Activities of Alda SOUSA related to 2013/2145(BUD)
Plenary speeches (2)
2014 budgetary procedure: joint text (debate)
Draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014 - all sections (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014 PDF (562 KB) DOC (329 KB)
Amendments (21)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that its priorities for the 2014 budget are economic and sustainable growth, competitiveness, the creation of employment and the fight against youth unemployment; reiterates, therefore, its support for policies contributing to the fight against youth unemployment, research, development and innovation, digital agenda, competitiveness, small and medium enterprises (SMEs),while still in the context of one of the most dramatic social, economic and financial crisis, which has had a particularly appalling impact in some EU Member States in terms of unemployment, increase of poverty, closure of essential sectors, deterioration of public services, its priorities for the 2014 budget should be an ambitious set of investments aimed at boosting economic and sustainable growth, competitiveness, the creation of employment and the fight against youth unemployment; reiterates, therefore, the need to allocate the adequate resources to the policies contributing to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth based on the five EU headline targets, namely promoting employment, in particular for the youth improving the conditions for innovation, research and development, meeting our climate change and energy objectives, promoting high education, and professional training and mobilitystandards and social policies, in particular social inclusion and poverty reduction; recalls that the Member States themselves have fully endorsed these five targets;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls its determination to ensure a sufficient and realisticn adequate level of commitment and payment appropriations to allow the programmes to kick-off with sufficient funds in the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2014 - 2020 and to avoid delays in their implementation, as well as to ensure the successful conclusion of the programmes started under the 2007 - 2013 MFF;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. DeploreCondemns therefore the Council's decision to proceedinsist again this year with the usual approach of horizontal cuts to the draft budget (DB), aimed at artificially reducing the level of the Union's resources for 2014 by an overall total of EUR 240 million (-0,2%) in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR 1 061 million (-0,8%) in payment appropriations (PA) as compared to the DB, thus leading to a significant decrease compared to the 2013 budget (including amending budgets No 1 to 5) both in commitments (-6%) and in payments (-6,6%);
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is surprisedDeplores that, once more the European Council has fully ignored not only the European Parliament’s but its own previous positions; underlines that, in its position, the Council has not only not taken into account the agreement on the 2014 - 2020 MFF, regarding the frontloading of the Erasmus for All, COSME and Horizon 2020 programmes but has even further decreased the appropriations for some of those programmes;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. NoteDeeply regrets that the Council has introducedinsists in introducing nothing but cuts in both CA and PA in all headings; noterecalls that the most affected ones are Heading 1a (-0,36% in CA and -3,6% in PA as compared to the DB), Heading 4 (- 0,21% in CA and -2,5% in PA as compared to the DB) and Heading 5 (-1,78% in CA and PA as compared to the DB); noteunderlines that significant cuts are de facto operated in Heading1b, vis-à- vis, the needs of appropriations to overcome, in 2014, the 2013 rolled-over payment claims, namely within the framework of the European Social Fund and European Cohesion Fund, this might specially affect the Member States already facing the most dramatic social, economical and financial effects of the crisis; especially recalls that these headings contain programmes and initiatives responsible for the delivery of the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and are priority areas for Parliament or appropriations ensuring the successful administrative and operational support for the implementation of those programmes;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the declaration on payments adopted by the Council in its position on the draft budget 2014; is not convinced, however, that it could serve as a guarantee for a sufficient and adequate level of payments for all headings; welcomestakes note of the statement by some Member States that a better balance between commitments and payments should be sought in order to avoid the situation where the Union cannot meet its legal obligations;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. CanReiterates its position that it does not accept Council's decision to reduce CA and PA; remind, in particular while still in the context of one of the most dramatic social, economic and financial crisis; underlines that commitments reflect the Union political priorities and should be set with a long- term perspective where the economic downturn might have ended; takes the view, therefore, that in general principle, commitments should be restored at draft budget level; intends, however,priority and adequate allocation of resources should be given to policies of real convergence, social and territorial cohesion, focused on job creation, social progress, solidarity, the sustainable use of natural resources and protection of the environment; insists, therefore, that commitments should go much beyond the draft budget level, namely in Headings 1a and 1b; reiterates its position that it is clearly insufficient to increase CA appropriations slightly above the DB on a selected number of budget lines relating to the programmes of direct benefit for European citizens, and contributing to the delivery of the Europe 2020 priorities - which are crucial for the growth and competitiveness of the Union - as well as those projecting the European values and solidarity abroad;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls, therefore, for the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument for an amount of EUR [XXX million] in commitment appropriations to reinforce the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, to the European Social Fund, to the European Cohesion Fund, to provide further support for humanitarian aid in the Middle East, namely to UNWRA, taking into account the rise in the increase of tension in the region and in order to be able to attend to all those in need, and to grant additional assistance to Cyprus from the Structural Funds, as agreed by the Heads of States and Governments at their meeting of 27-28 June 2013;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Deeply deplores the cuts in payments bproughtposed by the Council, which could result in a decrease of at least EUR 9,5 billion (9 500 million) (-6,6%) in PA as compared to the adopted budget for 2013 (including amending budgets No 1 to 5); reiteratunderlines the fact that despite the adoption of a lower MFF for 2014-2020 and the absolute need to keep honouring past commitments, the Council kepteps following blindly its past strategy to artificially cut the level of payments, without taking into consideration the real needs and relativelyfor investment, with particular emphasis on the programmes and projects aimed at boosting growth and decent employment, smart, sustainable, green development and eradicating poverty and simultaneously the Council keeps sparing expenditure under shared management to ensure Member States' apparent «return on investment»;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the fact that the Council position does not take account offully ignores the dramatic shortage of payments, notably in the field of the cohesion policy, with some estimates pointing to a likely lack of payment appropriations and, accordingly, an implementation deficit of some EUR 20 billion at the end of 2013, even with the second tranche of the draft amending budget No. 2/2013 adopted in full; recalls that the outstanding payments carried over from 2013 will have to be deducted from - and consequently reduce - the level of payment appropriations available for 2014, which has already been reduced by the 2014-2020 MFF agreement; stresses that this will put 2014 budget under tightunbearable pressure, not the least, against the background of an the unprecedented level of unpaid claims and, more generally, of the outstanding commitments (RALs);
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is astonishedReiterates its indignation to the fact that some of the cuts in payments proposed by the Council affect the Horizon 2020, COSME and the ESF programmes, in plain opposition with the previous positions of the Council itself, the spirit and the letter of the recent political agreement on the 2014-2020 MFF to frontload some appropriations in 2014 and 2015 to these programmes and with the institutions' commitment at the highest level to tackle youth unemployment; recalls, moreover, thatreiterates its position that more resources should be allocated to these programmes, underlines that the frontload will not sort out the problem in the long-run, youth unemployment will still have to be tacled and addressed after 2016; recalls, moreover, the apparent lack of logic in the Council's position: part of the Council's cuts concern lines which were reinforced in the framework of the agreement on the first tranche of draft amending budget No. 2/2013;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Strongly rejects, therefore, the Council's approach on payments and amends its position on payments as the level of appropriations proposed does noto ensure that the fall between 2013 and 2014 ceilings is not detrimental to the proper implementation and completion of 2007- 2013 MFF programmes; namely, bearing in mind that, in the Commission's proposal, 52% of payment appropriations address outstanding commitments, nor to the start of new programmes;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Takes the approachReiterates its position that to restore the draft budget in payments for most lines cut by the Council; note will not be sufficient; recalls that, despite contained reinforcements in payment appropriations on a limited number of budget items and several decreases on other budget items, the payment ceiling does not allow for an adequate financing of priorities selected by the Parliament, with particular emphasis on the programmes and projects aimed at boosting growth and decent employment, smart, sustainable, green development and eradicating; proposes accordingly, after having examined all possibilities for re- allocating payment appropriations, to mobilise the Flexibility instrument in payments for an amount of EUR 213XXX million to finance humanitarian aid, integration and cohesion policies;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 a (new)
Paragraph 49 a (new)
49a. Reiterates the need to the increase the commitment and payment appropriations for the European Refugee Fund and of the Asylum and Migration Fund with at least EUR 100 million; notes that the EU must do all to avoid the dramatic humanitarian disasters, the endless disasters such as the one we have witnessed in Lampedusa last 3 October 2013; appropriations made available for Frontex could be proportionally reduced, as it has been clearly ineffective and inadequate to deal with the situations of humanitarian emergency which have to be dealt upon daily in the European Mediterranean shores;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Recalls the importance of transparency as an underlying budgetary principle; calls, therefore, for a split of the EUSR line to allow for a better overview of the allocations for the individual EUSRs; proposes to fully transfer the budget lines for EUSRs to the EEAS budget;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Proposes the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for EUR 50 million in order to finance the real needs for the Union's contribution to the Middle East peace process; reiterates, therefore, its support for long term programming and sufficient funding for assistance to United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Palestine and the Peace process; suggests to put the EUR 50 million of additional appropriations in reserve pending an assessment from the Commission of the sound management of the aid by the Palestinian authorities and the measures taken in the fight against corruption;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a (new)
Paragraph 52 a (new)
52a. Deeply regrets the fact that the allocations forseen for the Aid to UNWRA, Palestine and Peace Process have seen no increase since the last 3 years, meaning that the EU assistance to this area of the Middle East has in fact been decreasing on the past few years while the humanitarian situation is growing systematically more complex and with increased needs; fully rejects the attempt to establish a reserve of EUR 50 million to the EU aid for UNWRA, Palestine and Peace Process, much more than the problems caused by the lack of means, will be the dramatical political consequences of the impact of such allegations over resources which have been administered toguether with an Agency of the United Nations, without any concrete full assessment of these allegations;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. NoteDeeply regrets the Council's cuts to Heading 5, amounting to a total of EUR - 153.283 million in commitments and payments (- 1,8 % compared to DB levels), where the highest cuts are in Pensions and European schools (EUR -5,2 million , -3,2 %) and on expenditure related to officials and temporary staff in policy areas (EUR - 69,7 million or -3,5 %);
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. NoteDeeply regrets that in its draft budget, the Commission already largely included the savings brought about by the new Staff Regulation and the 1 % reduction of posts, as agreed by the institutions; these proposed staff reductions will endanger dramatically the capacity of the EU institutions to deal with the entire new set of increased tasks and competences; notes that the EU institutions are supposed to perform, within a fully democratic context, with the highest degree of technical and administrative excellenc; naturally this becomes impossible while its institutions are not provided with the adequate level of human resources, in an increasing multilingual environment;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. ViewReiterates its position that it considers the additional cuts on administrative expenditure made by the Council as unjustified and disregarding statutory and contractual obligations and the Union's new competences and tasks; notstresses that «excluding the amounts relating to the salary adjustment for 2011 and 2012» couldshall further imbalance the Union budget;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)
Paragraph 68 a (new)
68a. Insists that the appropriations for the European Refugee Fund be increased;