an independentUnion ethics body;~~ ; supports the reinforcement of the existing high ethical standards for politicians and for the guidance on the implementation of ethical rules, while fully respecting the separation of powers between the institutions and the rule of law; underlines that creating additional bodies and structures within the EU institutional framework would only add an additional burden to the work of the EU as the anti- fraud players such as OLAF, EPPO, Europol and Eurojust are already tasked to monitor and protect the spending of the EU budget and prevent any possibilities for mismanagement of funds; notes the importance of strengthening the systems in place and to address any shortcomings; notes that the proper application of existing rules can bring significant improvements; highlights that a cooperation agreement between the EPPO and the EP with clear rules and procedures is necessary to further facilitate and maintain the protection EU’s financial interest; such agreement shall provide that the EP reports to the EPPO concerns regarding any criminal conduct in line with the EPPO regulation and the Financial Regulation; reminds that the Treaties of the European Union are the primary law and reside at the top of the hierarchy of norms; the Treaties establish the EU’s institutions and clearly define their competences and decision- making powers (Article 13 TEU); Parliament together with the Council are the co-legislators (Article 14(1) TEU); reminds that under the Treaties, the Court of Justice of the European Union is the supreme judicial body of the EU (Article 19 TEU); there can be no higher judicial decision-making authority above it; under no circumstances can secondary law contradict or amend primary law; reminds that, therefore, the establishment of an independent ethics body with the power to make binding decisions on the EU’s institutions and organs counter to the separation of powers laid down in the Treaties, would imperatively require a change of the Treaties; stresses that transparency cannot undermine integrity and data protection;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62

62. Calls for a thorough overhaul of Parliament’s ethical framework that integrates lessons learned and strengthens the current rules to ensure that there are stronger deterrents to address effectively current and future threats and interferences, whether they affect Members or staff; stresses that illegal activities funded by paid lobbying constitutes a profound attack on democracy and should be met with zero tolerance and heightened vigilance; calls in particular for a revision of thehighlights the need to reinforce trust in the European decision-making by strengthening transparency, ethics and conduct in the European Parliament; stresses that an abuse or misuse of EP’s Rules of Procedure and ~~the~~ Members’ Code of Conduct~~, as well as for an urgent upgrade of the current European Parliament’s Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members, in ord~~ should be immediately addressed in a thorough and systematic manner; recalls the crucial role played by Members in the European decision- making, while protecting the freedom of Members’ mandate, as elected representatives; stresses that illegal activities funded by paid lobbying, NGOs funded in an unclear manner or other interest representatives constitutes a profound attack on democracy and should be met with zero to ~~ensure~~lerance and heightened vigilance; highlights, that it is essential that Members act without any undue influence from interest representatives by means of a strict regulation of paid activities during the mandate, gifts or travel invitations, future employment expectations, and of undue use of information or contacts;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Markus PIEPER, Monika HOHLMEIER, Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)

62a. Highlights the recent breaches of transparency and corruption in connection with the NGOs “Fight Impunity” and “No Peace Without Justice”; observes that in some cases the work of NGOs is used to finance illegal activities and influence Parliament´s decision-making on behalf of third parties; stresses that the rules of access to the premises of the European Parliament for stakeholders and NGOs needs to be revised; highlights that non-registered stakeholders and NGOs should have no right to be heard in Parliament; calls for automated mandatory transparency checks by the administration and corresponding controls by the committee secretariats;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Markus PIEPER, Monika HOHLMEIER, Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 b (new)

62b. Notes that the current guidelines for the 2021 interinstitutional agreement to register NGOs and stakeholders are insufficient; stresses the need for a thorough pre-check within the registration in the transparency register to disclose all funding sources; notes that funding from EU funds must be traceable from the direct recipient to the final beneficiary when funds are passed on in a chain; calls to revise the guidelines for the registration in the transparency register to disclose all incoming and outgoing funds, including the transfer of funds from one NGO and stakeholder to another;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Monika HOHLMEIER, Markus PIEPER, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)

62a. Reiterates that access of NGOs and stakeholders to the European institutions and their funding programmes must be verified in advance; calls for the creation of a public blacklist to ban NGOs from access to and collaboration to the EP that have engaged in actions such as hate speech, incitement to terrorism, religious fundamentalism/extremism, have been convicted of a crime, have been listed in EDES or have otherwise misused, embezzled or mismanaged EU funds;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)

62a. Calls for of a ban on friendship groups with third countries that would forbid the activities or meetings of any unofficial groupings of Members that might result in confusion with the official activities of the Parliament with third countries as required by Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure; recommends that third countries should interact with the Parliament through the already existing official Parliament delegations, other committees or through the Committee on Foreign Affairs as required;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68

68. Welcomes Parliament’s zero- tolerance policy on harassment and the awareness-raising campaigns carried out; ~~is concerned~~observes, however, that on 28 October 2022 only 245 sitting Members (36,3%) had completed the training on respect and dignity in the workplace; recalls that Parliament has requested on several occasions the implementation of mandatory anti-harassment training courses for all Members; stresses the importance of early intervention, together with training and awareness-raising actions and notes the initiative taken by the administration to set up internal mediators as a step towards early conflict resoluuggests that the anti- harassment training is brought mandatory not only to Members, but also to staff; welcomes the orientation debate on anti-harassment policies carried out in the Bureau meeting of 21 November 2022 and requests that the Bureau expresses a final position on the topic; stresses the importance of early intervention, together with training and awareness-raising actions and notes the initiative taken by the administration to set up internal mediators as a step towards early conflict resolution; stresses that the Code of Appropriate Behaviour for Members of the European Parliament seeks to ensure that members behave towards everyone working in the European Parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect and without prejudice or discrimination;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69

69. Notes that the ‘advisory committee on harassment and its prevention at the workplace’ is composed of three members designated by the Appointing Authority (including the chair), two Staff Committee members and one expert advisor from the medical service; notes that the ‘advisory committee dealing with harassment complaints concerning Members’ is composed of three Quaestors (including the chair), the chair of the first committee, two APA committee members, one staff committee member (only for cases concerning a member of staff), and two expert advisors, namely from the legal and the medical services respectively; ~~is concerned by the lack of independent experts on harassment issues in both committees, as well as the absence of the legal service in the first case;~~ calls for a Secretary-General decision reviewing the composition of both advisory committees and stipulating mandatory training on harassment prevention and equal opportunities for all their members;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72

72. Reiterates that APAs are in a particularly vulnerable position in whistleblowing cases due to their particular employment situation; therefore calls on the Secretary-General to ~~modify~~fully adapt the internal rules on whistleblowing adopted on 4 December 2015 ~~to align them~~and contained in the Staff Regulations to Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council2 , ~~as well as to provide~~including by setting up secure channels for reporting; further notes that whistleblower APAs ~~with a simila~~deserve proper protection similar to that of victims of harassment~~, in particular with regard to provisional measures during the administrative investigation and protection measures concerning~~; requests Parliament to raise awareness, where possible, anmon~~ymity, pay until the end of the contract, transfer of post and protection from retaliation~~g parliamentary staff on their whistleblower protections; _________________ 2 Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17).

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80

80. Notes that eight Members decided, on their own initiative, to observe elections in third countries where Parliament had decided not to send an election observation delegation or had not been invited; notes that in all eight cases the Members were in breach of the Implementing Provisions of the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group and that they could not and were not selected to participate in an official Election Observation delegation until the end of 2021; requests that MEPs involved in unofficial election observation missions should be sanctioned for the duration of the mandate;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85

85. Highlights Parliament’s investment in strengthening its cybersecurity, which includes the creation of a dedicated Directorate in DG ITEC and a significant increase of the related resources aiming to increase the protection of Parliament’s information systems in the face of growing threats and ransomware attacks; welcomes the expansion of the range of digital services provided via the e-Portal leading to an increase of 67% in the number of transactions, which is a significant increase compared to 2020, and to the achievement of 85% use rate of the e-Portal by Members for their travel and subsistence expenses; praises the specific measures undertaken to facilitate administrative procedures and the intended efforts towards less bureaucracy when it comes to the services for Members including the greater digitalisation of the e-Portal and improved intuitive consultation function for travel and subsistence expenses;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86

86. Notes that DG SAFE’s reorganisation has foreseen the creation of the new Directorate on Security Technology and Information aiming to ensure protection of all categories of information handled by Parliament; ~~is concerned~~observes that the specific unit responsible for Security Engineering has been created but that the head of unit position does not appear as such in Parliament’s organisation chart; calls on the Secretary-General to remedy this situation promptly in order to provide the new key Directorate with the necessary resources to fulfil its responsibilities;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87

87. Notes that ‘Parliament’s Buildings Strategy beyond 2019’ is intended to provide a framework for future decisions and to contribute to consolidate Parliament’s real estate portfolio while adapting facilities to the evolution of meeting patterns, going local and closer to citizens through Europa Experience facilities, enhancing security for Parliament’s buildings, and achieving the interconnection of central buildings; notes that Parliament’s administration is currently working on a comprehensive approach to define Parliament’s long-term building policy taking account of the impact of the energy crisis, the rising raw material prices, environmental obligations and new working methods introduced in Parliament; calls on Parliament’s administration to reflect on the need to acquire or construct new buildings in the future; notes the adoption on 8 March 2021 of an integrated facility management strategy focusing on a life cycle management of Parliament’s building portfolio;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Monika HOHLMEIER, Markus PIEPER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90

90. Notes the architectural competition on the design of the renewal of the Spaak building in which the competitors handed over their proposals in January 2021, the jury analysed the 15 entries and ranked the five laureates in February 2021 and the Bureau endorsed the five laureates proposed by the jury at its meeting of 6 July 2022; believes that the current economic context calls for renovation projects to be reconsidered in order to explore money-saving opportunities to bring safe working conditions to Members and Parliament’s staff without unreasonable budgetary implicationsnecessary steps must be taken to continue, given the deteriorating condition of the building and the end of the life-cycle of the building; recalls the former Secretary- General’s explanation that spare parts to maintain the building are not available on the market anymore;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91

91. Takes note of the unanimous decision of the Bureau of 23 October 2019 to approve the creation of an IDEA Lab with the aim of testing new, innovative solutions in the context of offices and facility management; ~~notes with concern that the decision of the Bureau was not based on any specific cost estimate and reminds the Bureau of the obligation~~welcomes the announcement of the new Secretary- General that each proposal for a decision ~~has to~~will again be accompanied by a financial statement of the estimated costs, and that expenditure should be accounted for transparently; welcomes the creation of a permanent laboratory for innovation together with the establishment of a separate budget line but considers that the costs need to remain reasonable and justifiable; notes that construction works needed to implement the innovative architectural concept, including the technical equipment and the installation costs, had an additional cost of 2 000 EUR/m2 to the “standard” renovation works~~; notes that to date the construc~~ which will - however - benefit later renovations work~~s needed to implement the architectural concept amount to EUR 663 265,55 while the IT equipment cost EUR 108 104~~ in case of a larger roll- out;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Markus PIEPER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92

92. Points out that the IDEA Lab is supposed to be at the disposal of Members ~~but regre~~and requests that Members ~~have never been informed in this regard~~will be informed in this regard about innovations and tested solutions that will be rolled-out in the future and those that are not pursued any further and for what reasons; questions the rationale behind the selection of the providers and of some of the technical innovations to be tested and regrets that some of the innovations would be too expensive to scale despite their interest; is of the opinion that one of the priorities of the IDEA Lab should be an innovative architectural solution to make better use of the space occupied by the unused showers in the Members’ offices; calls on the Bureau working group on buildings and Parliament’s administration to ensure a greater transparency regarding the budget for the IDEA Lab and to regularly present to the Committee on Budgetary Control the list of innovative solutions, their cost and the feedback produced, as well as the potential saving if implemented;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 106

106. Acknowledges that, following the example of measures taken in many Member States and in other Union institutions, the proposal to turn off the heating system and let the building drift to a minimal temperature as of Thursday evening to Monday morning and over the holiday periods would result in significant savings estimated at over EUR 2.5 million in total; however, calls on Parliament to guarantee an adequate temperature in the Parliament’s buildings from Mondays to Fridays as regular working days; understands the need to reduce energy consumption but calls for heating saving measures to be compatible with staff welfare;deleted

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 108

108. Understands that the core business of the service cars is the transport of Members, including the journey between Brussels and Strasbourg; points out, however, the waste of resources resulting from the fact that on average 15% of the seats available in the service fleet were been occupied for that journey in 2021; reiterates its call on Parliament’s administration to widen the user group while making sure that Members’ seats are secured, i.e. establishing a reserve list and coherent deadlines to confirm the journey;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 109

109. Welcomes the fact that the Brussels site has 138 parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles, each with a charging station, plus 12 units for Parliament’s delivery vans; notes that following the latest Environmental Permit, issued by the local authorities in April 2021 for the Spinelli building, a sprinkler system is necessary for this large underground car park equipped with charging stations and it will be installed in 2022, which will allow for the installation of 20 additional charging stations; calls on DG INLO to design and implement a schedule for charging stations to prevent single vehicles from blocking individual spots for long periods of time;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 25 a (new)

Rules governing the reception of groups of visitors

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111 a (new)

111a. Notes, that the last revision of the Rules governing the reception of groups of visitors from 18 January 2021 does not reflect on possible force majeure circumstances when it comes to cancellations of visits; invites the Bureau to consider accepting national strike as a force majeure circumstance when cancelling an organised group visit, as it is often the case where national strike days are announced at a much later stage after tickets have been purchased and it is extremely onerous to cancel a group visit in the very last moment and be able to recover all the financial costs incurred whilst organising the visit;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 25 b (new)

JSIS

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111 b (new)

111b. Calls on the Bureau to ensure that the joint sickness insurance scheme (JSIS) shall provide a coherent and individual explanation for declining a reimbursement request; notes that the culture of declining a reimbursement request in pdf format without the possibility to challenge the decision in person imposes certain difficulties on the applicants applying for reimbursement; calls on the Bureau to consider introducing the possibility for local doctors in charge of a treatment of an applicant to talk to the responsible JSIS unit or expert group to explain the treatment and medical benefits; further expresses its wish to improve the user- friendliness of the application enabling a quicker and more direct follow-up of individual requests; requests that the relevant bodies within JSIS duly and regularly take into account recent medical developments and knowledge gains when updating the list of eligible treatments and drugs;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Petri SARVAMAA, Monika HOHLMEIER, Markus PIEPER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Arnaud DANJEAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 113

113. ~~Suggest~~Welcomes the creation of a Bureau ad-hoc Working Group to carry out a thorough overhaul of the Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (IMMS) while striking a balance between the freedom of the exercise of the mandate, the reputational risks to Parliament and managerial ethics~~; strongly recommends that a comprehensive consultation of Members is carried out before th~~, following the announcement by the President on 21 November 2022; highlights, that the WG would be tasked to evaluate eand ~~of the current mandate to provide this Working Group with first-hand inform~~review the IMMS in order to adapt the provisions to the recent legislative developments, new practices of Members and the recommendations from ~~experienced Members on the practical applic~~the Internal Auditor while ensuring consistency and legal certainty; highlights, that in its deliberation ofs, the ~~rules governing Parliame~~ad-hoc Working Group shall take duly into a~~nd the ability to identify inconsistencies such as the fact that the Members’ att~~ccount transparency, accountability, simplification and sound financial management of funds made available to Members as well as the principle of the independaence o~~n Fridays is not registered in Brussels during plenary weeks or even if a Parliament’s committee official mission is carried out on Thursday~~f the parliamentary mandate; and that any proposed changes to the current rules should avoid creating unnecessary administrative burden for Members, their offices and Parliament’s services; acknowledges that a consultation of Members is carried out to provide this Working Group with first-hand information from experienced Members on the practical application of the rules governing Parliament and the ability to identify inconsistencies;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 114

114. Recalls that in previous discharge resolutions Parliament requested a reform of the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA) to make the expenditure of this lump sum more transparent and accountable; ~~notes~~welcomes, that following the announcement atby the ~~Bureau meeting of 7 March~~President on 4 April 2022 of, the ~~setting up of a~~ Bureau ad-hoc wWorking gGroup on the G~~EA, which is tasked with evaluating the oper~~eneral Expenditure Allowance (GEA) was established and tasked with carrying out an evaluation of the Bureau decision of 2 July 2018; o~~bserves that the Bureau, at is meeting of 17 October 2022, adopted a set of amendments to the IMMS clarifying the rules applicable to the entitlement and use of the GEA and measures aimed at in~~n the GEA on the basis of the experience gained during the ninth parliamentary term; highlights, that he ad-hoc Working Group was asked to take duly into account aspects of transparency, accountability and sound financial management of funds made available to Members, bearing in mind the principle of freedom and independence of the parliamentary mandate and the objective to avoid creasting ~~transparency but believes that this reform does not meet the demands expressed in Parlia~~unnecessary administrative burdens for Members, their offices and Parliament’s services; welcomes that on the basis of proposals submitted by the ad-hoc Working Group, the Bureau, at its meeting of 17 October 2022, adopted a set of amendment’s ~~resolution of 26 March 2019 on the 2017 discharge and in subsequent resolutions~~to the IMMS clarifying the rules applicable to the entitlement and use of the GEA and measures aimed at increasing transparency;

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2082(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116

116. Is concerned that the actuarial deficit of the Voluntary Pension Fund (VPF) on 31 December 2021 amounted to EUR 379 million (compared to EUR 371.3 million on 31 December 2020); is concerned that the complete exhaustion is expected by the end of 2024 or 2025 at the latest and that in the meantime the VPF continues to sell assets in order to meet its pension obligations, which probably means that the remaining capital is being reduced; notes that in its judgment of 15 September 2021 in cases T-720/19 to T-725/19, Ashworth and Others v Parliament3 , the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concluded that already acquired rights were not impacted by the contested Bureau decision of 10 December 2018 and confirmed the Bureau's competence to adopt decisions aiming at improving the sustainability of the fund provided that they respect the principle of proportionality; notes that an appeal was lodged before the CJEU against its judgment of the 15 September 2021 and that Parliament’s Bureau will examine the implications for future proposals for options to improve the sustainability of the Fund while reducing Parliament`s liability; calls on the Bureau to actively follow-up on finding a feasible, legal and fair solution given the urgency of the matter; calls on the Bureau to help clarify the entitlements of members and former members, who receive several pensions due to positions in the EU institutions; highlights the case of former Commissioners and requests information if the voluntary pension fund payments can be disbursed in addition to entitlements stemming from their Commissioner pension rights and if candidates for Commissioner were obliged to disclose this information; asks Parliament to clarify if the mutual and partial deduction of pensions is possible; _________________ 3 Judgment of the General Court of 15 September 2021, Richard Ashworth and Others v European Parliament, T-720/19 to T-725/19, ECLI:EU:T:2021:580

2023/02/07
Committee: CONT

2022/2032(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Recalls that due to delayed implementation in 2021 the Member States have not committed EUR 46.4 billion under Sub-heading 2a of the EU budget; calls, therefore, for the establishment of "ConstructEU" to mobilise EUR 11.6 billion of the 2022 cohesion appropriations, transferred from 2021, to cover retroactively inflation costs for EU-financed infrastructure projects (transport, energy, digital etc.); underlines the voluntary nature of such flexibility as well as the fact that the amounts per Member State respect the country envelopes;

2022/05/25
Committee: BUDG

2022/2032(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Welcomes the Commission's REPowerEU proposal; regrets, however, the proposed transfer from cohesion policy allocations to the Recovery and Resilience facility; underlines that over EUR 100 billion of cohesion policy resources will be invested in energy transition, decarbonisation and renewables by 2030; calls, therefore, for an accelerated implementation of cohesion policy;

2022/05/25
Committee: BUDG

2022/2032(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the rising costs of raw and construction materials has a direct negative impact on many EU-funded infrastructure projects and puts their implementation at risk;

2022/05/17
Committee: REGI

2022/2032(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Recalls that due to delayed implementation in 2021 the Member States have not committed EUR 46.4bn under Sub-heading 2a of the EU budget; calls, therefore, for the establishment of "ConstructEU" to mobilise EUR 11.6bn of the 2022 cohesion appropriations, transferred from 2021, to cover retroactively inflation costs for EU- financed infrastructure projects (transport, energy, digital etc.); underlines the voluntary nature of such flexibility as well as the fact that the amounts per Member State respect the country envelopes;

2022/05/17
Committee: REGI

2022/2023(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the efficient movement of people, services and goods, including city freight transport and logistics are essential to the functioning of urban economies;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas coach travel represents 40% of the EU collective road transport activity;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas every year around 22 700 people still lose their lives on the EU’s roads and around 120 000 are seriously injured; whereas 38 % of road fatalities in the EU occur in urban areas, and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians ~~and~~ , cyclists and motorcyclists account for 70 % of deaths;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas micro-mobility encompasses electrically and non- electrically powered personal mobility devices such as bikes, e-bikes, electric scooters, hoverboards, monowheels and others;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)

Fb. whereas the Commission published the dedicated SUMP Topic Guide focusing on road safety and micro- mobility in the SUMP planning and implementation process;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the rules and requirements regarding active mobility, new forms of mobility and micro-mobility are still underdeveloped or vary between Member States, which has a significant impact on citizens’ safety and further leads to missed opportunities for users in different Member States and uncertainty for operators;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the number of accidents involving ~~electric scooters and other new forms of urban~~new forms of micro-mobility such as electrically powered personal mobility devices has increased over the past two years;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas focus on urban transport policies should shift from simply providing mobility to ensuring accessibility to the service, giving greater priority to affordable access for all, regardless their income, age, health situation or location (i.e., urban vs peri- urban/rural);

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas artificial intelligence (AI) in urban mobility has a high potential in increasing safety, security and efficiency, improving inclusion of vulnerable groups, reducing traffic congestion, decreasing air and noise pollution, reducing costs and decarbonising the transport sector;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)

Jb. whereas on-demand mobility services offer the potential to complement traditional collective transport services;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1

Strengthening the urban mobility framework: A new page in EU's urban road safety, accessibility and security

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Highlights that citizens are willing to switch to smart and sustainable modes of transport in particular in their daily mobility, with the main condition for switching being the cost, availability and speed;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. All new measures shall be based on the results of comprehensive impact assessment taking into account economic, social and environmental consequences as well diverse mobility needs of users;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. The assessment of environmental performance of different urban transport solutions shall be based on life-cycle emissions;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that all modes of transport have their role to play and that the modal shift cannot simply be imposed upon people but must be supported by people; highlighting in this regard that all users (from urban, peri-urban and rural areas) should be equally important in the process of urban transport planning

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Highlights that authorities should place transport users from urban, peri- urban and rural areas at the centre of their mobility and transport vision and practice. Transport plans should therefore acknowledge that mobility needs and users’ individual circumstances and preferences are not homogenous. Therefore, a differentiated variety of smart and sustainable mobility options is needed, instead of a one-size-fits-all solution.

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for financial, fiscal and regulatory support for the use of zero- and low-carbon individual private mobility, complemented by efficient and affordable collective transport services and shared mobility solutions , and other modes of transport that bring various options to the market, in order to boost competition and thereby provide better and more valuable inclusive, affordable, efficient and sustainable solutions for citizens;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for better accessibility and connectivity between urban, peri-urban and rural areas and further calls for unhindered access to smart, sustainable and affordable transport to be guaranteed for all; In this regard notes with concern that peri-urban and rural areas, especially sparsely populated territories suffer the shortage of efficient, affordable and connected transport solutions and infrastructure including alternative fuel infrastructure which constrains the socioeconomic perspectives of these areas and their citizens;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Underlines the importance of a level playing field between public and private transport providers allowing for a fair competition as well as the need for further complementarity between transport services;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on all the parties involved to adopt measures that could better ensure road safety, such as deploying means to detect safety-related events or conditions, and also by taking into account users from groups with special needs such as people with disabilities and reduced mobility, persons accompanying children, elderly people, etc.;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Supports all effort to improve road safety in achieving the aims of Vision Zero;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Affirms that urban transport should be more accessible; encourages the Commission, in this context, to propose guidelines regarding accessibility, safety and security for transport users and particularly for those from groups with special needs; highlights the key role artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions can play in this regard; In regards to safety highlights active and passive safety features in private vehicles and collective transport vehicles and stresses the importance of availability of mobile network in Member States necessary for emergency buttons; recommends implementation of AI and digital technologies into collective transport such as cameras, SOS buttons, real time remote identification systems for law enforcements and others. This will have also a positive impact making collective transport secure for currently vulnerable users such as women. Regarding accessibility, the AI and digitalisation can drastically contribute by implementing auditory signals in collective transport and infrastructure, deployment of intelligent private vehicles, pre-trip virtualization, safe smart intersection crossing or assistive robots.

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Recognises Commission’s efforts but notes that a more ambitious and coherent European policy and legislation is required to improve access to metros, rail transport, buses, trams, and shared mobility solutions; stresses the importance of other accessibility issues such as the availability of parking spots designated for persons with disabilities, a strict policy on abuse of blocking parking spots of persons with disabilities, accessibility of the city's walking and cycling infrastructure, including quality and accessibility of pavements, secure and accessible road crossings;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Supports the UN Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD and European Accessibility Act Directive and all of its dimensions in the context of urban mobility;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6c. Notes the rapid emergence of micro-mobility, such as bikes, e-bikes, electric scooters, hoverboards, monowheels and other electrically and non-electrically powered personal mobility devices; stresses that these, forms of mobility should be properly incorporated, presented and addressed in urban mobility, including as regards to the safety and compliance policies at all levels of governance;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 d (new)

6d. Calls for collective transport that is accessible, well organised, affordable and offers good quality to citizens including door to door services. The share of clean vehicles in the fleet as well as smart and sustainable modes such as trams are important factor to reduce air pollution, carbon emissions and congestion;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 e (new)

6e. Recognises the benefits of smart and sustainable alternative mobility solutions such as shared cars, ride- hailing, electric bikes and scooters and other forms of micro-mobility; believes that such modes could have a complementary character and could provide wider options to consumers depending on their mobility needs.

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 f (new)

6f. Believes that building a new infrastructure for personal micro mobility such as cycling lines should not compromise existing road lines, creating additional traffic obstacles for road users.

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses however its concern about the shortcomings in the regulation of micro- mobility in many Member States, as it does not facilitate this type of transportation and poses risks for people’s safety; invites the Commission, in this context, to closely collaborate with the Member States to draw up common minimal road-safety ~~guidelines and recommendations for micro-mobility such as speed limits, helmet requirements, or training;~~recommendations and requirements on urban road safety, including the safe use of electrically and non-electrically powered personal mobility devices, dedicated trainings, speed and age limits, helmet requirements and other protective equipment, as well as rules on carrying and hauling children, prohibition of driving under the influence of addictive substances. etc.; notes that these requirements shall be seamlessly adapted to the different levels of governance independently from SUMP planning and implementation and without compromising the principle of subsidiarity; strongly encourages the Member States to proceed with the adaptation of their national legislation and to launch information campaigns; to increase awareness and education for road safety;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes in this regard that the lack of enforcement is an additional significant contributor to poor road safety record in regards to micro-mobility; calls for focusing on enforcement of existing rules to ensure respectful coexistence of transport modes;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls further on the Commission to harmonise technical standards and requirements regarding types of micro- mobility transport; calls for the review of the CE marking legislation and its application and/or the possible inclusion into the Type Approval Regulation of these vehicles can provide solutions;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Highlights that urban infrastructure planning should contribute to a smart and sustainable transport transition, allowing for multimodality and ensuring quality of life in cities; recommends, in this regard, incorporating active, shared and on- demand mobility and micro- mobility, as well as underdeveloped sustainable transport modes, into sustainable urban mobility plans;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. The infrastructure shall incorporate access routes and last mile connection to multimodal passenger hubs, including for active modes such as bridges or underpasses.

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Stresses the importance of the incorporation on the urban transport system and infrastructure of the multimodal freight terminal

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Highlights that the SUMPS shall not only present measure how to integrate different modes of transport and promote the sustainable modes of transports but also to evaluate their affordability and accessibility for transport users and taking into account different transport and mobility needs for different groups;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Stresses that the adoption SUMPS shall not be a condition for European funding because of the principle of subsidiarity;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Calls for significantly improved interconnection between the airports and ports with cities in order to allow for seamless and multimodal transport and mobility solutions; highlights primarily the importance of the rail infrastructure and interoperability in this regard;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Stresses that the further development of the inland waterway infrastructure is a crucial to building a smart, sustainable and competitive urban transport;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Highlights that that inland waterways, as one of the most environmentally-friendly modes of transport and its largely untapped potential of transporting large amounts of goods across the Union, can play a fundamental role in meeting the EU’s climate objectives;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)

12c. Calls for significant increase of the modal share of inland waterways in urban transport by improving its resilience, efficiency and sustainability by promoting and incentivising its usage and allowing for sufficient investments in order to decrease road congestion, enhance safety and decrease emissions;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls on the Member States to focus on completing the TEN-T core inland waterway network by 2030, eliminating the missing links and allowing for quality and modally interconnected physical and digital infrastructure within the urban framework including the improvement of rail links at ports;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Calls for EU measures to remove the legislative, administrative, and cross- border obstacles that hamper multimodal transport within the European economy, developed in cooperation with stakeholders; notes that such multimodal vision should be elaborated upon in the next NAIADES action programme; calls for further incentives for the development of intermodal port platforms;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13c. Calls for the modal increase of rail mobility and freight and its interconnection with other transport modes within urban framework; calls in this regard for the improvement of the existing regulatory framework and reduction of technological and operational barriers;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)

13d. Stresses that the completion of ERTMS integration has to be achieved until 2030 as a matter of urgency;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)

13e. Highlights the importance of the level playing field between rail transport providers and their equal access to urban infrastructure as well as the revision of track access in order to improve the rail competitiveness in urban transport framework and to provide sustainable, affordable and attractive transport solution for passengers and freight;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)

13f. Encourages Member states to integrate barrier-free accessibility to urban transport services in their Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) recalls the need to better integrate the EU road safety targets an actions into the guidelines on the sustainable urban mobility plans by monitoring and promoting best practices;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Stresses the cases of extremely long border waiting times for road freight transport that in some cases cause the disruption of urban mobility systems and all types of transport; stresses that such occurrences negatively affecting border towns and areas and has direct impact on air quality and noise pollution while deteriorating health of European citizens; increases the risk of road accidents and damages the infrastructure. therefore, calls for the introduction of an EU-wide standard of an average 1-minute time for processing and controls of heavy-duty vehicles at EU borders, including sanctions in case of its non-compliance;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Supports the integration of the freight dimension into sustainable urban mobility plans in order to accelerate sustainable urban logistics plans (SULPs) and low- emissions solutions to city freight transport, including rail and inland waterways, with the use of new distribution models, dynamic routing and multimodal connections;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Highlights that urban logistics should be treated as an integral part of urban planning in order to ensure the efficiency of urban freight services and to avoid situation of interference and disruption in regards to the rest of the participants;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Barbara THALER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Member States to ensure the availability of recharging and alternative fuels refuelling infrastructure (in urban, peri-urban and rural areas) that takes into account the specificities of all vehicle categories, pursuant to the alternative fuels infrastructure regulation; invites the Member States to collaborate with the Commission to create incentives for individuals and businesses to take up zero- and low-carbon modes of transport;

2022/10/18
Committee: TRAN

2022/2023(INI)

(2) From a toxicological point of view, substances with more than one constituent (‘multi-constituent substances’) are no different from mixtures composed of two or more substances. In accordance with Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council39, aimed to limit animal testing, data on multi-constituent substances is to be generated under the same conditions as data on any other substance, while data on individual constituents of a substance is normally not to be generated, except where individual constituents are also substances registered on their own. Where data on individual constituents is available, multi-constituent substances should be evaluated and classified following the same classification rules as mixtures, unless Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 provides for a specific provision for those multi-constituent substances. _________________ 39 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1).deleted

2023/05/16
Committee: ENVI

2022/0432(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3

(3) It is normally not possible to sufficiently assess the endocrine disrupting properties for human health and the environment and the persistent, bioaccumulative and mobile properties of a mixture ~~or of a multi-constituent substance~~ on the basis of data on that mixture ~~or substance~~. The data for the individual substances of the mixture ~~or for the individual constituents of the multi- constituent substance~~ should therefore normally be used as the basis for hazard identification of those multi-constituent substances or mixtures. However, in certain cases, data on those multi- constituent substances themselves may also be relevant. This is the case in particular where that data demonstrates endocrine disrupting properties for human health and the environment, as well as persistent, bioaccumulative and mobile properties, or where it supports data on the individual constituents. Therefore, it is appropriate that data on multi-constituent substances are used in those casixtures.

2023/05/16
Committee: ENVI

2022/0432(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008
Article 2 – paragraph 7a

~~7a. ‘multi-constituent substance’ means a substance that contains more than one constituent.~~deleted

2023/05/16
Committee: ENVI

2022/0432(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Andrey KOVATCHEV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Radan KANEV, Ivo HRISTOV, Tsvetelina PENKOVA, Petar VITANOV, Elena YONCHEVA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Iskra MIHAYLOVA, Marc ANGEL

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008
Article 5 – paragraph 3

~~[...] [...] [...]~~d e [...] l e t e d

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Reg~~Deplorets the fact that Serbia has still not aligned with EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; calls on the newly elected authorities to show real commitment to EU values as soon as possible and to align with the EU’s decisions and positions in foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Asim ADEMOV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Regrets the existence of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center; calls on the Serbian authorities to provide more transparency on the role and activities of the so called humanitarian center;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Reiterates its call on Serbia and EU Member States to pursue more active and effective communication about the benefits of EU enlargement; regrets the fact that the Serbian government has put stronger emphasis on its ties with China and Russia, than with the EU;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Reiterates its call on the authorities to continue their efforts to eliminate the legacy of the former Communist secret services by making its files open to the public, as a step towards the democratisation of Serbia; calls on Serbia to intensify the process of succession and implementation of obligations relating to the division of the common archive of the former Yugoslavia; reiterates, in this connection, that full access to all archival materials, especially those of the former Yugoslav Secret Services (UDBA) and the Yugoslav People’s Army Secret Service (KOS) is of vital significance; reiterates its call to the authorities to facilitate access to those archives that concern the former republics of Yugoslavia and to return them to their respective governments if they so request;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Calls on the Serbian authorities to step up efforts to ensure the non- discriminatory treatment of national minorities and to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate- motivated crimes; moreover, regrets the fact that national minorities are protected only on paper; more has to be done to actively implement the anti-discrimination legislation;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Is deeply concerned about the spread of disinformation about Russian aggression against Ukraine; calls on the Serbian authorities to take an active stand against the disinformation and to fight back the most circulated fake news; calls on the Serbian authorities and the Commission to bolster infrastructure to fight disinformation and other hybrid threats;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Welcomes the introduction of a roaming-free zone in the entire Western Balkans as of 1 July 2021; urges the Council and the Commission to work with the Serbian authorities and the other five Western Balkan states for the introduction of roaming-free zone between the Western Balkans and the European Union;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Is deeply concerned by the depopulation and brain drain of Serbia’s human capital; welcomes the Serbian Government’s initiatives to counter these trends by working with international organisations; notes with concern that additional efforts need to be invested in the socio-economic development of the border regions in order to prevent them from depopulation; reminds that to use IPA III Cross-border Co-operation Programmes could be utilised for this purpose;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2249(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)

39a. Reiterates its regret over the lack of action on the pollution of the River Dragovishtitsa by mines operating in the region and the detrimental effect on the health of the local people and the environment;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Citation 18

— having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summit, held in Sofia, Zagreb and Brdo pri Kranju oin ~~6 October~~2018, 2020 and 2021, and its declarations,

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the need to uphold the pace and credibility of European integration by ~~promptly~~ opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible, given that both countries have fulfilled the necessary conditions and delivered sustained results across fundamental areas; expects that negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia will start only after the country delivers convincing guarantees on the implementation of the Good Neighbourly Relations Treaty;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Commends North Macedonia on its steady progress on the path towards EU membership, its commitment to multiculturalism and inter-ethnic harmony, and its continued ~~positive~~ bilateral engagement;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Urges North Macedonia to sustain and intensify efforts to strengthen the rule of law and judicial independence, counter corruption, the protection of human rights, reform its public administration and consolidate media freedom;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Welcom~~Notes with interest the implementation of the 2021 population census, while expecting the publication of its results soon;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Recalls the need to strengthen independent investigative journalism, non- biased fact-checking and media literacy as means to tackle hate speech, disinformation and foreign interference campaigns;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Denounces the ongoing smear campaign against the one Bulgarian TV channel broadcasted in the country; Urges both countries to allow more TV channels, other media outlets and cultural institutions in their respective markets to foster cultural awareness and exchange, to improve people-to-people understanding;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Commends the government’s efforts to improve engagement with civil society and calls for a framework to ensure the financial sustainability of civil society organisations, including those representing the defending the rights of the various ethinc communities in the country;;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Encourages ongoing steps to build trust in inter-community relations and the functioning of a multi-ethnic society by fully guaranteeing the rights of all ethnic communities in the country, including through appropriate constitutional and legislative amendments, while recalling the importance of upholding the rights of non-majority communities and effectively tackling all instances of discrimination;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Calls the Republic of North Macedonia to fully guarantee equal rights for all ethnic communities in the country, including through appropriate constitutional and legislative amendments, and ensure that no disadvantage shall result for citizens from the exercise of their right to identify themselves as belonging to any ethnic group;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23 b. Regrets the continuous lack of progress in implementing the previous European Parliament recommendations regarding discrimination against citizens openly expressing their Bulgarian identity and/ or ethnic background;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)

23 c. Strongly encourages the authorities and civil society to take appropriate measures for historical reconciliation in order to overcome the divide between and within different ethnic and national groups, including by listing citizens of Bulgarian identity among the others in the Constitution;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)

23 d. Calls on the Republic of North Macedonia to amend its Constitution to include the ethnic communities with Montenegrin, Croatian and Bulgarian identity;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 e (new)

23 e. Insists that guaranteeing the right of the people, who identify as Bulgarians, and their inclusion in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia should be a pre-condition for the start of negotiations for North Macedonia’s EU membership;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Urges the relevant bodies to proactively prevent and systematically prosecute all instances of hate speech, hate crimes and intimidation, to thoroughly investigate related attacks and to ensure the safety and security of their targets, such as journalists, people belonging to minorities and other vulnerable groups, strongly urges the media outlets and the authorities of the Republic of North Macedonia to deter from utilizing and publicizing hate speech against EU Member States and its closest neighbours;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes North Macedonia’s membership of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; recalls the need to open up Yugoslav secret service archives, kept both in Skopje and in Belgrade, in order to vigorously address communist- era crimes across the region; takes the view that transparent handling of the totalitarian past, including the opening-up of the archives of the secret services, is a step towards further democratization, accountability and institutional strength in both the country and the Western Balkan region as a whole;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, David LEGA, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. ~~Encourages~~Calls for the finalisation of the security and intelligence sector reform; calls for the whistle-blower protection mechanism to be updated and the lobbying law to be implemented effectively;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47

47. Strongly welcomes the political impetus for a renewed dialogue between Bulgaria and North Macedonia and encourages the partners to accelerate engagement in good faith in order to reach ~~an acceptable compromise, thereby bringing societies closer together by enabling a common future in the EU~~sustainable results in the implementation in good faith of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation, thereby bringing societies closer together by enabling a common future in the EU; Encourages Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia to reach a compromise over a roadmap of concrete measures, which will be included in the negotiations framework, its implementation will be regularly assessed by the Commission during the negotiations process;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)

47 a. Strongly urges the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission on Historical and Educational Issues of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, established as a result of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, to resume its work;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)

47 b. Strongly urges all texts, already agreed by the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission, to be published in the respective languages of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, and in English;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 c (new)

47 c. Strongly urges the work on school history textbooks in Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia to resume; the texts should reflect the interpretation of historical facts and figures from the common history of both peoples based on authentic historical documents/sources; this is the foundation on which the two countries should build their relations; the relationship between the future generations of RNM and Bulgaria will be a reflection of the education processes in the two countries;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Andrey SLABAKOV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 d (new)

47 d. Condemns the fact that apart from few sporadic instances the two countries have failed to jointly commemorate and/or celebrate shared historical figures/dates in the past years in a consistent manner; strongly condemns the vandalistic attack against the tricolour ribbons and the wreaths laid by a Bulgarian delegation in Skopje on Gotse Delchev’s grave in the recent celebration of the 150thanniversary of the birth of the prominent revolutionary; the relations between RNM and Bulgaria should be based on deep, mutual respect and appreciation for each other, consideration and preservation of the common historical heritage;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2248(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV, Asim ADEMOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 e (new)

47 e. Condemns any attempt to replace historical monuments and/or artefacts, including the destruction of authentic cultural heritage or any attempts to rewrite history; such incidents raise serious concerns, including in the context of the lack of implementation of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation;

2022/03/09
Committee: AFET

2021/2246(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey SLABAKOV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Reiterates its call for greater inclusion of persons belonging to minorities, including the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, as well as persons with disabilities and displaced persons, by providing them with access to adequate healthcare and social protection; in this regard recommends that the rights of people with Bulgarian ethnicity in the Gora and Zhupa regions to be enshrined in law and ensured in practice

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2246(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL, Andrey SLABAKOV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. In that respect notes with regret that the petition of nearly 500 people, who have historically self-identified as Bulgarian, which was registered at the Assembly of Kosovo in May 2018, has still not been considered and recommends that those rights are enshrined in law and ensured in practice;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2246(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Encourages the authorities to retrieve the relevant Yugoslav secret service archives from Serbia; takes the view that transparent handling of the totalitarian past, including the opening-up of the archives of the secret services, is a step towards further democratisation, accountability and institutional strength in both the country and the Western Balkan region as a whole;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2246(INI)

Andrey KOVATCHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Asim ADEMOV, Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, Emil RADEV, Eva MAYDELL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Welcomes the introduction of a roaming-free zone in the entire Western Balkans as of 1 July 2021, improving connectivity and bringing benefits to citizens and businesses in the region; urges the Council and the Commission to work with the Serbian authorities and the other five Western Balkan states for the introduction of roaming-free zone between the Western Balkans and the European Union;

2022/04/29
Committee: AFET

2021/2162(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas due to its overarching nature, the Financial Regulation should be revised in order to take into account the security interests of the EU (such as key infrastructure and telecommunications projects) enlarging the eligibility to participate and to receive EU funding;

2021/10/06
Committee: BUDG CONT

2021/2162(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes that the Commission’s Vademecum on public procurement was last updated in January 2020; notes that the current definition of ‘professional conflict of interest’ is limited to a conflicting interest that affects the capacity of an economic operator to perform a contract; calls on the Commission to provide for a more explicit definition and to ensure that its implementation rules on public procurement do not permit the awarding of policy-related service contracts to undertakings that are under the economic control of a parent company or a group that owns shares related to activities that are not in line with the EU’s environmental, social and Green Deal objectives; notes that that the Financial Regulation should take into account the autonomous strategic interest of the EU including the necessity to have fair competition and a level-playing field among bidders, and also to foster EU jobs in a range of industries that are key to achieve Europe’s future policy objectives;

2021/10/06
Committee: BUDG CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the alignment of Union development cooperation with partner countries’ own development priorities ~~should always be fully respected and~~ is a key element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (‘2030 Agenda’);

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas policy coherence and complementarity of various external policies should be carefully looked at, especially when several policies are being implemented in a single partner country, with a view to promoting cooperation between the public and private sectors, encouraging synergies and trade-offs between existing policies~~, avoiding the possible damaging consequence of having one single Union policy on an area otherwise dealt with by another policy~~ and avoiding unnecessary administrative burden as much as possible;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Is concerned that the estimated level of error surpassed the materiality threshold, with 3,8 % of expenditure affected for the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh EDFs (compared to 3,5 % in 2019, 5,2 % for 2018, 4,5 % in 2017, 3,3 % in 2016, 3,8 % in both 2014 and 2015, 3,4 % in 2013 and 3 % in 2012); notes that, compared to the financial year 2019, the increase of the estimated error rate is ~~relatively insignificant~~0,3%; points out, nevertheless, that it is necessary to address the causes of ~~such an~~this increase, while taking into account the specific circumstances of the 2020 discharge exercise;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not possible for the Court to carry out on-the-spot visits to EU delegations, thus preventing it from carrying out certain audit procedures, in particular verifying contract implementation for the transactions selected, and therefore the Court’s audit work was mainly limited to desk reviews of transactions and projects by means of remotely connecting with auditees; notes, nevertheless that desk reviews are a predominantly common tool when carrying out an audit procedure and evaluating data; invites ECA to resume the on-the-spot visits as soon as possible once the COVID-19 situation would allow so;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Monika HOHLMEIER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission, following several ~~formal and informal~~ exchanges of views, the hearing debate held in Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control and the Commission’s replies to written questions, to take appropriate and effective steps to assure that the Court will receive adequate access to all necessary information in order to be able to appropriately check the legality and regularity of Union budget expenditure~~, as required by primary and secondary law~~; notes, that the limited access might be a result of diverging interpretation of the legal requirements;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Considers that monitoring activities will be more effective if Commission intelligence is regularly published and shared with the discharge authority in advance so long as such reporting is in compliance with applicable legislation;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Notes that the Court found that the Commission and its implementing partners in 2020 committed more errors in transactions relating to grants and to contribution and delegation agreements with international organisations ~~and delegation agreements with Member States’ cooperation agencies~~ than they did with other forms of support, such as those covering works, supply and service contracts (as had happened in 2019); notes that of the 67 (65 in 2019) transactions of that type examined by the Court, 27 (38 transactions (40,3 %) compared to 25 transactions (38 %) in 2019) contained quantifiable errors, which accounted for 94,2 % of the estimated level of error (71,7 % in 2019); calls on the Commission to publish comprehensive, updated and detailed information regarding funded projects and recipients, to enhance its risk- based approach and to invest control capacity in areas that are more error prone;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Calls on the Commission to proceed with a pre-established format for communication between partner countries, EDF beneficiaries and the Union with a view to reducing the errors found by the Court;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Is worried about, notwithstanding the positive analysis by DG INTPA in its Annual Activity Report on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for 2020 (14 KPIs scoring better than in 2019), the Court’s observation, as in previous years, that the frequency of identified errors, including some contained in final claims which had been subject to ex-ante ~~external audit~~checks and expenditure verifications, still points to weaknesses in those checks; reiterates its expectation that the control system be more rigorous and calls on DG INTPA to continue efforts to improve the assessment of both the effectiveness and efficiency of its control system by identifying KPIs for both, by setting realistic and ambitious targets and by monitoring and improving its control system; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to set up a platform covering EDF-funded projects by country, focusing on the final recipients, general and specific project goals and, above all, their practical results in terms of the desired increase in development indices; suggests that developing such an integrated, interoperable information and monitoring platform would increase control reliability and would contribute to enhanced effectiveness and visibility of EU development aid; in this regard, invites the Commission to consider also launching a dialogue with the beneficiary countries with reference to a possible use of a single risk-scoring tool in the future;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Notes that DG INTPA’s ninth residual error rate (RER) study, carried out by an external contractor on its behalf in 2020, estimated the overall RER to be below the 2 % materiality threshold set by the Commission for the fifth year in a row (0,95 % in 2020~~, compared to 1,13 % in 2019);~~ ; 1,13% in 2019; 0,85% in 2018; 1,18% 2017; 1,67% 2016);19a _________________ 19a https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADoc uments/annualreports- 2020/annualreports-2020_EN.pdf para 32.

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Points out that, as in previous years, the Court considers that there are many factors contributing to the underestimation of the RER, as raised in 2019 discharge resolution, with the main limitations being the method for determining the RER and overreliance on previous control work carried out either directly by the Commission or by independent third parties (17 % share of full reliance and 37 % for partial reliance); supports the Court’s evaluation that ~~that~~ is contrary to the purpose of the RER study, which is to identify the errors that precisely evaded such checks;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Monika HOHLMEIER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Recalls that the Court’s recommendation to the Commission to issue reservations to all areas prone to having a high-level risk, regardless of their share of total expenditure and their financial impact was already included in the 2019 EDF annual report; regrets that the Commission does not accept the recommendation; highlights the fact that the Court is very clear and consistent in pointing out that by applying the de minimis rule, the Commission is reducing its ability to identify risks in its overall area of responsibility; considers that excluding areas because of their financial impact but still considered by DG INTPA itself as high risk is a very dangerous situation; strongly supports the Court in its recommendation and invites the Commission to revise its approach accordingly;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Is of the view that it is worth underlying that the regulatory framework governing the RER study and the contract between DG INTPA and the RER study contractor do not provide for any systemic approach for reporting on suspected fraud against the Union budget detected during its RER work; strongly supports the Court’s recommendation in that area ~~and~~; welcomes in this regard the Commission’s initiative to amend its RER Manual and Methodology by the end of 2021 taking, as much as possible, into account the remarks by the Court; notes that the new version will include an increase in the number of field visits, additional explanations on procurement checks and reliance on previous control work and the obligation to report to the Commission any suspected fraud against the EU budget detected during the work on the RER study; invites the Commission to report back to the discharge authority on the measures introduced in the RER methodology or in the terms of reference to formalise the communication of suspected fraud by the RER study contractor;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Notes with concern the Court’s statement about an unjustified absence of reservations in the 2020 annual activity report caused by the limitations of the RER study, on the one hand, and the conservation of the de minimis rule of less than 5 % of total payments with a financial impact of less than EUR 5 million, on the other hand; is worried that that evaluation may ~~lead to the possible non-reliability~~impact the effectiveness of DG INTPA’s annual activity report;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Stresses that the vast amount of resources allocated to respond to the urgent needs presented by the COVID-19 crisis, combined with ~~relaxed~~more flexible oversight and accountability measures, also creates ample opportunities for corruption to grow and thrive; recalls that not only is corruption detrimental to crisis response and recovery, but it undermines the achievement of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, in particular SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions, and has a negative impact on peace, security, the rule of law, gender equality, human rights and the environment; notes, moreover, that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, corruption risks demonstrated that efforts to combat and prevent corruption ~~were proving insuffici~~needed further enhancement; underlines the important role of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor's Office in fighting corruption and fraud, within the limits of their mandate;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

~~27. Invites the Commission to give preference to small local projects rather than focusing primarily on big projects with many intermediaries where fraud and corruption is more likely to happen;~~deleted

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Notes the actions undertaken by DG INTPA to mitigate the risks stemming from the use of exceptional financial or procurement procedures in the response to the COVID-19 crisis, in particular by means of budget support; notes, however, that the risk of corruption and fraud remained the highest perceived risk in all regions, even if a small decrease can be observed over time; acknowledges that, in certain situations, high risks can be accepted, as long as there are opportunities for engagement with authorities and concrete prospects for improvement, to the extent that risks can be mitigated and, in a fragile context, as long as the risks associated with non-intervention outweigh the risks of providing budget support; calls on DG INTPA to keep on monitoring the situation and pay particular attention to the most fragile countries; ~~expects to be updated~~invites the Commission to report back to the discharge authority on further developments;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Notes that in 2020 DG INTPA developed a new draft anti-fraud strategy, the adoption of which was delayed to 2021; notes, furthermore, that the anti-fraud strategy is based on the DG INTPA survey to assess risks and controls, a risk analysis to be linked to the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)2 , the new implementation modalities and the Commission’s anti-fraud strategy, adopted in 2019; emphasises also the role of the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) as an essential tool to sanction fraud and encourages further DG INTPA to make known the use of this system; _________________ 2 Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1).

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Notes that the regular monitoring of pillar assessment requirements and reports by the Commission ~~were disrupted due to~~has progressed despite the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and ~~the consequent need to postpone complement~~; calls on the Commission to continue the close monitoring of the pillary assessments ~~to the end of 2021; calls on the Commission to resume the pill~~and keep the discharge authority informed about the progress and the results also with views to the complementary assessment~~s as soon as practicable and keep the discharge authority informed about the progress and the results;~~ of all pillar assessed entities and the target to have them completed by the extended deadline end of 2021 due to the COVID- 19 outbreak;31a _________________ 31a https://ec.europa.eu/info/system/files/ann ual-activity-report-2020-international- partnerships-annexes_en.pdf p. 446-447.

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Expresses satisfaction that, as of the 2021-2027 MFF period, the EDFs, the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and other instruments with the NDICI-Global Europe have been incorporated into the Union general budget under heading 4 ‘Global Europe’, which accounts for 6,6 % or EUR 11,4 billion of the Union budget: of that amount, EUR 3 billion (26,7 %) is spent on DCI, EUR 2,7 billion (23,2 %) on the European Neighbourhood Instrument, EUR 1,9 billion (16,9 %) on the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance, EUR 1,9 billion (16,8 %) on humanitarian aid, and the rest on other actions and programmes; notes that certain implementation modalities and flexibility provisions of the EDF have been integrated into Regulation (EU) 2021/947; recalls that the budgetisation of the EDFs has been a long- standing demand of Parliament;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Underlines that such a new set-up entails new institutional responsibilities and tasks, in particular for Parliament as one arm of the budget authority for the annual budget; expects budgetary transparency, policy coherence and democratic accountability to benefit from those new arrangements; notes with satisfaction the increased role of the Parliament in the area of international partnerships under Global Europe including through the High-level geopolitical dialogue;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Notes that there is still a need for a more systematic approach to the communication of the Union’s ~~grant- funded activiti~~support to partners and efforts to tackle global challenges to enhance the Union’s visibility and to strengthen transparency, accountability and human rights due diligence along the chain of funding; calls on the Commission to introduce in framework agreements the obligation for the leading agency to ensure the visibility of the Union in multi-donor projects; calls on the Commission to carry out sample- based on-the-spot controls years after the completion of the co-financed projects to checknotes the importance of the Team Europe approach with regards to the effectiveness and visibility of EU’s assistance; calls on the Commission to redouble its efforts to ensure the continued impact of the EDF interventions and to take the necessary steps to ensure the long-term impact of its operations;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Notes with appreciation that in 2020 sub-Saharan Africa remains the largest recipient of budget support with a share of 38 % (36 % in 2019); observes, moreover, that lower-middle-income countries account for 52,4 % (47 % in 2019) of the total ongoing commitments; notes ~~with concern~~ that low-income countries account for 29,4 % of total commitments, confirming the decreasing trend noted in 2019 (32 % compared to 38 % in 2018); notes that, altogether, 47 % of the ongoing budget support programmes are being implemented in least-developed countries;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)

43 a. Notes that, in terms of relative contribution to the SDGs, budget support programmes strongly contribute to SDG 16 (peace, justice and governance), SDG 17 (partnerships), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 1 (no poverty); welcomes the strong multi-dimensional scope of budget support programmes and considers that they should support entrepreneurship and private initiative in order to leverage economic and social development as advocated in SDG 9 (build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation) and SDG 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development);

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44

44. Stresses that entrepreneurship plays an essential role in the fight against poverty; highlights the fact that providing business training can help small-scale entrepreneurs set up businesses and improve business practices; notes that, in order to improve the effectiveness of such programmes, such training should be complemented with customised support and follow-up services; recalls, in addition, t~~hat men and women entrepreneurs face inherently different constraints, including psychological and cultural factors, and that to truly empower women,~~o continue empowering both women and men, as well as the policies needed to address those ~~constraint~~relevant challenges;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. Reiterates its call on ~~DG INTPA to~~the Commission services to continue strictly assessing in its policy dialogue the risks related to corporate tax avoidance, tax evasion and illicit financial flows affecting, in particular, developing countries; encourages ~~DG INTPA~~the Commission to assess the fiscal impact and to help establish oriented investment objectives;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47

47. Considers that needs assessments in connection with NDICI-Global Europe programming should take into account countries’ debt situations and how those situations influence the possibility of pursuing the SDGs; stresses the need for crowding in private financing to achieve the SDGs and the need for donors to prioritise grant-based financing ~~as the default option~~, especially to the least developed countries, and ~~not favour blending, guarantees or any loans that could inc~~highlights the increased efforts to leverage EU funds with a view to providing more as~~e the burden of debt over grants;~~ sistance to partners including through blending and de- risking mechanisms; discourages the UnCommission and othe Member States to develop, as a first step, and in addition to its pledges on a debt moratorium, a new debt relief initiative regarding heavily indebted poor countries; calls, more broadly, for the creation of a multilateral debt workout mechanism to address both the impact of the crisis and the financing requirements of the 2030 Agendar European institutions from setting up new financial aid instruments and rather encourages them to assure greater visibility of the existent instruments in their respective area of operation and in the European Union and strengthening partner countries capacity to monitor and manage their debt;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50

50. Notes that the Commission considers the implementation of Team Europe’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as very effective, allowing the EDF resources available for 2020 to be fully executed; ~~is worried about~~notes the reduction of the number of visits to projects, which were replaced by remote audits due to the COVID-19 outbreak; considers that remote audits cannot compare to real on- the-spot checks and invites the Commission to resume visits as soon as possible taking on board the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the use of technologies and instruments to complement visits;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51

51. ~~Notes with concerns that, as of 12 November~~Acknowledges the overall positive impact of COVAX to ACP countries despite several implementation challenges and weaknesses throughout the process; notes that by mid-February 20212, COVID- 19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) has delivered o~~nly 476 697 161~~ver 1 billion doses to 144 countries, of which ~~160~~265 million doses were donations; notes that EU Members States have ~~provided 48~~shared 352 million doses~~; regrets that the impact of COVAX is pretty poor, having missed its own targets for 2021; call on the Commission to stop sending vaccines which are about to expire;~~ (by early February 2022); notes that the impact of COVAX is below its optimal performance with regards to its own targets for 202151a; _________________ 51a COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard, UNICEF Supply Division https://www.unicef.org/supply/covid-19- vaccine-market-dashboard

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54

54. Calls for close monitoring and thorough policy dialogue with partner countries regarding objectives, progress towards agreed results and performance indicators; calls once more on the Commission to better define and measure expected development impact and, especially, to improve the control mechanism with regard to the conduct of beneficiary countries in the areas of corruption, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and democracy; ~~remains deeply concerned about the use that could be made of Union budget support in recipient countries where there is no or only limited democratic control~~stresses the need to include the private sector in that strategic dialogue; notes the importance of democratic control over the use of Union budget support in recipient countries;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55

55. Reiterates its call on the Commission to carry out an evaluation on a country-by-country basis of the long-term on-going EDF-financed projects in order to demonstrate the true impact on the relevant country of decades-long Union investment and how it has effectively helped beneficiary countries’ economic, social and sustainable development; calls on the Commission to ~~limit~~take advantage orf t~~erminate the funding of ineffective projects~~he lessons learnt with projects that have not been implemented effectively or efficiently and to take decisive action in the future;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56

56. ~~Regrets the fact~~Notes that, as in 2019 report, the Court did not include the performance of the EDFs in Chapter 6, entitled ‘Global Europe’, of its report on the performance of the Union budget; ~~regrets, moreover~~notes, that the Court has not yet carried out a horizontal and detailed performance evaluation of the EDFs; ~~calls on the Court to resume that practice~~acknowledges that with the budgetisation of the EDF, the Court will be also auditing the new EDF as part of the long-term Union budget;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57

57. Takes notes of the EDFs’ contribution to DG INTPA objectives 14 (human development) and 12 (sustainable jobs); recalls that health, gender equality, education ~~and decent jobs should remain~~, employment and improving the living conditions are at the core of the Union’s external action, in particular for ~~the most~~ vulnerable, populations, including for migrants and for refugees; acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted societies in many ways, reversing the human development progress achieved in recent years, putting pressure on the ~~most~~ vulnerable populations, exacerbating inequalities and leading to limitations to the civil and democratic space in fragile democracies;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58

58. Notes that the Union’s development policy will be implemented via the NDICI, of which the EIB is a key implementer; expresses concern about the use of Union development funds for de- risking private investment given the lack of evidence as to its capacity to fulfil development objectives and provide additional development objectives, as recently reported in the final review of European Fund for Sustainable Development and in opinion No 7/2020 of the Court of 11 September 2020; stresses the need for donors to prioritise grant- based financing as the default option, especially to least-developed countries, in order to avoid increasing the debt burden;deleted

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61

61. Calls on the EIB to ~~fully~~continue supporting the ~~achieve~~fulfilment of the SDGs through its activities within the framework of specific mandates decided by the Council and Parliament;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62

62. ~~Considers the audit on~~Reflects on the accountability process where the Parliament is the discharge authority with the exception of the iInvestment fFacility ~~to be good practice in~~, which is managed by the EIB and is ther~~ms of cooperation and collaborative scrutiny between Parliament and the Court; regrets, however, that projects implemented~~ efore outside the scope of ECA’s audit62a; _________________ 62a See Articles 43, 48-50 and 58 of Council Regulation (EU) 2015/323 of 2 March 2015 on the fin and funds allocated to the OCTs are not covered by the audit; deplores the fact that the investment facility does not fall within the scope of the Court’s annual statement of assurance audit and is not subject to Parliament’s discharge procedure; cial regulation applicable to the 11th European Development Fund (OJ L 58, 3.3.2015, p. 17; In 2012, a tripartite agreement between the EIB, the Commission and the ECA (Article 134 of Council Regulation (EC) No 215/2008 of 18 February 2008 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the 10th EDF (OJ L 78, 19.3.2008, p. 1)) set out the rules for the audit of these operations by the ECA.

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63

63. Recalls that 2 EUTFs were created under the EDF, namely the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (the ‘EUTF for Africa’) and the European Union Trust Fund Bêkou for the Central African Republic (the ‘EUTF Bêkou’); recalls Parliament’s regular stance that the Commission ~~should~~ ensures that any trust fund established as a new development tool must always be in line with the Union’s overall strategy and development policy objectives, i.e. the reduction and in the long term eradication of poverty as enshrined in Article 208 TFEU, and must, in particular, ensure that ~~the security interests of European countries do not override the needs~~recipient countries receive support in tackling the root causes of irregular migration flows as security is essential for the stability of the recipient populations; ~~encourag~~notes ,the ~~Commission to reconsider financial aid to EUTF projects deflecting from that centreline;~~ proposal for the establishment under the CFSP of a European Peace Facility (EPF) for the financing of military and defence-related cooperation with third countries and IOs that will enhance the ability of the Union to respond more rapidly and effectively to security challenges together with the NDICI;63a _________________ 63a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/IDAN/2021/691520/IPOL_IDA(20 21)691520_EN.pdf p. 28.

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64

64. Notes that the EDFs’ contribution to address migration and forced displacement challenges has increased over recent years, either through projects directly funded by the EDFs or through EDF contributions to the EUTF for Africa; ~~notes that poverty generates several consequences, including an increase in migration, which represents an obstacle to development;~~ recalls the fact that the EUTF for Africa must address the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration by promoting resilience, economic ~~opportunities,~~and equal opportunities, security of populations and human and social development;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65

65. Notes that EDF contributions to the EUTFs increased from EUR 600 million in 2019 to EUR 800 million in 2020, with additional EDF funds to the EUTF for Africa used to address specific areas of concerns in the Sahel and Lake Chad and Horn of Africa regions, including security challenges, essential stabilisation efforts and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic; recalls ~~the fact that EUTF for Africa’s funding lines must not be used for security measures, which would jeopardise migrants’ rights; calls on the Commissi~~on the Commission to continue mon ito ~~put in place tangible guarantees that migration-related EUTF projects are not used by the implementing authorities to violate migrants’ basic human right~~ring migration-related EUTF projects and inform the discharge authority on their outcomes;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66

66. ~~Expresses concerns about~~Notes the financial contribution of the EDF to the EUTF Bêkou to support the Central African Republic’s exit from the COVID- 19 crisis and its reconstruction and development~~, due to the control exercised by mercenaries from~~; expresses concerns about the influence of the Wagner Group over the Central African Armed Forces; ~~echo~~notes the ~~concerns that mercenaries from the Wagner Group were commanding units that the Union had trained and notes the Commissi~~Commission's decision to temporarily suspend its military training mission due to concerns referring to activities of the Wagner Group; in this regard, notes, that in December 2021 the EU has decided to impose restrictive measures against the Wagner Group; welcomes EU’s strong de~~cision to temporarily suspend its military training mission;~~termination to stand up for its interests and values in its ~~worried by reports of systematic and serious human rights violations by the Wagner Group and~~neighbourhood and to take decisive action against threats to the international peace and security; calls on the Commission to ~~check~~monitor that no funds weare paid out directly or indirectly to ~~the Wagner Group~~Russian contractors or sub-contracts especially in view of the current war on Ukraine;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Monika HOHLMEIER, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67

67. Notes that the mid-term evaluation of the EUTF for Africa was concluded in 2020; notes the main findings of the evaluation report and expresses concerns about some of the critical aspects highlighted therein, namely the fact that despite significant resources allocated for addressing irregular migration, the most appropriate means for addressing it, which is the main objective of the EDFs, was not well defined, leading to a situation in which the EUTF for Africa has focused on migration to Europe rather than the broad migration and development agenda; is worried by one ofhose purpose is to provide with an objective assessment of the strategic approach and operationalisation of the EUTF from 2015 to 2019 was concluded in 2020; notes the main findings of the evaluation report~~, namely~~ that the EUTF for Africa, as a short-term instrument~~, is not an appropriate vehicl~~ has a too wide mandate for addressing the root causes of m~~ajor societal problems~~igration; notes the need to better address challenges related to intra-African migration that makes up almost 90% of migration flows in Africa; requests the Commission to continue responding to thatese concerns in the remaining implementation period, making sure to have more focused activities to eradicate poverty in line with the EDFs’ main objective and to work towards an approach limiting the dependencies on external intervention;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Angelika WINZIG, Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68

68. ~~Is also worried~~Notes that the EUTF for Africa has managed to make modest contributions to increased economic opportunities and employment; supports the recommendation, set out in the evaluation report, to request that Union support to economic opportunities and employment creation be integrated where possible with local labour market dynamics and actors; and also with private sector investment;68a _________________ 68a https://ec.europa.eu/info/system/files/ann ual-activity-report-2020-international- partnerships-annexes_en.pdf p.731.

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71

71. Expresses satisfaction that following the strong concerns expressed by Parliament on the use of forced labour via national service, the Commission has decided not to pay out the EUR 60 million tranches planned for 2020 for the project “Reconnecting Eritrea and Ethiopia through rehabilitation of the main arterial roads in Eritrea”, funded by the EUTF for Africa; welcomes the decision in May 2021 to fully de-commit the unused funds initially allocated to Eritrea, but regrets that the EUR 20 million paid in 2019 was already implemented and could not be recovered; calls on the Commission to avoid similar situations in the future and to learn lessons from that very unfortunate experienceWelcomes the decision by the Commission to de-commit funds originating from the EUTF for Africa that were initially allocated to Eritrea, in particular for the procurement for road renovation that used forced labour;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Monika HOHLMEIER, Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74

74. Is concerned by the Commission’s rejection of a recommendation of Parliament to include in the next annual activity report a structured assessment and evaluation of aid and reporting on the results and impact of the activities of the EDFs; notes that the Commission considers that the impact of the activities of the EDFs has already been assessed by means of the production and transmission to Parliament of the annual report on the implementation of the Union’s instruments for financing external actions, but recalls that part 1 of DG INTPA’s annual activity report does not distinguish between the activities of the general budget and the EDFs, making it difficult to evaluate the Commission’s statement that the EDFs have achieved important results in addressing poverty reduction; considers that to implement its role of discharge authority, Parliament needs all possible useful data to evaluate the EDFs and their impact; invites the Commission to revise its position and respond positively to Parliament’s specific request;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79

79. Notes ~~with concerns~~ that 73,3 % of the contracts with Member States were signed with only 2a few national development agencies (such as the French AFD ~~and the German GIZ~~); while recognising their expertise ~~of those 2 agencies, considers that~~, considers that more efforts for promoting also the vision of more national development agencies are necessary; Union development policy cannot be reduced to the vision of only 2two Member States; welcomes the efforts of the Commission in that regard, including the preparation of a study to understand the strength of each partner in the Members States in order to evaluate how they could better contribute in the future; asks the Commission to provide the discharge authority with that report as soon as it is available;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81

81. Notes that the report on the follow- up to the discharge for the financial year 2019 was duly published in July 2021; ~~regret~~notes the delayed transmission of the detailed replies to the specific requests made by Parliament in the discharge resolution but welcomes that, in an answer to the written questions, the Commission has agreed to provide an advance copy of the follow-up to the EDF discharge; recalls the importance of having detailed follow- up information in due time as a vital part of the discharge procedure;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2158(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82

82. ~~Regret~~Notes the lack of follow-up to some of Parliament’s requests during the 2019 discharge procedure and invites therefore the Commission to provide a more in-depth analysis of Parliament’s recommendations.;

2022/03/03
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that, at the end of 2020, Innovation and Networks Executive Agency under Horizon 2020 Transport had a portfolio of 291 ongoing R&I implementation activities in the transport area for EUR 1,9 billion; to contribute to the achievement of a resilient, environmentally friendly and affordable European transport system; calls for the creation of incentives for further massive investments in technological development for the Union to become a technological leader in the green and digital innovations in energy and related sectors, and propulsion technologies in transport, calls on the Commission to establish Union-level governance to provide for faster standardisation, harmonisation and investment into technological measures.

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Massimiliano SALINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Welcomes the progress of the Horizon Europe to prepare for the launch of new EU partnerships in areas such as clean hydrogen, batteries, clean aviation, rail, connected and automated mobility, zero-emission road and waterborne transport, in particular for the Work Programme 2021-2022;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Massimiliano SALINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Notes that in 2020, several Research and Innovation activities under Horizon 2020 took place to support innovation in smart and sustainable mobility and to advance the progress in digitalisation and automation of aviation and rail through the SESAR and Shift2Rail Joint Undertakings;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Notes with regret that current modal split of inland freight transport in EU is highly disproportional, e.g. 76.3 % for road freight transport, followed by rail and inland waterway transport (17.6 % and 6.1 % respectively); calls for further actions to create incentives and intensify investments in railway and inland waterway transport and its harmonisation and standardisation to achieve more competitive, climate-resilient and affordable transport system of the future;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the fact that, in 2020, the 2019 multi annual call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) was successfully completed, selecting 125 projects with an overall contribution of more than EUR 2 billion; notes that more than 90% of the CEF contribution was allocated to projects expected to address climate related objectives and in particular railway, inland waterways and maritime ports infrastructures and deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Massimiliano SALINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Is convinced that the work on the modernisation of the railway sector is contributing both to the objectives of A Europe fit for the digital age and of the European Green Deal; welcomes in this regard the fact that in 2020 twelve actions related to European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) were supported, under both the 2019 MAP call and the CEF Transport Blending Facility in order to improve interoperability, sustainability and security of railway transport; regrets however that currently roughly 30 national signalling systems exist across the Union; it is therefore necessary to foster the cooperation between European Commission, Member States, Infrastructure Managers and Railway Undertakings while improving funding opportunities to incentivise investments in ERTMS;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Regrets the low implementation rate of CEF during the 2014-2020 period: calls on Member States to significantly speed up investments to deliver the European Green Deal objectives, and on the Commission to step up its monitoring in view of the urgent need for infrastructure investment in order to facilitate a swift recovery from the Covid- 19 crisis; is concerned that a significant under- execution of payments for transport infrastructure financed by the Cohesion Fund contribution to CEF for 2021 is expected, and that implementation delays and decommitment of funds might occur;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the positive evaluation of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy progress and the agreement on the Streamlining Directive, which will play a key role in accelerating pre-identified cross-border projects on the core network; notes however that there are bottlenecks along the corridors where more focus is needed to guarantee connectivity and cohesion across the Union and the timely completion of the core network by 2030; is concerned that phased and new projects along the TEN-T network ~~are at risk due delays in~~such as Struma Motorway (Bulgaria), Albert Canal (Belgium), E75 railway line, Czyzew-Bialystok (Poland), the West Link - Kvarnberget railway tunnel (Sweden), Lefkosia South Orbital Motorway (Cyprus) are at risk due delays in the implementation of the 2014-2020 period and the adoption of partnership agreements and cohesion programmes for the 2021- 2027 period; commends the progress achieved by the Commission implementing the Action Plan on military mobility and defining the dual - military and the TEN-T - uses requirements, following the modification of the military requirements, agreed by the Member States;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Regrets that poor planning, diverging priorities and procedures of the Member States impact the pace of implementation of cross-border transport projects; calls, therefore for the fast adoption of the European Cross-Border Mechanism; calls also for initiation of a legislation to further reduce administrative burden and increase efficiency in transport services;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Is concerned that the price hike in construction and raw materials change the total budget for many projects and could lead to underbudgeting, missed milestones, impossible implementations and therefore undermines the TEN-T core network completion;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Massimiliano SALINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)

7 c. Welcomes the fact that EU reaffirms road safety policy as a long- term strategic goal of the Union and welcomes the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety in February 2020; points out that investments in existing infrastructure and the construction of new infrastructure are essential elements in improving road safety in different EU regions and therefore contribute to the goal of reducing deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Massimiliano SALINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic placed transport and tourism in Union under an unprecedented pressure and welcomes the Commission’s efforts to provide relief to the sectors and financing using the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives (CRII and CRII+), CEF, RRF, Cohesion Fund, InvestEU, ERDF; welcomes in this regard the Commission’s initiatives such as the green lanes to ensure that freight vehicles are moving freely across the Union, the temporary relief on airport slots and the platform Re-open EU; regrets however that the lack of coordination between the Member States and the individual measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 do not facilitate the recovery of transport and tourism sectors;

2021/11/29
Committee: TRAN

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Younous OMARJEE, Pascal ARIMONT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Asks the Commission to modify the spending rule N+3 years to the previous rule N+2 years in order to increase the budget execution and reduce the outstanding commitments~~Notes that the new Common Provisions Regulation allows for a more gradual transition of the decommitment rules for the current programming period 2021-2027 with regards to shared management funds; notes that the N+3 (2021-2026) and the N+2 (2027) combination would contribute to increase the budget execution and reduce the outstanding commitments; reminds that the Parliament has shown great support for this approach in plenary when voting on the agreement on the Common Provisions Regulation;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Younous OMARJEE, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Notes that the annual absorption rate for EFSI fFunds in 2020 was 15 %, which is the same as the final year of the previous 2007-2013 MFF but that the cumulative absorption rate is still only 55 %, which is 7 % lower than at the end of 2013. Notes that this implies that 45 % of the total commitments under the EFSI fFunds for the period 2014-2020 equal to EUR 209 billion has still not been paid out and constitutes the main part of the total outstanding commitments (RAL) of EUR 303 billion;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Younous OMARJEE, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Re~~gret~~minds that ~~for~~ the cCommon pProvisions rRegulation for the EFSI fFunds, was not subject to an impact assessment ~~was not carried out and~~, but each of the shared management funds covered by the Regulation is accompanied by its own impact assessment; notes that important evaluations of the CAP were not available before the impact assessment was made concerning the CAP reform;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69

69. Underlines th~~at specific instruments gave the Member States financial incentives to achieve results and~~e performance reserve that the new performance framework has foreseen which entails 6% of the resources to be frozen and consequently allocated on the basis of a performance review after the annual implementation report in 2019, to the programmes which have achieved their set milestones, so that Member States are incentivised to optimise their use of funding; regrets that according to recent data the Commission and the Member States were found to be only partially successful in ~~using these instruments to make~~making the financing of Cohesion policy more performance-based; is worried that the Member States were found to show very limited interest in using some of the new performance-based funding models, i.e. 'joint action plans' and 'financing not linked to costs'; encourages wider use of the simplified cost options which the ECA considers have the potential to reduce beneficiaries’ administrative burden and are considered less prone to error;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Younous OMARJEE, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 a (new)

69 a. Welcomes the contribution of cohesion policy to provide emergency support to Member States throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for a rapid redirection of the available 2014-2020 funding towards the most severely affected sectors while proposing considerable simplifications such as: extension of deadlines, accelerated payments and retroactive reimbursement of COVID-19 related expenditure and the use of the temporary increase of the EU co-financing rate to 100%; notes, in this regard, that flexibility and speed did not lead to increased risks for the EU budget and contributed to performance;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77 a (new)

77 a. Is concerned that the price hike in construction and raw materials change the total budget for many projects and could lead to under budgeting, missed milestones, impossible implementations and therefore undermines the TEN-T core network completion;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point e

e. ensure that the Member States take into account and promote the implementation of the partnership principle and of gender equality throughout the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all programmes as laid down in Regulation (EU) 1303/2013 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1060;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Younous OMARJEE, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point h

h. propose a legislative revision to ensure that the payment retention is adequately protected before it is released, to improve its audit work, audit documentation and review process, to strengthen the main elements of the regularity of information provided in the AARs, and to ensure that the College of Commissioners provide relevant and reliable information in the AMPR; notes that the Common Provisions Regulation for the 2021 - 2027 programming period contains an overhauled enabling conditions and performance framework, paired with a new approach in programming, monitoring and control; welcomes the performance-enhancing provisions such as the single audit principle that represents a risk-proportioned audit conditioned by collaboration with the EPPO, enhanced obligations on conflict of interest, the use of simplified cost options of financing not linked to costs; acknowledges that the newly-reformed system will reveal its advantages in the years to come; discourages therefore opening the texts of the agreement with regards to a legislative revision, unless that would be a necessary alignment with the upcoming revision of the Financial Regulation; notes that before the mid- term review such initiative would only negatively affect the performance of the funds;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point l

l. ensure that sufficient resources are available for Horizon Europe in order to launch new Union partnerships in areas such as clean hydrogen, batteries, clean aviation, rail, connected and automated mobility, zero-emission road and waterborne transport, in particular for the Work Programme 2021-2022 and welcomes the progress of Horizon Europe in this sense; stresses the need to support projects that contribute, in particular, to a future-proof, sustainable, smart and climate-friendly European transport network;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point l a (new)

l a. calls for further actions to create incentives and intensify investments in railway and inland waterway transport and its harmonisation and standardisation to achieve more competitive, climate-resilient and affordable transport system of the future; notes that such initiative will improve the monitoring of the spending in transport investments, enhance the implementation of funds and reduce potential error rates;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point n a (new)

n a. calls on the Commission to ensure the long-term and coherent planning of commitments and calls, as well as to enhance the link between funding and the achievement of projects' milestones in order to ensure the effective, efficient and timely completion of the core TEN-T networks;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2106(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Krzysztof HETMAN, Martina MICHELS, Younous OMARJEE, Pascal ARIMONT, Constanze KREHL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point n b (new)

n b. calls on the co-legislators to adopt the European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM) in order to tackle red tape in the next implementation period; recalls that the ECBM proposal would facilitate the implementation significantly and will reduce the risks of errors; calls, in this regard, on the Council to unblock the file as soon as possible; underlines that analyses and studies clearly show the negative consequences of not adopting the ECBM regulation; notes that the ECBM has the potential of increasing efficiency in transport services planning as diverging priorities and procedures of Member States impact the pace of implementation of cross-border transport projects;

2022/03/04
Committee: CONT

2021/2075(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that overconcentration of the population in certain urban areas has already led to repercussions such as congestion, the growing challenge of affordable housing, pollution, a deterioration in quality of life, urban sprawl, and a significant risk of poverty and social exclusion for certain segments of the population; Calls therefore for the acceleration in investments for sustainable public transport, for walking and cycling infrastructure and for the safety of road users and especially users with reduced mobility and other disabilities;

2021/10/11
Committee: REGI

2021/2075(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the importance of sustainable urban development, including sustainable public transport, for the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the Union and the quality of life of its citizens;

2021/10/11
Committee: REGI

2021/2075(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Magdalena ADAMOWICZ, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petar VITANOV, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that in line with its commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Union must prioritise circular economy frameworks, sustainable and affordable urban mobility, proper maintenance of existing infrastructure and rapid investment in ~~green~~ infrastructure and renewable energy in cities, and respect for the ‘do not harm’ principle;

2021/10/11
Committee: REGI

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Markus FERBER, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Benoît LUTGEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the Green Deal outlines that the transport sector needs to cut at least 90 % of its emissions by 2050, while at the same time transport needs to be kept affordable and the industry competitive at least at current levels;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the results of the assessment of the impact of a provision in the context of Mobility Package I, published on 18 February 2021 by the European Commission show that the provision of regular return of the vehicle to the Member State of establishment every eight weeks will result in up to 2,9 million tonnes of additional CO2 emissions in 2023, representing an increase of 4,6% on the international road freight emissions in 2023.1а _________________ 1аAssessment of the impact of a provision in the context of the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 Final Report, Study contract no. MOVE/C1/SER/2050-557/SI2.830443 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/b35587b8-72a1-11eb- 9ac9-01aa75ed71a1

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Tom BERENDSEN, Henna VIRKKUNEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the White Paper ‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area’ identified the main ~~shortcomi~~challenges of mobility in the Union already in 2011, most of which are still present today;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Henna VIRKKUNEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the Commission ~~report on the application of Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative infrastructure identified shortcomings that could undermine the overall uptake of zero-emission vehicles~~need to come forward with an impact assessment and corresponding policy proposals which enables the European Parliament and the Council to choose the most suitable way to reduce CO2 emissions under the precondition that transport needs to stay as affordable as it is today;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Tom BERENDSEN, Massimiliano SALINI, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Benoît LUTGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the Commission’s sustainable and smart mobility strategy and supports its ambition to achieve a climate- neutral, digitalised, competitive, affordable, resilient, reliable, and efficient transport sector;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Tom BERENDSEN, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Benoît LUTGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the sustainable and smart mobility transformation through the Next Generation EU recovery package by investing in research, rail infrastructure and by supporting European based production facilities for alternative fuels;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Tom BERENDSEN, Henna VIRKKUNEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission to provide incentives for, and support research into and the development of alternative propulsion systems ~~that use direct electricity or fuel cells in the maritime and aviation sect~~in all modes of transporst;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Tom BERENDSEN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Benoît LUTGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Underlines that rail has the biggest potential to realise efficiency gain, recalls that policy actions should be prioritised which increase capacity, reliability, availability and seamless cross border operations of rail freight across the Union;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Magdalena ADAMOWICZ, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Petar VITANOV, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Taking into account the objectives of the European Green Deal and the increase of 4,6 % on the international road freight emissions in 2023 that the Mobility Package I provision of the compulsory return of the vehicle to the Member State of establishment every eight weeks will generate, stresses the need to renew the debate in the Council and in the European Parliament; calls therefore on the Commission to find proper solutions in order to prevent the application of this provision in February 20221a. _________________ 1aAssessment of the impact of a provision in the context of the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 and Regulation (EC) No1072/2009Final Report, Study contract no. MOVE/C1/SER/2050-557/SI2.830443 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/b35587b8-72a1-11eb- 9ac9-01aa75ed71a1

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Tom BERENDSEN, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Benoît LUTGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Highlights that ~~all means of~~ digitalisation ~~should be used to~~improves efficiency which decreases greenhouse gas emissions ~~and increase transport safety; believes that it is of vital importance to ensure that every step of digitalisation contributes to a lower overall transport volum~~, while at the same time transport becomes safer, more reliable and affordable;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2046(INI)

Barbara THALER, Massimiliano SALINI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Jörgen WARBORN, Markus FERBER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Tom BERENDSEN, Henna VIRKKUNEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Stresses that the shift towards sustainable and smart mobility can create new high-quality jobs; believes that possible negative consequences that this shift may have for workers should be mitigated via social funding and a specific strategy for re- and upskilling as well as the redeployment of workers, thereby ensuring a just transitionmust not lead to a redeployment of jobs and factories into third countries;

2021/05/27
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Benoît LUTGEN, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the safety behaviour of road users (such as speed, use of protective equipment like seatbelts and crash helmets, driving without alcohol and other drugs, driving, riding and walking without distraction) and its enforcement is a key in the prevention and mitigation of fatal road accidents;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Benoît LUTGEN, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission to explore in close cooperation with the European Investment Bank ways to facilitate public authorities' access to appropriate financial support for improving of road safety issues such as safer and cleaner transport facilities and safer fleets;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to prioritise investments with the greatest benefit in terms of road safety, including investments in maintaining existing infrastructure and in the construction of new infrastructure; calls on Member States to acknowledge the importance of shifting transport modes to walking, cycling, and public transport as an important tool to reduce danger on the roads; welcomes, in this regard, the launch of the Safer Transport Platform initiative and calls on all interested parties to consider its use which explicitly calls for improved facilities for sustainable transport;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Benoît LUTGEN, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Commission to encourage the use of EU financial support from the European Structural and Investment Funds for road safety upgrades of infrastructure, especially in Member States with comparatively poor road safety performance, and encourage the use of the Connecting Europe Facility for this matter; Underlines that in the long term, it is important to provide stability and coherence in funding solutions for infrastructure upgrades, other road safety actions as well as capacity building;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Benoît LUTGEN, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights that a proactive assessment of the EU road network will be a useful tool to assess the in-built safety of roads and to target investment; welcomes, in this regard, the risk mapping and safety rating of motorways and primary roads introduced in the recently revised EU infrastructure safety rules4 and calls on the Member States to designate as many primary roads in their territory as possible to increase the road safety potential of the new directive; calls on the Commission and the Member States to agree as soon as possible on a methodology to carry out systematic network-wide road assessments including elements important for safety of active roads users, as mandated in the revision of the above- mentioned act; cCalls on the Commission and the Member States to speed up the work on the specifications at EU level for the performance of road signs and markings in order to prepare the way for a higher level of automation in vehicles and on quality requirements for walking and cycling infrastructure in order to address the insufficient level of safety of active road users; _________________ 4Directive (EU) 2019/1936 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 amending Directive 2008/96/EC on road infrastructure safety management, OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 1.

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Stresses that more efforts are needed in order to prevent odometer fraud, ensuring the quality and safety of second-hand vehicles; therefore, invites the Member States to make use of the odometer reading exchange system developed by DG MOVE as a result of a pilot project proposed by the European parliament (OREL - European system for limiting odometer fraud: fast-track to roadworthiness in the EU)1a _________________ 1ahttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:3201 9B0333&from=EN

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Recalls that the Driving Licence Directive established a harmonised EU licence model and introduced minimum requirements for obtaining licences; notes that the directive will need to be kept up- to-date regarding new technological developments in vehicle and infrastructure technology and vehicle automation; calls on the Commission to consider introducing a graduated licencing system that encourages novice drivers to gain more experience while limiting certain high-risk activities such as driving at night and with passengers; calls on the Commission to develop minimum standards for driver training and traffic safety education with gradual alignment in the form, content and outcomes of driving courses across the EU, and to consider the inclusion in the upcoming revision of the Driving Licence Directive of the Goals for Driver Education (GDE) matrix which has three categories: knowledge and skill, risk increasing aspects and self-assessment; notes with concern that cases of irregular issuing of driving licences have been reported in several Member States and calls on the Commission to monitor this issue;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Benoît LUTGEN, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)

14 c. Underlines that, road safety education helps in laying the groundwork for the realisation of Vision Zero and the Safe System approach, as it prepares young people to navigate the streets safely when they are young adults, the high-risk age group between 18 and 30years old. Calls upon the EC to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) on the provision of traffic safety and mobility education in EU Member States, and to develop EU tools to design, implement and evaluate traffic safety and mobility education. Encourages all EU Member States to ensure the provision of high quality road safety education that starts at school and which is part of a continuum of lifelong learning;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Benoît LUTGEN, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Stresses that poor enforcement of road traffic rules undermines efforts to achieve Vision Zero; encourages the Member States to set annual targets for enforcement and compliance in their road safety plans and to ensure their adequate funding; underlines that only well- explained and well-publicised consistent enforcement activities can have a long- lasting effect on driving behaviour; notes that efficiency is further enhanced if the handling of fines for detected violations is largely automated;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Andrey NOVAKOV, Benoît LUTGEN, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Stresses that the correct and complete collection of data by the Member States in cooperation with international road safety organizations and their thorough analysis based on international experience will help accelerate improvements in road safety as well as the modernization of the provisions of the Road Traffic Codes in the Member States;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Benoît LUTGEN, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Encourages Member States to continue developing measures to ensure post-collision care, early rehabilitation and social reintegration of road traffic accident victims, in cooperation with the relevant public policy stakeholders, in particular with those representing road traffic victims;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/2014(INI)

Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Markus FERBER, Benoît LUTGEN, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Calls on the Commission to cooperate with Member States and other key stakeholders on developing a Europe- wide road safety culture;

2021/04/20
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Radan KANEV

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45 a (new)

(45a) In view of deploying more sustainable modes of transport through the expansion of EU's inland waterways network, the Commission should conduct a feasibility study in order to assess the construction and the inclusion of the Ruse-Razgrad-Shumen-Provadia-Devnya- Varna stretch to the corridor Rhine- Danube.

2022/11/16
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 50 a (new)

(50a) The cases of extremely long border waiting times for road freight transport cause the disruption of urban mobility systems and all types of transport. Such occurrences negatively affecting border towns and areas and has direct impact on air quality and noise pollution while deteriorating health of European citizens, increasing the risk of road accidents, damaging the infrastructure, leading to poor working conditions for heavy duty vehicles' drivers and undermining fair business conditions.

2022/11/16
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)

(da) significant reduction of border waiting times for road freight transport through the introduction of an EU-wide standard of an average 1-minute for processing and controls of heavy-duty vehicles at EU borders;

2022/11/16
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)

(aa) The Commission shall complete a study on connecting all Union Capitals, chosen major cities and metropolitan areas with a railway high speed line network. The study shall be developed in cooperation with the Member States which will consult with stakeholders, and especially railway infrastructure managers. The study shall identify the financial instruments to finance the construction of the network. The conclusions of the study shall become the basis for the Member States to develop a European high-speed network.

2022/11/16
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Jörgen WARBORN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. The trackside and on board deployment of ERTMS should be facilitated by adequate funding, including EU financing.

2022/11/17
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Karlo RESSLER, Sunčana GLAVAK, Tomislav SOKOL, Željana ZOVKO

Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 - Part 18/23 and Part 19/23

Add the following to the extended core network: - Zagreb (HR) - Maribor (SI) - Graz (AT) rail freight/passenger line (conventional/new construction)

2023/01/25
Committee: TRAN

2021/0420(COD)

Proposal for a directive
Recital 41 a (new)

(41a) Low-carbon liquid fuels have a significant potential to enable the reduction of pollutant and CO2 emissions from new vehicles and the existing fleet. Directive 98/70/EC has not been updated since 2009 and in light of the introduction of new Euro 7/VII emission standards, Directive 98/70/EC needs to be revised as well.

2022/03/22
Committee: TRAN

2021/0218(COD)

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point c

Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 2 – point 36a (new)

(36a) ‘renewable hydrogen’ means hydrogen produced from bio feedstock compatible with the sustainability criteria of Art. 29;

2022/03/22
Committee: TRAN

2021/0218(COD)

Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Jörgen WARBORN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus PIEPER

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 16 – point b

Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 27 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point d

(d) the greenhouse gas intensity reduction from the use of renewable energy is determined by dividing the greenhouse gas emissions saving from the use of biofuels, biogas. renewable fuels of non- biological origin and renewable electricity supplied to all transport modes by the baseline.

2022/03/22
Committee: TRAN

2021/0218(COD)

Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Jörgen WARBORN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Vlad GHEORGHE

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 19

Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 29a – paragraph 3

3. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 35 to supplement this Directive by specifying the methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels. The delegated act based on this article shall be published by December 31, 2022. The methodology shall ensure that credit for avoided emissions is not given for CO2 the capture of which has already received an emission credit under other provisions of law.;

2022/03/22
Committee: TRAN

2021/0218(COD)

Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Jörgen WARBORN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus PIEPER

Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)

(1a) At the latest in 2024, the European Commission shall adopt a proposal to amend Directive 98/70/EC with the aim to improve the quality of motor fuels specified in Annexes I and II of this Directive.

2022/03/22
Committee: TRAN

2021/0218(COD)

Barbara THALER, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Jörgen WARBORN, Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Markus PIEPER

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 17 a (new)

(17a) To avoid the negative impacts in terms of emission reduction and competitiveness of a regional measures, Directive 2003/87/EC should find solutions to limit the risk of carbon leakage linked to rerouting and evasion calls, as well as recognise and mitigate the possible negative impacts of such a regional system on the competitiveness and connectivity of ports in Europe, as well as the possible negative impact on the modal split.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Franc BOGOVIČ, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 10

In ~~[the year following entry into force of this amendment]~~2029, the Union-wide quantity of allowances shall be deincreased by [~~-- million allowances (to be determined depending on year of entry into force)]. In the same year, the Union-wide quantity of allowances shall be increased by 79 million~~number corresponding to scope of application to maritime transport activities as set out in Article 3g of Directive 2003/87/EC] allowances for maritime transport. Starting in [the year following entry into force of this amendment], the linear factor shall be ~~4,2 %~~[XX] %, calculated to reduce the overall cap in view of reaching the 2030 target. The Commission shall publish the Union- wide quantity of allowances within 3 months of [date of entry into force of the amendment to be inserted].;

2022/02/04
Committee: ITRE

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Franc BOGOVIČ, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11 – point a

Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4

In addition, ~~2,5~~4 % of the total quantity of allowances between [year following the entry into force of the Directive] and 2030 and equivalent of 1.5% of the total quantity of allowances from the amount above 400million allowances set aside in Market Stability Reserve for the purpose of Modernisation Fund shall be auctioned for the Modernisation Fund. The beneficiary Member States for this amount of allowances shall be the Member States with a GDP per capita at market prices below 65 % of the Union average during the period 2016 to 2018. The funds corresponding to this quantity of allowances shall be distributed in accordance with Part B of Annex IIb. In addition, the equivalent of 1.5% of the total quantity of allowances between... [year following the entry into force of the Directive] and 2030 from the amount above 400million allowances set aside in Market Stability Reserve for the purpose of Innovation Fund shall be made available for the Innovation Fund established under Article 10a(8).

2022/02/08
Committee: ITRE

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 18

(18) The provisions of Directive 2003/87/EC as regards maritime transport activities should be kept under review in light of future international developments and efforts undertaken to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement, including the second global stocktake in 2028, and subsequent global stocktakes every five years thereafter, intended to inform successive nationally determined contributions. In particular, the Commission should report any time before the second global stocktake in 2028 - and therefore no later than by 30 September 2028 - to the European Parliament and to the Council on progress in the IMO negotiations concerning a global market- based measure. In its report, the Commission should analyse the International Maritime Organization instruments and, assess, as relevant, how to implement those instruments in Union law through a revision of Directive 2003/87/EC. In its report, the Commission should include proposals as appropriate. The Commission should maximise efforts with the view to establishing a global market-based measure in partnership with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in order to extend the scope of the EU ETS for maritime transport to one hundred percent (100 %) for the emissions from both ships performing voyages between ports under the jurisdictions of a Member States and ships performing voyages between ports under the jurisdiction of a Member States and third countries.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Recital 60 a (new)

(60 a) A holistic and science-based approach is key to achieving the 2030 GHG emission reduction target and the 2050 climate neutrality objective. All measures should be drafted based on a comprehensive impact assessments analysing this Directive together with the other legislative acts in line with the European Climate Law and their consequences for different sectors of the European economy. Consequently, by 31 December two years after the entry into force of this Directive, the Commission should conduct such a synergistic impact assessment on the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the measures, indicating, inter alia, total rise of costs, investment needs and total additional number of jobs lost or severely transformed before applying assumptions on potential new job creation.

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 23 a (new)

(23a) Special consideration should be given to promoting accessibility for the outermost regions of the Union. Therefore, a derogation from this Directive should be provided for emissions from maritime voyages to and from the outermost regions due to their dependency on maritime transport for territorial continuity, for import of raw materials, essential goods and other products, as well as for some exports.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Recital 67 a (new)

(67 a) Given that this Directive will generate additional compliance costs for affected sectors, compensatory actions need to be taken in order to prevent the total level of regulatory burdens from increasing. The Commission should therefore be obliged to present, before the entry into force of this Directive, proposals offsetting the regulatory burdens introduced by this Directive, through the revision or abolishment of provisions in other EU legislative acts that generate compliance costs in the affected sectors.

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 25 a (new)

(25a) To ensure that there is a level playing field for ships that navigate in ice conditions and other ships, a specific method should be applied to take into account additional emissions related to navigation in ice conditions and additional emissions of ice-classed ships when sailing in open water, while ensuring that emissions trading through the EU ETS continues to drive down emissions in the maritime sector. To that end, relevant provisions on the transfer, surrender and cancellation of allowances under Directive 2003/87/EC should be modified accordingly.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 33

(33) The scope of the Innovation Fund referred to in Article 10a(8) of Directive 2003/87/EC should be extended to support installation of non-break through technologies in industrial processes that have an enormous greenhouse gas-saving potential but are not market-ready as well as innovation in low-carbon technologies and processes that concern the consumption of fuels in the sectors of buildings ~~and road transport~~. In addition, the Innovation Fund should serve to support investments to decarbonise the maritime transport sector through research into breakthrough solutions, support for the deployment of innovative technologies, including investments in sustainable alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia that are produced from renewables, first industrial application, refuelling and recharging infrastructure in ports, including connection to electricity grid and other energy infrastructures, as well as zero- emission propulsion technologies like wind technologies. Considering that revenues generated from penalties raised in Regulation xxxx/xxxx [FuelEU Maritime]52 are allocated to the Innovation Fund as external assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(5) of the Financial Regulation, the Commission should ensure that due consideration is given to support ~~for~~ innovative projects aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of renewable and low carbon fuels in the maritime sector, as specified in Article 21(1) of Regulation xxxx/xxxx [FuelEU Maritime]. To ensure sufficient funding is available for innovation within this extended scope, the Innovation Fund should be supplemented with 50 million allowances, stemming partly from the allowances that could otherwise be auctioned, and partly from the allowances that could otherwise be allocated for free, in accordance with the current proportion of funding provided from each source to the Innovation Fund. To foster innovation in breakthrough technologies as soon as possible, the Commission should ensure that the financing made available through the Innovation Fund is ‘frontloaded’ during the first years of implementation of this Directive. _________________ 52[add ref to the FuelEU Maritime Regulation].

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11 – point b

3. Member States shall determine the use of revenues generated from the auctioning of allowances, except for the revenues established as own resources in accordance with Article 311(3) TFEU and entered in the Union budget and revenues transferred to Maritime Transition Fund in accordance with Article 3gd a (new). Member States shall use their revenues generated from the auctioning of allowances referred to in paragraph 2, with the exception of the revenues used for the compensation of indirect carbon costs referred to in Article 10a(6), for one or more of the following:

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11 – point b

Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – point f

(b a) in paragraph 3, point f is amended as follows: "(f) to encourage a shift to low- emission and public forms of transport;, including the development of passenger and freight rail transport."

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 38

(38) The scope of the Modernisation Fund should be aligned with the most recent climate objectives of the Union by requiring that investments are consistent with the objectives of the European Green Deal and Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, and ~~eliminat~~continuing the support to any investments related to ~~fossil fuel~~transitional fuels and technologies. In addition, the percentage of the Modernisation Fund that needs to be devoted to priority investments should be increased to 80 %; energy efficiency should be targeted as a priority area at the demand side; and support of households to address energy poverty, including in rural and remote areas, should be included within the scope of the priority investments.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Eva MAYDELL, Henna VIRKKUNEN, Franc BOGOVIČ, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14 – point b

Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 10 d – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)

(fa) investments in the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure

2022/02/08
Committee: ITRE

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 40

(40) Renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels can be important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors that are hard to decarbonise. Where recycled carbon fuels and renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origin are produced from captured carbon dioxide under an activity covered by this Directive, the emissions should be accounted under that activity, where the CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere. To ensure that renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions and to avoid double counting for fuels that do so, it is appropriate to explicitly extend the empowerment in Article 14(1) to the adoption by the Commission of implementing acts laying down the necessary adjustments for how and where to account for the eventual release of carbon dioxide and how to avoid double counting to ensure appropriate incentives are in place, for capturing the CO2, taking also into account the treatment of these fuels under Directive (EU) 2018/2001.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point c

Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2

Member States, administering Member States and administering authorities in respect of a shipping company shall ensure that allowances surrendered in accordance with the first subparagraph are subsequently cancelled.; To the extent that fewer allowances are surrendered compared to the verified emissions from maritime transport, once the difference between verified emissions and allowances surrendered has been established in respect of each year, a corresponding quantity of allowances shall be cancelled rather than auctioned pursuant to Article 10.

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Petri SARVAMAA, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point c

Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 a (new)

By 31 December 2025 [year previous to first reporting year referred to in Article 3ga] the Commission shall adopt a delegated act pursuant to Article 23 to supplement this Directive concerning the method for surrendering an adjusted number of allowances for ice-classed vessels, including the methodology for determining adjustments on the basis of technical characteristics that increase emissions of ice-classed ships during their navigation and the corresponding requirements for shipping companies intending to make use of such adjustments. To the extent that fewer allowances are surrendered compared to the verified emissions from maritime transport, once the difference between verified emissions and allowances surrendered has been established in respect of each year, a corresponding quantity of allowances shall be cancelled rather than auctioned pursuant to Article 10.

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 43

(43) The Communication of the Commission on Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition57 , underlined the particular challenge to reduce the emissions in ~~the sectors of road transport and building~~specific sectors. Therefore, the Commission announced ~~that~~ a further expansion of emissions trading ~~could include emissions from road transport and~~in order to cover emissions from buildings. Emissions trading for th~~ese two~~is new sectors would be established through separate but adjacent emissions trading. This would avoid any disturbance of the well-functioning emissions trading in the sectors of stationary installations and aviation. The new system is accompanied by complementary policies and measures safeguarding against undue price impacts, shaping expectations of market participants and aiming for a carbon price signal for the whole economy. Previous experience has shown that the development of the new market requires setting up an efficient monitoring, reporting and verification system. In view of ensuring synergies and coherence with the existing Union infrastructure for the EU ETS covering the emissions from stationary installations and aviation, it is appropriate to set up emissions trading for the ~~road transport and~~ buildings sectors via an amendment to Directive 2003/87/ЕC. _________________ 57 COM(2020)562 final.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 45

(45) Due to the very large number of small emitters in the sectors of buildings ~~and road transport~~, it is not possible to establish the point of regulation at the level of entities directly emitting greenhouse gases, as is the case for stationary installations and aviation. Therefore, for reasons of technical feasibility and administrative efficiency, it is more appropriate to establish the point of regulation further upstream in the supply chain. The act that triggers the compliance obligation under the new emissions trading should be the release for consumption of fuels which are used for combustion in the sectors of buildings ~~and road transport, including for combustion in road transport of greenhouse gases for geological storage~~. To avoid double coverage, the release for consumption of fuels which are used in other activities under Annex I to Directive 2003/87/EC should not be covered.

2022/02/22
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Petri SARVAMAA, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point -a

Regulation (EU) 2015/757
Article 6 – paragraph 4

~~4. T~~- a. Paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: "4. For shipping companies aiming to surrender fewer emission allowances on the basis of ships’ ice class or navigation in ice or both under Directive 2003/87/EC, the monitoring plan ~~may~~shall also contain information on the ice class of the ship and/or the procedures, responsibilities, formulae and data sources for determining and recording the distance travelled and the time spent at sea when navigating through ice."

2022/02/08
Committee: TRAN

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Recital 47

(47) The regulated entities falling within the scope of the emissions trading in the sectors of buildings ~~and road transport~~ should be subject to similar greenhouse gas emissions permit requirements as the operators of stationary installations. It is necessary to establish rules on permit applications, conditions for permit issuance, content, and review, and any changes related to the regulated entity. In order for the new system to start in an orderly manner, Member States should ensure that regulated entities falling within the scope of the new emissions trading have a valid permit as of the start of the system in 2025.

2022/02/24
Committee: ENVI

2021/0211(COD)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Massimiliano SALINI, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Franc BOGOVIČ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Andrey NOVAKOV, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR, Markus FERBER, Gheorghe FALCĂ

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point g

Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 10a – paragraph 8 – subparagraph 3

The Innovation Fund shall cover the sectors listed in Annex I and Annex III, including environmentally safe carbon capture and utilisation (“CCU”) that contributes substantially to mitigating climate change, as well as products and processes substituting carbon intensive ones produced in sectors listed in Annex I, and to help stimulate the construction and operation of projects aimed at the environmentally safe capture and geological storage (“CCS”) of CO2, as well as of innovative renewable energy and energy storage technologies; in geographically balanced locations. The Innovation Fund may also support break- through innovative technologies ~~and infrastructure to decarbonise the maritime sector and for the production of low- and zero-carbon fuels in aviation, rail and road transport~~, including for refuelling and recharging infrastructure in ports, connection to electricity grid and other energy infrastructure, and first industrial application to decarbonise the maritime sector and for the production of low- and zero-carbon fuels in aviation and road transport; further development of the railway system and local public transport addressing both the physical and digital infrastructure and fleets. Special attention shall be given to projects in sectors covered by the [CBAM regulation] to support innovation in low carbon technologies, CCU, CCS, renewable energy and energy storage, in a way that contributes to mitigating climate change.

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV

6. Notes that, on 31 December 2019, the establishment plan was 75,35 % executed, with 214 temporary agents appointed out of 284 temporary agents authorised under the Union budget (compared to 214 authorised posts in 2018); notes that, in addition, 72 contract agents and 9 seconded national experts worked for the Office in 2019; notes with satisfaction that the Office’s recruitment plan provides for a staff of 500 by 2020; welcomes that recruitment situation has significantly improved; stresses that the EASO must continue registering progress in recruitment;

2021/03/04
Committee: CONT

2020/2180(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Regrets EASO’s continued reliance on interim workers to compensate for the lack of deployed national experts; calls on Member States to comply with their obligations in regard to national experts since failure to do so compels the Agency to rely on external contractors;

2021/03/04
Committee: CONT

2020/2180(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Encourages the Office to continue promoting their work and activities to increase its public visibility;

2021/03/04
Committee: CONT

2020/2172(DEC)

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Ádám KÓSA, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Reminds the Agency to regularly review and update its performance measurement system and KPIs to ensure Agency’s efficient contribution and expertise at EU level; Encourages the Agency to carefully analyse the outcomes and use them to improve their strategy and activity planning;

2021/03/04
Committee: CONT

Andrey NOVAKOV, Andrey SLABAKOV

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3

(3) A fixed and unanimously accepted by the Member States long-term objective is crucial to contribute to economic and societal transformation, jobs, growth, and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to move in a fair and cost-effective manner towards the temperature goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change following the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the ‘Paris Agreement’).

2020/06/08
Committee: ENVI

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director-General of the Euratom Supply Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2087(DEC)

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year ~~2018 / Postpones its decision on approving the closure of the accounts of the Euratom Supply Agency for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2086(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European GNSS Agency for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency for the financial year 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year ~~2018 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes from the Court’s report that 3. in 2018 the Agency had financing agreements with cooperating countries for operational activities, representing 59 % of the Agency’s budget; notes the launch of a new simplified financing scheme based largely on unit costs for expenditure related to deployments of human resources, and, in late 2018, of a new ex-post control system covering all types of expenditure and also the modification of its system of ex-ante checks embedded in the financial circuits; highlights the Court’s emphasis that the reimbursement of equipment-related expenditure is still based on actual cost and that the project to move to unit-cost based reimbursements is still unsuccessful; furthermore, notes with concern the Court’s observation that since 2014 the proof of actual costs claimed by cooperating countries for equipment- related costs is still insufficient and that the Agency’s ex-ante verifications of these costs are ineffective if they are not substantiated by supporting documents; notes the absence of ex-post verifications on reimbursements by the Agency, further increasing the risk of unjustified cost reimbursements; encourages the Agency to work further with the cooperating countries on the development of a simplified and transparent financing scheme covering equipment-related costs;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes from the Court’s report that in 2018 the Agency had financing agreements with cooperating countries for operational activities, representing 59 % of the Agency’s budget; notes the launch of a new simplified financing scheme based largely on unit costs for expenditure related to deployments of human resources, and, in late 2018, of a new ex-post control system covering all types of expenditure and also the modification of its system of ex-ante checks embedded in the financial circuits; ~~highlights~~underlines with alarm the Court’s ~~emphasis~~finding that the reimbursement of equipment- related expenditure is still based on actual cost ~~and that the~~contrary to the Agency’s project to move to unit-cost based reimbursements ~~is still~~, which still proves to be unsuccessful; furthermore, notes with concern the Court’s observation that since 2014 the proof of actual costs claimed by cooperating countries for equipment- related costs is still insufficient and that the Agency’s ex-ante verifications of these costs are ineffective if they are not substantiated by supporting documents; ~~notes~~observes with concern the absence of ex- post verifications on reimbursements by the Agency, further increasing the risk of unjustified cost reimbursements; urges the Agency to put in place effective ex-post verifications on reimbursements as soon as possible;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes from the Court’s report that the Agency’s budget carry-overs to 2019 amounted to EUR 83 000 000 (29 %), slightly lower than in the previous year; notes that the rate of cancelled carry-overs to 2018 was EUR 11 000 000 (12 %), somewhat lower in relative terms than the previous year; notes that the main reasons for carry-overs and cancellations were the challenges with the staff establishment plan by number and profile of staff, the delay to the launch of the building project for the Agency’s new premises, the multi-annual nature of information and communications technology projects, and the overestimation of the scale and cost of activities from cooperating countries; notes the Agency’s reply that in 2018 operational expenditures were mainly in the form of grants, covering the operation cycle from February N to January N+1, as well as expenditures from contracts with payment in N+1; ~~calls on~~urges the Agency, together with cooperating countries, to strive for more precise costs estimates and budget forecasts;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that, following the management board’s approval of the reorganisation of the Agency structures in 2017 affecting the allocation of resources, an updated structure was adopted in 2018 and completed by new internal rules of procedure as well as by delegations and sub-delegations that were formalised by the decision of the executive director;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes with appreciation that the Agency participates actively in inter- institutional tenders led by other institutions, and that, in the procurement procedures of the maritime surveillance domain, the Agency seeks cooperation with Union agencies with similar activities and prepares the terms of reference accordingly; notes furthermore that in 2018 the Agency has handled its first Agency’s led inter-institutional tender procedure with the European Fisheries Control Agency; strongly encourages the Agency to actively seek further and broader cooperation with all of the Union agencies;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2083(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes with concern from the Court’s report that the Agency does not have a sensitive post policy that would identify sensitive functions, keep them updated and define appropriate measures to mitigate the risks of vested interests; ~~calls~~welcomes the reply onf the Agency ~~to adopt and implemen~~and its preparedness to adopt such a policy ~~to be in line with the Agency’s internal control standards~~as soon as feasible;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2081(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2081(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Railways Regulators for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2081(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Agency’s continued cooperation with the European Securities and Markets Authority in sharing accountancy services; further urges the Agency to explore possibilities of resources sharing on overlapping tasks among other agencies with similar activities; encourages the Agency to actively seek further and broader cooperation with all of the Union agencies; encourages the Agency to explore the possibility of staff sharing in certain non-expert, technical and administrative fields, with a special emphasis on development of collaboration with Paris-based Institute for Security Studies;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2080(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2080(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2079(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the Centre’s budget for the financial year 2018 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Centre for the financial year 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2079(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year ~~2018 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2079(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Not~~Welcomes that the Centre continues to share best practices and regularly works with other agencies, most notably the European Food Safety Authority, the European Medicines Agency and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction; acknowledges, furthermore, that the Centre participates in inter-institutional procurements organised by other agencies; strongly encourages the Centre to actively seek further and broader cooperation with all of the Union agencies;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2077(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2077(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2077(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with appreciation that the Agency shares resources on overlapping tasks with other Agencies, including notably the European Food Safety Agency, the European Training Foundation, the European Securities Market Authority, in the areas of surveys, e-learning, cloud and LinkedIn services and environment awareness training; strongly encourages the Agency to actively keep seeking further and broader cooperation with all of the Union agencies;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2077(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes with concern from the Court’s report that, for the procurement of data analytics services for a volume of up to 5 000 000 EUR, the Agency chose to use a framework contract with a single operator resulting from an open procedure published in the Official Journal of the Union; notes, however, that the terms used in the framework contract were not specific enough to allow a fair competition, because the requirements were not yet known at the time of the procurements procedure; recalls that, according to the Financial Regulation, in such circumstances, the contracting authority has to award a framework contract to multiple operators and a competitive procedure between the selected contractors has to be used for the specific purchases; takes notes on the Agency’s reply that it chose a single framework contract rather than a multiple framework contract which would have resulted in a change of contractor during the lifetime of the framework contract and would have had severe consequences in terms of coherence and timely completion; calls on the Agency to design framework contracts which allow fair competition and ensure value for money;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2077(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Notes, in light of comments and observations from the discharge authority related the use of some of the tools launched by the Commission aimed to introduce a single solution for the electronic exchange of information with third parties participating in public procurement procedures (e-procurement), that the Agency provides since January 2018 the possibility for all suppliers to electronically submit electronic invoices; ~~not~~welcomes, moreover, that by the end of 2018 more than 80% of invoices have been received electronically; however, notes that the processing of electronically received invoices and the encoding of the invoice data is done manually due to the fact that this is considered to be the most reasonable solution;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2076(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2076(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones the closure of the accounts of the European Maritime Safety Agency for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2076(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the Agency cooperates with the European Fisheries Control Agency and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency for what concerns the European coastguard function; further strongly encourages the Agency to seek further and broader cooperation with all of the Union agencies;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2076(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that, on 31 December 2018, the establishment plan was 97,21 % filled, with 210 Officials and Temporary Agents (TAs) appointed out of 212 Officials and TAs authorised under the Union budget (212 authorised posts in 2017); notes that in addition 30 Contract Agents and 17 Seconded National Experts have been working for the Agency in 2018; notes that, on 31 December 2018, the establishment plan was 97,21 % filled, with 209 Officials and Temporary Agents (TAs) appointed out of 215 Officials and TAs authorised under the Union budget (212 authorised posts in 2017); notes that in addition 30 Contract Agents and 17 Seconded National Experts have been working for the Agency in 2018; encourages the Agency to perform a research on the topic of sharing staff among other Union agencies, with a special emphasis on possibilities of further connection of administrative staff with other Lisbon-based Agencies, namely the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction;

2020/01/31
Committee: CONT

2019/2075(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Foundation’s agreements and annual action plans on cooperation in areas of policy overlap with the European Foundation for the Improvements of Living and Working Conditions and with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training; appreciates that the Foundation became the leader of the inter-Agency contract for the provision of benchmarked staff engagement surveys; commends this practice as an example worth following; strongly encourages the Foundation to actively seek further and broader cooperation with all of the Union agencies;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2074(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) discharge in respect of the implementation of Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Administrative Director of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Eurojust’s budget for the financial year 2018;

2020/02/04
Committee: CONT

2019/2074(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the closure of the accounts of Eurojust for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones the closure of the accounts of the Eurojust for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/04
Committee: CONT

2019/2074(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on Eurojust to look into the possibility of sharing resources for overlapping tasks among other agencies with similar activities; strongly encourages Eurojust to actively seek further and broader cooperation with other Union agencies;

2020/02/04
Committee: CONT

2019/2074(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that, following the Court’s suggestion of previous years, Eurojust has, since June 2019, been advertising vacancies on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office, making use of the capability to publish the titles of such vacancies in all the Union’s official languages with a link to the full text in the English language only; encourages Eurojust, in relation to lower-ranking staff, to consider the possibility of sharing staff and resources with other Union agencies;

2020/02/04
Committee: CONT

2019/2073(DEC)

Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1

1. Grants the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year ~~2018/ Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Medicines Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year~~ 2018;

2020/02/03
Committee: CONT

2019/2073(DEC)

14. Expects the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union in March 2019 not to have a direct impact on the 2020 budget, as the United Kingdom will contribute to, and participate in, the implementation of the budget; urges the Commission nonetheless to assess and prepare for all possible scenarios to ensure sound financial management of the Union budget and secure a contingency plan and defining clear commitments and outlying mechanisms, protecting the EU budget in the event United Kingdom does not contribute to, or participate in, the implementation of the 2020 EU budget;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/0101(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Table 1 – Policy objective 1 – row 001 – column 1

001 Investment in fixed assets in micro enterprises directly linked to research and innovation activities or linked to competitiveness

2018/10/30
Committee: REGI

2018/0196(COD)

002 Investment in fixed assets in small and medium-sized enterprises (including private research centres) directly linked to research and innovation activities or linked to competitiveness

2018/10/30
Committee: REGI

2018/0196(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Table 1 – Policy objective 1 – row 004 – column 1

004 Investment in intangible assets in micro enterprises directly linked to research and innovation activities or linked to competitiveness

2018/10/30
Committee: REGI

2018/0196(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Table 1 – Policy objective 1 – row 005 – column 1

005 Investment in intangible assets in small and medium-sized enterprises (including private research centres) directly linked to research and innovation activities or linked to competitiveness

2018/10/30
Committee: REGI

2018/0196(COD)

Jean ARTHUIS, Andrey NOVAKOV

Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Table 1 – Policy objective 2 – row 043

~~043~~ ~~Household waste management: 0% 0% mechanical biological treatment, thermal treatment~~ deleted

2018/10/30
Committee: REGI

2018/0191(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28

(28) The Programme should contribute to facilitating transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications, as well as the transfer of credits or units of learning outcomes, to foster quality assurance and to support validation of non-formal and informal learning, skills management and guidance. In particular, in the field of professional training, harmonising national systems should ensure, with regard to the awarding of qualifications, that competences and outcomes are validated and recognised in the context of intra-EU mobility and vis-à-vis third countries involved in the Erasmus programme. In this regard, the Programme should also provide support to contact points and networks at national and Union level that facilitate cross-European exchanges as well as the development of flexible learning pathways between different fields of education, training and youth and across formal and non-formal settings.

2018/10/04
Committee: BUDG

2018/0166R(APP)

Paragraph 14 – point ii a (new)

ii a. Increase the funding for digital infrastructure through the Connecting Europe Facility programme (CEF- Digital);

2018/10/18
Committee: BUDG

2018/0166R(APP)

Paragraph 14 – point iv a (new)

iv a. Increase the budget for the Digital Europe Programme;

2018/10/18
Committee: BUDG

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)

– having regard to the Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans COM(2018) 65 final,

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas in the 2007-2013 period, EUR 81 billion, or almost one third (31 %) of the ESIF Funds was invested in transport infrastructure,; wh~~ich had a clear impact on GDP, business creation, industry, employment, exports and tourism; wh~~ereas the strongest positive impact of EU transport infrastructure investment ~~was recorded~~is particularly visible in Eastern Europe and, more ~~particular~~specifically, in the new EU Member States, to which 69 % of the total transport funding was allocated;

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas success stories of road, rail and port projects backed by the EU budget contribute to economy, growth, industry, export, tourism, trade, creation of jobs, revival of regions and reversal of depopulation trends; whereas there are examples of EU added value such as: the modernisation of railway line E30/C-E30, Kraków – Rzeszow in Poland or Sofia- Plovdiv railway in Bulgaria; Leipzig City Rail Tunnel (Modules 5 and 6) in Germany or the track modernisation Votice to Benešov u Prahy in the Czech Republic; Reconstruction of Ülemiste Junction in Tallinn, Estonia or the rehabilitation of national road DN6Alexandria – Craiova in Romania; Madrid-Valencia-Murcia High Speed Rail in Spain or the completion of Trakia motorway from Sofia to the Black Sea port of Burgas; Budapest Metro Line 4 in Hungary or Sofia Metro Lines in Bulgaria and many others;

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the intervention logic behind EU transport infrastructure investment should remain a well-balanced construction of centrally managed and shared management sources in order to address policy and funding needs; recalls that the CEF aims to address centrally the EU-wide priority of core TEN-T corridors, including safety and environmental aspects; recalls also that the ERDF and CF have a strong regional dimension that responds to local demand (urban and peri- urban areas) and they support the connectivity to TEN-T and mobility through secondary and tertiary nodes and multimodal terminals (comprehensive TEN-T network); underlines, in this context, that the relevant budgetary envelopes for the three funding sources need to be strengthened in an even manner in order to avoid asymmetric distribution of investment between the levels; Calls on the Commission to facilitate simplified, timely and flexible procedure for transferability of resources between regions, operational programmes and programme axes under ESIF in order to adequately meet changing economic reality and regional demand.

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers that the role of additional sources such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) needs to be defined in view of their complementarity to the ERDF and CF and their additionality to EIB lending operations; notes that the 2017 CEF Transport Blending Call has also been designed to strengthen those synergies, but exchange of best practices between Member States and further support to capacity is needed; highlights in this regard that EFSI should serve as a platform for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in matching financial instruments to private investment and to national/regional financing at project level; notes that the support available through the EU guarantee should be provided to bankable infrastructure projects which would not otherwise be supported through the ERDF, CF or CEF;

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes, that sustainable innovations in transport require synergies and additionally between three main instruments - ESI Funds, CEF, Horizon 2020 and its successor;

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for ERDF support to European Territorial Cooperation to be strengthened through additional resources, and for the establishment of a dedicated priority axis for transport infrastructure investments (such as ports, bridges, railways etc.); understands that the focus should be on connectivity in cross-border regions, including EU external borders, as well as advisory assistance and capacity building at project level; calls for barriers to be dismantled in order to facilitate investments, and notably cross- border investments, in transport;

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2285(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Marc JOULAUD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls for closing the transport infrastructure gaps with the Western Balkans by focusing on further investment in connectivity and on tackling transport bottlenecks, especially in view of Commission’s communication on the European perspective for the Western Balkans; considers in this regard the importance of the European Territorial Cooperation and the macroregional strategies involving the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro;

2018/02/27
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas one of the key pieces of new information provided by the 7th Cohesion Report concerns the identification of certain areagions described as being caught in the ‘middle-income trap’, which risk being left behind;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph –1 (new)

-1. Stresses that EU-15 financial contribution to cohesion policy is offset by direct and indirect export benefits, direct capital benefits as well as positive externalities;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph –1 a (new)

-1a. Emphasises that cohesion policy brings economic benefits both to its recipients and to its main contributors across EU member states

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Marc JOULAUD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph –1 b (new)

-1b. Believes that cohesion policy is the glue that holds Europe together;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph –1 c (new)

-1c. Notes that the 7th Cohesion report clearly presents the outcome of cohesion policy in terms of growth, jobs, transport, energy, environment, education and training;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Jan OLBRYCHT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph –1 d (new)

-1d. Notes that both cohesion policy and Horizon 2020 are equally important and complementary in supporting research and innovation;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Jan OLBRYCHT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph –1 e (new)

-1e. Notes that cohesion policy played a substantial role in recovery of EU economy by mobilising economic activities during the crisis and therefore enabling all UE regions to meet difficult targets in all cross cutting policies;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Jan OLBRYCHT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that cohesion policy investments provide European added value by contributing to European public goods and to the Treaty objective of reducing disparities; emphasises the notable spill- over effects of ESI Funds investments across the Single Market;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that cohesion policy ~~investments~~ provides European added value by contributing to European public goods, to public and private investments and to the Treaty objective of reducing disparities;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3

The ‘middle-income ~~trap’: fostering resilience and preventing vulnerable territories from falling behind~~regions

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the Commission’s launch of a pilot projects such as the Vanguard Initiative to provide tailored support geared to the specific challenges facing regions in industrial transition; calls on the Commission to draw lessons from the pilot project as soon as possible, and believes that smart specialisation strategies ~~have the potential to offer better~~will support to these regions in their development strategies ~~and, more generally, promote~~with a differentiated implementation at regional level;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Stresses that social and fiscal convergence help to foster cohesion while improving the functioning of the single market; takes the view that divergent practices in this area may run counter to the objective of cohesion and are liable to cause further problems for territories which are lagging behind or are the most vulnerable to globalisation; considers that cohesion policy ~~could~~ contributes to the promotion of social and fiscal convergence by providing incentives; calls on the Commission to take ~~better~~the social dimension into account ofin th~~is aspect in~~e framework of the European Semester;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Stresses that employment, innovation, support for SMEs, climate change and the circular economy should be further strengthened as priority areas for cohesion policy in future;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14b. Regrets that the Commission did not come with more integrated evaluation of cross-cutting policies, and synergies between different European policies are not reported;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Supports a str~~Calls ong thematic concentration on a limited number of priorities linked to major European political objectives, leaving managing authorities the task of drawing up their territorial strategies on the basis of their needs; stresses that employment, innovation, support for SMEs, climate change and the circular economy should constitute priority areas for cohesion policy in future Commission for more flexibility in selection of priorities by Member States and the European region, advocates for bilateral partnership agreements with the Commission what will better respond to the territorial strategies and geographic specifies and needs;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Supports a strong thematic concentration on a limited number of priorities linked to major European political objectives, leaving managing authorities the task of drawing up their territorial strategies on the basis of their needs after inclusive consultation at local and regional levels; stresses that employment, innovation, support for SMEs, climate change and the circular economy should constitute priority areas for cohesion policy in future;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Welcomes the adoption of the European Pillar for Social Rights, which represents a step forward in building a social Europe; reiterates its commitment to the ESF as a strong integrated part of the ESI funds, the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative in view of their role in meeting the challenges of employment, social inclusion, learning and vocational training;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI, Jan OLBRYCHT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Emphasises that future cohesion policy should focus more on protecting and supporting communities and territories adversely affected by globalisation (plant relocations, job losses); calls for ~~the scope for~~ coordination between the Structural Funds and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund ~~to be explored~~in the special cases;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Calls on the Commission and the Council to facilitate a timely start of the next programming period in order to prevent late payments and decommitments which hamper positive results of cohesion policy;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19b. Emphasises the importance of keeping same categories of regions, namely less developed, transition and more developed regions in the future programming framework to enable comparative studies on the impact of cohesion policy post 2020;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses that the 7th Cohesion Report highlights the need to take account of indicators complementary to per capita GDP for the purpose of allocating funds, in line with the challenges and needs identified, including at sub-regional level; considers that a non-exhaustive set of complementary indicators such as social progress index, poverty, demography and infrastructure quality are suitable in the process of programming the funding and for indicating the share of EU funding in order to adequately reflect the needs of the EU regions; notes the importance of taking as a basis data which are of high quality, reliable and available; supports the use of social criteria, in particular the regional unemployment rate and the youth unemployment rate; invites the Commission to assess the possibility that the set of eligibility criteria are to be considered at the NUTS levels;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Jan OLBRYCHT, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Advocates st~~epping up~~ronger integrated approaches, and stresses that the ESF must remain an integral component of European regional policy, by virtue of its essential territorial dimension; in this respect stresses the importance of the second pillar of CAP in contribution to the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy by promoting sustainable rural development and rural municipalities;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls for the smart specialisation strategies to be ~~continu~~intensified, and acknowledges the importance of ex-ante conditionalities, which have proved their worth, but stresses that they have been a source of complexity and delays in the development and launching of programming; calls on the Commission to reduce the number of ex ante conditionalities and, in this field, to improve compliance with the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, making maximum use of existing strategic documents;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Notes that the quality of public administration is a decisive factor in regional growth and the effectiveness of ESI funds; emphasises the need to increase administrative capacities as well as to improve advisory assistance to authorities locally and capacity building at project level;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Emphasises the positive impact of the European Territorial Cooperation; calls on the Commission to encourage further focus on investment in infrastructure and business environment through the next generation of INTERREG;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the future JASPERS programme and to take into account recommendations of the European Court of Auditors by a) specifying the main objectives b) focus technical assistance on sectors and member states where administrative capacity is insufficient c) concentration on the substance rather than on project documentation d) providing the advisory services to the major projects e) mitigating the high risk of a lack of impartiality clarifying the roles of the main stakeholders;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls for a genuine single set of rules to be introduced for the ~~various funds~~ESI Funds, including establishment of common rules for instruments that contribute to the same thematic objective; considers it necessary to streamline ESI Funds procurement through a standardised pipeline and to accelerate state aid procedure for the projects where compliance is required; supports consistent treatment of European funds under direct management and cohesion funds where State aid is concerned and, more generally, harmonised rules for European instruments aimed at the same beneficiaries; stresses the importance of greater complementarity between cohesion policy and the future EU research programme, in order to cover the full cycle from basic research to commercial applications;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls for a genuine single set of rules to be introduced for the various funds; supports consistent treatment of European funds under direct management and cohesion funds where State aid is concerned and, more generally, harmonised rules for European instruments aimed at the same beneficiaries; stresses the importance of greater complementarity between cohesion policy and the future EU research programme, in order to cover the full cycle from basic research to commercial applications; considers that thematic concentration should be preserved in order to enable synergies between different funding sources at project level;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Calls on the Commission to facilitate simplified, timely and flexible procedure for transferability of resources between regions, operational programmes and programme axes in order to adequately meet changing global reality and regional demand;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35a. Reiterates importance of smart specialisation, both as an economic concept and a policy framework providing a novel avenue to pursue investment in longer-term growth potential in a context of rapid technological change and globalisation; stresses that technologies play an essential role in strengthening existing specialisations and revealing new economic opportunities in high-tech sectors, but also in traditional industries;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Is concerned at the Commission’s recent statements concerning the cuts to the cohesion policy budget that might be made under the next MFF and which would exclude certain regions from the scope of cohesion policy; wishes to see a budget commensurate with the challenges facing the regions, and calls for cohesion policy not to be made an adjustment variable; points out that the coverage of all EU regions is a ‘red line’ for the European Parliament; stresses that the theory of ‘economic development clubs’ confirms the importance of differentiated support for all European regions, including regions with a very high income, which must remain competitive with their global competitors;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Reiterates its commitment to long- term programming; considers that the ~~only viable alternative to the current period of seven years is an MFF period of 5+5 years, with a mid-term review~~next MFF should be set for a span of seven years (2021-2027), after which a transition to a 5 + 5 cycle with a mandatory mid-term revision is a viable option;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2279(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. ~~Reiterates its commitment to long- term programming; considers that the only viable alternative to the current period of seven years is an MFF per~~Calls on the Commission to elaborate a clear proposal setting out the methods for the practical implementatiodn of a 5+5 ~~years, with a mid-term review~~financial framework;

2018/02/28
Committee: REGI

2017/2225(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Believes it desirable that, post- 2020, Northern Ireland should be able to ~~continue to participate in the EU’s general cohesion fund~~take advantage of and to participate in specific EU programmes if possible, as that would benefit economic and social development, particularly in disadvantaged and rural areas;

2018/05/16
Committee: REGI

2017/2225(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Considers that, post-2020, EU- supported options to cross-border and inter- community ~~scheme~~goals should ~~be continued~~remain open for discussion; stresses that the ~~continuance~~achievements of the special EU cohesion programmes for Northern Ireland, namely the Northern Ireland Peace Programme and the Interreg programmes, are particularly important for the stability of the region; fears that an end to these programmes would endanger cross-border and inter-community trust- building activities and, as a consequence, the peace process;

2018/05/16
Committee: REGI

2017/2225(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that it is important that the EU should continue to reach out to both communities in Northern Ireland post-2020 by playing an active role in the administration of ~~cohesion and cross- community~~the available EU funding in Northern Ireland, thereby helping them to overcome their divisions; believes that funding should be maintained at its current level;

2018/05/16
Committee: REGI

2017/2190(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Regrets that many Member States lack the capacity to implement financial instruments, deploy PPPs and achieve synergies between various types of financing, which affects negatively the overall investment progress;

2018/02/07
Committee: CONT

2017/2190(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. BRegrets that the existing support services are not present locally to address capacity weaknesses; believes that adequate clarification or strategic guidance should be provided for local and regional actors, particularly with regard to the EFSI’s positioning and possible combination with other Union or EIB funds; points out that the EFSI should not be considered as merely another additional financial source, and that due care should be devoted to avoiding double targeting or double funding;

2018/02/07
Committee: CONT

2017/2190(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Recommends that annual reports indicate how the EIB integrated the recommendations made in European Parliament resolutions, which is a practice of accountability that should be formalised;

2018/02/07
Committee: CONT

2017/2190(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)

42 a. Stresses that the EIB needs to further develop its risk culture in order to improve its effectiveness and the complementarity between its interventions and various EU policies, especially in economically disadvantaged regions or regions that lack stability, in line with the recurrent and longstanding objective of easier access to financing for SMEs, but without compromising the principles of sound management;

2018/02/07
Committee: CONT

2017/2190(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)

50 a. Calls on the EIB, in regards to infrastructure operations within the EU, to invest significantly more resources for comprehensive advisory assistance to authorities locally and to smaller municipalities at an earlier stage in the identification and pre-assessment of projects;

2018/02/07
Committee: CONT

2017/2141(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Is concerned with the high amount of expenditure related to travel expenses and allowances of the Committee members; n~~Notes that the final appropriations for travel and subsistence allowances for members were EUR 19 561 194; calls on the Committee to provide a detailed breakdown of members’ expenditure, particularly those concerning item 1004, in its next annual activity report, and asks for the adoption of appropriate measures in order to make savings and reduce environmental pollution; urges the Committee members to ~~increase the~~assess the potential of wider use of videoconference and telepresence facilities, which may contribute to economic savings, such as on travel expenses;

2018/03/02
Committee: CONT

2017/2141(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Is of the opinion that a joint assessment of the budgetary savings resulting from the cooperation between the Committee and Parliament is of interest to both institutions and to the Union citizens; suggests that th~~e Committee propose that exercise to~~is exercise to be conducted jointly with the Parliament as part of the strategy to strengthen contacts between the two institutions; is aware that the Committee is building up a capacity in terms of policy assessment for accompanying its role in the legislative process as a consultative body; asks the Committee to submit to the discharge authority a detailed analysis of the functioning of those activities in its next annual activity report;

2018/03/02
Committee: CONT

2017/2141(DEC)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes with interest that the proportion of women holding middle management position in the Committee is above 40%; encourages the Committee to make additional efforts in order to achieve the same results insofar as senior management positions are concerned and to do the necessary to ~~improve the still considerabl~~further reduce the geographic imbalance;

2018/03/02
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Wolf KLINZ, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. Whereas budgetary principles of unity, budgetary accuracy, annuality, equilibrium, universality, specification, sound financial management and transparency shall be respected when the Union budget is implemented;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission to include in its performance reports assessments on the quality of the data used and a declaration on the quality of the performance information;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to fulfil the original 20% spending target in integrating climate action into the various Union spending programmes;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Wolf KLINZ, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Welcomes the positive trend of the most likely error rate issued by the Court compared to that of recent years since the payments are affected in 2016 by a most likely error rate of 3.1%; recalls that the most likely error rate for payments was estimated in the financial years 2015 at 3.8%, 2014 at 4,4%, 2013 at 4.7%, 2012 at 4.8%, 2011 at 3.9%, 2010 at 3.7%, 2009 at 3.3%; 2008% at 5.2%, and 2007 at 6.9%; as the Court's s estimated error rate is not final, considers it important that Commission´s residual error rate is taken into account when assessing efficiency of Union´s funding;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Wolf KLINZ, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that the estimated level of error for cohesion does not include a quantification of 2016 disbursements to financial instruments amounting to EUR 2.5 billion that the Court considers to be outside the eligibility period defined in Article 56(1) of Council Regulation EC 1083/2006; notes that those disbursements would represent an estimated level of error of 2.0% of overall expenditure; ~~points out~~notes that if the Court had quantified this flagrant irregularity, the most likely error rate would have been estimated at 5.1% (nearly the same level as for 2008); calls on the Court to take on board all the irregularities having a financial impact when determining the most likely error rate and the Commission to table the necessary legislative proposal to put an end to this irregularityseparately (box 1.2 of the 2016 annual report) as a one-off, ring-fenced observation related to the absence of a timely Commission legislative proposal; notes the Commission´s unilateral decision to accept expenditure up to 31 March 2017;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Wolf KLINZ, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Points out that the Court found the highest estimated levels of error in spending for economic, social and territorial cohesion (4.8. % ~~or 6.8% with the quantified irregularity concerning the financial instruments~~) and for competitiveness for growth and jobs (4.1 %), whilst administrative expenditure had the lowest estimated level of error (0.2 %);

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62

62. Notes that the programme statements for the EU’s 2017 draft general budget contain 294 objectives and 709 indicators, which are particularly highly concentrated under MFF headings 1a, 3, 4, and that through the ‘budget focused on results’ (BFOR) initiative, the Commission is currently undertaking a review of its indicators to provide input for the next generation of spending programmes; stresses that the Commission should use mainly results indicators that have performance relevant value;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Wolf KLINZ, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 123

123. Points out that the errors in cohesion contributed to 43% of the overall estimated level of error of 3,1%; notes that one of the reasons for the high error rate is the complexity of Union´ and Member States´ regulation;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 159

~~159. Calls on DG REGIO to keep the European parliament informed about future progress;~~deleted

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 160

160. Welcomes the fact that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has completed its administrative investigation into the Czech “stork nest” project; takes note that the OLAF case file has been publicised by the Czech media; regrets that OLAF found serious irregularities;deleted

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161

~~161. Calls on DG REGIO to recover the Union co-financing involved, i.e. EUR 1,67 million;~~deleted

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 162

~~162. Calls on the Czech authorities to take appropriate judicial follow-up action to the violation of Czech and European legal provisions;~~deleted

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 180 – point b

(b) management and control systems for 23 specific ESF operational programmes ~~in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom~~ for the 2007-2013 programming period; and

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 180 – point c

(c) management and control systems for 3 ESF or YEI and 1 FEAD operational programmes ~~in Bulgaria, Croatia, France and Italy~~ for the programming period 2014-2020;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 189 – point a

~~(a) DG REGIO to report back to Parliament’s responsible committee when the “stork nest” file has been clos~~deleted;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Wolf KLINZ, Nedzhmi ALI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 199

199. ~~Regret~~Asks that DG AGRI ~~has no~~to define~~d any~~ objective accompanied with indicators to reduce the income inequalities between farms in the next MFF;

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2136(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 211

211. Stresses that weaknesses were detected in particular in the management and control system ~~of Hungary (~~s in some Member States concerning late management declaration by the paying agency and deficiencies in greening payments~~), Bulgaria (concerning~~, greening and the organic status of farmers), ~~Pol~~and ~~(concerning greening payments) and Italy (concerning~~ deficiencies in correctly establishing the eligibility of land and an active farmer);

2018/03/01
Committee: CONT

2017/2053(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Emphasises the need of creating new genuine own resources system that will contribute to revenue sufficiency and stability, simplicity, transparency, fairness between Member States, equality among citizens, cost-effectiveness and EU financial autonomy;

2017/10/31
Committee: CONT

2017/2053(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on open debate for maintaining the level of payments for Cohesion policy and CAP in the next programming period taking into account the additionally and high value-added from those policies for the European stability, competitiveness and economic growth.

2017/10/31
Committee: CONT

2017/2053(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Ivana MALETIĆ, Pascal ARIMONT, Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on targeted capacity building in those Member States experiencing difficulties with centrally managed programs like CEF, Horizon 2020, EFSI.

2017/10/31
Committee: CONT

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Ivana MALETIĆ, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls, therefore, for the MFF to provide for sufficient funds for cohesion policy post-2020, striking a good balance between investments in citizens and investments for citizens and ensuring that the EU’s political goals can be reached; recalls that, in view of the late start of the period and the expected volume of payment claims towards the end of it, it is of considerable importance to increase the payment ceiling of Heading 1b in order to ensure liquidity and investment flow and to avoid the impact of potential political risks; notes that the creation of future, and the support to current, EU programmes and instruments should not take place at the expense of existing investment;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Ivana MALETIĆ, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers that regional funding should be protected and should continue to predominantly take the form of grants rather than financial instruments, which do, however, have an important role to play in certain cases; stresses that in the event of a reduction in the EU’s budgets, greater focus on the EU’s core goals is required; notes that binding targets for the use of financial instruments in the post-2020 MFF cannot be considered a viable option; notes that increasing the share of financial instruments should not influence non-refundable financial contributions, as this would hinder the required balance;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Ivana MALETIĆ, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the priorities of regional development programmes to be updated in order to take changing conditions into account and to benefit from new technology; ~~also considers that more flexibility is required in the MFF to meet unforeseen challenges~~calls for additional criteria for the allocation of non-refundable funding and for setting co-financing rates; considers the regional unemployment rates and regional social progress index to be appropriate criteria; also considers that more flexibility is required in the MFF to meet unforeseen challenges; notes that challenges such as migration and security or political developments in the EU should not negatively affect the investments in Heading 1 or its goals and expected results, especially after the current programming period;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Ivana MALETIĆ, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the importance of regional cross-border initiatives in promoting economic growth; underlines that the Connecting Europe Facility and the Cohesion Fund should remain the major source of infrastructure investment, and that funding appropriations should match the existing high demand and oversubscription;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Ivana MALETIĆ, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Recalls that investment in Heading 1a showcases a strong positive impact on policies;considers that programmes such as the successor programme to Horizon 2020 should receive twice the funding available under the current framework programme;notes that estimates, demand and success rates indicate that such an increase would relief the research and innovation funding gap;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. CNotes that combining grants and financial instruments has an unexplored potential owing to administrative burdens; calls for the Commission to look into the possibilities for greater synergies between the different EU funds, including cohesion policy, Horizon 2020 and EFSI; notes that the take-up of financial instruments and synergies with grants can be improved by encouraging investment partnerships and public-private partnerships locally;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that it is essential, in the context of the new MFF, to ensure that budgetary rules, and rules on cohesion policy spending, are at last simplified.;calls for the set-up of a simplification bonus for the Member States for effective measures cutting red tape and improving management of EU funding;calls for a level playing field for state aid rules concerning all financial instruments so as to avoid preferential treatment of certain sources of funding over others, especially in the field of SME support;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Andrey NOVAKOV, Pascal ARIMONT, Fernando RUAS, Daniel BUDA, Franc BOGOVIČ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Recalls that the management of EU funding should maintain high levels of transparency and accountability;calls for the Commission to implement measures so that beneficiaries involved in cases of fraudulent spending of EU funding are banned from competitive offers and funding calls;calls for the Commission to implement rules so that Member States which deliberately limit or burden any of the four freedoms of movement are subjected to the interruption of EU funding;

2017/09/05
Committee: REGI

2017/2052(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81

81. Stresses that cohesion policy post- 2020 should remain the main investment policy of the European Union covering all EU regions while concentrating the majority of the resources on the most vulnerable ones; believes that, beyond the goal of reducing the disparities between levels of development and enhancing convergence as enshrined in the Treaty, it should focus on the achievement of the broad EU political objectives and proposes, therefore, that under the next MFF, the three cohesion policy funds – the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund –should all remain an integral part of cohesion policy and should concentrate mainly on providing support for innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisation, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation, employment and social inclusion; calls, moreover, for a reinforced territorial cooperation, cross- border component and an urban dimension for the policy;

2018/02/01
Committee: BUDG

2017/2052(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82

82. Considers maintaining the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importance; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between EU regions; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented under the current MFF i.e. the thematic concentration, the ex-ante conditionalities, the performance framework and the link to economic governance;

2018/02/01
Committee: BUDG

2017/2043(BUD)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates, regarding the extension of the EFSI, that Parliament opposes any further cuts to the CEF, and takes the view that the additional EUR 1.1 billion allocated to the EU guarantee should be taken only from unallocated margins (for an amount of EUR 650 billion) and expected net positive income (for an amount of EUR 450 billion); recalls that the CEF envelope (ICT strand) also integrates the new Wifi4EU initiative; recalls that the CEF budget is subjected to systematic oversubscription due to insufficient appropriations, especially in regards to the infrastructure strand;

2017/06/21
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas youth unemployment in the EU dropped from 23.7%in 2014 to under 17% in the second quarter of 2017, with over 1.8 million fewer young people unemployed and over 1 million less NEETs;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas several reports on YEI implementation show that the available resources are successfully focused on regional demand by targeting specific regions and groups of beneficiaries;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recognises that EU budget investments through the YEI have achieved an impact and have accelerated the expansion of the labour market for young people; considers that YEI represents a clear EU added value as many youth employment schemes could not have been implemented if an EU commitment was not present;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that the original financial allocation for the YEI in the 2014-2020 MFF was EUR 6.4 billion, of which EUR 3.2 billion came from a dedicated budget line, matched with the same amount from the European Social Fund (ESF); recalls that due to the urgency to tackle youth unemployment, it was decided to frontload the entire amount in the years 2014-2015;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers that the overall YEI budget falls short of the actual demand and the resources needed to ensure that the programme reaches its targets; recalls that on the average only 42% of NEETs have been reached, with the figure dropping below 20% in a number of Member States; calls, therefore, for a significant increase in the YEI allocation under the next MFF;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission to improve the planning of the post-2020 youth employment investments by fully applying the approach used in programming the ESI Funds, where funding is subject to comprehensive preliminary planning and ex-ante ~~conditionalitie~~evaluation followed by partnership agreements; considers that such an approach increases the impact of the EU budget; notes the successful YEI implementation in Member States with dedicated operational programmes and with significant contributions from national and regional budgets;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Considers that youth employment funding should be delivered by maintaining the right balance between financial instruments and non-refundable contributions; notes that financial instruments, as an addition to grants, offer potential in the post-2020 investments; recalls that the implementation of such instruments under YEI delivered positive results;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Calls, moreover, on the Commission to redesign the current evaluation mechanism by focusing on unified outcome criteria and performance audits. in the process of annual and final reporting in order to showcase the EU budget impact; calls for EU-wide application of indicators, such as share of YEI participants who enter the primary labour market as a result of EU funded interventions;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses, however, that reformed planning and reporting should not delay the implementation of the budget and should not generate excessive administrative burden on the managing authorities and especially on the final beneficiaries;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/2039(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Recognises that existing administrative burden undermines the investment capacity of the EU budget, especially in the case of instruments with shorter implementation periods such as YEI; calls, therefore, for streamlined tendering procedures with focus on faster preparation of tenders and shorter appeals of decisions procedures; notes the positive effect from the usage of Simplified Cost Options (SCOs) in YEI expenditure; calls for the EU-wide introduction of SCOs in YEI projects in order to significantly cut red tape and to accelerate budgetary implementation;

2017/10/26
Committee: BUDG

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2

(2) To ensure a coherent legislation framework ofor the inter-urban carriage of passengers by regular coach and bus services throughout the Union, Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009 should apply to all inter- urban carriage by regular services. The scope of that Regulation should therefore be extendedEuropean Union is paramount in order to prevent legal ambiguity. The scope of that Regulation should therefore be consistent with the provisions of a Regulation (EC) No1370/2007.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3

(3) ~~An independent and impartial regulatory body should be designated in each Member State~~Each Member State shall designate a national competent authority to ensure the proper functioning of the road passenger transport market. That body may also be responsible for other regulated sectors such as rail, energy or telecommunications.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Peter KOUROUMBASHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Andrey KOVATCHEV, Emil RADEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Eva MAYDELL, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Iskra MIHAYLOVA, Claudia ȚAPARDEL, Maria GRAPINI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Nikolay BAREKOV, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009

~~Regulatory bod~~National competent authority

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 1

Each Member State shall designate a ~~single~~ national ~~regulatory bod~~competent authority for the road passenger transport sector. That body shall be an impartial authority which is, in organisational, functional, hierarchical and decision making terms, legally distinct and independent from any other public or private entity. It shall be independent from any competent authority involved in the award of a public service contracte national competent authority may be responsible for other regulated sectors.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2

~~The regulatory body may be responsible for other regulated sectors.~~deleted

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 2

2. The regulatory body for the road passenger transport sector shall have the necessary organisational capacity in terms of human and other resources, which shall be proportionate to the importance of that sector in the Member State concerned.deleted

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 3

3. The ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority shall perform the following tasks::

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Peter KOUROUMBASHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Emil RADEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Eva MAYDELL, Nikolay BAREKOV, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Iskra MIHAYLOVA, Claudia ȚAPARDEL, Maria GRAPINI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Andrey KOVATCHEV, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Momchil NEKOV

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 4

The ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority may, in exercising its tasks, request relevant information from the other competent authorities, terminal operators, applicants for authorisation and any third party involved within the territory of the Member State concerned.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 4

Information requested shall be supplied within a reasonable period set by the ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority and not exceeding one month. In justified cases, the ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority may extend the time limit for submission of information by a maximum of two weeks. The ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority shall be able to enforce requests for information by means of penalties which are effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 5

5. Member States shall ensure that decisions taken by the ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority are subject to judicial review. That review may have suspensive effect only when the immediate effect of ~~the regulatory bod~~national competent authority’s decision may cause irretrievable or manifestly excessive damages for the appellant. This provision is without prejudice to the powers of the court hearing the appeal as conferred by constitutional law of the Member State concerned.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 a – paragraph 6

6. Decisions taken by the ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority shall be made public.;

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Peter KOUROUMBASHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Andrey KOVATCHEV, Emil RADEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Eva MAYDELL, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Iskra MIHAYLOVA, Maria GRAPINI

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 b (new)

(3a) The following Article 3b is inserted before Chapter II: "Article 3b Levy on carriers providing regular coach or bus services 1. Member States which apply the provisions of Chapter III of this Regulation for national regular services may, under the conditions laid down in this Article, authorise the national competent authority to impose a levy on carrier providing passenger services for the operation of routes which fall within the jurisdiction of that authority and which are operated between two terminals in that Member State. 2. The levy is intended to compensate the authority for public service obligations laid down in public service contracts awarded in accordance with Union law. The revenue raised from such a levy and paid as compensation shall not exceed what is necessary to cover all or part of the cost incurred in the relevant public service obligations taking into account the relevant receipts and a reasonable profit for discharging those obligations. 3. The levy shall be imposed in accordance with Union law, and shall respect in particular the principles of fairness, transparency, non- discrimination and proportionality, in particular between the average price of the service to the passenger and the level of the levy. The total levies imposed pursuant to this paragraph shall not endanger the economic viability of the bus and coach passenger transport service on which they are imposed. 4. The relevant authorities shall keep the information necessary to ensure that the origin of the levies and their use can be traced. Member States shall provide the Commission with this information. 5. Based on the experience of regulatory bodies, competent authorities and carriers providing regular coach or bus services the Commission shall adopt measures setting out the details of the procedure and criteria to be followed for the application of this Article."

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 b (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 3 c (new)

(3b) 3c. Member States shall not apply Article 3b when they apply subsidies for the transportation of passengers on unprofitable lines and routes at the expense of a national and/or local budget.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 5 b – paragraph 4

4. Applicants may appeal against decisions by terminal operators. Appeals shall be lodged with the ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0288(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 5 b – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1

Where the ~~regulatory bod~~national competent authority hears an appeal against a decision by a terminal operator, it shall adopt a reasoned decision within a fixed timeframe and, in any case within three weeks from receipt of all relevant information.

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

Peter KOUROUMBASHEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Andrey KOVATCHEV, Emil RADEV, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Nikolay BAREKOV, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Iskra MIHAYLOVA, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Eva MAYDELL, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Momchil NEKOV, Karoline GRASWANDER-HAINZ, Sergei STANISHEV, István UJHELYI, Asim ADEMOV, Georgi PIRINSKI, Vladimir URUTCHEV, Nedzhmi ALI

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 21

Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009
Article 28

(21) Article 28 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 28 Reporting 1. latest, and for the first time by 31 January […the first January following the entry into force of this Regulation] Member States shall communicate to the Commission the number of authorisations for regular services issued the previous year and the total number of authorisations for regular services valid on 31 December of that year. That information shall be given separately for each Member State of destination of the regular service. Member States shall also communicate to the Commission the data concerning cabotage operations, in the form of special regular services and occasional services, carried out during the previous year by resident carriers. 2. latest and, for the first time by 31 January […the first January following the entry into force of this Regulation], the competent authorities in the host Member State shall provide the Commission with statistics on the number of authorisations issued for cabotage operations in the form of the regular services referred to in Article 15(c) during the previous year. 3. adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 to establish the format of the table to be used for the communication of the statistics referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 and the data to be provided. 4. latest and, for the first time by 31 January […the first January following the entry into force of this Regulation], Member States shall inform the Commission of the number of carriers holding a Community licence as of 31 December of the previous year and of the number of certified copies corresponding to the number of vehicles in circulation on that date. 5. calculated 5 years after date of application of this Regulation], the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of this Regulation. The report shall include information on the extent to which this Regulation has contributed to a better functioning road passenger transport market.’deleted Each year, by 31 January at the Each year, by 31 January at the The Commission is empowered to Each year, by 31 January at the By [please insert the date

2018/10/04
Committee: TRAN

2017/0123(COD)

Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Roberta METSOLA, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Andris AMERIKS, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Andor DELI, Rovana PLUMB, Maria GRAPINI, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Roberts ZĪLE, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Magdalena ADAMOWICZ, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Petar VITANOV, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Council position
Recital 8

(8) Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 requires undertakings to conduct effectively and continuously their operations with the appropriate technical equipment and facilities at an operating centre situated in the Member State of establishment, and it allows for additional requirements at national level, the most common of which being a requirement to have parking spaces available in the Member State of establishment. However, those, unevenly applied, requirements have not been sufficient to ensure a genuine link with that Member State in order to efficiently fight letter-box companies and to reduce the risk of systematic cabotage and nomadic drivers organised from an undertaking to which the vehicles do not return. Considering that, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market in the area of transport, specific rules on the right of establishment and the provision of services may be necessary, it is appropriate to further harmonise the establishment requirements and to strengthen the requirements linked to the presence of the vehicles used by the transport operator in the Member State of establishment. Defining a clear minimum interval within which the vehicle has to return also contributes to ensuring that those vehicles can be correctly maintained with the technical equipment situated in the Member State of establishment and facilitates controls. The cycle for such returns should be synchronised with the obligation on the transport undertaking in Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council6 to organise its operations in a manner that enables the driver to return home at least every four weeks, so that both obligations can be fulfilled through the return of the driver together with the vehicle at least every second four week cycle. This synchronisation strengthens the right of the driver to return and reduces the risk that the vehicle has to return only to fulfil this new establishment requirement. However, the requirement to return to the Member State of establishment should not require a specific number of operations to be conducted in the Member State of establishment or otherwise limit the operators possibility to provide services throughout the internal market. _____________________________ 6 the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 3821/85 and (EC) No 2135/98 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 (OJ L 102, 11.4.2006, p. 1).Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0123(COD)

Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petar VITANOV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Magdalena ADAMOWICZ, Roberts ZĪLE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Rovana PLUMB, Andor DELI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Andris AMERIKS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Roberta METSOLA, Maria GRAPINI

Council position
Recital 21

(21) Cabotage operations should help to increase the load factor of heavy duty vehicles and reduce empty runs, and should be allowed as long as they are not carried out in a way that creates a permanent or continuous activity within the Member State concerned. To ensure that cabotage operations are not carried out in a way that creates a permanent or continuous activity, hauliers should not be allowed to carry out cabotage operations in the same Member State within a certain time after the end of a period of cabotage operations.deleted

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0123(COD)

Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Magdalena ADAMOWICZ, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Roberts ZĪLE, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Maria GRAPINI, Rovana PLUMB, Andor DELI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Andris AMERIKS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Roberta METSOLA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Petar VITANOV, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Council position
Recital 22

(22) While the further liberalisation established by Article 4 of Council Directive 92/106/EEC9 , compared to cabotage under Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009, has been beneficial in promoting combined transport and should, in principle, be retained, it is necessary to ensure that it is not misused. Experience shows that, in certain parts of the Union, that provision has been used in a systematic manner to circumvent the temporary nature of cabotage and as the basis for the continuous presence of vehicles in a Member State other than that of the establishment of the undertaking. Such unfair practices risk leading to social dumping and jeopardise respect of the legal framework relating to cabotage. It should therefore be possible for Member States to derogate from Article 4 of Directive 92/106/EEC and to apply the provisions relating to cabotage in Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 in order to address such problems by introducing a proportionate limit to the continuous presence of vehicles within their territory. __________________ 9Council Directive 92/106/EEC of 7 December 1992 on the establishment of common rules for certain types of combined transport of goods between Member States (OJ L 368, 17.12.1992, p. 38).deleted

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

Roberts ZĪLE, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Andor DELI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Petar VITANOV, Andris AMERIKS, Rovana PLUMB, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria GRAPINI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Roberta METSOLA

Council position
Recital 15

(15) While in general regular weekly rest ~~periods~~ and longer rest periods ~~can~~shall not be taken in the vehicle ~~or in a parking area, but only in suitable accommodation, which may be adjacent to a parking area, i~~, by way of derogation relevant rest periods may be taken in vehicles, provided that the vehicle is parked in certified safe and secure parking area which provides parking places for commercial vehicles and service facilities fulfilling the minimum requirements. It is of utmost importance to enable drivers to locate safe and secure parking areas that provide appropriate levels of security and appropriate facilities. The Commission has already studied how to encourage the development of high- quality parking areas, including the necessary minimum requirements. The Commission should therefore develop standards for safe and secure parking areas. Those standards should contribute to promoting high- quality parking areas. The standards may be revised in order to cater for better access to alternative fuels, in line with policies developing that infrastructure. It is also important that parking areas are being kept free from ice and snow.

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0122(COD)

Roberts ZĪLE, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Andor DELI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Petar VITANOV, Andris AMERIKS, Rovana PLUMB, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria GRAPINI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Council position
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6 – point a

Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
Article 8 – paragraph 6

6. In any two consecutive weeks a driver shall take at least: (a) two regular weekly rest periods; or (b) one regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours. A weekly rest period shall start no later than at the end of six 24-hour periods from the end of the previous weekly rest period. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, a driver engaged in international transport of goods may, outside the Member State of establishment, take two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods provided that the driver in any four consecutive weeks takes at least four weekly rest periods, of which at least two shall be regular weekly rest periods. For the purpose of this paragraph, a driver shall be considered to be engaged in international transport where the driver starts the two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods outside the Member State of the employer's establishment and the country of the drivers' place of residence.;deleted

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0122(COD)

Roberts ZĪLE, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Andor DELI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Petar VITANOV, Andris AMERIKS, Rovana PLUMB, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria GRAPINI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Roberta METSOLA

Council position
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6 – point c

Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
Article 8 – paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1

8. Where a driver chooses to do this, daily rest periods and reduced weekly rest periods away from base may be taken in a vehicle, as long as it has suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary. The regular weekly rest periods and any weekly rest period of more than 45 hours taken in compensation for previous reduced weekly rest periods shall not be taken in a vehicle. They shall be taken in suitable gender-friendly accommodation with adequate sleeping and sanitary facilities. By way of derogation from the second subparagraph, the regular weekly rest periods and any weekly rest of more than 45 hours taken in compensation for previous reduced weekly rest may be taken in a vehicle, provided that the vehicle is parked in certified safe and secure parking area which provides parking places for commercial vehicles and service facilities fulfilling the minimum requirements set out in Article 8a . Until [OJ: three years after entry into force] a vehicle may also be parked in a regular parking area which provides basic service facilities. Relevant period might be prolonged by the Commission, by means of delegated act, for additional two years if according to the outcomes of the Commission’s report on the availability of safe and secure parking areas the number of certified safe and secure parking areas across EU would not be sufficient to meet reported needs. Any costs for accommodation outside the vehicle shall be covered by the employer, as well as any fee deriving from the use of safe and secure parking area.

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0122(COD)

Roberts ZĪLE, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Andor DELI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Petar VITANOV, Andris AMERIKS, Rovana PLUMB, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria GRAPINI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Roberta METSOLA

Council position
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6 – point d

Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
Article 8 – paragraph 8a – subparagraph 1

8a. Transport undertakings shall organise the work of drivers in such a way that the drivers are able to return to the employer's operational centre where the driver is normally based and where the driver's weekly rest period begins, in the Member State of the employer's establishment, or to return to the drivers' place of residence, or to any other location chosen by the driver, within each period of four consecutive weeks, in order to spend at least one regular weekly rest period or a weekly rest period of more than 45 hours taken in compensation for reduced weekly rest period.

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0122(COD)

Roberts ZĪLE, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Andor DELI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Petar VITANOV, Andris AMERIKS, Rovana PLUMB, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria GRAPINI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Roberta METSOLA

Council position
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7

Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
Article 8a – paragraph 4

4. ~~By 31 December 2024,~~At the latest [OJ: three years after the date of entry into force of this amending Regulation] the Commission shall present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the availability of suitable rest facilities for drivers and of secured parking facilities, as well as on the development of safe and secure parking areas certified in accordance with the delegated acts ~~referred to in paragraph 2. That report may list~~. The report shall in particular cover information on the number and the location of certified safe and secure parking areas, on their capacity and usage, and on the demand for additional places or facilities. Based on this report, the Commission shall propose, if appropriate, measures aiming to increase the number and quality of certified safe and secure parking areas and/or measures to prolong transitional period laid down in the fourth subparagraph of Article 8 paragraph 8 for an additional two years.

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

2017/0122(COD)

Roberts ZĪLE, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Andor DELI, Bogusław LIBERADZKI, Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Petar VITANOV, Andris AMERIKS, Rovana PLUMB, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria GRAPINI, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Council position
Article 3 – paragraph 1

This Regulation shall enter into force on ~~the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union~~[insert date 18 month after that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union]. It shall apply from [insert date 18 month after date of entry into force]. By ... [OJ: 4 months after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union] the Commission shall present a proper impact assessment regarding the impact of this Regulation on actual economic situation of the EU road haulage market and drivers' health safety situation, and, where appropriate, propose amendments to this Regulation taking into account the new market situation of the sector.

2020/05/13
Committee: TRAN

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a

Directive 2006/22/EC
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2

These checks shall cover each year a ~~large and~~ representative cross-section of mobile workers, drivers, undertakings and vehicles falling, where relevant and justified, within the scope of Regulations (EC) No 561/2006 and (EU) No 165/2014 and of mobile workers and drivers falling withing the scope of Directive 2002/15/EC.; Checks of compliance with the provisions of Directive 2002/15/EC shall be carried out solely at the premises of undertakings or digitally, via the IMI system."

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point c

Directive 2006/22/EC
Article 2 – paragraph 4

4. The information submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 shall include the number of drivers checked at the roadside, the number of checks at the premises of undertakings, the number of working days checked at the premises and the number and type of infringements reported, together with a record of whether passengers or goods were transported.

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4

Directive 2006/22/EC
Article 6 – paragraph 1

1. Checks at premises shall be planned in the light of past alleged experience of non-compliant practices in relation to the various types of transport and undertakings. They shall also be carried out if serious infringements of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 or (EU) No 165/2014 or Directive 2002/15/EC have been detected ~~at the roadside.~~. Checks of weekly working times as set out in Directive 2002/15/EC shall be carried out only at the premises or digitally, via the IMI system ";

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6 – point b a (new)

Directive 2006/22/EC
Article 8 – paragraph 2

2. Member States shall seek to establish systems for the electronic exchange of information. In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 12(2), the Commission shall define a common methodology for effective information exchange. (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:1e51f726-b0a9-4887-8fb3-(ba) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following "2. The Internal Market Information System (IMI), established by Regulation No 1024/2012 should be used for exchange of information between Member States, while access should also be granted to operators of transport companies to upload and update all relevant documents, including the declaration, to the IMI system." Or. en 7956a4f49223.0005.02/DOC_1&format=PDF)

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. By derogation to Article 1* of ... [2016/0070 (COD)], transport operations falling under the scope of this Directive shall be excluded from the non- universally applicable collective agreements. _________________ * Due to the ongoing revision of the Directive 96/71/EC, concrete article number might need further alignment.

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Peter KOUROUMBASHEV, Asim ADEMOV, Georgi PIRINSKI, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Emil RADEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, István UJHELYI, Nedzhmi ALI

~~[...]~~deleted

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – introductory part

4. By way of derogation from Article 9 of Directive 2014/67/EU Member States may only impose the following administrative requirements and control measures:

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point a – introductory part

(a) an obligation for the road transport operator established in another Member State to s~~end a posting declaration to the national competent authorities at the latest at the commencement of the posting, in electronic form~~ubmit a declaration to the Internal Market Information (IMI) system or to send it to the national competent authorities at the latest at the commencement of the operation, in standardized electronic form, developed and made available by the Commission, in any official language of the ~~host Member State or in English~~European Union, containing only the following information:

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point a – point ii

(ii) the contact details of a transport manager or other contact person(s) in the Member State of establishment to liaise with the competent authorities of the host Member State, in which the services are provided ~~and to send out and receive documents or notices~~;

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point a – point iv

(iv) the ~~anticipated duration,~~ envisaged beginning and end date of the posting;

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point b

(b) an obligation for the driver to keep and make available, where requested at the roadside control, in paper or electronic form, a copy of the ~~posting~~ declaration and evidence of transport operation taking place in the host Member State, such as an electronic consignment note (e-CMR) or evidence referred to in Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point d

(d) an obligation for the driver to keep and make available, where requested at the roadside control, in paper or electronic form, a copy of the employment contract or an equivalent document within the meaning of Article 3 of Council Directive 91/533/EEC20 , translated into one of the official languages of the host Member State or into English; _________________ 20 October 1991 on an employer's obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the contract or employment relationship (OJ L 288, 18.10.1991, p. 32)deleted Council Directive 91/533/EEC of 14

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point e

(e) an obligation for the driver to make available, where requested at the roadside control, in paper or electronic form, a copy of payslips for last two months; during the roadside check, the driver shall be allowed to contact the head office, the transport manager or any other person or entity which may provide this copy;deleted

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 4 – point f

(f) an obligation for the road transport operator to deliver, after the period of posting, in ~~paper or~~ electronic form, copies of documents referred to in points (b)~~, (c)~~ and (ec), at the request of the competent authorities of the ~~host~~ Member State where the operator is established within a reasonable period of time;

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Peter KOUROUMBASHEV, Asim ADEMOV, Georgi PIRINSKI, Angel DZHAMBAZKI, Emil RADEV, Andrey NOVAKOV, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, István UJHELYI, Nedzhmi ALI

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 5

~~5. For the purposes of point (a) of paragraph 4 the road transport operator may provide a posting declaration covering a period of a maximum of six months.~~deleted

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 5

5. For the purposes of point (a) of paragraph 4 the road transport operator may provide a ~~posting~~ declaration covering a period of a maximum of six months. Checks and controls of employment contract or an equivalent document and payslips shall be carried out only at the premises or digitaly, via the IMI system.

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1

Member States shall adopt and publish, by ~~[…] [The time limit for transposition will be as short as possible and, generally, will not exceed two years] at the latest~~... [three years from the entry into force of this Directive], the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Andor DELI, Ádám KÓSA, Andrey NOVAKOV, Deirdre CLUNE

Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)

The transport sector, due to its recognised highly mobile nature, is exempt from the measures deriving from the legislative act amending Directive 96/71/EC until this Directive shall become applicable..

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2017/0121(COD)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI

Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2

They shall apply those provisions from […... [the date of entry into force of Directive 96/71/EC as amended by 2016/0070(COD)]..

2018/02/23
Committee: TRAN

2016/2326(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)

– having regard to the report of the European Court of Auditors Special, Report no. 19/2016: Implementing the EU budget through financial instruments – lessons to be learnt from the 2007-2013 programme period,

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Maria SPYRAKI, Andrey NOVAKOV, Lambert van NISTELROOIJ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 b (new)

– having regard to the report of the European Court of Auditors Opinion No 1/2017 concerning the proposal for a revision of the 'Financial Regulation',--

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 c (new)

– having regards to the report of the European Commission on the European Structural and Investment Funds and European Fund for Strategic Investments complementarities - ensuring coordination, synergies and complementarity,

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas cohesion policy remains the main EU-wide investment and development policy for sustainable job creation after 2020, especially against the backdrop of a sharp decline in public and private investments in many Member States and the implications of globalisation;

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the last reform of cohesion policy in 2013 was extensive and substantial, shifting the focus of the policy towards a result-oriented approach, thematic concentration, effectiveness and efficiency on the one hand and the partnership principle, multi-level governance, coordination with other policies and smart specialization on the other;

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI, Stanislav POLČÁK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the horizontal and cross- cutting approach of cohesion policy; therefore calls on better coordination and cooperation among DGs in the European Commission responsible for different EU policies and with DG responsible for Cohesion policy as well as among ministries and regional/local authorities at the level of member states and with managing authority/ies;

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI, Stanislav POLČÁK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the accelerated implementation of the operational programmes during the year 2016 and strongly encourages all actors involved to continue to speed up their activities; recalls Commission to prepare implementation plan to accelerate ESI Funds implementation and to continue with Task Force set in 2014 for 2007-2013 period in order to support and accelerate implementation of 2014-2020 programmes;

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Underlines that the current categorisation of regions, the thematic objectives and the performance framework have demonstrated the value of cohesion policy and should be consolidated; asks the Commission to present ideas for greater flexibility, such as an unallocated reserve or a simplification of re-programming, in order to adapt ESIF investments to unforeseen events and to the specific needs of each region; stresses that the success of shared management depends not only on the EU but on the efforts made by the Member States, therefore calls for the application of "national declarations" to ensure that political responsibility is taken for the management of EU funds by national and regional authorities;

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2326(INI)

Ivana MALETIĆ, Andrey NOVAKOV, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Believes that grants should remain the basis of the financing of cohesion policy; notes, however, the gradual shift from grants to financial instruments; points out that the replacement of grants by loans, equity or guarantees must be carried out with caution where such financial instruments demonstrate an added value, taking into account regional disparities and the diversity of practices and experiences; stresses the importance of assistance to local and regional authorities on the innovative financial instruments through platforms such as fi-compass; calls on the Commission to ensure exchange of knowledge and experiences in working with financial instruments and to mandatorily carry out ex-ante evaluations including impact analyses, advantages and deficiencies of similar instruments in development of new financial instruments;

2017/04/04
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission's summary report of December 2015 entitled 'Summary of data on the progress made in financing and implementing financial engineering instruments for the programming period 2014-2020 in accordance with Article 46 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council,

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the Omnibus proposal represents the only opportunity for a range of mid-term improvements of the system that govern the current programming period;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the fact that crucial regulatory changes in programming, implementation and management of financial instruments, such as direct links to and coverage of all 11 thematic objectives, compulsory ex-ante assessment, and creation of tailor-made and off-the- shelf solutions and reporting mechanisms, contribute to the ~~implementation of financial instruments~~positive impact of financial instruments; calls, however, for efforts in ensuring that the changes in question do not affect financial instruments' attractiveness and implementation speed;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recognises that grants have some strengths as compared to financial instruments: supporting projects that do not necessarily generate revenue, providing funding to projects that for various reasons cannot attract private or public funding, targeting specific beneficiaries, issues and regional priorities, and lower complexity of use owing to existing experience and capacity; acknowledges that in some cases grants are bound to limitations: difficulties in achieving project quality and sustainability, risk of substituting public funding in the long-run and a crowding-out effect for potential private investment even when projects may have a revolving nature and a capacity to generate revenues to repay loan-based financing;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Recognises that financial instruments offer advantages such as leverage and revolving effects ~~as well as higher risk investments, including private capital~~, attraction of private capital as well as coverage of specific investment gaps through high- quality bankable projects; acknowledges that financial instruments come with certain disadvantages: slower implementation in some regions, higher complexity, and ~~high management fees and implementation cost~~in some cases higher implementation costs, including management fees; notes that grants represent preferable investments in some policy areas, such as ~~the ones covered by the ESF~~certain types of public infrastructure, social services or, in general, projects that do not generate revenue;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Recognizes the importance of using financial instruments in Cohesion Policy operations; welcomes the fact that reporting on the implementation of financial instruments in 2015 reveals progress, despite the late start of the current programming period; notes, however, that implementation progress of ESI Funds financial instruments is very divergent between and within the EU Member States; recalls that the positive experience and impact of using financial instruments in the 2007- 2013 programming period was accompanied by a number of performance issues: late start of operations, inaccurate market assessment, diverging regional uptake, overall low disbursement rates, low leverage effect, problematic revolving, high management costs and fees and inadequately large endowments; recalls that by 2015 a number of the observed shortcomings were mitigated through targeted measures;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes that ESI Funds implementation delays ~~will~~may affect disbursement rates, revolving and leverage; recalls the fact that delays in the 2007-2013 period contributed irreversibly to sub- optimal performance of ERDF and ESF financial instruments; emphasises that implementation delays due to the late start of the programming period may harm the performance of ESI Funds financial instruments, which could lead to inaccurate evaluation conclusions at the end of the period; calls, therefore, for all necessary steps should be taken by the Member States to mitigate the negative effects of delayed implementation, especially regarding the risk of limited use and impact of financial instruments;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the Commission’s actions in optimising regulation; emphasises that, despite the improvements, complexity still exists and issues such as the long set-up time and the administrative burden for recipients are disincentives to use financial instruments; calls on the Commission to work closely with the EIB ~~and~~, the EIF and managing authorities to make access to ESI Funds microcredit, loans, guarantees, equity and venture capital ~~as easy as using grants~~significantly easier;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Notes that specific provisions limit flexibility in operations with financial instruments; points out that state aid rules appear to be particularly burdensome, especially when combining grants with financial instruments; calls on the Commission to explore further options to simplify state aid compliance on all three levels - managing authorities, fund of funds and financial intermediaries; calls for a level playing field in state aid rules concerning all financial instruments in order to avoid preferential treatment of certain sources of funding as compared to others, especially in the field of SME support;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Highlights the importance of auditing financial instruments, including an audit of the EIB Group’s operations on Cohesion Policy; ~~calls~~notes that audit activities have access to the entire ESI Funds cycle; calls on the Commission and national authorities to identify simplification and synergy opportunities through the audit process; calls, therefore, on the Commission to focus on further capacity building, audit methodology and guidance;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2302(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Points out that combining grants and financial instruments has unexplored potential; emphasises that alongside guidance to authorities, further harmonisation is needed for the rules that concern combining different ESI Funds, as well as for the rules that concern combining the ESI Funds with instruments such as Horizon 2020 and EFSI; calls for easing the regulatory burden by facilitating the above-mentioned combining of allocations from more than one programme to the same financial instrument, as well as enabling combinations of microfinance instruments in ESF operations; calls for further promotion of combining grants with financial instruments; stresses that ~~grant components can be used a~~combination of ESI Funds grants and fi~~rst loss piece and can therefore~~nancial instruments with other funding sources can make the funding structure more attractive to beneficiaries and private sector investors due to improved risk sharing;

2017/02/06
Committee: REGI

2016/2242(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Regrets that the majority of NEETs in the EU do not yet have access to any YG scheme; asks the Council to consider continuing a learning exchange within the existing PES network with a view to developing pro-active strategies based the local specifics and on best practices to reach and support NEET youth;

2017/07/11
Committee: CONT

2016/2242(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Suggests ex-ante analysis in each Member State setting concrete objectives, goals and timelines for the expected outcome of the youth guarantee schemes.Avoidance of double funding and efforts towards cutting the red- tape.

2017/07/11
Committee: CONT

2016/2242(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Calls for focus on results from the YEI programme through definition of concrete indicators in the form of reforms effectuated in MS, knowledge and skills received from the programme, number of permanent contracts offered. Adjustment of the requirements for applicants and mentors to the profession chosen.

2017/07/11
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 314

314. Stresses the high levels of management costs and fees compared to the actual financial support to final recipients; suggests setting tax ceilings for financial intermediaries; points out that specific ERDF and ESF funds sizes should be revised to take~~, wherever possible,~~ advantage of the significant economies in the cost of operating funds wherever possible;

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 317

317. Shares the view that lessons learnt from the audited programming period (2007-2013) be reflected when setting up ~~the~~ financial instruments for the European Structural and Investment Funds; considers in particular that proposals should be oriented towards performance and results rather than mere compliance; Considers the need for the projects to add more value to regional specialisation and economic development of the European regions.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 319

319. Endorses that the leverage effect should illustrate the extent to which private funding has been attracted by both the Union's and Member States’ initial financial contributions; regrets that the findings from Court’s Special Report show that the financial instruments in both shared and central management were not successful in attracting private capital; considers that Member States’ co- financing of FIs should be seen, together with the Union contribution, as a part of public funding;deleted

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 320 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Recommends further efforts by the Member States on data gathering, management and sharing on the financial instruments' revolving effect.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 323 a (new)

323 a. Recommends a pro-active approach and technical assistance on the ground by the managing authorities and the Union institutions on the better use of financial instruments in the regions.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 324

324. Strongly supports that the Commission should carry out a comparative analysis of the implementation costs of grants and financial instruments (in central and shared management) for the 2014-2020 programme period with a view to establishing their actual levels and impact on the achievement of Europe 2020 goals and the 11th thematic objectives of the cohesion policy; notes that such information would be particularly relevant in view of preparing the legislative proposals for the post-2020 period; asks for a complete performance evaluation before the end of 2019 in order to consider the future of such instruments.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 343

343. Reminds the Commission that the Slovakian Supreme Audit Office had scheduled an audit in JAVYS13 for 2015; asks to be informed about the findings of this audit; in this context, calls on the competent Bulgarian and Lithuanian authorities to audit ~~also~~ the decommissioning processes in Ignalina and Koszloduy; _________________ 13 Jadrové vyrad'ovacia spoločnost' (JAVYS): The owner of the nuclear power plant and responsible for the decommissioning of the Bohunice nuclear power plant

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 344

344. ~~Is worried about delays i~~Stresses on the delays experienced in the construction works on facilities for the storage of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste; calls on the Commission to update Parliament’s competent committee on progress made before the 2015 Commission discharge vote in parliament;

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 348

348. Calls on the Commission to work together with the Member States in order to explore options for identifying geological drepositories ofor high-level ~~nuclear waste, if the waste cannot be recycled~~radioactive waste.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 349

349. ~~Insists that dedicated funding programmes~~Calls on the Commission to evaluate the need for Union funding for nuclear decommissioning programmes in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Slovakia ~~should be discontinued after 2020;~~beyond 2020. Highlights that any potential new Union funding should include clear rules and the right incentives to pursue decommissioning with regard to both financing and timing.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 353

~~353. Calls on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to audit the functioning of the Decommissioning Support Funds between 2007 and 2013;~~deleted

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 354

354. Is shocked by the Court’s findings that Commission’s assessment of the respective financing plans and detailed decommissioning plans for the 2014-2020 financing period, i.e. of the second and third ex-ante conditionalities respectively14 , was inadequate; asks who shoulders the financial responsibility for this failure in the Commission; in this context, wants to be informed about the completed action plan which remedied the discovered weaknesses. _________________ 14See COM(2011) 783 final, Council Regulations (Euratom), No 1368/2013 and No 1369/2013 and Commission Implementing Decision C(2014) 5449deleted

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 373 a (new)

373 a. Suggests inclusion of qualitative indicators and more concrete goals to be set for cross-compliance measures; Recommends easy, fast and simplified application method for the beneficiaries.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2208(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 374

374. Recommends that for the CAP post-2020, the Commission encourages a more harmonised application of penalties at Union level by further clarifying the concepts of severity, extent, permanence, reoccurrence and intentionality, but also taking into account the specific conditions in the different Member States. To achieve this objective a minimum conditions should be introduced at Union level.

2017/03/07
Committee: CONT

2016/2152(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. I~~s not convinced of the need to have i~~nformation offices ofin the ~~Parliament in all~~ Member States~~, especiall~~ play ian view of the fact that for effective communication physical presence may not always be necessary and can easily be replaced by effective and responsive internet facilities; is in particular sceptical about having an information office in the cities of Brussels and Strasbourg as in both cities the Parliament itself can be visited and in addition for interested visitors there is or will be a Parlamentarium at their disposal;important role in raising awareness among the citizens of the Union and promoting their contribution to policy-making, notably with 320 legislative events, 587 MEPs appearances and 6 825 stakeholder organizations attracting 31 413 participants in 2015.

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Requests that the Commission considers in its budgetary and financial management the capacity constraints and the specific socio-economics conditions of certain Member States in order to avoid the underutilisation of funds and to increase the absorption rates especially in the area of the ESI funds;

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71 a (new)

71a. Suggests that the role for the National Contact Points (NCP) should be increased in order to provide quality technical support on the ground; Annual assessment of results, trainings and stimulation of well performing NCPs will increase the success rate of Horizon 2020 programme.

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – indent 2

– high degree of over-subscription,; little flexibility of allocations between subprograms;

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – indent 6

– high threshold for newcomers; low average success rate for proposals and applicants of 19% and 22% respectively;

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – indent 6 a (new)

– -weak communication;

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 160 – point a

(a) in Direct payments, DG AGRI made adjustments (top ups) for 12 out of 69 paying agencies with an error rate above 2% - but none above 5% - while only one paying agency had initially qualified its declaration; DG AGRI has issued a reservations for 10 paying agencies: 3 for Spain one for France, Bulgaria, Cyprus Italy (Calabria), Romania, and one for Spain and France as to POSEI (Programme d'Options Spécifiques à l'Éloignement et à l'Insularité for the ultra-peripheral regions).

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2151(DEC)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 160 – point b

(b) in rural area, DG AGRI made adjustments (top ups) for 36 out of 72 paying agencies and in 14 cases the adjusted error rate was above 5; DG AGRI issued a reservation for 24 Paying agencies comprising 18 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy (4 paying agencies), Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain (3 paying agencies) and the United Kingdom (2 paying agencies; in addition DG AGRI issued reservations concerning public procurement for 2 Member States: Germany and Spain;.

2017/03/10
Committee: CONT

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Is concerned by delays in the adoption of operational programmes and the designation of managing, paying and certifying authorities aund ~~calls for sufficient payment appropriations to be made available through the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) in or~~er cohesion policy that led to a slow start-up of the projects and an extremely low level of absorption of cohesion policy in the first three years of the current programming period; considers that the utmost effort needs to be mader to ~~prevent a new backlog of unpaid bi~~ensure that the new programmes start without delay in the beginning of each programming period and calls, in th~~e second half~~is context, for a timely agreement ofn the next multiannual financial framework (MFF);

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Underlines the high risk of the accumulation of payment claims under Heading 1b in the second half of the current MFF and calls for a sufficient level of payment appropriations to be made available on a yearly basis until the end of the current perspective in order to prevent a new backlog of unpaid bills; stresses, for this purpose, the need for the three EU institutions to develop and agree upon a new joint payment plan for 2016- 2020, which should provide for a clear strategy to meet all payment needs until the end of the current MFF;

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes the efforts made to use the ESI Funds in support of key priorities set in the country-specific recommendations; notes the limitations of Commission’s proposal on the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme; stresses that Article 23 of the Common Provision Regulation must only be used as a last resort and that Parliament must be fully involved from the early stages;

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Notes that there is a~~Underlines the stronger focus on performance of ESI Funds in the current MFF; believes that ~~any link between performance and the ESI Funds in the future MFF can only b~~the future performance framework in the next perspective should build on the res~~tablished after a~~ults of the thorough evaluation of the functioning of the current arrangement;

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Concludes that significant EU budget performance and efficiency gains can be achieved through simplification of ESI Funds for both beneficiaries and managing authorities, including application (public procurement), implementation (project management) and control (audits during and after the project); calls on the Commission to encourage the High Level Expert Group to work in the spirit of exploration and non-conventional solutions, instead of operating under limitations;

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Not~~Acknowledges that, in the current MFF, financial instruments play a stronger role; believes~~, however, that they should not substitute gra~~ that a proper mix of grants and financial instruments ais ~~the core tool for ESI Funds; stresses that their~~necessary in EU's cohesion policy; stresses that financial instruments' implementation must be effective, transparent and always subject to full parliamentary scrutiny, without any prejudice to the unity of the EU budget; refers to the upcoming INI report entitled "The right funding mix for Europe's regions: balancing financial instruments and grants in EU cohesion policy";

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Welcomes significant progress and results by existing EFSI operations; calls on the Commission and the EIB to enable even better EFSI performance through: enabling non-participating regions through on-the-ground technical assistance to induce regionally balanced demand and project operations; comprehensive guidance to managing authorities on combining EFSI with shared and direct management instruments; accelerate creation of investment platforms in the member states - meeting point for public funds and private financing; rebalance sector investment especially in view of the largest investment shortfalls - innovation and digital infrastructure; higher risk profile of approved investment projects; full-scale data and information on the progress of the SME window, including utilisation of financial products by SMEs;

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that immigration has become a ~~structural phenomenon in Europe and~~policy priority in Europe; welcomes that the EU budget uses all of its flexibility to provide response and, therefore, calls for ~~further~~prudent use to be made of ESI Funds in order to promote the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into economy and society;

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to keep the budgetary authority informed about the possible budgetary consequences of Brexit for the ESI Funds in the EU-27 in the current programming period.

2016/09/08
Committee: BUDG

2016/2148(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Points out that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is represent~~ed a~~s a success story when it comes to fast implementation and results in the form of existing operations, and against this background asks the Commission to come forward with learning points for the ESI Funds for the new programming period;

2016/09/19
Committee: REGI

2016/2148(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Believes that the Commission and the EIB can deliver even better EFSI performance through on-the-ground technical assistance to induce regionally balanced demand and project operations, creation of investment platforms in the Member States - a meeting point for EU funds and private financing, rebalancing sector investment especially in view of the largest investment shortfalls - innovation and digital infrastructure, higher risk profile of approved investment projects, full-scale data and information on the progress of the SME window including utilisation of financial products by SMEs;

2016/09/19
Committee: REGI

2016/2148(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses that state aid rules apply to ESI Funds, but not to EFSI and Horizon 2020, causing problems in increasing the level of synergy among the instruments; underlines the fact that if there is an ambition to extend EFSI or any similar types of financial instrument, the question of state aid rules needs to be adapted accordingly; calls on the Commission to deliver comprehensive guidance to managing authorities on combining EFSI with shared and direct management instruments, including ESI Funds and Horizon 2020;

2016/09/19
Committee: REGI

2016/2148(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Supports a further balanced increase in financial instruments; asks the Commission, therefore, to come forward with incentives for managing authorities to achieve this; refers to the upcoming INI report entitled "The right funding mix for Europe's regions: balancing financial instruments and grants in EU cohesion policy" where this topic will be elaborated on further;

2016/09/19
Committee: REGI

2016/2148(INI)