1472 Amendments of Roberta METSOLA
Amendment 9 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, despite the lack of comprehensive data on its full impact, the TSD is still effective in guaranteeing the free movement of toys in the Single Market and the number of companies operating in the market since the full application of the TSD increased by 10 % from 2013 to 2017, while the turnover of the EU toy industry has constantly increased since its entry into force; whereas 99 % of companies in the sector are SMEs;
Amendment 21 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges the added value of the TSD in improving the safety of children and ensuring an equal high level of protection across the single market, compared to the previous directive, and its role in providing legal certainty and a level playing field for businesses;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes, however, that inconsistencies that call for a revision of the TSD remain and therefore asks the Commission to foresee an exhaustive impact assessment in order to check if and how these inconsistencies could be addressed;
Amendment 42 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that spreading out requirements across several pieces of legislation, and providing for different limit values, can be is burdensome and can in some caseseven necessitate duplicate the measuring of substances, as in the case of migration and content limit values; calls on the Commission, therefore, to consider consolidating all applicable limits for toys in one piece of legislation in order to streamline conformity assessment and make it more easy and less burdensome to comply with the requirements;
Amendment 74 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the TSD contains an obligation for Member States to perform market surveillance underthe competent authority of the Member States to take due account of the precautionary principle, test toys on the market and verify manufacturers’ documentation with a view to withdrawing unsafe toys and taking action against those responsible for placing them on the market; is concerned that the effectiveness of market surveillance under the TSD is limited, putting the health and safety of children at risk and undermining the level playing field for economic operators that comply with the legislation, to the benefit of rogue traders, who do not;
Amendment 80 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, which aims to improve market surveillance by strengthening controls by national authorities to ensure that products entering the single market, including toys, are safe and comply with the rules, and calls on the Member States to implement it fullycorrectly and on time and to set minimum sampling rates for checks, so that effective enforcement of the TSD can be ensured;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to explore possibilities for using new technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence to detect unsafe products and facilitate the work of market surveillance authorities by providing easily accessible and, structured and, if possible, digital information on products and their traceability in the supply chain;
Amendment 98 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Member States to step up coordination of their market surveillance activities; Underlines that an efficient market surveillance is essential in order to detect unsafe toys and calls therefore on the Member States to increase the resources, provide modern equipment to and properly staff their market surveillance authorities and custom authorities and to step up coordination and cooperation among them, including at cross-border level, so that a swift transfer of information on unsafe toys can be enabled;
Amendment 104 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Highlights that in order to detect unsafe toys more efficiently the market surveillance authorities should carry out mystery shopping also on online marketplaces on a regular basis and at least once a year in particular because toys are the products that are notified the most on the Safety Gate (RAPEX);
Amendment 107 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Amendment 108 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16 c. Encourages the use of new technologies such as AI and blockchain by market surveillance authorities to ensure that data analytics can be used to mitigate risk and improve compliance with the TSD;
Amendment 113 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is concerned by the new vulnerabilities and risks posed by connected toys; calls on the Commission to explore different options for action, such as extending the scope of the TSD to include provisions on information security or reinforcing the relevant horizontal legislation, such as the Radio Equipment Directive and the Cybersecurity Act, as well as the GDPR, while keepinvolving Parliament informed of its choices;
Amendment 117 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Encourages producers of connected toys to integrate safety and security mechanisms by design;
Amendment 122 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights that the development of e-commerce benefits the consumers but also poses challenges for market surveillance authorities in ensuring the compliance of products sold online; notes that many products bought online fail to conform to EU safety requirements and is concerned by the high number of dangerous toys sold online;
Amendment 167 #
2021/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Highlights that the lack of consistent EU-wide statistics on toy-related accidents makes it impossibledifficult to quantitatively assess the level of protection granted by the TSD; believes that a lack of coordination and funding at EU level is a root cause of the absence of consistent data and calls onproposes to the Commission to addressuse thise in a future revision through the establishment of a pan-European accident and injury databasedicators and data gathered from ICSMS, RAPEX and joint actions to assess the efficiency of the TSD;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to 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 law1a, _________________ 1a OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17
Amendment 19 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 36 a (new)
Citation 36 a (new)
— having regard to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights ‘Human Rights Comment: Time to take action against SLAPPs’ issued on 27 October 2020
Amendment 59 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits or other legal actions (e.g. injunctions, asset-freezing) based on civil and criminal law, as well as the threats of such actions, with the purpose of preventing acts of public participation including investigating and reporting on breaches of Union and national law, corruption or other fraudulent practices or of blocking public participation;
Amendment 84 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas evidence shows that SLAPPs have become an increasingly widespread practice used against journalists, academics, civil society and NGOs, as demonstrated by many cases throughout the Union, such as the chilling case of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was reportedly facing 47 civil and criminal defamation lawsuits, (resulting in the freezing of her assets) on the day of her strongly condemned assassination on 16 October 2017, and the lawsuits her heirs continue to face; whereas other illustrative and alarming cases include Realtid Media, which was repeatedly threatened with a lawsuit in a different jurisdiction from where the reporting in question took place, and Gazeta Wyborcza, which continues to be sued by a number of public entities and officials on a regular basis;
Amendment 97 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas SLAPPs within the Union are often cross-border in nature, which results in reporting delays as illustrated in many cases, often relating to cases of environmental protection, financial fraud and/or corruption, where they constitute a clear attempt to delay publication of information by halting or discrediting the work of individual journalists and publishing entities, hence depriving citizens of their right to information; whereas SLAPPs and SLAPP threats may be brought against watchdogs within the Union also by actors in third countries and before courts in third countries;
Amendment 108 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas, on the one hand, the lack of direct legislation in any Member State on the issue of SLAPPs and, on the other hand, the existence of often ambiguous and broad national provisions in this context, as well as of harsh penalties including of criminal nature, significantly contribute to the growth of these abusive lawsuits and the subsequent intimidation of their targets;
Amendment 111 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. Whereas soft law measures are a welcomed supporting measure to accompany a legislative proposal and the revision of certain private international law currently in force, however on their own they do not provide full judicial protection;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that SLAPPs are a direct attack on the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms; underlines that fundamental rights and democracy are linked to upholding the rule of law, and that undermining media freedom and public democratic participation threatens Union values as enshrined in Article 2 of the TEU; welcomes the fact that the 2020 rule of law report includes SLAPP lawsuits in its assessment of media freedom and pluralism across the Union, and points to best practices in countering them; calls for the annual2021 and subsequent reports to include a thorough assessment of the legal environment for the media, and investigative journalism in particular and to look more thoroughly at challenges affecting civil society;
Amendment 149 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that public participation also has an important role to play in the proper functioning of the internal market, as it is often through public participation that breaches of Union law, including violations of fundamental rights, corruption and other practices threatening the proper functioning of the internal market are made known to the public;
Amendment 161 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that SLAPPs constitute not only undermine the right of access to justice of SLAPP victims, but also a misuse of Member States’ justice systems and legal frameworks, especially for successfully addressing ongoing common challenges outlined in the Justice Scoreboard, such as caseload administration and case backlogs; recalls that a properly functioning justice system delivers judgements without undue delay, and manages judicial resources so as to maximise efficiency, and that this is only possible where judges and judicial bodies are not burdened with the handling of claims that are later on dismissed as abusive and lacking in legal merit;
Amendment 165 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses that the independence, quality and efficiency of national justice systems are crucial for the achievement of effective justice; underlines that the availability of legal aid and the level of court fees can have a major impact on access to justice; points out that the Charter has the same legal value as the Treaties; notes that, in accordance with the guidance of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Charter is applied by Member States’ judicial authorities only when implementing legal acts of the Union, it is, however, important for the fostering of a common legal, judicial and rule of law culture that the rights as enshrined in the Charter be always taken into account;
Amendment 193 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that SLAPPs are often meritless, frivolous or based on exaggerated claims, and that they are not initiated for the purposes of obtaining a favourable judicial outcome but rather only to intimidate, harass, tire out, put psychological pressure on or consume the financial resources of journalists, academics, civil society and NGOs, with the ultimate objective of blackmailing and forcing them into silence through the judicial procedure itself; stresses that SLAPPs cause not only a financial burden but also bear dire psychological consequences for their targets as well as their family members; points out that this chilling effect can lead to self-censorship, suppressing participation in democratic life, and also discourages others from similar actions, from entering into these professions or from proceeding with relevant associated activities;
Amendment 208 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that litigants that resort to SLAPPs use and abuse criminal defamation laws, civil lawsuits for libel, protection of one’s reputation or based on intellectual property rights such as copyright, but also that a variety of other instruments is misused to silence public participation, such as labour sanctions (dismissal), criminal charges of tax fraud, tax audit procedures and abuse of data protection rules;
Amendment 226 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses, with regard to this problem, that all Member States lack harmonised minimum standards to sufficiently protect journalists, academics, civil society and NGOs and to ensure that fundamental rights are upheld in the Member States;
Amendment 230 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Is aware that victims or potential victims of SLAPP suits are being aided both financially and psychologically by other colleagues that have been faced with similar lawsuits or are knowledgeable about the character and procedure of SLAPP suits, to be able to understand and potentially even contest the lawsuit they have been served with;
Amendment 231 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Commends the important and useful work of civil society in raising awareness of the harmful effects of SLAPPs as well as the support it gives to victims and potential targets of SLAPPs;
Amendment 249 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Agrees with the numerous civil society organisations, academics, legal practitioners and victims who point to the need for legislative action against the growing problem of SLAPPs; urgently calls, therefore, for the Brussels I and Rome II Regulations to be amendmentsed in order to prevent ‘libel tourism’ or ‘forum shopping’; urgently calls forincluding the introduction of a uniform choice of law rule for defamation, as well as for; urgently calls the Commission to present proposals for binding Union legislation on harmonised and effective safeguards for victims of SLAPPs across the Union, including through a directive; argues that without such legislative action, SLAPPs will continue to threaten the rule of law and the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, association and assembly and information in the Union; is concerned that if measures only address lawsuits regarding infordefamation, actions based on other civil matters or criminal procedures may still be used;
Amendment 262 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Affirms that legislative measures at Union level could be based on Article 81 of the TFEU (for cross-border civil lawsuits) and Article 82 of the TFEU (for threats ofcriminal lawsuits in cross-border cases), and separately on Article 114 of the TFEU to protect public participation in order to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market by exposing corruption and other distortions; asserts that the latter measure could also address attempts to prevent investigation and reporting on breaches of Union law using the same legal base asa similar approach to the one that led to the adoption of Directive (EU) 2019/1937 (the ‘Whistleblower Directive’);
Amendment 274 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers that it is essential to adopt a legislative measure protecting the role of journalists, academics, civil society and NGOs in preventing, reporting and denouncing breaches of Union law and ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market; urges the Commission to present a proposal for legislation that sets out safeguards, including early dismissal mechanisms, for persons investigating and reporting on these matters of public interest;
Amendment 293 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the Commission to present a proposal for a measure that develops judicial cooperation in civil matters so as to address cross-border SLAPP cases by providing for rules on the dismissal of abusive lawsuits and other actions in court that have the purpose of preventing public participation, which should include sanctions, consideration of abusive motives even if the lawsuit or action is not dismissed, costs and damages; calls on the Commission, further, to address questions giving rise to forum shopping and libel tourism in a forthcoming review of the Brussels I and Rome II Regulations;
Amendment 294 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the Commission to present a proposal for a measure that develops judicial cooperation in civil matters so as to address cross-border SLAPP cases by providing for rules on the dismissal of abusive lawsuits and other actions in court that have the purpose of preventing public participation, which should include sanctions, consideration of abusive motives even if the lawsuit or action is not dismissed, costs and damages; calls on the Commission, further, to address questions giving rise to forum shopping and libel tourism in a forthcoming review of the Brussels I and Rome II Regulations;
Amendment 295 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Whereas any Revision of the relevant rules in the Brussels I Regulation should be properly mirrored by an equivalent revision of the Lugano Convention so as to ensure a cohesive application of international jurisdiction rules in civil and commercial matters beyond the Union and where Union citizens are concerned;
Amendment 299 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the Commission to present a proposal for measures toaddress the seriousness of SLAPPs brought through criminal proceedings by ensureing that defamation, libel and slander, which constitute criminal offences in most Member States, cannot be used for SLAPPs, including through private prosecution; underlines the calls of the Council of Europe and OSCE for the decriminalisation of defamation; invites the Commission to address the question of the seriousness of threats of SLAPPs in a legislative proposal; notes that defendants often face criminal charges while at the same time being sued for civil liability allegedly arising from the same conduct and invites the Commission to introduce harmonised procedural safeguards against those combined SLAPPs;
Amendment 315 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines the urgent need for a robust fund for supporting victims of SLAPPs and organisations supporting them insofar as the funds are directly used for the support of legal fees or provision of legal aid and psychological support; stress the importance for victims and potential victims of SLAPPs to have easy and accessible information about these type of cases, legal aid and support, including psychological support for victims and their family members;
Amendment 326 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Considers it necessary to collect data on SLAPP cases and raise awareness about the nature and detrimental effects of SLAPPs;
Amendment 338 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Highlights that the fight against corruption is essential for maintaining democracy, fundamental rights and rule of law, as corruption, which can take many forms, undermines our values, proper functioning of States and enables organised crime;
Amendment 339 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22 b. Calls on the Commission to strengthen in the framework of the annual Mechanism on DRF the regular, inclusive and structured dialogue with national authorities, NGOs, professional associations and other stakeholders in order to protect and support journalists, and other civil society representatives at risk of SLAPPs, prosecution or harassment;
Amendment 342 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 1 – part I – introductory part
Annex – point 1 – part I – introductory part
Legislative measures - a package addressing SLAPPs, including early dismissal mechanisms, should include proposals:
Amendment 342 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 1 – part I – introductory part
Annex – point 1 – part I – introductory part
Legislative measures - a package addressing SLAPPs, including early dismissal mechanisms, should include proposals:
Amendment 352 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 3
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 3
the creation of a specific Union fund to provide financial support to victims of SLAPPs and their family members, including in terms of financial aid, legal assistance and psychological support;
Amendment 352 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 3
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 3
the creation of a specific Union fund to provide financial support to victims of SLAPPs and their family members, including in terms of financial aid, legal assistance and psychological support;
Amendment 363 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 6
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 6
a ‘one-stop-shop’/support hub which victims of SLAPPs can contact and where they can receive guidance and easy access to information and support on SLAPPs, including regarding ‘first aid’, legal aid, financial and psychological support, including through peer exchange networks;
Amendment 363 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 6
Annex – point 1 – part II – indent 6
a ‘one-stop-shop’/support hub which victims of SLAPPs can contact and where they can receive guidance and easy access to information and support on SLAPPs, including regarding ‘first aid’, legal aid, financial and psychological support, including through peer exchange networks;
Amendment 368 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 2 – part I – introductory part
Annex – point 2 – part I – introductory part
A legislative proposal for a general protection measure would have the dual aim of protecting persons investigating or reporting:
Amendment 368 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 2 – part I – introductory part
Annex – point 2 – part I – introductory part
A legislative proposal for a general protection measure would have the dual aim of protecting persons investigating or reporting:
Amendment 396 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 3 – part 1 – introductory part
Annex – point 3 – part 1 – introductory part
A proposal for a civil procedure measure applicable in SLAPP cases, also with a cross-border casesnature, should include:
Amendment 398 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 3 – part 1 – introductory part
Annex – point 3 – part 1 – introductory part
A proposal for a civil procedure measure applicable in SLAPP cases, also with a cross-border casesnature, should include:
Amendment 413 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 3 – part II – point b
Annex – point 3 – part II – point b
(b) that the applicable law is the law of the place where the investigation or reporting took placeto which a publication is directed or, should that place not be possible to identify, the place of editorial control or relevant activity with regard to the public participation.
Amendment 415 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 3 – part II – point b
Annex – point 3 – part II – point b
(b) that the applicable law is the law of the place where the investigation or reporting took placeto which a publication is directed or, should that place not be possible to identify, the place of editorial control or relevant activity with regard to the public participation.
Amendment 425 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 4 – point b
Annex – point 4 – point b
(b) specify that private prosecution cannot be used to silence journalists, publishers, academics, civil society and NGOs;
Amendment 427 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 4 – point c
Annex – point 4 – point c
(c) facilitate mutual recognition of judgements and judicial decisions, and police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.;
Amendment 429 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 4 – point ca (new)
Annex – point 4 – point ca (new)
(ca) explore possible harmonised procedural safeguards to protect defendants facing SLAPPs based on combined criminal charges and civil liability actions allegedly arising from the same conduct;
Amendment 429 #
2021/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex – point 4 – point ca (new)
Annex – point 4 – point ca (new)
(ca) explore possible harmonised procedural safeguards to protect defendants facing SLAPPs based on combined criminal charges and civil liability actions allegedly arising from the same conduct;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 26
Citation 26
— having regard to the report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights of 17 January 2018 entitled ‘Challenges facing civil society organisations working on human rights in the EU’, and to its other reports and data, published on 17 January 2018, the bulletins on the fundamental rights implications of the Coronavirus pandemic in the EU, published in 2020, and to the Agency’s other reports, data and tools, in particular the European Union Fundamental Rights Information System (EFRIS),
Amendment 22 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 50 a (new)
Citation 50 a (new)
— having regard to the report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights of 10 September 2020 on Antisemitism: Overview of antisemitic incidents recorded in the European Union;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Welcomes that all Member States are being scrutinised along the same indicators and in accordance with the same methodology; appreciates that the Commission includes observations and findings about all Member States; regrets, however, that the current presentation of the report neither differentiates between the severity of the identified rule of law issues nor whether these are of systemic nature or individual, disconnected breaches; is of the opinion that there is a serious difference between systemic and individual, disconnected breaches of the rule of law; emphasises that this equal presentation of breaches of different nature carries the risk of trivialising the most serious rule of law breaches; urges the Commission to differentiate its reporting by distinguishing between systemic and individual, disconnected breaches of rule of law; calls on the Commission to update its methodology accordingly and keep Parliament informed without undue delay;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for a more integrated analysis on the interlinkages between the four pillars included in the report and of how combined deficiencies may amount to systemic breaches of the rule of law; calls on the Commission to propose EU Anti- SLAPP legislation to protect journalists from vexatious lawsuits;
Amendment 85 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes that the first rule of law report is mostly descriptive of the situation in the Member States; calls on the Commission to make the report more analytical in the future and also include specific assessments and recommendations to the Member States on how to improve or remedy the breaches; underlines that these recommendations should include deadlines for implementation, where appropriate, and asks the Commission to include a follow-up on the implementation of its recommendations in its future reports;
Amendment 126 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Decries the fact that the initiation of preliminary ruling proceedings before the Court of Justice of the EU has been declared unlawful in Member States subject to Article 7political pressure in Member States subject to Article 7 of the TEU to prevent the initiation of preliminary ruling proceedings by national courts before the Court of Justice of the TEU; is appalled by the growing resistance of some Member States to comply with CJEU rulings on the grounds of sovereignty or unconstitutionality; believes that these developments pose a systemic threat to the Unionunity of EU law and to the functioning of the Union as such; considers, therefore, that forthcoming annual reports should consider challenges to the Union’s legal architecture and principles as serious violations in the assessment; calls on the Commission to closely monitor the rulings of national courts regarding the primacy of EU law over national constitutional norms; urges the Commission to ensure immediate and adequate responses to refusals to implement and respect CJEU judgements, such as court actions following Article 260 TFEU;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the inclusion in the report of a specific chapter on monitoring media freedom and pluralism; urges the Commission to provide an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of the national frameworks for the protection of media freedom and media pluralism; calls on the Commission to put a specific focus on murder cases of journalists with a particular focus on the effective subsequent criminal investigations and proceedings;
Amendment 156 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Deplores the lack of assessment as regards the public and private media sector at national level and its degree of independence from government or any other interference and an assessment of transparency of media ownership; believes that proper implementation of Article 30 of the 2018 Audiovisual Media Services Directive19 should be closely monitored; calls in this regard on the Commission to examine attempts of intimidation and defamation of journalists, in particular by public service broadcasters; in this context, highlights the trend that increasingly also foreign journalists are directly attacked as public enemies for their investigative reports; _________________ 19 OJ L 303, 28.11.2018, p. 69.
Amendment 166 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is alarmed by the growing deterioration of media freedom and media pluralism in some Member States since the publication of the 2020 report; observes with concern that challenges to media freedom are interlinked with the undermining of the freedom of expression, artistic freedom and academic freedom; recalls in this regard physical, psychological and economic threats directed towards journalists that have so far resulted in the murder of investigative journalists; calls, therefore, for this pillar to be expanded to all aspects of freedom of expression and for the title of the pillar to be adapted accordingly;
Amendment 192 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Recalls the importance of independent national human rights institutions and national ombudsman bodies, in full compliance with the Paris Principles, as well as equality bodies, in preserving citizens' rights and being able to defend the rule of law at national, regional and local level;
Amendment 205 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls on the Commission to include country chapters of all candidate and potential candidate countries to EU enlargement with an in-depth analysis on their justice systems, anti-corruption frameworks, on media freedom and pluralism, as well as on institutional checks and balances;
Amendment 223 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Member States to present annual reports on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, including equality and rights of persons belonging to minorities, as part of the Union’s annual reporting mechanism;
Amendment 225 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement of its strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; believes that such an annual review should provide input for a comprehensive mPoints out that the mechanism should consolidate and supersede existing instruments to avoid duplication, in particular the Commission’s annual rule of law report, the Commission’s Rule of Law Framework, the Commission’s annual reporting on the application of the Charter, the Council’s Rule of Law Dialogue and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), while increasing complementarity and coherence with other available tools, including procedures under Article 7 TEU, infringement proceedings and budgetary conditoring mechanism and that its methodology, cycle and scope should therefore be aligned wiionality once in force; considers that the three institutions should use the findings from the Annual Monitoring Cycle in their assessment for the purposes of triggering Article 7 TEU and of budgetary conditionality once in force; stresses that the roles and prerogatives of each of the the annual reportsree institutions must be respected;
Amendment 239 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Calls on the Commission to invite the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to provide methodological advice and conduct targeted comparative research to fill gaps and add detail in key areas of the rule of law report in addition to the contributions the Agency already makes in terms of, for instance, using EFRIS and data on civic space;
Amendment 279 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Reiterates that the annual report should serve as a basis for deciding whether to activate the procedure provided for in Article 7 of the TEU, whether to activate the Rule of Law Framework or whether to launch infringement procedures, including expedited procedures, applications for interim measures before the Court of Justice and actions regarding non-implementation of CJEU judgments concerning the protection of Union values; considers that the Conference on the future of Europe could further clarify in Treaty provisions the well-established legal principle on the primacy of EU law;
Amendment 291 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Calls on the Commission to launch a dedicated programme that supports innovative initiatives with the aim of promoting formal and informal education with regard to the rule of law and democratic institutions among EU citizens of all ages, in particular at local and regional level;
Amendment 294 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 10 a (new)
Subheading 10 a (new)
Calls on the Council and the Commission to provide adequate funding for an independent and European-wide, national, regional and local quality journalism that investigates in particular where violations and shortcomings have been identified;
Amendment 296 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission to assess in successive reports how the issues identified in the areas analysed in previous reports have evolved; calls on the Commission to follow-up on its previous observations and analyse any positive or negative developments while highlighting in particular any systemic or reoccurring patterns of rule of law breaches;
Amendment 298 #
2021/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission to assess in successive reports how the issues identified in the areas analysed in previous reports have evolved, clearly outlining positive and negative trends;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas health is fundamental to the well-being of Europeans and equitable access to healthcare is a pillar of the EU; whereas safe, affordable medicines are needed to combat all diseases; whereas patients should be at the centre of all health policies, alongside investment and research, and in every aspect of the medicine regulatory lifecycle;
Amendment 51 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the disruption of the global supply chain ensuing from the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the EU’s dependency on third countries in the health sector; whereas the EU's open strategic autonomy and security of supply should be ensured by diversification of supply chains for essential medicines and medicinal products, including European manufacturing sites, as well as by applying public procurement rules that should not consider price as the sole criterion;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas a competitive and resilient European research-based pharmaceutical industry is more responsive to patients’ needs and to strategic interest for public health, economic growth, jobs, trade, and scientific and technological progress;
Amendment 150 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Welcomes the upcoming creation of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and calls for the allocation of sufficient resources and power autonomy to broadly address all the cross-borders threats to health that EU could face in the middle term and beyond the sole COVID- 19 pandemic, including resources for the development of new therapeutics against viral and bacterial pathogens;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission to apply public procurement rules that should not consider price as the sole and main selection criterion;
Amendment 319 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that EU funding for biomedical research and development includes clauses that contribute to the availability and affordability of final products;
Amendment 434 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls on the Commission to expand the role of EMA in the assessment of drug-device/diagnostic combination products to simplify the fragmented supervisory framework; believes that greater regulatory agility and efficiency can be achieved by adopting a more expertise-driven scientific assessment on marketing authorisations within the European Medicines Agency(EMA);
Amendment 463 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12 c. Calls on the Commission to facilitate assessment processes that allow for early and iterative dialogue on data and evidence as they are generated; calls on the EMA and national medicine agencies to prioritise the submission of data from randomised controlled clinical trials that compare an investigational medicine against the standard treatment;
Amendment 471 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12 d. Requests the Commission to work with Member States to reduce fragmentation in the application of the General Data Protection Regulation, which substantially increases the complexity and burden of conducting clinical research in Europe;
Amendment 476 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)
Paragraph 12 e (new)
12 e. Notes that decisions taken regarding the EU's pharmaceutical regulatory environment will have implications beyond Europe's borders, given that several third countries recognize and rely on EU requirements, particularly when it comes to the facilitation of exports and the waiving of requirements to test these in third countries when they come from the EU; therefore emphasizes the importance of maintaining such mutual recognition agreements with third countries and ensuring that these remain up to date;
Amendment 519 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Highlights the fact that gene and cell therapies, personalised medicine, nanomedicines and nanotechnology, next- generation vaccines, including the m-RNA derivatives, e-health and the ‘Million plus genomes’ initiative can bring enormous benefits in relation to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment of all diseases; urges the Commission to develop appropriate regulatory frameworks, to guide new business models, and to run information campaigns to raise awareness and encourage the use of these innovations;
Amendment 528 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15 c. Calls on the Commission to establish a regulatory framework for nanomedicines and nanosimilars, and calls for these products to be approved through a compulsory centralised procedure;
Amendment 618 #
2021/2013(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Supports the Commission in its efforts to conduct a structured dialogue with players in the pharmaceutical value chain, public authorities, non-governmental patient and health organisations and the research community to address the root causes of shortages of medicines and the weaknesses in the global medicines manufacturing and supply chain;
Amendment 514 #
2020/2273(INI)
10. Expresses its support for the 2030 targets of bringing at least 25 % of agricultural land under organic farm management, - whilst noting that the geographic realities of some Member States make this difficult to achieve due to their size and the proximity of agricultural areas to contaminants outside of farmers' control - which should become the norm in the long term, and ensuring that at least 10 % of agricultural land consists of high-diversity landscape features, which should be implemented at farm level, targets which should both be incorporated into EU legislation; considers it imperative that farmers receive support and training in the transition towards agroecological practices;
Amendment 544 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Emphasises that farmers have a key role in the success of this strategy as guardians of our shared environmental and cultural heritage and that this strategy should be aligned with the measures, goals and targets of the Farm to Fork strategy;
Amendment 550 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Underlines the importance of biodiversity in ensuring dietary adequacy; considers that farmers should be supported to foster sustainable diets with an emphasis on nutritionally rich varieties of plants and breeds of animals that are best suited for the local environment and contribute to local biodiversity;
Amendment 682 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses that the programme of Urban Greening Plans for cities with at least 20,000 inhabitants should be reviewed and expanded to include cities and densely urbanised areas with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants in order to reach more urban areas within the Union;
Amendment 684 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Stresses that such projects as proforestation, greening, reforestation and landscaping should prioritise indigenous flora, in order to create or expand nurseries of indigenous plants best suited for local ecosystems;
Amendment 685 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Emphasises that greening efforts should not merely focus on beautification of the particular space, but rather should make use of indigenous flora, maximise the amount of flora used and also promote the growth of wildflowers which are of great importance to pollinators;
Amendment 760 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Highlights the precarious state of soil health in the Mediterranean region due to desertification, rising temperatures and the subsequent soil erosion and the loss of microorganisms and plant species which contribute to soil health which furthers leads to biodiversity loss;
Amendment 761 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Stresses the need for a system of identifying degraded and contaminated soil for restoration, of defining the conditions for their healthy ecological status, of introducing restoration objectives and parameters for monitoring soil health, whilst also recognising the role that composting can play to meet this objective, and in particular compost produced on a large scale that serves circular economy goals as a product of food waste recycling;
Amendment 870 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Regrets that the list of Union concern represents less than 6 % of IAS present in Europe; calls on the Commission to ensure proper coverage of IAS affecting threatened species on the EU list and to reinforce prevention by introducing mandatory risk assessments prior to the first import of non-native species and by adopting white lists by 2030 at the latest, while also ensuring that the adopted white lists of non-native species respect the diverse ecological realities of the Union;
Amendment 879 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Highlights the need for protections and safeguards for local breeds and plant varieties as it is these breeds and varieties which are best suited to the local ecosystem and contribute most to local diets; considers that measures should be taken to encourage farmers and stakeholders involved in land management to make use of a wide variety of local breeds, invest in restoring dwindling local breeds, and where necessary, reintroduce species that were once present, but were lost over time;
Amendment 923 #
2020/2273(INI)
22a. Emphasises that local stakeholders with the necessary and relevant expertise should be involved in the decision-making process of how and where EU funds are spent to ensure that the goals of this strategy are met with utmost efficacy and that the EU environmental acquis is not breached;
Amendment 1130 #
2020/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species and human health; calls on the Union to lead negotiations for an international agreement for plastic-free oceans by 2030;
Amendment 553 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Urges the Commission to also focus on the importance of place when formulating the measures that will bring this strategy to life; whilst, it is essential that we reform our food system to bring it in line with our climate goals, we must remember that our food is our culture and heritage and that those who produce it must be supported through these reforms; urges the Commission to implement the reforms in a manner sensitive to our shared and diverse history and that respects the different geographic realities within the Union;
Amendment 777 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the reduction targets of the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers need to be accompanied by an increase in research and development of alternative plant protection products and fertilisers, as well as application methods and technologies, if the EU truly wants to become the front runner in terms of sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture; calls on the Commission to carry out an impact assessment and the Member states to offer farmers a tool box of alternatives for plant protection and fertilization in order to ensure the security of supply with high-quality and biodiversity-friendly produced food; calls on the co-legislators to take these targets duly into consideration in the upcoming legislative initiatives;
Amendment 779 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to facilitate agricultural innovation and the access to these technologies for European farmers in the pursuit of further protecting biodiversity by incentivising technologies, including biopesticides and digital tools with a proportionate and evidence-based regulatory framework which can support the need for monitoring and decision-making;
Amendment 808 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes measures to reduce the use of pesticides, artificial fertilisers and antibiotics; however, emphasises that any innovative and less harmful products used in their place must be accessible for farmers in all Member States, in order to have the same toolkit across the Union;
Amendment 969 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to establish a plan for the compensation of the loss of income of farmers, which may result due to the set farm to fork targets and the interlinked decline in production;
Amendment 1192 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that the farm to fork strategy should fully take into account the upcoming agreement on the CAP Strategic Plans and avoid additional legal burdens and uncertainty for farmers after the agreement of the new CAP;
Amendment 1195 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to encourage Member State governments to expand or create systems which allow members of the public to rent and utilise derelict and unused government-owned land for food production;
Amendment 1196 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Highlights the importance of family-run, small to medium sized businesses and producers’ organisations in shortening supply chains; therefore, calls for specific support measures to have the capacity to sell directly to consumers, whether through assistance in setting up digital platforms, or increasing their physical premises; stresses that support for the survival and growth of these enterprises will not only mean support for local businesses but also for the local produce they grow and sell as well as other benefits such as less packaging waste and an increased understanding of the local food system; highlights that in supporting these enterprises the need for multiple links in the supply chain will be reduced;
Amendment 1202 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Welcomes the goal of shortening supply chains; highlights however, the reality of island Member States and island territories, disconnected from mainland Europe, faced with issues of isolation and dependence on imports for necessary products, such as grains for animal feeds, which needs to be respected when implementing measures to reduce the dependence on long-haul transport and other measures which will shorten supply chains; highlights that without long-haul transport of certain foodstuffs the food security of these disconnected areas would be jeopardised;
Amendment 1233 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to ensure adequate financial support and incentives to promote new ecological ‘green’ business models for agriculture and artisanal food production, notably through fostering short supply chains and quality food production; as well as ensuring rights to food security in a manner best suited for the specificities of each Member State as well as adequate space and land for agricultural production;
Amendment 1329 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Commission for a strategy on supporting local value chains as a key element for reaching the proposed targets; stresses that small- scaled agriculture and SMEs require additional support for realising the proposed targets;
Amendment 1438 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for primary producers, especially family-run and small businesses across the food system, to be supported in making the transition to greater sustainability through the encouragement of cooperation and collective actions as well as through competition rules and the enhancement of possibilities for cooperation within the common market organisations for agricultural, fishery and aquaculture products, and thus for farmers’ and fishers’ position in the supply chain to be strengthened in order to enable them to capture a fair share of the added value of sustainable production;
Amendment 1452 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Urges the Commission and Member States to reduce the administrative burden on small and medium sized participants in the food chain, through measures such as streamlining registration processes and making permit and licence and approvals more efficient and also by ensuring that relevant regulatory bodies are appropriately staffed, in order for small food producers to get their products to market as quickly and easily as possible;
Amendment 1475 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Commission to follow up on Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices22 and the EU code of conduct on responsible business and marketing practices by producing a monitoring framework for the food and retail sectors and providing for legal action if progress in integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability into corporate strategies is insufficient, and in so doing promoting and rewarding the efforts of sustainable agricultural producers while increasing the availability and affordability of healthy, sustainable food options and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the food system; stresses the importance of halting and addressing consolidation and concentration in the grocery retail sector in order to ensure fair prices for farmers; calls for safeguards for local food producers and their products should also be encouraged as support for local producers will reduce links in the supply chain and prevent further consolidation and concentration in the grocery retail sector which lacks obligations on country of origin labelling and supplying local produce when available; _________________ 22 OJ L 111, 25.4.2019, p. 59.
Amendment 1514 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Urges the Commission to examine the ways in which mandatory country-of- origin labelling could be implemented and enforced to combat food fraud, support local food producers that are best placed to meet the targets set in the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and protect cultural heritage whilst not distorting the internal market;
Amendment 1667 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for measures to reduce the burden that highly processed foods with high salt, sugar and fat content place on public health; regrets that the introduction of nutrient profiles is greatly delayed and stresses that a robust set of nutrient profiles must be developed to restrict or prohibit the use of false nutritional claims on foods high in fats, sugars and/or salt; calls for a mandatory EU-wide front-of-pack nutrition labelling system based on independent science which is easy for consumers to understand, easily legible and does not over-burden food packaging businesses and unions;
Amendment 1772 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint as well as a clear label of origin; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; stresses the importance that is necessary to ensure a fair income for farmers;
Amendment 1776 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable dietsand safeguarding sustainable diets which are sensitive to the diverse cultures and heritage within the EU, by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one;
Amendment 1876 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights the recognition in the strategy that Europeans’ diets are not in line with recommendations for healthy eating, and that a population-wide shift in consumption patterns is needed towards more healthy and plant-based foods and less red and processed meat, sugars, salt, and fats, which will also benefit the environment; emphasises that EU-wide guidelines for sustainable and healthy diets would bring clarity to consumers on what constitutes a healthy and sustainable diet and inform Member States’ own efforts to integrate sustainability elements in national dietary advice; calls on the Commission to develop such guidelines and specific actions to effectively promote healthy plant-based dietsguidelines which are targeted at segments of the population with the unhealthiest eating practices and suggest specific actions to promote diets and practices which are healthy, sustainable and sensitive to the diverse cultures within the EU;
Amendment 1898 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights the recognition in the strategy that Europeans’ diets are not in line with recommendations for healthy eating, and that a population-wide shift in consumption patterns is needed towards more healthy and plant-based foods and less red and processed meat, sugars, salt, and fats, which will also benefit the environmentfood, towards more sustainable and regional products; emphasises that EU-wide guidelines for sustainable and healthy diets would bring clarity to consumers on what constitutes a healthy and sustainable diet and inform Member States’ own efforts to integrate sustainability elements in national dietary advice; calls on the Commission to develop such guidelines and specific actions to effectively promote healthy plant-based diets;
Amendment 2020 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its call to take the measures required to achieve a Union food waste reduction target of 30 % by 2025 and 50 % by 2030 compared to the 2014 baseline; underlines that binding targets are needed to achieve this and that it should also be tied to the Unions circular economy objectives with food waste acting as a source of material for energy production as well as for use in the large scale production of compost;
Amendment 2058 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the proposed revision of EU rules on date marking; stresses that any change to date marking rules should be science based and should improve the use of date marking by actors in the food chain and its understanding by consumers, in particular ‘best before’ labelling, while at the same time not undermining food safety or quality; calls on the Commission to consider animal protein that is treated appropriately and that would otherwise be discarded, as an alternative feed for omnivorous animals; this would reduce waste as well as reduce the reliance on an external supply of grain for feed;
Amendment 2075 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for aquaponic, hydroponic and aeroponic agriculture methods to be included in the strategy due to their potential to contribute to the shortening of supply chains as well as their role in expanding agricultural output in urban areas; calls for a revision of the Commission’s requirements for plant growth in the soil ecosystem to be classed as organic as this disincentivises investment in these innovative methods;
Amendment 2138 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Highlights in this regard the importance of agricultural internships supported by Erasmus+;
Amendment 2200 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recalls the global responsibility of European food systems and their key role in setting global standards for food safety, environmental protection and animal welfare; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that all food and feed products imported to the EU fully meet relevant EU regulations and standards and to provide development assistance to support primary producers from developing countries in meeting those standards; welcomes the Commission’s intention to take the environmental impacts of requested import tolerances into account; highlights that viable EU- produced alternatives to imports from third countries must be available and accessible to all the Union’s food producers to avoid increased costs if tariffs are imposed or if the food and feed products are no longer available;
Amendment 2 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Expresses its overall satisfaction with the work of the eight decentralised agencies (CEPOL, EASO, EMCDDA, eu- LISA, Eurojust, Europol, FRA, Frontex) falling within its remit and of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), which carry out operational, analytical or managerial tasks and thereby support the Union institutions as well as Member States in implementing policies in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and the way their budgets are implemented; reiterates the need to ensure adequate financial support for JHA agencies to deliver the tasks assigned to them in full transparency and to fulfil their mandates in full compliance with fundamental rights;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the Court found that the payments underlying the accounts were legal and regular for all agencies except for EASO, for which a qualified opinion was issued due to irregularities in regard to public procurement procedures and related payments; is disappointed that the legality and regularity of payments only slowly improved in 2019; regrets that, once again, there were irregular payments, representing 14,6 % of the value of all payments made by EASO in 2019; Anotes that corrective actions were implemented by the EASO in 2019 to address the irregularities; acknowledges that the Executive Director is taking action to improve the management of EASO;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes the inherent difficulty that the agencies face when required to submit their Single Programming Document while the relevant legal instruments are still under negotiation by the co- legislators, thereby leading to a situation where budget lines are made available before their corresponding legal instruments are adopted; calls on the Commission to improve its communication with the agencies to better streamline the expected timelines for the adoption of legislation and corresponding budget lines; notes the Court’s Recommendation that agencies should be allocated resources in a more flexible manner while stressing the importance of due reporting, transparency and auditing;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Welcomes the high level of cooperation in the area of migration that concerns the JHA agencies, particularly at the hotspots; notes with approval the regular meetings conducted amongst CEPOL, EASO, Frontex, EMCDDA, eu- LISA, Eurojust, Europol, FRA, DG HOME and DG JUST of the Commission in the framework of the JHA Agencies’ Network, also aided by the EU Policy Cycle/ EMPACT framework; highlights the Court’s observation that JHA Agencies, particularly Europol, Eurojust and Frontex, are fully integrated in the external dimension of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice and are amongst the internationally most active agencies;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the Court did not address ‘emphasis on the matter’ with regard to JHA agencies, with the exception of FRONTEX, for which the Court drew attention to the level of error related to equipment expenditure in the context of grant agreements with cooperating countries; notes the Court’s observation that the Agency has taken steps to improve ex-ante verifications, and has re- introduced ex-post verifications on reimbursements in 2019, in line with recommendations made in previous years; expresses its concern about the serious and repeated allegations of FRONTEX's involvement in the pushbacks and of migrants and allegations of violations of fundamental rights;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that public procurement continues to be the main area prone to error in relation to all Union decentralised agencies; calls therefore on the affected JHA agencies, i.e. Europol, and CEPOL to improve their public procurement procedures with a view to compliance with applicable rules and as a result, the achievement of the most economically advantageous purchases, while respecting the principles of transparency, proportionality, equal treatment and non- discrimination and eu-LISA to improve the recruitment procedure.
Amendment 17 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Takes note that the Court did not audit the 2019 accounts of the European Public Prosecutor's Office ('EPPO'), since the EU body was not yet financially autonomous; expects the Court to present an audit of the accounts of the EPPO for the accounting year 2020.
Amendment 2 #
2020/2181(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (the 'Agency') offers an important contribution to a safer Europe by applying the highest levels of information security and data protection to the information entrusted to it, providing high-quality services and helping to align Member States’ technological capabilities with their needs; reminds that the Agency’s new mandate that entered into force in December 2018 enhanced its capacity to both improve existing and develop new information systems was enhanced by its new mandate which entered into force in December 2018and tasked the Agency to ensure their interoperability;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2181(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates the Agency's very low budget implementation in 2019, with close to 55.2 % (EUR 159 million) of commitment appropriations carried forward and 47.832 % (EUR 6643 million) of payment appropriations unusedreturned to the general budget; acknowledges that this was due to the late adoption or entry into force of certain legislative acts; calls on the Agency and the Commission to improve the budgetary planning in the future and to improve alignment of budgetary planning with the timing of the related legal acts;, which created a significant difference between the actual timeline for their implementation compared with the timeline set by the Commission in the respective Legislative Financial Statements; recommends, therefore, the Commission to involve and consult the Agency at the earliest stage of preparation of relevant legislative proposals in order to improve the assumptions underpinning the financial planning and thereby improve alignment of budgetary planning with the timing of the related legal acts, also to avoid making it necessary for the Agency to turn to private contractors and outsource tasks that may in turn lead to the Agency becoming dependent on external entities for operations that are of a sensitive and critical nature; (The Payment Appropriations were nearly entirely returned to the General Budget via the global transfer exercise. At the start of 2019, eu-LISA had €204 in Payment Appropriations inscribed, out of which it returned €43 million to the General Budget (32%). Finally, the Legislative Financial Statements accompanying each legislative proposal are decided by the Commission. A recommendation for it to involve eu-LISA at the earliest planning stages to improve budgetary planning alignment is justified.)
Amendment 12 #
2020/2181(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the progress made regarding the Court’s recommendations from previous yearsobservations and Parliament's ensuing recommendations from previous years, specifically the Agency's publication of vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) in addition to on its website and on social media.
Amendment 2 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the important role of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (‘Europol’) in supporting Member States’ criminal investigations and providing operational analysis; emphasises also the extension of its tasks and its growing role in the prevention and combating of serious crime, includingand organised crime, and terrorism;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes that the Court of Auditors ('the Court') has declared the transactions underlying the annual accounts of Europol for the financial year 2019to be legal and regular in all material respects and that its financial position on 31 December 2019 is fairly represented; welcomes that the Court has found the payments underlying the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2019 to be legal and regular in all material aspects;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the number of operations that Europol supported grew from 1 748 in 2018 to 1 921 in 2019 (representing an increase of 9,89 %) and that operational meetings funded by Europol increased from 427 in 2018 to over 500 in 2019 (representing an increase of 17%), which underline the substantial increase in the importance of the Agency's work;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2172(DEC)
4. Regrets to note again the Court’s finding that there were weaknesses in contract management and ex ante controls linked that the Europol irregularly prolonged the duration of a framework contract for the provision of business travel services by signing an amendment after the contract had expired; notes that this resulted in irregular payment of EUR 32 531 in 2019.; takes note of the explanations from Europol in response to the Court’s finding, highlighting that the extension was a conscious decision to preserve business continuity and that Europol will have an internal audit on contract management in 2021 to obtain assurance on its contract management arrangements and calls on the Agency to improve the regularity of transactions;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes the late payments issued by the Agency in 20 % of the cases in 2019; acknowledges that the level of late payments was even higher in previous years but calls on the Agency to regularise payments to bring these in line with the Financial Regulation to avoid reputational risk;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Notes the Court’s observations that tendering documents for procurement were not specific enough in 2019 with regard to the procurement of furniture, which undermines the competitive nature of tendering procedures; calls on the Agency to ensure that tendering specifications are comprehensive to allow fair and effective competition;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Notes the Court’s observations that underlying prices and calculation of certain discounts were not properly checked prior to submitting the order form to the contractor of the purchasing of furniture; calls on the Agency to integrate such checks in its ex-ante controls, before signing and sending the order forms;
Amendment 31 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Welcomes the Agency’s action following the Court’s observation from 2017 so that it now publishes vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office in addition to on its own website and on social media;
Amendment 5 #
2020/2158(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Deplores the fact that Eurojust was faced with a decrease in its budget from EUR 47 to 44 million (-6.38%) and merely a slight increase in staff from 238 to 239 (+0.4%) despite a 17% increase in workload compared to 2018; reminds that the workload is expected to increase further due to the new, strengthened, mandate which entered into force in 20191 ; further recalls that the number of coordination centres held in 2019 increased from 17 to 20 (+19%), demonstrating the popularity and utility of this operational tool; stresses the essential role that Eurojust plays in the Union security chain and maintains that its budget should match its tasks and priorities in order to enable it to fulfil its mandate; _________________ 1Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), and replacing and repealing Council Decision 2002/187/JHA https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018 R1727
Amendment 8 #
2020/2158(DEC)
4. Notes that an outstanding observation from 2018, namely, the use of a negotiated procurement procedure is still to be justified; welcomes the Agency's action following the Court's observation from 2017 so that it now publishes vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office in addition to its own website and on social media;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2153(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its concern that the Court has identified a horizontal trend acrossrecurrent shortcoming applying to several agencies in the use of external staff hired in IT consultancy roleand interim workers; calls for the dependency on external recruitment in this important area to be addressed; notes the pending case before the CJEU as regards the use of interim workers by EMCDDA, and for applicable labour law to be respected; welcomes that the Centre's reply that it has reassessed its policy for use of temporary workers with a view to further rationalise the latter is in line with its operating needs and the relevant legal framework; notes the pending case before the CJEU1a, which addressinges several questions concerning the application of Directive 2008/104/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on temporary agency workers to EU agencies; _________________ 1a C-948/19 Manpower Lit.
Amendment 3 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates the role of the Fundamental Rights Agency (‘FRA’ or ‘the Agency’) in helping to ensure that the fundamental rights of people living in the Union are promoted and protected; recalls the importance of the Agency in promoting the reflection on the appropriate balance between security and fundamental rightsfundamental rights' impact on security policy; highlights, in particular, the value of the Agency’s studies and opinions for the development and implementation of Union legislation;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the fact that the Court of Auditors (‘the Court’) has declared the transactions underlying the annual accounts of the Agency for the financial year 2019 to be legal and regular in all material respects and that its financial position on 31 December 2019 is fairly presented; deplores the fact that the budget of the Agency ofdecreased from EUR 30 million decreased in 20198 to EUR 29 million in 2019and notes the slight staff increase from 110 to 114 in 2019during the same time;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that the levels of commitment carry-overs for operational expenditure once again remained high at 60 %, which is a lower percentage than in 2018, but still indicates a structural problem; calls on the Agency to further improve its financial planning and its implementation cycles; welcomes that the Agency has in the meantime implemented a new project management tool to better sustain the high amount of data and that this is expected to enable the Agency to better estimate its carry-overs to meet its stated Key Performance Indicators; recommends a re-evaluation of the situation until the percentage of carry- overs is reduced to an acceptable level;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes that the Agency has attained 100% of the budgetary execution for committed appropriations and that it has surpassed its outturn target with a result of 99.43%;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the progress madeintroduction of e- tendering by the Agency in relation toline with the recommendations of the Court on the introduction of e-tendering; calls on the FRA to step up its efforts regarding the outstanding recommendation on e- submission while acknowledging that this is not solely under the control of the Agency.
Amendment 16 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes the launch of the European Union Fundamental Rights Information System (EFRIS) for the more systematic use of assessments of the Union’s and Member States’ international human rights obligations, also following the encouragement of the Parliament to develop such a tool;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2152(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Notes the implementation of the Agency’s Anti-Fraud Strategy throughout 2019 with a special focus on the provisions of FRA guidelines on whistleblowing; encourages the Agency to continue its work in this regard.
Amendment 3 #
2020/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. BelieveRecalls that the Commission’s use of its right has a near monopoly ofn legislative initiative has been neither constructive nor productive in recent years; believess, and that the samse shoulds true of the frequent use of recast procedures and the lack of respect the principles of proportionality, subsidiarity and better law-making and be accompanied by a proper impact assessment;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes that Treaty revision is a lengthy process; strongly recommends therefore that in the meantime the European Parliament explores all other options to enhance its right to initiate legislation;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Amendment 16 #
2020/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2 d. Believes that the Conference on the Future of Europe provides the right opportunity to discuss with civil society the powers of the European Parliament;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the higher turnout was ultimately linked toshould not divert our attention from the gains by Eof eurosceptics, which should be considered as a warning for European integration, especially in several founding Member States where far-right extremists and anti-European forces won the electionspopulist and nationalist movements; whereas many of these radical forces from left to right are against the EU integration project;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the higher turnout is also a sign that EU citizens want the EU to act swiftly and effectively on important matters such as climate change, migration, protection of fundamental rights and democratisation;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. Whereas we need to be more efficient and proactive in taking advantage of all means of communication, including digital technology, to foster a strong link between European political decisions and constituents’ sense of connection to EU institutions;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the amendedParliament should pursue its proposals for amendments to the Electoral Act, still pending ratification by some Member States, already requires further improvements (i.e. regarding parental leave for MEPs)with renewed vigour and to push for unified European electoral rules;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the 2019 elections failed to culminate in the choice of a Commission President from among the various Spitzenkandidaten, resulting in a backward step from the process which was established in 2014;
Amendment 78 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the Spitzenkandidaten process has yet to be fully developed; whereas it lacks, among other things, the possibility for Spitzenkandidaten to stand as official candidates in all Member States on transnational lists, allowing all European voters to choose and vote for their preferred Spitzenkandidatimproved, allowing all European voters to know who are the candidates to the presidency of the European Commission and how they were chosen by European political parties; whereas Parliament raised this issue in its decision of 7 February 2018 on the revision of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission15 ; ; _________________ 15 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0030.
Amendment 84 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the Spitzenkandidaten system needs to be improved and formalised in the EU’s primary law after an in-depth institutional reflectionaddressed and reflected upon in the Conference for the Future of Europe; whereas this reflection should also include the de facto political role of the Commission and its President and any related changes to the decision-making process of the Union;
Amendment 88 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas institutional improvements such as transnational lists, as acknowledged by Parliament in its resolution of 7 February 2018 on the composition of the European Parliament, or the transformation of the Council into a second legislative chamber of the Union, as proposed in its resolution of 16 February 2017 on possible evolutions of and adjustments to the current institutional set-up of the European Union, would radically transform the European elections into one true European election,are needed in order to achieve a true European political sphere as opposed to the collection of 27 separate national electiondebates that it is today;
Amendment 94 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. Whereas proposal such as the "transnational lists" or the transformation of the Council into a second legislative chamber are still under discussion; whereas none of them count currently with a majority support; Whereas the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe provides a true opportunity to discuss these issues and other institutional reforms; Whereas the success of the Conference will crucially depend on the agenda, the involvement of the citizens and the European Council's willingness to implement results;
Amendment 109 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas European political parties and foundations are the primary facilitators of a successful European political debate, both during and beyond European elections and should be rendered more visible;
Amendment 125 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes note of the higher turnout in the 2019 European elections; considers that this shows that an increasing proportion of citizens consider the EU to be the appropriate level at which to address the challenges of our time such as climate change and environmental concerns, social and gender inequalities, sustainable growth, and geopolitical concerns such as migration and foreign policyas economy and sustainable growth, public health, climate change and environmental protection, digital revolution, the promotion of freedom, human rights and democracy, social and gender inequalities, migration and demography, security and the role of the EU in the world; urges all the European institutions, therefore, to take responsibility and to act upon the mandate they have been given, directly or indirectly, by the citizens; regrets both the lack of decisiveness by the Council and the lack of clear intent to achieve solutions based on a common approach;
Amendment 135 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. DeplorWelcomes the fact that the outcome of the elections did not lead togender balance in Parliament has improved over the last elections; Stresses however that there is still room for further improvements in order to achieve a genuine gender -balance ind Parliament; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with Parliament and other bodies such as the Venice Commission, to formulate recommendations to Member States with a view to increasing the representation of women in the European Parliament;
Amendment 158 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is of the opinion that the reason whyAcknowledges that the Spitzenkandidaten process failed to produce a President of the European Commission after the 2019 elections is because no improvements were made to it following the experience of 2014; intends to strengthen the democratic process for choosing the Commission President before the next European elections of 2024;
Amendment 165 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the up-comingCalls for the swift adoption of the joint declaration of the three European institutions on the Conference on the Future of Europe, recalls the commitment by the Commission President to address the issue of transnational lists and the Spitzenkandidaten process as the priority institutional issues during the Conference;
Amendment 173 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that the election of the Commission President depends on a majority of Parliament’s members, which de facto requires the formation of a coalition; recommends that the election procedure be reversed so that Parliament proposes and elects the President of the Commission, after obtaining the consent of the European CouncilRecalls the commitment by the Commission President to address the issue of the Spitzenkandidaten process and transnational lists in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe; Stresses that the election of the Commission President depends on a majority of Parliament’s members, which de facto requires the formation of a coalition, as shown in the election of July 2019 of the von der Leyen Commission;
Amendment 186 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that the outcome of the European elections has reinforced the political dimension of the election of the European Commission, and therefore the need for more accurate and objective scrutiny of the declarations of interests of the Commissioners-designate; calls for the creation of an independent body, endowed with the appropriate means, to have this scrutiny included in its responsibilitiesstrengthening of this scrutiny before, during and after the mandate of the Commissioners-designate by reinforcing the role of the already existing Independent Ethical Committee;
Amendment 190 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 203 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Insists that all European voters should be allowed to vote for their preferredbe allowed to know who the candidate fors to the Ppresidentcy of the European Commission are, giving them the choice to vote for his or her political party; reiterates, therefore, that the Spitzenkandidaten should be able to stand as official candidates atin the next elections in a joint European constituency across all Member StateEuropean Elections;
Amendment 206 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 213 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 221 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Acknowledges that despite the fact that the agreed reform of the Electoral Law has not yet been ratified by some Member States, further improvements are required, such as provisions for remote voting operations in defined or exceptional circumstances, as well as on the elections in the joint European constituencyshould be addressed at the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 235 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 243 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the Commission and the Council to consider, in accordancfully engage with the work of Parliament’s new Special Committee on Foreign interference and Disinformation, the urge and take into creation of a European organisation dedicated to the fight against foreign interferenceonsideration the outcome of its work; encourages the Commission and the Council to work much more closely with Parliament on these matters, as the protection of our democratic institutions is a core competence of the European Parliament;
Amendment 249 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Considers European political parties' manifestos should be known before the elections, which requires clear and transparent rules on campaigning; underlines the European election rules shall promote European party democracy, including by making obligatory for parties running in European elections and the European party logo appear (next to the national one) on the ballot sheet;
Amendment 256 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Is of the opinion that the introduction of an annual European Week taking place simultaneously in all national parliaments, with debates between MPs, European Commissioners, MEPs and representatives of civil society on the Commission Work Programme would support the emergence of connected inter-parliamentary public spheres as well as improving the communication of European actions at national level;
Amendment 262 #
2020/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that the outcome of the European elections is a clear signal for an in-depth institutional reflection that will allow citizens, civil society and their representatives to shapepresents an opportunity for an in-depth reflection about the future of the Union; calls, therefore, on all institutional partners to assume their responsibility and deliver an ambitious, interactive and inclusive Conference on the Future of Europe; open to citizens, civil society and their representatives, and which can strengthen representative democracy as well as EU's resilience by delivering tangible results for its citizens, including on health protection and security
Amendment 4 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that digital services and their underlying algorithms need to fully respect fundamental rights, especially the protection of privacy and personal data, non-discrimination, the rights of the child, and the freedom of speech and information, as enshrined in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union; calls therefore on the Commission to implement an obligation of transparency, user-friendliness and explainabilitytion in layman’s terms for consumers of algorithms, and the possibility of human intervention, as well as other measures, such as independent audits and specific stress tests to assist and enforce compliance;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Considers that illegal content online should be treated in the same way as illegal content offline, while fully respecting fundamental rights; points out that illegal content online does not only undermine citizens' trust in the digital environment but may also have grave and long-lasting consequences for internal security and fundamental rights, especially of children; underlines that the swift and consistent detection and removal or blocking of illegal content online continues to be an urgent challenge as national approaches towards the removal or blocking of illegal content online lack sufficient harmonisation; acknowledges that a differentiation has to be made between the various types of illegal content online as some content, notably child sexual exploitation material, is manifestly illegal while the nature of other types of content might depend on the applicable national law or can only be ascertained through contextualisation;
Amendment 16 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Highlights that illegal content online can easily be multiplied and its negative impact amplified within a very short period of time; reminds that Facebook alone blocked 1.2 million copies of the video of the March 2019 Christchurch attacks at the point of upload and removed another 300,000 copies within 24 hours of the attack, which would not have been possible if each individual removal or blocking decision had been subject to human verification; believes, therefore, that online intermediaries should be expressly allowed to have recourse to automated tools to detect and remove or block access to content whose illegality has either been established by a court or whose illegal nature can be easily determined without contextualisation; stresses, however, that there should be no general monitoring obligation;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that the rapid development of digital services requires strong and future-proof legislation tohat protects privacy and a, provides reasonable duty of care to ensure digital dignity and effectively addresses illegal content; stresses therefore in this regard that all digital service providers need to fully respect Union data protection law, namely Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (GDPR)1 and Directive (EC) 2002/58 of the European Parliament and of the Council (ePrivacy)2 , currently under revision, and othe freedom of expressionr Union legislation which includes obligations upon them with the aim to balance the right of users to freedom of expression with the right to liberty and security; _________________ 1Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1). 2 Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications) (OJ L 201, 31.7.2002, p. 37).
Amendment 45 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recommends the Commission to work on harmonising the national personalelectronic identification sign-insystem with a view to creating a single Union sign-in system in order toelectronic identification system for EU citizens which ensures the protection of personal data and age verification, especially for children, and makes public services more accessible to everyone; considers that such a system should be secure and only process the data that is necessary for the identification of the user;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that biometric data is considered to be a special category of personal data with specific rules for processing; notes that biometrics can and are increasingly used for identification and authentication of individuals including in a number of sensitive areas such as banking and essential services such as healthcare, which entails significant risks to and interferences with the right to privacy and data protection, as well as enabling identity fraudwhen carried out without the consent of the data subject, as well as enabling identity fraud when applied without robust security safeguards; calls on the Commission to incorporate in its Digital Services Act an obligation to always give users of digital services an alternative for using biometrical data for the functioning of a service, and an obligation to clearly inform the customers on the risks of using biometric data; stresses thathighlights the numerous advantages of the use of biometric data, specifically, the higher level of security when compared to alphanumeric security features or PIN codes; notes that, therefore, biometric data can be utilised to offer a wide range of services digitally that would currently require the physical presence of the data subject; urges that, to the greatest extent possible, a digital service may not be refused where the individual refusesdoes not consent to use biometric data;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Further notes the added value to quality of life that the security of biometric data brings to persons living with disabilities, which render physical presence when obtaining essential services difficult;
Amendment 60 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes the safeguards that digital service providers and online platforms have introduced on their own initiative and following various exchanges of views with the Parliament and the Commission to avoid the potential negative impact ofposed by micro-targeted advertising and of assessment of individuals, especially on minors and other vulnerable groups, by interfering in the private life of individuals, posing questions as to the collection and use of the data used to target said advertising, offering products or services or setting prices; calls therefore on the Commission to introduce a limitation on micro-targeted advertisements, especially on vulnerable groups, and a prohibition on the use of discriminatory practices for the provision of services or products.
Amendment 69 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. is concerned about the fragmentation of public oversight and supervision of digital services and the frequent lack of financial and human resources for the oversight bodies needed to properly fulfil their tasks; calls for increased cooperation with regard to regulatory oversight of digital services; supports the creation of an independent EU body to ensure harmonised implementation of and compliance with applicable rules;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2018(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. highlights the importance of user empowerment with regard to the enforcement of their own fundamental rights online; considers that users should be provided with easy access to complaint procedures, legal remedies, educational measures and awareness-raising on data protection issues;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the use of AI in the education, culture and audiovisual sectors should respect fundamental rights, freedoms and values as enshrined in the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; welcomes the Commission’s White Paper on Artificial Intelligence in this regard, and invites the Commission to consider whether to include the educational sector in the future regulatory framework for high-risk AI applications;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Underlines that the benefits of AI should be shared with all parts of the society, leaving no one behind. Stresses, in this regard, the need to fully take into consideration the specific needs of the most vulnerable categories, such as children, persons with disabilities, elderly people and other groups at risks of exclusion, when designing and developing AI tools;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that AI may give rise to biases and thus to various forms of discrimination; in this regard, recalls that everyone’s rights must be ensured and that AI initiatives that lead to discriminatory processes should not be allowed; notes, however, that AI initiatives can also be used positively to counter traditional forms of discrimination including lack of access to services;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on the Commission to consider how AI initiatives can be used specifically to improve the quality of life and access to services for persons living with disabilities in line with the objectives laid out in the EU Accessibility Act and to enable more inclusion;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that AI-powered education brings a wide range of possibilities and opportunities, while at the same time posing risks regarding equal access to education and learning equalities; calls for the non-discriminatory use of AI in the education sector; recalls the risks and discrimination arising from recently developed AI tools used for school admission; points out that equity and inclusion are core values that need to be duly taken into account when designing policies for AI in education; recalls the risks and discrimination arising from recently developed AI tools used for school admission; reminds that increasing the education and awareness of AI technologies and their potential impact will strengthen the resilience of our societies and help protect the fundamental rights.
Amendment 19 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that AI-powered education brings a wide range of possibilities and opportunities, while at the same time posing risks regarding equal access to education and learning equalities; calls for the non-discriminatory use of AI in the education sector; recalls the risks and discrimination arising from recently developed AI tools used for school admission; underlines the importance of working with AI technology providers to address persistent loopholes that facilitate discrimination;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Recalls that AI initiatives can be complementary to traditional teaching methods and emphasises the importance of training teachers and educators, especially those responsible for under-age students, in the correct use of AI in education;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Underlines the need of a proper assessment of the AI tools used in the educational sector, in order to identify the impact that these tools can have on the rights of the children;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Notes that the technological industry includes a considerable number of start-ups working with AI and developing AI technologies; underlines that Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will require additional support to ensure that their operations comply with data protection law and European data protection standards due to the disproportionate burden of regulation they bear because of their size;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s plan to update the Digital Education Action Plan in order to make better use of data and AI-based technologies so as to make educational systems fit for the digital age; stresses that general public awareness of AI at all levels, including awareness of AI risks relating to privacy and bias, is essential for preparing everyone to make informed decisions; points out in this respect, the importance of making AI more explainable, comprehensible and transparent in order to ensure the effectiveness, usefulness and fairness of the AI-based technologies;
Amendment 37 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that data protection and privacy can be particularly affected by AI; defends the principles established in the General Data Protection Regulation as guiding principles for AI deployment; calls for stronger protection and safeguards in the education sector where children’s data are concerned; calls on the Commission to support the Member States in setting up awareness and information campaigns that can help parents to better understand how their children's data is being used and processed for different purposes;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 50 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Stresses that an assessment is also needed in order to identify how the AI can be used to counter disinformation, taking into account that the technology used to create a fake news is also the one which can be used to detect it;
Amendment 59 #
2020/2017(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. notes that the immersive experiences facilitated by AI technologies can unfortunately also be exploited by malicious actors; calls on the Commission to anticipate this in proposing recommendations to adequately safeguard against the use of these technologies for illegal purposes;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to the European ethical Charter on the use of Artificial Intelligence in judicial systems and their environment of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) of the Council of Europe;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- having regard to the ‘Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI’ of the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence set up by the Commission of 8 April 2019;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas digital technologies in general and the proliferation of data processing and analytics enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) in particular bring with them extraordinary promise; whereas AI isdevelopment has made a big leap forward in recent years which makes it one of the strategic technologies of the 21st century, generating substantial benefits in efficiency, accuracy, and convenience, and thus bringing positive change to the European economy and society; whereas AI should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a tool for serving people, with the ultimate aim of increasing human well-being, human capabilities and safety;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the development of AI must respect the values on which the Union is founded, in particular human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human and fundamental rights, have to be respected throughout the life cycle of AI tools, notably during their design, development, deployment and use;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas AI applications offer great opportunities in the field of law enforcement, in particular in improving the working methods of law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities, and preventing and combating certain types of crime more efficiently, in particular financial crime, money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as certain types of cybercrime, thereby contributing to the safety and security of EU citizens;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas AI applications in use by law enforcement include applications such as facial recognition technologies, e.g. to search suspect databases and identify victims of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation and abuse, automated number plate recognition, speaker identification, speech identification, lip- reading technologies, aural surveillance (i.e. gunshot detection algorithms), autonomous research and analysis of identified databases, forecasting (predictive policing and crime hotspot analytics), behaviour detection tools, advanced virtual autopsy tools to help determine the cause of death, autonomous tools to identify financial fraud and terrorist financing, social media monitoring (scraping and data harvesting for mining connections), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers, and automated surveillance systems incorporating different detection capabilities (such as heartbeat detection and thermal cameras); whereas the aforementioned applications have vastly varying degrees of reliability and accuracy;
Amendment 61 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas AI tools and applications are also used by the judiciary worldwide, including in sentencing, calculating probabilities for reoffending and in determining probation, online dispute resolution, case law management, and the provision of facilitated access to the law;
Amendment 64 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the applications of AI in law enforcement and the judiciary are in different development stages, ranging from conceptualisation through prototyping or evaluation to post-approval use; whereas new possibilities of use may arise in the future as the technology becomes more mature due to ongoing intensive scientific research worldwide;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas AI systems used by law enforcement and judiciary are also vulnerable to AI- empowered attacks or data poisoning, whereby a wrong data set is included on purpose to produce biased results; whereas in these situations the resulting damage is potentially even morery significant, and can result in exponentially greater levels of harm to both individuals and groups;
Amendment 83 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. RWelcomes the positive contribution of AI applications to the work of law enforcement and judicial authorities across the Union as a key enabling technology to ensure safety and security of citizens; highlights e.g. the enhanced case law management achieved by tools allowing for additional search options; believes that there is a wide range of other potential uses for AI by law enforcement and the judiciary which should be explored, subject to methodological precautions and scientific assessments; reiterates that, as processing large quantities of data is at the heart of AI, the right to the protection of private life and the right to the protection of personal data apply to all areas of AI, and that the Union legal framework for data protection and privacy must be fully complied with;
Amendment 92 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reaffirms that all AI solutions for law enforcement and the judiciary also need to fully respect the principles of non- discrimination, freedom of movement, the presumption of innocence and right of defence, freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and of association, equality before the law, the principle of equality of arms, and the right to an effective remedy and a fair trial;
Amendment 95 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Acknowledges that the speed at which AI applications are developed around the world necessitates a future- oriented approach and that any attempts at exhaustive listing of applications will quickly become outdated; calls, in this regard, for a clear and coherent governance model that guarantees the respect of fundamental rights, but also allows companies and organizations to further develop artificial intelligence applications;
Amendment 99 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers, in this regard, that safeguards should be proportionate to potential risks associated with the use specific AI applications; believes that any AI tool either developed or used by law enforcement or judiciary should, as a minimum, be safe, robust, secure and fit for purpose, respect the principles of fairness, accountability, transparency and, non- discrimination as well as explainability, with their deployment subject to a strict necessity and proportionality test;
Amendment 112 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the importance of preventing mass surveillance by means, which per definition does not correspond to the principles of necessity and proportionality; strongly supports high thresholds for and transparency in the use of AI technologies, and of banning applications that would result in it; applications that could result in it; calls for law enforcement or the judiciary to use AI applications that adhere to the privacy-by- design principle whenever possible to avoid function creep;
Amendment 124 #
2020/2016(INI)
5. Stresses the potential for bias and discrimination arising from the use of machine learning and AI applications; notes that biases can beAI applications such as machine learning; notes that discrimination can result from biases inherent in underlying datasets, especially when historical data is being used, introduced by the developers of the algorithms, or generated when the systems are implemented in real world settings;
Amendment 130 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the fact that many algorithmically driven identification technologies that are currently in use disproportionately misidentify non-white people, childaccording to ethnicity, age and gender; considers, thereforen, the elderly, as well as womenat strong scientific and ethical standards are needed and that strong efforts should be made to avoid automated discrimination and bias;
Amendment 134 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls for strong additional safeguards in case AI systems in law enforcement or the judiciary are used on or in relation to minors, who are particularly vulnerable;
Amendment 137 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 141 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. UTakes note of the risks related to data leaks, data security breaches and unauthorised access to personal data and other information related to criminal investigations or court cases that are processed by AI systems; underlines that security and safety aspects of AI systems used in law enforcement need to be carefully considered, and be sufficiently robust and resilient to prevent the potentially catastrophic consequences of malicious attacks on AI systems;
Amendment 148 #
2020/2016(INI)
9. Considers it necessary to create a clear and fair regime for assigning legal responsibility and liability for the potential adverse consequences produced by these advanced digital technologies;
Amendment 151 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Calls for the adoption of appropriate procurement processes for AI systems by Member States and EU agencies when used in law enforcement or judicial context, so as to ensure their compliance with fundamental rights;
Amendment 172 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for a compulsory fundamental rights impact assessment to be conducted prior to the implementation or deployment of any AI systems for law enforcement or judiciary purposes, in order to assess any potential risks to fundamental rights and, where necessary, define appropriate safeguards to address these risks;
Amendment 174 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Deplores that many law enforcement and judicial authorities in the EU lack the funding, capacities and capabilities to reap the benefits AI tools can offer for their work; encourages law enforcement and judicial authorities to identify, structure and categorise their needs to enable the development of tailor- made AI solutions and to exchange best practices on AI deployment; stresses the need to provide the authorities with the necessary funding, as well as to equip them with the necessary expertise to guarantee full compliance with the ethical, legal and technical requirements attached to AI deployment;
Amendment 175 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Amendment 179 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Supports the recommendations of the Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on AI for a ban on AI-enabled mass scale scoring of individuals; considers that any form of normative citizen scoring on a large scale by public authorities, in particular within the field of law enforcement and the judiciary, leads to the loss of autonomy, endangers the principle of non-discrimination and cannot be considered in line with European values;
Amendment 182 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for a moratoriumStrongly believes that the deployment of facial recognition systems by law enforcement should be limited to clearly warranted purposes in full respect onf the deployment of facial recognition systems for law enforcement, until the technical standardapplicable law; reaffirms that as a minimum, the use of facial recognition technology must comply with the requirements of data minimisation, data accuracy, storage limitation, data security and accountability, as well as being lawful, fair, transparent and following a specific, explicit and legitimate purpose that is clearly defined in Member State or Union law; reminds that these systems are already successfully used, inter alia to search suspect databases and identify victims of human trafficking or child sexual exploitation and abuse; emphasises the need to ensure that the technical standards and underlying algorithms can be considered fully fundamental rights compliant, and that results derived are non-discriminatory, and there is public trust ; believes that this will be decisive to ensure public trust and support regarding the necessity and proportionality ofor the deployment of such technologies;
Amendment 197 #
2020/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Reminds that AI applications, including applications used in the context of law enforcement and the judiciary, are being developed globally at a rapid pace; urges all European stakeholders, including the Commission and EU agencies, to ensure international cooperation and to engage third country partners in order to find a common and complementary ethical framework for the use of AI, in particular for law enforcement and the judiciary;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that any ethical framework should seek to respect human autonomy, prevent harm, promote fairness and inclusion - especially of citizens living with disabilities -, fight discrimination, also of minority groups, and respect the principle of explicability of technologies;
Amendment 37 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of developing an “ethics-by-default and by design” framework which fully respects the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Union law and the Treaties; calls, in this regard, for a clear and coherent governance model that allows companies to further develop artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Expects the Commission to integrate a strong ethical framework into the forthcoming legislative proposal as a follow up to the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence, including on safety, liability, fundamental rights and data protection, which maximises the opportunities and minimises the risks of AI technologies;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the commission to consider developing a framework of criteria and indicators to label AI technology, in which developers could participate voluntarily, in order to stimulate comprehensibility, transparency, accountability and incentivise additional precautions by developers;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Expects that the forthcoming legislative proposal will include policy solutions to the major recognised risks of Artificial Intelligence including, amongst others, on the ethical collection and use of Big Data, the issue of algorithmic transparency and algorithmic bias;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that effective cross- border cooperation and ethical standards can be achieved only if all stakeholders seek to ensure human agency and oversight, and respect the established principles of privacy and data governance, data governance and data protection - specifically those enshrined in Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (GDPR) - , transparency and accountability;
Amendment 59 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Warns that possible bias in artificial intelligence applications could lead to automated discrimination, which has to be avoided by design and application rules;
Amendment 61 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for a horizontal and future- oriented approach, including technology- neutral standards that apply to all sectors in which AI could be employed, complemented by a vertical approach with sector-specific standards were appropriate; strongly believes that an ethical framework should apply to anyone intending to develop or operate artificial intelligence applications in the EU; favours a binding EU-wide approach to avoid fragmentation; calls on the Union to promote strong and transparent cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the public and private sectors to create best practices;
Amendment 73 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the protection of networks of interconnected AI and robotics must prevent security breaches, cyber- attacks and the misuse of personal data and that this will require the relevant agencies, bodies and institutions both at the European level and the national level to work in cooperation with end users of these technologies;
Amendment 75 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the protection of networks of interconnected AI and robotics must prevent security breaches, data leaks, data poisoning, cyber- attacks and the misuse of personal data; believes this will require a stronger cooperation between national and EU authorities;
Amendment 79 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes in this regard the provisions laid down in Regulation 2019/881 of the European Parliament and of the Council on ENISA and the Cyber Security Act, particularly ENISA's role in promoting public awareness and education campaigns directed at end users including on potential cyber threats and criminal activities online, and in promoting essential data protection measures; acknowledges the added value of this EU agency in this regard;
Amendment 90 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that AI and robotic technology in the area of law enforcement and border control could enhance public safety and security; stresses that its use must respect the principles of proportionality and necessity; considers that it should be possible for EU agencies in the field of Justice and Home Affairs to be equipped with the latest AI and robotic technologies, especially for the purposes of law enforcement and border control, and that this should be taken into account in the yearly budgets for the JHA agencies throughout the next MFF period (2021-2027);
Amendment 100 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that AI and robotics are not immune from making mistakes; emphasises the importance of the right to an explanation when persons are subjected to algorithmic decision-making; considers the need for legislators to reflect upon the complex issue of liability in the context of criminal justice.
Amendment 2 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
— having regard to the work carried out by the Council of Europe to promote the protection and safety of journalists, including Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)1[1] of the Committee of Ministers to member states on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership and the declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the financial sustainability of quality journalism in the digital age, and the Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4[1] of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Joint Communication of 10 June 2020 entitled ‘Tackling COVID-19 disinformation - Getting the facts right’ (JOIN(2020) 8 final),
Amendment 13 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the Joint Communication of 10 June 2020 entitled 'Tackling COVID-19 disinformation - Getting the facts right' (JOIN(2020) 8),
Amendment 14 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
— having regard to the Commission’s Code of Practice to fight online disinformation, agreed on 26 September 2018,
Amendment 20 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 26 May 2020 on media literacy in an ever-changing world,
Amendment 41 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas all Member States must adhere to the values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union
Amendment 51 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas according to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, the situation concerning the independence of the press differs significantly between Member States, with some Member States ranking among the top 5 best performers, while the worst entry ranking as low as 111th out of 180;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas several Member States’ position in international press freedom rankings has declined;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas journalists and other media actors continue to be at risk of violence, threats, harassment, pressure, (self-) censorship, public shaming and even assassination in the EU as a result of their investigative activities to protect the public interest; whereas women journalists face gender-specific forms of violence, such as sexual and online harassment, whereas more than 70% of women working in the media have experienced more than one type of harassment, threat, or attack online; whereas 52% of women have experienced these types of offence in the past year alone;
Amendment 62 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the threats to media freedom includes harassment and attacks aimed at journalists, disregard of their legal protection as well as media capture or politically motivated actions in the media sector;
Amendment 66 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas in addition to violence, intimidation and harassment of journalists there is lack of prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes and impunity leads to a chilling effect; whereas OSCE reports that impunity prevails as e.g. less than 15% of murders of journalists in the OSCE region are solved;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the global COVID-19 crisis is having a devastating social and economic impact on the media sector; whereas media outlets have been reporting considerable losses in their revenue from advertising, whereas thousands of media workers have already lost, or are at risk of losing their jobs, either temporarily or permanently, whereas this has particularly strong impact on freelance journalists whose number is increasing throughout the EU and who constitute already a significant part of all journalists in Europe; whereas financial sustainability of the job and financial independence are a crucial part of press freedom;
Amendment 79 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the impact of disinformation online, sometimes with serious consequences for public health
Amendment 80 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas digital advertising revenue often benefits non-EU actors and European media revenues are in sharp decline
Amendment 82 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the internet and social media play a role in spreading hate speech and fostering radicalisation leading to violent extremism, through the circulation of illegal content; whereas combating all forms of intolerance is an integral part of human-rights protection as developed by the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights;
Amendment 91 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the AVMSD obliges the authorities in every Member State to ensure that audiovisual media services do not contain any incitement to hatred based on race, sex, religion or nationality; whereas the AVMSD obliges Member States to ensure the independence of media regulators;
Amendment 95 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the spread of false news and disinformation available via social media or search websites poses a threat to freedom of speech and expression and the independence of the media, and has strongly impaired the credibility of the traditional media; whereas data analysis and algorithms have an increasing impact on the information made accessible to citizens;
Amendment 100 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas disinformation related to COVID-19 may cause panic and social unrest and needs to be addressed; whereas measures to combat disinformation cannot be used as a pretext for introducing disproportionate restrictions on press freedom; whereas reports indicate that coordinated campaigns have been running across EU Member States and neighbouring regions, promoting false health information and disinformation about the EU and its partners; whereas the Commission addresses these phenomena in its recent joint communication on tackling COVID-19 disinformation;
Amendment 103 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas disinformation related to COVID-19 may have dangerous consequences on public health, cause panic and social unrest and needs to be addressed; whereas measures to combat disinformation cannot be used as a pretext for introducing disproportionate restrictions on press freedom;
Amendment 108 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas genuinely independent, adequately funded public-service media operating across various platforms are key to functioning democracy in the EU
Amendment 109 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates its continued deep concern about the state of media freedom within the EU in the context of the abuses and attacks still being perpetrated against journalists and media workers in the Member States because of their activities, as well as the growing public denigration and general weakening of the profession, weighing particularly heavily on local, investigative and cross-border journalism; stresses that, in accordance with the Council of Europe Recommendation on media pluralism (2018), Member States have a positive obligation to foster a favourable environment for freedom of expression, offline and online, in which everyone can exercise their right to freedom of expression;
Amendment 115 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is deeply shattered by the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia due to their investigative work, and reiterates the importance of an; recalls the essential role that investigative journalism holds in fighting organised crime by collecting and connecting relevant information, exposing criminal networks and illicit activities; highlights the fact that these activities expose them to an increased personal risk level; calls on national law enforcement authorities to fully cooperate with Europol and other relevant international organisations in order to conduct independent investigation to brs, identifying and bringing to justice the perpetrators of and masterminds behind these crimes;
Amendment 124 #
2020/2009(INI)
3. Strongly reiterates its call on the Commission to treat attempts by Member State governments to damage media freedom and pluralism as constituting a serious and systematic abuse of powers and as going against the fundamental values of the EU as enshrined in Article 2 TEU; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to include a specific chapter on monitoring media freedom and pluralism in its Annual Report on the Situation of the Rule of Law within the EU; encourages the Commission to actively cooperate with the Council of Europe, exchanging best practices and making sure that measures undertaken are complementary; urges the Commission to take into account the impact of the emergency measures taken in 2020 in the context of COVID-19 on press freedom, media pluralism and safety of journalists; in this context, recalls Parliament’s repeated call for a permanent, independent and comprehensive mechanism covering democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the EU;
Amendment 134 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the irreplaceable role of public service media and stresses that it is essential to ensure and maintain their independence from political interference; highlights as well the need to ensure the financial independence and the conditions for the sustainability of the activities of private market operators to avoid media capture; reiterates in this context Parliament’s call for an ambitious EU media action plan; condemns attempts by Member State governments to silence critical media and undermine media freedom and pluralism, in particular attempts to control public service media; deplores the fact that in some Member States public broadcasting has become an example of single political party propaganda, which often excludes opposition and minority groups from society and even incites violence; draws attention to the recommendations included in the Resolution 2255 (2019) of PACE that calls on the Member States to guarantee editorial independence, as well as sufficient and stable funding, for public service media; stresses that safeguarding independent authorities and ensuring strong independent oversight of audiovisual media against undue state and commercial intervention is crucial; calls on the Commission to present a legal framework to supervise the operation of public service media providers, including whether they fulfil the criteria of prudent management and task-based financing, and if their services fulfil the expectations of fact-based, fair and ethical journalism;
Amendment 158 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its concern that few specific legal or policy frameworks protecting journalists and media workers from violence, threats and intimidation can be identified at national level within the EU; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure the effective protection and safety of journalists and other media actors as well as of their sources, including in a cross-border context; reiterates its call to Member States to take a gender-sensitive approach when considering measures to address the safety of journalists; strongly reiterates its call on the Commission to present proposals to prevent so-called ‘Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation’ (SLAPP);
Amendment 176 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that excessive concentration of the content-producing and content-distributing sectors may threaten citizens’ access to a range of content; underlines that media pluralism, which depends on the existence of a diversity of media ownership and of content as well as independent journalism, is key to challenging the spread of disinformation and ensuring that EU citizens are well- informed; reminds that according to the Media Pluralism Monitor conclusions the media ownership concentration remains one of the most significant risks to media pluralism and is seen as creating barriers to the diversity of information; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation at Member States level of existing EU instruments against ownership concentration and illegal state aid to increase diversity in the media landscape;
Amendment 195 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to urgently introduce EU and national emergency recovery packages to protect the jobs and livelihoods of media workers, support companies and fund public service media through the COVID- 19 crisiseconomic recovery plan; stresses that in the face of the pandemic European citizens need professional, economically secure and independent journalists; reiterates in this context its call for the creation of a permanent European fund for journalists in the framework of the next MFF (2021- 2027), as redrafted following the COVID- 19 crisis, offering direct financial support for independent journalists and media outlets, freelancers and self-employed media workers; reiterates also in this context its call for an ambitious EU media action plan to support the development of a vibrant and pluralistic media landscape;
Amendment 197 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes with concern that the envisaged budgetary envelope for the Creative Europe programme under the revised MFF/ recovery proposals of 27 May 2020 brings a 100 million Euros decrease in allocations, compared to the initial Commission proposal of 2018, and now amounts to 1.3 billion Euros less than the allocations initially proposed by the European Parliament; furthermore, notes with regret that funding available under the Justice, Rights and Values programme has also been decreased by 100 million Euros within the revised Commission budget proposal and now stands at 1.2 billion Euros less than the figures proposed by the European Parliament; urges the Commission to revise these figures and present new proposals, in line with the position adopted by the European Parliament;
Amendment 199 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Strongly welcomes the allocation of EU funds to start projects, such as the Europe-wide rapid response mechanism for violations of press and media freedom and a cross-border investigative journalism fund in order to strengthen media freedom and pluralism;
Amendment 200 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls for an ambitious MFF with increased budget allocations to support media and independent journalism; stresses the importance of innovation in journalism and news media which could be fostered through EU funding
Amendment 202 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses that public-service media role as trusted providers of public good and serving general public interest would be improved by appropriate and sustainable funding, free of political interference in the Member States
Amendment 218 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 241 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the EU institutions for strengthened and pro-active communication in all official languages when major public emergencies, such as the pandemic occur in order to ensure that European citizens have access to accurate, user-friendly and verified information;
Amendment 259 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that different forms of misinformation and disinformation, as well as other forms of information manipulation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to proliferate around the world and have potentially harmful consequences for public security, health and effective crisis management; recalls that all measures to combat disinformation, including those taken in the context of the COVID-19 emergency, need to be necessary, proportionate, transparent and subject to regular oversight, and may under no circumstances prevent journalists and media actors from carrying out their work or lead to content being unduly blocked on the internet; deplores that certain online platforms remove professional journalistic content based on non-transparent terms and conditions which unnecessarily limit the freedom of expression;
Amendment 260 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that different forms of misinformation and disinformation, as well as other forms of information manipulation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to proliferate around the world and have potentially harmful consequences for public security, health and effective crisis management; welcomes the Joint Communication on Tackling COVID-19 disinformation, of 10 June 2020; recalls that all measures to combat disinformation, including those taken in the context of the COVID-19 emergency, need to be necessary, proportionate and subject to regular oversight, and may under no circumstances prevent journalists and media actors from carrying out their work or lead to content being unduly blocked on the internet;
Amendment 268 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to present a European Democracy Action Plan that aims to counter disinformation and to adapt to evolving threats and manipulations, as well as to support free and independent media; emphasises in this respect that protecting free and independent media while combating hate speech and disinformation is a fundamental factor in terms of the defence of the rule of law and democracy in the EU; notes with concern that according to a GDI research, websites spreading disinformation in the EU receive more than 70 million Euros in ad revenues every year; calls on the Commission to further engage with the digital platforms and step up the efforts towards ending such practices, as well as towards combatting the strategic, automated amplification of disinformation through the use of bots or fake profiles online, and towards increasing transparency in respect to the financing and the distribution of online advertising;
Amendment 270 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to present a European Democracy Action Plan that aims to counter disinformation and to adapt to evolving threats and manipulations, as well as to support free and, independent and financially viable media; emphasises in this respect that protecting free and independent media while combating hate speech and disinformation is a fundamental factor in terms of the defence of the rule of law and democracy in the EU; welcomes the creation of the European Digital Media Observatory, a digital platform to help fighting disinformation;
Amendment 278 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Reminds the Commission and the Member States as well as the private sector, in particular online platforms, and civil society as a whole of the need for joint action when it comes to the fight against disinformation, and acknowledges the positiveromising impact of the voluntary actions taken by service providers and platforms to counter disinformation; calls on all online platforms and other key players to join the list of signatories;
Amendment 283 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to improve media literacy through support for educational initiatives aimed at both students and professional educators, as well as through targeted awareness-raising campaigns within civil society, highlights that media literacy is an increasingly essential and critical skill for the modern citizen and consumer and recalls its fundamental role as one of the primary solutions to growing disinformation- and hate speech-related issues;
Amendment 284 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Considers that the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation could be strengthened through improved monitoring of the existing commitments, transparent and disaggregated provision of information and data by the online platforms and expansion of the existing commitments; considers that co- regulatory approach continuously reflecting current developments in the digital sphere could be a way forward;
Amendment 289 #
2020/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Considers continuous media literacy curriculum and efforts across all age groups to be of significant importance when increasing societal resilience to various threats in the digital space;
Amendment 90 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) According to the EEA report ‘The European environment – state and outlook 2020, Knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe’ (‘SOER 2020’), 2020 representthere is a unique window of opportunity for the Union to show leadership on sustainability and to face the urgent sustainability challenges requiring systemic solutionin the next decade to lead the global response to sustainability challenges. As stated in SOER 2020, the changes in the global climate and ecosystems observed since the 1950s are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The global population has tripled since 1950, while the population living in cities has quadrupled. With the current growth model, environmental pressures are expected to increase further, causing direct and indirect harmful effects on human health and well-being. This is especially true for the sectors with the highest environmental impact – food, mobility, energy as well as infrastructure and buildings. SOER 2020 concludes, in addition, that the 2050 vision of 'living well, within the limits of our planet' requires making sustainability the guiding principle for ambitious and coherent policies and actions across society in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth based on the European Green Deal and the concept of sustainable competitiveness.
Amendment 109 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) The One Health principle reflects the fact that the health of people, animals and the environment are interconnected and that diseases may be transmitted from people to animals and vice versa. A One Health approach should be taken to face pandemics and health crises in both the human and veterinary sectors and, therefore, diseases should be tackled in both people and animals, while also taking into special consideration the food chain and the environment, which can be another source of resistant microorganisms. The Commission has an important role in coordinating and supporting the One Health approach to human and animal health and the environment in the Union.
Amendment 115 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The European Green Deal underpins the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan which promotes the investments in keythe green and digital transition sectors needed to build resilience, and create growth and jobs in a fair and inclusive society. The Recovery and Resilience Facility which will power the Union’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis together with the Union budget for 2021-2027, is also based on the priority objectives set out in the European Green Deal. Furthermore, all initiatives under Next Generation EU Recovery Plan should respect the European Green Deal’s “do no harm” oath“do no significant harm” principle.
Amendment 122 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Environment action programmes have guided the development of EU environment policy since the early 1970s. The 7th EAP willhas expired on 31 December 2020 and its Article 4 (3) requires the Commission, if appropriate, to present a proposal for an Eighth Environment Action Programme (8th EAP) in a timely manner with a view to avoiding a gap between the 7th and the 8th EAP. The European Green Deal announced the adoption of a new environment action programme to complement the EGD that will include a new monitoring mechanism to ensure that Europe remains on track to meet its environmental objectives. The Commission will also launch a dashboard to monitor progress against all of the EGD objectives.
Amendment 139 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The 8th EAP should support the environment and climate action, endorse and build on the objectives of the European Green Deal in line with the long- term objective to “live well, within the planetary boundaries” by 2050, which is already established in the 7th EAP. It should also be fully aligned with, and contribute to achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Amendment 145 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) The SDGs cover the three dimensions of sustainable development (environmental, social and economic) which are integrated and indivisible. Full implementation by the Union of the UN's 2030 agenda for sustainable development and active support for implementation in other regions of the world will be essential if the Union is to provide global leadership in achieving competitive sustainability.
Amendment 149 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The 8th EAP should accelerate the transition to a regenerativn inclusive and sustainable economy that gives back to the planet more than it takes. A regenerative growth model, while improving economic opportunities and the state of the environment for future generations. An inclusive and sustainable economy based on the European Green Deal as the Union’s inclusive and sustainable growth strategy, recognises that the wellbeing and prosperity of our societies depend on a stable climate, a healthy environment and thriving ecosystems, which provide a safe operating space for our economies. As the global population and the demand for natural resources continues to grow, economic activity should develop in a sustainable way that does no harm but, on the contrary, reverses climate change and environmental degradation, protects, uses in a sustainable way and restores biodiversity, prevents and minimises pollution and results in maintaining and enriching natural capitalresources, therefore ensuring the abundance of renewable and non-renewable resources. Through continuous innovation, adaptation to new challenges and co-creation, the regenerativinclusive and sustainable economy strengthens resilience, improves economic opportunities and the state of the environment for future generations, and protects present and future generations’ wellbeing.
Amendment 162 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) The Union should commit to a shift towards inclusive and sustainable growth based on the European Green Deal and the concept of sustainable competitiveness, ensuring resilience, improving economic opportunities and the state of the environment, and protecting present and future generations’ wellbeing.
Amendment 165 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 b (new)
Recital 9 b (new)
(9b) According to the OECD, annual global biodiversity finance from all sources (estimated at USD 78-91 billion) is vastly outweighed by annual government support that is potentially harmful to biodiversity (estimated at around USD 500 billion)1a. Phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies at Union and Member State level without delay was one of the objectives under the 7th EAP. Furthermore, the European Parliament has also called for the phase- out of direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies in the Union and in the Member States. In order to achieve the thematic objectives of the 8th EAP, one of its enabling conditions should be to support these objectives. __________________ 1a OECD (2020), A Comprehensive Overview of Global Biodiversity Finance.
Amendment 168 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The 8th EAP should set out thematic priority objectives in areas of climate neutrality, adaptation to climate change, protecting, use in a sustainable way, and restoring biodiversity, a circular economy, in combination with the zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment and reducing environmental pressures from production and consumption. It should furthermore identify the enabling conditions to achieve the long-term and the thematic priority objectives for all actors involved, as well as coordinating actions necessary to achieve these conditions.
Amendment 184 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Environment policy being highly decentralised, action to achieve the priority objectives of the 8th EAP should be taken at different levels of governance, i.e. at the European, the national, the regional and the local level, with a collaborative approach to multi-level governance. Implementation, enforcement and accountability are essential. The integrated approach to policy development and implementation should be strengthened with a view to maximising the synergies between economic, environmental and social objectives, while paying careful attention tocomprehensively assessing and taking into account the potential trade-offs and to the needs of vulnerable groups. Moreover, action by local and regional authorities, transparent engagement with non- governmental actors, the private sector and the broader public is important for ensuring the success of the 8th EAP and the achievement of its priority objectives. This includes making the impact assessments on which policies are based public.
Amendment 197 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) Action to achieve the Union's environmental and climate objectives needs to be carried out in conjunction with, and must be fully compatible with, the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 203 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Enhanced cooperation with partner countries, good global environmental governance as well as synergies and coherence between all internal and external Union policies are key to reaching the Union’s environmental and climate objectives.
Amendment 206 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The European Commission should assess the progress in achieving the priority objectives of the 8th EAP by the Union and the Member States in the context of the just transition towards greater sustainability, wellbeing and resilience. This is in line with calls of the Council27 and the European Economic and Social Committee28 for measuring economic performance and societal progress “beyond GDP”, and moving towards using well-being as a compass for policy, which is also supported by the OECD29 . __________________ 27See e.g. https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/docu ment/ST-10414-2019-INIT/en/pdf 28https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our- work/opinions-information- reports/opinions/reflection-paper- towards-sustainable-europe-2030. 29See e.g. the OECD Well-being Framework, the OECD Framework for Policy Action on Inclusive Growth, the Better Life Initiative and the New Approaches to Economic Challenges Initiativean inclusive and sustainable economy based on a new growth strategy that will benefit European citizens and companies.
Amendment 212 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The assessment of progress towards the priority objectives of the 8th EAP should reflect the latest developments as regards the availability and relevance of data and indicators and should be based on a robust, transparent and comprehensive methodology. It should be coherent with and without prejudice to monitoring or governance tools covering more specific aspects of environment and climate policy, such as in particular Regulation 1999/2018 of the European Parliament and of the Council30 , the Environmental Implementation Review or monitoring tools relating to a circular economy, zero pollution in combination with the zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment, biodiversity, air, water, soil, waste, or any other environment policies. Together with other tools used in the European Semester, the Eurostat SDG Monitoring and in the Commission’s Strategic Foresight Report31 , it w, assessment of progress towards the 8th EAP's priority objectives should beform part of a larger, coherent and interconnected set of monitoring and governance tools, covering not only environmental but also social and economic factors. The European Commission should carry out an assessment of existing monitoring frameworks and indicators at Union level, with the aim of ensuring consistent and streamlined indicators where necessary. __________________ 30Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 1–77. 31 COM/2020/493 final.
Amendment 230 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) As the Commission’s Communication on the European Green Deal already contains a roadmap for key actions in the environmental field during the current Commission’s mandate, the 8th EAP, exceptionally, does not define actions to achieve its priority objectives until 2025. To assess progress on the 8th EAP and to inform the priorities of the incoming Commission, a mid-term evaluation should be carried out by 31 March 2024, taking into account the main findings of the European Environment Agency’s report on the state of the environment. This mid-term evaluation should be followed, if needed, by a legislative proposal amending the 8th EAP. The incoming Commission after the 2024 European Parliament elections should produce a report in which it outlines the environment and climate priorities on which it plans to take action during its mandate and how this action is to ensure the full achievement of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives, in light of progress outlined in the mid-term evaluation.
Amendment 232 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 17 b (new)
Recital 17 b (new)
(17b) Monitoring progress towards the 8th EAP priority objectives should be done in synergy with what already exists, thus in order to limit the administrative burden. The monitoring framework should be based on a limited number of indicators in order to allow for adequate political guidance and should rely on existing data, such as data of the European Environment Agency.
Amendment 238 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18 a (new)
Recital 18 a (new)
(18a) Pursuant to Article 191 TFEU, Union policy on the environment is to aim at a high level of protection taking into account the diversity of situations in the various regions of the Union and is to be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as apriority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay.
Amendment 246 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This decisions sets out a general action programme in the field of the environment for the period up to 31 December 2030 (‘the 8th Environment Action Programme’ or ‘8th EAP’). It lays down its priority objectives, identifies enabling conditions, coordinates related actions necessary for their achievement, and sets a framework to measure whether the Union and its Member States are on track to meet those priority objectives.
Amendment 253 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. The 8th EAP aims at accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral, sustainable, resource-efficient, clean and circular economy in a just and inclusive way, and endorses the environmental and climate and competitive circular economy with the zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment and high-quality jobs, where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use in a just and inclusive way, and at protecting, restoring and improving the quality of the environment and at halting and reversing biodiversity loss and tackling the degradation of ecosystems. It endorses and builds on the objectives of the European Green Deal and its initiatives.
Amendment 273 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 3
Article 1 – paragraph 3
3. The 8th EAP forms the basis for achieving the environmental and climate objectives defined under the United Nations 2030 Agenda and, its Sustainable Development Goals and ithe Paris Agreement. Its monitoring framework constitutes the environment and climate part ofshall contribute to the EU’s efforts to measure progress towards greater sustainability, including climate neutrality and resource efficiency, wellbeing and resilience.
Amendment 279 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
1. The 8th EAP shasll have the long- term priority objective for 2050 thatthat by 2050 citizens live well, within the planetary boundaries in a regenerative economyn inclusive and sustainable economy based on the European Green Deal as the Union’s inclusive and sustainable growth strategy, where nothing is wasted, no net emissions of greenhouse gases are produced and economic growth is decoupled from resource use and environmental degradation. A healthy environment underpins the well-being of citizens, biodiversity thrives and natural capitalthe environment is protected, and restored and valued in ways that. It also allows for the enhancement of resilience to climate change and other environmental risks. The Union sets the pace for ensuring the prosperity of present and future generations globally.
Amendment 301 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) irreversible and gradual, predictable and swift reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement of removals by natural andor other sinks in the Union, in line with the Union's climate and environment objectives, to attain the 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 as laid down in Regulation (EU) …/…32 ; __________________ 32 COM/2020/80 final.
Amendment 312 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) continuous progress in enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability of society, the economy and the environment, to climate change;
Amendment 316 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) Advancing towards a regenerative growth modeln inclusive and sustainable economy based on the European Green Deal as the Union’s inclusive and Sustainable Growth Strategy that gives back to the planet more than it takes, decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation, and accelerating the transition to a Circular Economy in combination with the zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment;
Amendment 334 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) protecting, preserving and restoring biodiversity and enhancing natural capital, notably of air, water, soil, and forest, freshwater, wetland and marine ecosystems, in line with the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy;
Amendment 353 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) promoting environmental sustainability and reducing key environmental and climate pressures related to production and consumption, in particular in the areas of energy, industrial development, buildings and infrastructure, mobility, international trade and the food system.
Amendment 360 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The thematic priority objectives laid down in paragraph 2 shall cover the targets and actions set out in the EGD as well as all in the strategies, initiatives and frameworks under the EGD.
Amendment 367 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) ensuring effective and efficien, predictable and swift implementation of Union legislation on environment and climate and striving for excellence in environmental performance at Union, national, regional and local levels including through providing appropriatesufficient administrative and compliance assurance capacity, as laid out in the regular Environmental Implementation Review, as well as stepping up action against environmental crime,;
Amendment 375 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) improving incentives, guidance and recommendations, and effective, dissuasive and proportionate sanctions to ensure effective implementation and reduce risks of non-compliance with environmental law, as well as improving cooperation and the effective enforcement of relevant administrative, civil and criminal Union law to protect the environment, with a systematic follow-up of infringement proceedings, including by ensuring that sufficient financial and human resources are allocated at both Union and Member State level for this purpose;
Amendment 381 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent -1 (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent -1 (new)
– fully respecting Article 191 TFEU;
Amendment 382 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 1
– mainstreaming the priority objectives set out in Article 2 in all relevant strategies, legislative and non- legislative initiatives, programmes, investments and projects at Union, national, regional and local levels so that theyand ensure that all strategies, legislative and non-legislative initiatives, programmes, investments and projects and their implementation do no significant harm to any of the priority objectives set out in Article 2; , in line with Regulation (EU)2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council1a; __________________ 1a Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13).
Amendment 386 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 1 a (new)
– reviewing, as set out in the Climate Law, the consistency of Union measures with the climate-neutrality objective set out in that Regulation, as well as the adequacy of Union measures and policies, including sectoral legislation, the Union's external action and the Union's budget, to ensure progress on adaptation;
Amendment 391 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 1 b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 1 b (new)
– assessing, as set out in the Climate Law, the consistency of any draft measure, including but not limited to any legislative and budgetary proposal, with the Union climate objectives set out in the Climate Law.
Amendment 396 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 3
– paying careful attention tocomprehensively assessing and taking into account synergies and potential trade-offs between economic, environmental and social objectives for all initiatives so as to ensure that citizens’ needs for nutrition, housing and, mobility, energy, water and wellbeing are met in a sustainable way that leaves no- one behind;
Amendment 409 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 4
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 4
– regularly evaluating existing policies and preparing comprehensive impact assessments for new initiatives and legislation, which are based on wide consultations following procedures that are accountable, inclusive, informed and simple to implement, and which pay due regard to projecduly take into account environmental and climated impacts on environment and climateas part of a comprehensive assessment of all dimensions;
Amendment 414 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 4 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b – indent 4 a (new)
– taking into account the cost of inaction when evaluating existing policies and developing new initiatives, paying due regard to the costs to the environment and to health;
Amendment 422 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) effectiwithout prejudice of the velry integrating environmental and climate sustainability own nature of the European Semester of Economic governance being a cycle of economic policy coordination, further aligning the European Semester of economic governanceprocess, including in the National Reform Programmes and National Recovery and Resilience plans, with the EU’s long-term climate and environmental objectives in line with the Commission’s engagements under the European Green Deal;
Amendment 447 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) strengthening environmentally positive incentives and phasing out the most environmentally harmful subsidies at Union and national level without delay, making the best use of market-based instruments and green budgeting tools, including those required to ensure a socially fair transition, and supporting businesses and other stakeholders in developing standardised natural capital accounting practices;
Amendment 451 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investing in biodiversity protection and restoration in line with the minimum spending targets agreed through the MFF and with the funding objectives in the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which should be tracked through a robust, transparent and comprehensive methodology;
Amendment 454 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
(eb) scaling up the measures against illegal exploitation of natural resources, associated corruption and money laundering, waste crime and illegal exports and increasing cooperation with third countries in relation to these measures;
Amendment 460 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point f
(f) ensuring that environmental policies and action are based on the best available scientific knowledge and strengthening the environmental knowledge base and its uptake, including by research, innovation, fostering green skills, engaging with civil society and further building up environmental and ecosystem accounting;
Amendment 490 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) harnessing the potential of digital and data technologies to support environment policy while minimising their environmental footprint, and ensuring transparency and public accessibility of this data, where relevant and necessary;
Amendment 517 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point k – indent 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point k – indent 1
– engaging with partnerthird countries on climate and environmental action, encouraging and supporting them to adopt and implement rules in these areas that are as ambitious as those of the Union, and ensuring that all products placed on the Union market fully comply with relevant Union requirements in line with the Union’s international commitments, especially regarding the fight against deforestation;
Amendment 521 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point k – indent 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point k – indent 1 a (new)
– promoting sustainable corporate governance;
Amendment 538 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point k – indent 5 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point k – indent 5 a (new)
– strengthening the capacity of citizens to act, through awareness raising, lifelong environmental education and civic involvement;
Amendment 542 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. In order to achieve the enabling conditions set out in paragraph 1, the Commission shall take the following actions: (a) carry out the reviews and assessments set out paragraph 1 and propose remedying measures where necessary; (b) develop, where necessary and for the purpose of carrying out comprehensive impact assessments, adequate tools to assess the environmental impacts of new policies, initiatives and legislation where existing tools are insufficient; (c) further streamline the various monitoring frameworks in place at Union level to measure social, economic and environmental progress; (d) conduct comprehensive impact assessments on all legislative proposals under the EAP; (e) provide an up-to-date overview on its website of the objectives under the EGD and the progress towards their achievement;
Amendment 544 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. In relation to point (e) of Article 3(1), the Commission shall conduct a comprehensive impact assessment, in cooperation with Member States, evaluating all economic, social and environmental impacts and the need and availability of alternatives, of possible pathways for a phase out of those subsidies;
Amendment 552 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The relevant Union institutions and Member States shall be responsible for taking appropriate action, with a view to the delivery of the priority objectives set out in the Article 2(1) and (2). Action shall be taken with due account of the principles of conferral, subsidiarity and proportionality, in accordance with Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union.
Amendment 559 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission, supported by the European Environment Agency and the European Chemicals Agency, shall monitor, assess and report on the progress of the Union and the Member States with regard to achieving the priority objectives laid down in Article 2 on a regular basis, taking into consideration the enabling conditions laid down in Article 3.
Amendment 567 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. The assessment referred to in paragraph 1 shall include information on: – progress made towards achieving the priority objectives set out in Article 2(1) and (2), as soon as the monitoring framework allows for this; – distance to the targets set in place to achieve the priority objectives; – related funding, based on the tracking methodology for climate and biodiversity mainstreaming agreed under the MFF; – recommendations to address potential shortfalls and challenges.
Amendment 568 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The assessment referred to in paragraph 1 aims at facilitating strategic political communication. It shall be based on a limited number of headline indicators, identified by the end of 2021 as a result of a broad stakeholder consultation, and shall reflect the latest developments as regards the availability and relevance of data and indicators, building on data available in the Member States and at the Union level, in particular those operated by the European Environment Agency and the European Statistical System, with a view to minimising administrative burden. This assessment shall be coherent and without prejudice to existing monitoring, reporting and governance frameworks and exercises covering environment, social, economic and climate policy.
Amendment 598 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph -1 (new)
Article 5 – paragraph -1 (new)
-1. By 31 March 2024, the Commission shall carry out a mid-term review of the progress achieved towards the thematic priority objectives defined in Article 2(2), taking into account the enabling conditions laid down in Article 3 and including the targets under the EGD, based on the assessments carried under Art 4(1), as well as on the outcome of a public consultation, and shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council.
Amendment 603 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph -1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. In light of progress set out in the mid-term evaluation referred to in paragraph-1, of any other relevant policy developments, and of the European Environment Agency’s report on the state of the environment, the incoming Commission after the 2024 European Parliament elections shall present to the European Parliament and to the Council the actions it plans to take during its mandate in order to ensure the full achievement, by 2030 and 2050 respectively, of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives, as well as a respective timeline of these actions.
Amendment 607 #
2020/0300(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
By 31 March 2029, the Commission shall carry out an evaluation of the 8th EAP. The Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council containing the main findings of that evaluation, accompanied, if the Commission deems appropriate, by a legislative proposal for the next environmental action programme. Such a legislative proposal shall be presented in a timely manner, with a view to avoiding a gap between the 8th and the 9th EAP.
Amendment 30 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10 a) The Facility should support projects that respect the principle of additionality of Union funding and that generate a genuine European added value. The Facility should not be a substitute for recurring national expenditures and should not run counter to the strategic and economic interests of the Union, and should therefore not finance investment plans of third countries.
Amendment 40 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Reflecting the European Green Deal as Europe’s sustainable growth strategy and the translation of the Union's commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the Facility established by this Regulation will contribute to mainstreaming climate actions and environmental sustainability and to the achievement of an overall target of 2530 % of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives. The Facility should only finance projects respecting the “do not significant harm” principle referred to in Regulation (EU) 2020/852.
Amendment 50 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Facility’s general objective should be the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesiono contribute to addressing the challenges of the policy areas identified under this Regulation through the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion and to contribute to the objectives of Union policies, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Paris Agreement and to the strengthening of the Single Market. For that purpose, it should contribute to improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions aimed at achieving a climate neutral Europe by 2050, therebycontributing to restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union in the aftermath of the crisis, fostering employment creation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and to promotinge sustainable growth and the digital economy.
Amendment 64 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) To ensure its contribution to the objectives of the Facility, the recovery and resilience plan should comprise measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment projects through a coherent recovery and resilience plan. The recovery and resilience plan should be consistent with the relevant country- specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester, with the national reform programmes, the national energy and climate plans, the just transition plans, and the partnership agreements and operational programmes adopted under the Union funds. In addition, the recovery and resilience plans should be consistent with the principle of European added-value. To boost actions that fall within the priorities of the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, the plan should also set out measures that are relevant under the policy areas identified in this Regulation and for the green and digital transitions. The measures shoul and enable a swift deliver of targets, objectives and contributions set out in national energy and climate plans and updates thereof. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union. At least 40 % of the recovery and resilience plans should be dedicated to mainstreaming climate and biodiversity actions and environmental sustainability objectives.
Amendment 111 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
It lays down its objectives, the financing, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding which shall be clearly defined in size, duration and scope.
Amendment 131 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. The general objective of the Recovery and Resilience Facility shall be to contribute to address the challenges of the policy areas referred in Article 3 in order to promote the Union’s economic, social and territorial cohesion and long- term competitiveness by improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions and the strengthening of the strategic autonomy of the Union, thereby contributing to restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union, fostering employment creation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, and promoting sustainable growth and generating European added value.
Amendment 135 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The Facility shall contribute to the objectives of Union policies, in particular where it leads to job creation and maintenance of sustainable employment at a considerable scale, via the implementaion of measures, such as: - measures contributing to the Union’s climate and environmental objectives, including energy efficiency and energy savings, the deployment of technology and infrastructures for clean and sustainable renewable energy and energy storage, including clean hydrogen, batteries and fuel cell applications, and decarbonisation technologies for industry and carbon capture and storage technologies; - projects and enterprises that implement the circular economy by integrating resource efficiency aspects in the production and product life-cycle; - measures to strengthen the resilience, accessibility and capacity of health systems and civil protection systems, in particular in the face of crises and pandemics; - strategic investment to support final recipients that are established in one or more Member States and that operate in the Union, and whose activities are of strategic importance to the Union, notably in the area of research, innovation, manufacturing and stockpiling of pharmaceuticals, medicines, medical devices and vaccines; - productive and sustainable investments in enterprises, in particular microenterprises, SMEs and start-ups, in particular investments contributing to the transition towards a climate-neutral economy; - upskilling and reskilling of workers and job-seekers, including self-employed, with the aim of bridging the skills gap necessary for the just transition towards a climate-neutral economy; - measures that foster digital infrastructure, digitization of national systems and workplace, improve access to digital working and promote digital skills.
Amendment 142 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The Facility shall not run counter to the strategic and economic interests of the Union. In this respect, support shall not be provided to projects that are part of the strategic investment plans of third countries.
Amendment 144 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Support from the Facility shall not substitute recurring national budgetary expenditure and respect the principle of additionality of Union funding.
Amendment 170 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Member States’ access to the Recovery and Resilience Facility shall be dependent on the endorsement of a national objective of achieving a climate- neutral Union by 2050.
Amendment 177 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Article 14 – paragraph 2
2. The recovery and resilience plans shall be consistent withcontribute to the implementation of the relevant country-specific challenges and prioritierecommendations identified in the context of the European Semester, in particular those relevant for or resulting from the green and digital transition. T, as well as to achieving the Union’s objective of climate neutrality by 2050 and the Union's new 2030 climate targets. Therefore, the recovery and resilience plans shall also be consistent with the information included by the Member States in the national reform programmes under the European Semester, in their national energy and climate plans and updates thereof under the Regulation (EU)2018/199921 , in the territorial just transition plans under the Just Transition Fund22 , and in the partnership agreements and operational programmes under the Union funds. _________________ 21Regulation (EU)2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action. 22 […]
Amendment 209 #
2020/0104(COD)
(c b) an explanation of how the measures in the plan are expected to contribute the implementation of the commitments of the Union and of its Members States, in particular the relevant documents adopted in the context of the latest European Semester, the Paris Agreement, the national energy and climate plans and updates thereof under Regulation (EU)2018/1999, the territorial just transition plans under the Just Transition Fund, the partnership agreements and operational programmes under other Union funds;
Amendment 214 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c c (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c c (new)
(c c) an explanation of how the measures in the plan are expected to bring European added-value;
Amendment 231 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. When assessing the recovery and resilience plan and in the determination of the amount to be allocated to the Member State concerned, the Commission shall take into account the analytical information on the Member State concerned available in the context of the European Semester as well as the justification and the elements provided by the Member State concerned, as referred to in Article 15(3), and any other relevant information including, in particular, the one contained in the National Reform Programme, the Just Transition Plan and the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Member State concerned and, if relevant, information from technical support received via the Technical Support Instrument.
Amendment 252 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3 – point b b (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 3 – point b b (new)
(b b) whether the plan is consistent with and contributes to the national reform programmes, the national energy and climate plans and updates thereof under Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, the territorial just transition plans under the Just Transition Fund, the partnership agreements and operational programmes under other Union funds;
Amendment 270 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall adopt a decision within four months of the official submission of the recovery and resilience plan by the Member State, by means of an implementing delegated act. In the event that the Commission gives a positive assessment to a recovery and resilience plan, that decision shall set out the reforms and investment projects to be implemented by the Member State, including the milestones and targets, and the financial contribution allocated in accordance with Article 11.
Amendment 293 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. Upon completion of the relevant agreed milestones and targets indicated in the recovery and resilience plan as approved in the implementingdelegated act of the Commission, the Member State concerned shall submit to the Commission a duly justified request for payment of the financial contribution and, where relevant, of the loan tranche. Such requests for payment may be submitted by the Member States to the Commission on a biannual basis. The Commission shall assess, within two months of receiving the request, whether the relevant milestones and targets set out in the decision referred to in Article 17(1) have been satisfactorily implemented. For the purpose of the assessment, the operational arrangement referred to in Article 17(6) shall also be taken into account. The Commission may be assisted by experts.
Amendment 316 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1
Article 26 – paragraph 1
1. The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by clearly labelling the funding as Union funding and providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public. The recipients shall ensure the visibility of spending under the Facility by clearly labelling the supported projects as “EU Recovery Initiative”.
Amendment 361 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 2 – paragraph 3 – point 2.2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – indent 1
Annex II – point 2 – paragraph 3 – point 2.2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – indent 1
— the implementation of the envisaged measures is expected to significantly contribute to establish climate- and environmental-friendly systems and to the greening of economic or social sectors with a view to contribute to the overall objective of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and the Union's new 2030 climate targets in line with the criteria laid down in the EU taxonomy established by Regulation (EU) 2020/852;
Amendment 380 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 2 – paragraph 3 – point 2.4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – indent 1
Annex II – point 2 – paragraph 3 – point 2.4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – indent 1
— the recovery and resilience plan contains measures that aim at addressing weaknesses of the economy of the Member States and at boosting the growth potential of the economy of the Member State concerned, in particular for SMEs , stimulating job creation and mitigating the adverse effects of the crisis, while avoiding adverse impacts of those measures on climate and environment in line with the criteria laid down in EU taxonomy established by Regulation (EU) 2020/852.
Amendment 75 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) The COVID-19 pandemic is having a severe impact on the public health systems of Member States and on their economies, impacting Member States’ capacity to finance the transition towards a climate-neutral economy. Therefore, the Commission’s proposed recovery plan, ‘Next Generation EU’, is a crucial instrument to achieve the objectives of this Regulation.
Amendment 134 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Achieving climate neutrality should require astrong contributions from all economic sectors. In light of the importance of energy production and consumption on greenhouse gas emissions, the transition to a sustainable, affordable and secure energy system, while reducing energy poverty, relying on a well- functioning internal energy market is essential. The digital transformation, technological innovation, and research and development are also important drivers for achieving the climate-neutrality objective. A technology-neutral approach should be taken to reach that goal.
Amendment 152 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The Union has beenis pursuing and leading on an ambitious policy on climate action and has put in place a regulatory framework to achieve its 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target. The legislation implementing this target consists, inter alia, of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council26 , which establishes a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council27 , which introduced national targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council28 , which requires Member States to balance greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry. _________________ 26Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275 of 25 October 2003, p. 32). 27Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 26). 28 Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 1).
Amendment 198 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The Union should aim to achieve a balance between anthropogenic economy- wide emissions and removals, through natural and technological solutions, of greenhouse gases domestically within the Union by 2050. The Union-wide 2050 climate-neutrality objective should be pursued by all Member States collectively, and teach Member State should set out to achieve climate neutrality individually with the support of the Union. The Member States, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission should take the necessary measures to enable its achievement. Measures at Union level will constitute an important part of the measures needed to achieve the objective.
Amendment 209 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) The Commission is exploring the development of a regulatory framework for the certification of carbon removals in accordance with its Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork Strategy. The restoration of eco-systems and the development of a carbon removals market for land-based greenhouse gas sequestration would assist in restoring, maintaining and managing natural sinks and would promote biodiversity.
Amendment 216 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 b (new)
Recital 12 b (new)
(12b) The Commission should come forward with a definition of natural and other carbon sinks to give clarity in this Regulation.
Amendment 222 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Union should continue its climate action and international climate leadership after 2050, in order to protect people and the planetvide protection against the threat of dangerous climate change, in pursuit of the temperature goals set out in the Paris Agreement and following the scientific recommendations of the IPCC and of Member State Climate advisory bodies.
Amendment 226 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) National climate advisory bodies play an important role in informing the public and contributing to the policy debate around climate change in those Member States where they exist, and the establishment of such bodies at Member State level should be encouraged. The cooperation of those bodies with the Commission and with the other climate advisory bodies in EEA countries is important. The European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) is a network of national and regional advisory bodies which brings together experts, fosters information exchange and provides independent advice.
Amendment 230 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 b (new)
Recital 13 b (new)
(13b) The Commission should develop a strategy for the Union’s future climate policy for the post-2050 period once climate neutrality has been achieved.
Amendment 250 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In taking the relevant measures at Union and national level to achieve the climate-neutrality objective, Member States and the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission should take into account the contribution of the transition to climate neutrality to the health and economic well- being of citizens, the prosperity of society and the competitiveness of the economy; energy and food security and affordability; fairness and solidarity across and within Member States considering their economic capability, cost efficiency and national circumstances and the need for convergence over time; the need to make the transition just and socially fair; best available scientific evidence, in particular the findings reported by the IPCC, Member State climate advisory bodies and the Joint Programming Initiative “Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe” (JPI Climate); the need to integrate climate change related risks into investment and planning decisions; cost- effectiveness and technological neutrality in achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions and removals and increasing resilience; progression over time in environmental integrity and level of ambition.
Amendment 320 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The Commission should ensure a robust and objective assessment based on the most up to date scientific, technical and socio-economic findings, and representative of a broad range of independent expertise, and base its assessment on relevant information including information submitted and reported by Member States, reports of the European Environment Agency, best available scientific evidence, including the reports of the IPCC, Member States climate advisory bodies and the Joint Programming Initiative “Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe” (JPI Climate). Given that the Commission has committed to exploring how the EU taxonomy can be used in the context of the European Green Deal by the public sector, this should include information on environmentally sustainable investment, by the Union and Member States, consistent with Regulation (EU) 2020/… [Taxonomy Regulation] when such information becomes available. The Commission should use European statistics and data where available and seek expert scrutiny. The European Environment Agency should assist the Commission, as appropriate and in accordance with its annual work programme.
Amendment 348 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to provide predictability and confidence for all economic actors, including businesses, SMEs, workers, investors and consumers, to ensure that the transition towards climate neutrality is irreversible, to ensure gradualpredictable and phased reductions over time and to assist in the assessment of the consistency of measures and progress with the climate- neutrality objective, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission to set out a trajectory for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the Union by 2050. It is of particular importance that the Commission carries out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making37 . In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States’ experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. _________________ 37Commission should monitor the progress by Member States in achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the Union by 2050. OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p. 1.
Amendment 387 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Regulation establishes a framework for the irreversible and gradual, predictable and phased reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement of removals by natural or other sinks in the Union.
Amendment 459 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
2. The relevant Union institutions and the Member States shall take the necessary measures at Union and national level respectively, to enable theMember State and collective achievement of the climate- neutrality objective set out in paragraph 1, taking into account the importance of promoting fairness and solidarity among Member States.
Amendment 525 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 4 c (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Where the Commission considers it appropriate to develop a framework to certify greenhouse gas removals from land use, with a view of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, it shall make a legislative proposal to the European Parliament and to the Council to that effect, following a detailed impact assessment that is based on scientifically robust accounting methods.
Amendment 537 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – title
Article 3 – title
3 Trajectory for aAchieving climate neutrality
Amendment 552 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 9 to supplement this Regulation by setting out a trajectory at Union levelshall assess the effectiveness of this Regulation to achieve the climate-neutrality objective set out in Article 2(1) until 2050. At the latest within six months after each global stocktake referred to in Article 14 of the Paris Agreement, the Commission shall review the traaluate progress towards the climate-neutrality objectoryive.
Amendment 570 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. When setting a trajectory assessing the progress towards the carbon neutrality goal, considering accordance with paragraph 1 2040 emissions reduction target, and considering the development of a framework to certify greenhouse gas removals, the Commission shall consider the following:
Amendment 590 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) cost-effectiveness and, economic efficiency and employment;
Amendment 605 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) competitiveness of the Union’s economy, in particular SMEs and sectors most exposed to carbon leakage;
Amendment 627 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point c
(c) best available, cost effective and scalable technologyies;
Amendment 640 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point d
(d) energy efficiency, energy affordability, reducing energy poverty and security of supply;
Amendment 647 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
(da) the need to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and to move to more renewable and sustainable energy;
Amendment 681 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point g
(g) investment needs and opportunitiesencouragement of investment and innovation;
Amendment 708 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point j
(j) the best available and most recent scientific evidence, including the latest reports of the IPCC and Member State Climate Advisory bodies.
Amendment 766 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall develop and implement adaptation strategies and plans that include comprehensive risk management frameworks, based on robust climate and vulnerability baselines and progress assessments. Member States shall promote nature-based solutions and eco- system based adaption, which represent important greenhouse gas sequestration potential and address biodiversity loss.
Amendment 797 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) the collective progress made by all Member States towards the achievement of the climate-neutrality objective set out in Article 2(1) as expressed by the trajectory referred to in Article 3(1);
Amendment 834 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the consistency of Union measures with the climate-neutrality objective set out in Article 2(1) as expressed by the trajectory referred to in Article 3(1);
Amendment 852 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3
Article 5 – paragraph 3
3. Where, based on the assessment referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the Commission finds that Union measures are inconsistent with the climate-neutrality objective set out in Article 2(1) or inadequate to ensure progress on adaptation as referred to in Article 4, or that the progress towards either the climate-neutrality objective or on adaptation as referred to in Article 4 is insufficient, it shall take the necessary measures in accordance with the Treaties, at the same time as the review of the trajectory referred to in Article 3(1).
Amendment 870 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall assess any draft measure or legislative proposal in light of the climate-neutrality objective set out in Article 2(1) as expressed by the trajectory referred to in Article 3(1) before adoption, and include this analysis in any impact assessment accompanying these measures or proposals, and make the result of that assessment public at the time of adoption.
Amendment 892 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) the consistency of national measures identified, on the basis of the National Energy and Climate Plans or the Biennial Progress Reports submitted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, as relevant for the achievement of the climate-neutrality objective set out in Article 2(1) with that objective as expressed by the trajectory referred to in Article 3(1);
Amendment 926 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. Where the Commission finds, under due consideration of the collective and Member State-level progress assessed in accordance with Article 5(1), that a Member State’s measures are inconsistent with that objective as expressed by the trajectory referred to in Article 3(1) ore climate-neutrality objective or are inadequate to ensure progress on adaptation as referred to in Article 4, it may issue recommendations to that Member State. The Commission shall make such recommendations publicly available.
Amendment 961 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) best available scientific evidence, including the latest reports of the IPCC and National Climate Advisory bodies; and
Amendment 980 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 a (new)
Article 7 a (new)
Article 7a Member State climate advisory bodies and European Climate Advisory Forum 1. By 1 January 2022, Member States shall establish a national climate advisory body within their territory. 2. By 1 January 2025, the Commission shall, in cooperation with of national climate advisory bodies, establish a European Climate Advisory Forum (the ‘Forum’), which will provide independent scientific advice for the Union and the EEA. 3. Depending on the subject area, one member from each national climate advisory body shall participate in the Forum. 4. The Forum shall report annually on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and removals and Union-wide progress towards the carbon neutrality objective. It shall also identify actions and opportunities to reduce emissions and enhance removals. 5. All of the Forum’s reports shall be made publicly available.
Amendment 1047 #
2020/0036(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 a (new)
Article 9 a (new)
Article 9a Review clause The Commission shall, six months after each global stocktake referred to in Article 14 of the Paris Agreement, conduct a review of all the elements of this Regulation, in light of the criteria set out in Article 3(3) to ensure the objective of the Paris Agreement of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre- industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1,5 °C above pre-industrial level and submit, if appropriate, legislative proposals to the European Parliament and Council.
Amendment 49 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The regulatory framework governing the Union’s cohesion policy for the period from 2021 to 2027, in the context of the next multi-annual financial framework, contributes to the fulfilment of the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by concentrating Union funding on green objectives. This Regulation implements one of the priorities set out in the Communication on the European Green Deal (‘the European Green Deal’)11 and is part of the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan12 providing dedicated financing under the Just Transition Mechanism in the context of cohesion policy to address the economic and social costs of the transition to a climate-neutral and more circular economy by 2050, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by equivalent absorptions. _________________ 11 COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 12 COM(2020) 21, 14.1.2020.
Amendment 109 #
2020/0006(COD)
(6) In view of the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement, the commitment regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the increased ambition of the Union as proposed in the European Green Deal and the Climate law, the JTF should provide a key contribution to mainstream climate actions. Resources from the JTF own envelope are additional and come on top of the investments needed to achieve the overall target of 25% of the Union budget expenditure contributing to climate objectives. Resources transferred from the ERDF and ESF+ will contribute fully to the achievement of this target.
Amendment 132 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy is a challenge for all Member States. It will be particularly demanding for those Member States that rely heavily on fossil fuels or greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities which need to be phased out or which need to adapt due to the transition towards climate neutrality and that lack the financial means to do so. Insular and remote areas of the Union will also require additional support to achieve carbon neutrality due to their small populations and markets. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, but the distribution of its financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutrality.
Amendment 178 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transition, the JTF should also cover the up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workers, with the aim of helping themproviding them with the necessary qualifications and skills to adapt to new and better employment opportunities, as well as providing job-search assistance to jobseekers and their active inclusion into the labour market.
Amendment 223 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The territorial just transition plans should identify the territories most negatively affected, where JTF support should be concentrated and describe specific actions to be undertaken to reach a climate-neutral economy, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or, sectors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and other greenhouse gas intensive activities. Those territories should be precisely defined and correspond to NUTS level 3 regions or should be parts thereof. The plans should detail the challenges and needs of those territories and identify the type of operations needed in a manner that ensures the coherent development of climate-resilient economic activities that are also consistent with the transition to climate-neutrality and the objectives of the Green Deal. Only investments in accordance with the transition plans should receive financial support from the JTF. The territorial just transition plans should be part of the programmes (supported by the ERDF, the ESF+, the Cohesion Fund or the JTF, as the case may be) which are approved by the Commission.
Amendment 261 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article [4(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the JTF shall contribute to the single specific objective ‘enabling regions and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’ whilst taking into consideration circumstances of geography, scale and available resources.
Amendment 269 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article [4(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the JTF shall contribute to the single specific objective ‘enabling regions and people to address the social, economic, public health and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’.
Amendment 328 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in the creation of newsustainable and environmentally-friendly firms, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 350 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
(d) investments in the deployment of technology and infrastructures forensuring the security of supply of affordable clean energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and, renewable energy, clean transport and precision agriculture;
Amendment 397 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and conservation, and repurposing projects;
Amendment 434 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k
(k) technical assistance and advisory services.
Amendment 436 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k a (new)
(ka) investments for transport and construction sector decarbonisation.
Amendment 522 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall only approve a programme where the identification of the territories most negatively affected by the transition process, contained within the relevant territorial just transition plan, is duly justified and the relevant territorial just transition plan is consistent with the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Member State concerned.
Amendment 538 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant authorities of the territories concerned, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in particular, but not solely, with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and, the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity and sectors that are the highest contributors to greenhouse gas generation as identified within the respective National Energy and Climate Plans and Long Term Strategies. _________________ 17 Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1).
Amendment 546 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant local authorities of the territories concerned, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in particular with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity. _________________ 17 Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1).
Amendment 9 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas there is inadequate data and information about insect pollinators other than bees and butterflies;
Amendment 12 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas pollinators include insects such as bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, thrips and mammals such as bats and birds;
Amendment 19 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital B
B. whereas, in order to adequately protect pollinators from further decline, the presence of pesticide residues in the habitat of pollinators will need to be strongly reduced;
Amendment 31 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital E
E. whereas however, several Member States notified emergency derogations regarding the use of these neonicotinoids on their territory; whereas notifications ofby Member States regarding those emergency authorisations are often of very pshould be of goord quality and are not made public; whereas EFSA can play a role in examining emergency authorisations;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital H
H. whereas connected pollinator habitats, such as buffer strips, hedgerows and grassy waterways, can contribute to erosion control;
Amendment 45 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital I
I. whereas using indigenous flowers isare of particular importance for wild pollinators;
Amendment 47 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital I a (new)
Amendment 50 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Recital J a (new)
J a. Whereas pollinators are socially and culturally beneficial via remedies, products, art and traditions;
Amendment 59 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that there are various positive elements in the Initiative in terms of setting strategic objectives and a set of actions to be taken by the EU and its Member States; applauds work already being carried out at local level to protect pollinator habitats;
Amendment 70 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 3
3. However, considers that the Initiative fails to sufficiently address the main rootny causes of pollinators’ decline, which include land-use changes and loss of habitats, environmental pollution, intensive agricultural management practices, plant protection products, diseases, climate change and invasive alien species; considers that the implementation of "Priority II: Tackling the causes of pollinator decline" is of the utmost urgency;
Amendment 77 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the need to protect the diversity of pollinator species in Europe including approximately 2000 wild bee species and other insects including flies, beetles, moths and butterflies;
Amendment 80 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the importance of promoting measures to encourage biodiversity in both rural and urban areas, given that pollinator health is fostered by access to a mixture of different pollen and plantslants that provide nectar and pollen, as well as habitats for nesting, mating and overwintering;
Amendment 92 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that boosting biodiversity and thus fostering the occurrence of pollinators' habitats on the agricultural land must become a key aim in the development of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which must seek to reduce pesticide use; notes that this is a key objective of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (2009/128/EC);
Amendment 109 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that according to the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (128/2009/EC), non-chemical methods of pest control should be used as a priority, to replacebefore resorting to pesticides, with a view to protecting pollinators;
Amendment 114 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to propose legislation prohibiting the production, sale and use of all neonicotinoid-based pesticides intended for outdoor use throughout the Union without derogation;
Amendment 116 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to set detailed rules for and ensure a minimum standard of notifications on emergency authorisations of pesticides, including the need for Member States to provide complete and detailed explanations, and to make those notifications public; welcomes the role of EFSA in examining these derogations;
Amendment 130 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines that 'controlled pollination' couldmay help restore harmony between beekeepers and farmers and significantlycould increase crop yields along with pollination from wild pollinators;
Amendment 145 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote the concept of buffer strips and grassy/ flowering waterways and maintain well managed hedgerows with a view to provide both better erosion control as well as perennial flowering areas as foraging opportunity and habitat for pollinators;
Amendment 155 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls for the promotion and development of pollinator habitats in urban areas;
Amendment 156 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Calls on Member States to ensure that national and regional farm advisory systems are able to provide good quality advice to farmers on how to encourage biodiversity and pollinator habitats;
Amendment 157 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 18
18. Concerning beeshoneybees (apis mellifera), insists in particular on the role of research on the causes of the reduction in the life expectancy of queen bees, which is a worrying phenomenon;
Amendment 161 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 19
19. Calls for more funds for research and for the monitoring of wild pollinators; insists that more investment in taxonomic skills is required for effective monitoring;
Amendment 163 #
2019/2803(RSP)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls for more emphasis to be placed on field research and pollinators other than honeybees and butterflies; stresses that the systematic monitoring in real life conditions is important to gauge the extent of pollinator decline and its causes;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets that the Commission did not follow the budgetary request of Europol and proposed to underfund the Agency by more than 330 million euros in 2020 and decrease the number of temporary agents by 52; rejects the Commission’s proposal of substantial reduction of contract agents at Europol, which will jeopardise the operational activities of the Agency; notes that the decrease of the eu-LISA commitment appropriations by 18,7 % (-55 million euros) corresponds to the end of the development of the Entry Exit System; reiterates the need to ensure adequate financial support for JHA Agencies to deliver the tasks assigned to them in full transparency and to fight against cross- border serious crime in full compliance with fundamental rights;
Amendment 47 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes that, despite the fact that the internal security threats remain high, the Union’s substantial investments in the protection of its external borders has not been matched with increased funding of the Union’s internal security mechanisms, such as Europol, and stresses the importance of robust Union investments in the area of internal security with a view to enhancing Union law enforcement cooperation and promoting information exchange among Member States;
Amendment 49 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Acknowledges Europol´s increasing role in combating terrorism and organised crime, as well as in strengthening cross-border cooperation in the field of law enforcement;
Amendment 51 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Supports the implementation of Europol’s Strategy 2020+, aiming at strengthening Europol’s operational support and analytical capabilities to the benefit of the Member States and proposes new investments in important crime areas, such as the fight against drug trafficking and financial crime;
Amendment 61 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Supports the Commission’s proposed budgetary increase for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in 2020 which is necessary in order to implement the Agency’s enhanced mandate;
Amendment 1 #
2018/2210(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges, however, that for EASO, the Court issued an adverse opinion regarding the legality and regularity of its payments due to material and systematic instances of non-compliance of payments with EASO’s Financial Regulation and other applicable rules and provisions, mainly related to public procurement and recruitment procedures underlying payments; regrets that the combined error from non-compliant payments amounts to at least 7,7 million euros or 10,3 % of the EASO total payments made in 2017; notes the exponential deterioration of the human resource situation in EASO in 2017; regrets that EASO does not currently have the administrative capacity to fill its high number of vacancies causing a significant risk to the continuation of its operations at the current scale; welcomes EASO’s strong commitment to address its organisational and managerial weaknesses without delay; reminds that due to such commitments and certain progress, Parliament has granted belated discharge for the 2016 budget of EASO in October 2018;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2210(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that for Frontex, the Court has reported again in 2017 that proof of expenditures claimed by cooperating countries were often insufficient; welcomes the decision of Frontex to introduce a simplified cost reimbursement model to address this issue recurring since 2014; notes as well in this context that the Court reported cancellations of budget appropriations carried over from previous years, which indicates a clear overestimation of Frontexthe overestimation by public administrations of EU Member States and other cooperating countries of the Agency's budgetary needs;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2210(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Takes note that CEPOL remains the only JHA agency which has delegated its accounting functions to the Commission accounting officer on a contractual basis; encourages the other agencies to do the same as this will increase the effectiveness of the preparation of the accounts and ensure the reliability thereof;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2210(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that for the development and implementation of IT projects eu-LISA applies an outsourcing model where some 90 % of the related work is carried out by three contractorhad to make extensive use of external contractors for the operational management of the systems entrusted to the Agency through three framework contracts because it lacks the necessary human resources; acknowledges that, even though the IT projects are owned by and under the control of the Agency but fears that a model under which the evolution and developme, the use of external cont ractivities for such sensitive IT systems is outsourced to suchors to such a large extendt creates risks of over-reliance on contractorsand over- dependency on them; highlights that the small number of staff in key operational units creates risks for the continuity of operations; requests eu-LISA to take adequate long-term measures at both organisational and possibly technological/operational level to mitigate those risks in the long run; requests eu- LISA to ensure that the contractors are not bound by any laws of third countries that could bring them into conflict with the necessary confidentiality arrangements with eu-LISA;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. welcomes the continuous development of the Agency's internal capabilities with regard to budget planning and the monitoring of its execution to ensure the sound management of the Agency’s financial resources; welcomes that the overall execution level of commitments and payments totalled 100%;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. regrets that the Agency lacked the human resources it needed to fulfil its operational and horizontal functions without recourse to external contractors; calls on the Agency to continue its efforts to ensure staff retention and development within the Agency; welcomes how the Agency handled the substantially increased workload in 2017 despite the high turnover in expert staff;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes that IT projects were implemented on time, on cost and on budget in 2017; points out, however, that the Agency outsourced 90 % of its projects viahad to make extensive use of external contractors for the operational management of the systems entrusted to the Agency through three framework contracts; stresses that even if the Agency’s IT projects are under its control, outsourcing its activitiethe use of external contractors to such a large extendt creates risks of over- reliance and over-dependency on external contractorsthem; requests, therefore, the Agency to devise a long term strategy to mitigate this risk; acknowledges the administrative overhead, technical challenges and additional costs ofstaff and budget needed to adopting such a strategy but stresses that, given the sensitivity of its IT systems, contractor lock-in mustover-dependency on external contractors should be avoided; requests the Agency to present its vendor and contractor strategy to the European Parliament; requests the Agency to take all necessary measures to ensure that contractors having access to sensitive information about IT systems or the data they process are legally bound to stringent confidentiality rules and to demand that such contractors have formal national security clearances at the time of accessing such information; requests the Agency to ensure that its contractors are not bound by any laws of third countries that could bring them into conflict with the confidentiality arrangements established by the Agency;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets the small number of staff in key operational units, in particular in the Application Management and Maintenance (AMM) unit; points out as well that in the second half of 2017, the head of the AMM unit also occupied ad interim the posts of Head of the Operations Department and Head of the Operations and Infrastructure Unit, thereby combining the threree of the highest management posts in the Operations Department; points out that this is not just a risk from a business continuity perspective but is also a sub-optimal segregation of duties, creating with potential operational conflicts of interests implications; request the Agency to avoid taking unnecessary operational risks due to its human resource constraints and requests it to address those issues without delay;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the remark of the Court of Auditors that opthe Agenlcy questions the relevance for the Agency of further extendcurrently manages three separate, non-integrated large-scale IT systems all dealing wits mandate to include the management of additional IT systemsh data in the Union’s policy area of freedom, security and justice; notes the risks arising from the prevention of the Agency to ensure economies of scale and synergies if systems operated by it continue to be run separately; agrees with the Court that the Agency should work in close consultoperation with the Commission and the Member States prepare a cost-benefit analysis supporting a discussion on its long term evolution; points out that further extension of the mandate of the Agency should not happen to the detriment of on-going developments and the stability and security of the operation of the Agency’s current systems that must remain its first priorityto tackle and successfully address these risks; believes that the interoperability between systems would solve these problems;
Amendment 18 #
2018/2209(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the commitment of the Agency to address the recommendation of the Internal Audit Service report on ‘Audit on the controls over the procurement process in eu-LISA’, issued in December 2017; stresses the importance of the Agency to deliver on its commitment.
Amendment 3 #
2018/2200(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes than in 2017 the budget of Europol increased from 104 to 118 million Euros and its staff from 737 to 834 full- time equivalents; welcomes in this context of growing activities the lack of remarks of the Court of Auditors regarding the execution of the 2017 budget of Europol; welcomes as well that mostall of the recommendations issued by the Courts of Auditors for previous years have been closed; highlights, in particular, that for 2017 the Court of Auditors does no longer report excessive carry-overs of commitment appropriations from the previous year (2016) to the current year (2017) for Title II (administrative expenditure);
Amendment 4 #
2018/2200(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Requests Europol to provide more information on the budgetary implications of its Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU), which is not explicitly listed in the budget; questions the legal basis on which the IRU operat as it forms part of its European Counterterrorism Centre (ECTC); reminds that the Europol Regulation, in Article 4(1), makes, as it does not seem to contribute to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, but rather contributes to the deletion of allegedly illegal content on the basis of the terms of service of information society services without follow-up by law enforcement reference to referrals to online service providers, whereas Europol in close cooperation with industry actually supports related investigations by competent authorities of criminal offences online, mainly at the request of competent authorities in Member States; calls for an enhanced role of the EU IRU following the recent proposal by the European Commission on a Regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2200(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. RegretWelcomes that, as a result of an effective and transparent recruitment process, Europol has managed to fill all its vacancies; Regrets nevertheless that Europol does not publish vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) but only on its own website and in social media; acknowledges that the working language of Europol is principally English but points out that the publication of Europol vacancy notices on the EPSO website would be useful and relevant as it would increase transparency and publicity and allow citizens to identify vacancies published by the different Union institutions and agencies collectively; requests Europol to also publish its vacancy notices on the EPSO website;
Amendment 11 #
2018/2200(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the commitment of Europol to address the three recommendations identified by the Commission’s Internal Audit Service in their 2017 audit report on “Procurement in the European Police Office”.
Amendment 1 #
2018/2195(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that in response to the influx of migrants and asylum-seekers in 2015 faced by the Union, the mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) (“The Agency”) was considerably extended in 2016 for the Agency to be able to better address the needs and challenges being faced at the EU's external borders; points out that the Agency’s budget increased by 75 % in 2016 and by 21% in 2017, with related staff increases of 18 % in 2016 and 43 % in 2017; stresses that in 2017 systems and procedures were still in the process of being adapted to cope with the new mandate of the Agencying by 43% in 2017; highlights that, due to the updating of its Regulation in 2016, the Agency was in the process of adapting its systems and procedures to fulfil its new mandate in 2017; especially welcomes in this challenging context, the Court of Auditors' conclusions that the annual accounts of the Agency present fairly its financial position on 31 December 2017 and that its transactions are legal and regular;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2195(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that for the second year in a row, the significant cancellations (17%) of budget appropriations were carried over from the previous year; stresses that this indicates a significant overestimation of budgetary needs, notably on the part ofnotes the overestimation by public administrations of EU Member States and other cooperating countries of the Agency's budgetary needs; requests therefore the Agency to work with its partners to improve its budgetary forecasts;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2195(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the irregular recruitment of temporary AST staff at higher grades than the ones allowed by the Staff Regulations (AST 4): calls on the Agency to strictly adhere at all timesunderstands the difficulties that the Agency is facing in recruiting qualified staff which led the Agency to return 4 million Euros; reminds the Agency of the importance to, as much as possible, adhere to the Staff Regulations at all times;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2195(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 13 #
2018/2195(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes again with concern the absolute gender imbalance in the Agency’s Management Board; reminds that Member States are the ones responsible to nominate Members to the Agency's Management Board; calls on Member States to ensure gender balance when nominating their members for the Agency's Management Board; calls on the Agency to pro-actively remind Member States of the importance of gender balance;
Amendment 15 #
2018/2195(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Deeply deploRegrets that, despite repeated calls of Parliament and a significant overall staff increase for the Agencyn increase in its resources, the Fundamental Rights Officer still lacks adequate human resources and is therefore clearly hampered to properly, which has an effect on her ability to conduct the tasks entrusted to her by the revised Regulation; urgescalls on the Agency to provide its Fundamental Rights Officer with adequatmore resources and staff, in particular for setting up athe management of the complaint mechanism and for further developing and implementing the Agency’s strategy to monitor and ensure the protection of fundamental rights.
Amendment 2 #
2018/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds the aAgency of the need to address its high staff turnover, as it may impact its business continuity and the Agency’s ability to implement the activities foreseen in its work programme; notes that high staff turnover is a problem faced by many agencies and that, in this case, this is also linked with the recent move from the UK to Hungary; regrets that this issue opened in 2016 by the Court could not be closed in 2017;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that the Agency only publishes vacancy notices on its own website, in social media and in the inter- agency network and not on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO); acknowledges the additional translation costs incurred but points out that there are only a limited number of vacancies concerned in the specific case of the Agency; agrees with the Court of Auditors that this would be relevant and useful as EPSO publications increase transparency and publicity and allow citizens to identify vacancies published by the different European institutions and agencies collectively; insists thereforerequests that the Agency also publishes all of its vacancy notices on the EPSO website;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commitment of the Agency to follow-up on the Commission’s Internal Audit Service report on “Needs assessment, Planning and Budgeting of Training activities”; stresses the importance of the Agency to deliver on its commitment;
Amendment 11 #
2018/2194(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls upon the Agency to incorporate in its curriculum a significant element of anti-radicalisation, anti-racism and anti- discrimination training.
Amendment 4 #
2018/2186(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that Eurojust does not publish all of its vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) but only on its own website and in social media; acknowledges the additional translation costs incurred but points out that there is only a limited number of vacancies concerned in the case of Eurojust; agrees with the Court of Auditors that this would be relevant and useful as EPSO publications increase transparency and publicity and allow citizens to identify vacancies published by the different Union institutions and agencies collectively; insirequests therefore that Eurojust also publishes its vacancy notices on the EPSO website;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2186(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that the recommendation issued by the Court of Auditors in 2010 to reconsider the definition of respective roles and responsibilities between the Director and the College of Eurojust to avoid overlap of responsibilities (resulting from the Founding Regulation1 ) was still open end of 2017; acknowledges that addressingcould not be closed by Eurojust because thise issue is not under the Eurojust’s control; reminds of thewas under consideration by the co-legislator in the context of the review of the Agency's mandate; welcomes the recent adoption of the new Eurojust Regulation and; expects that these issues are resolved with the new structure and the clarification of roles and responsibilities therein, including the new Executive Board. _________________ 1 Council Decision 2002/187/JHA of 28 February 2002 setting up Eurojust with a view to reinforcing the fight against serious crime (OJ L 63, 6.3.2002, p. 1).
Amendment 1 #
2018/2181(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the accounting officer of the Centre currently administratively reports to the Head of Administration/Corporate Services instead of the Director of the Centre as advised by the Court of Auditors for all decentralised agencies; notes that according to the Centre the current reporting line is adapted to its size and does not affect the independence of the accounting officer; requests nevertheless that the Centre strictly follows the recommendation of the Court of Auditors and makes its accounting officer’s report directly to the Director of the Centre for administrative matters and to the Management Board for functional aspects; encourages the Centre to delegate its accounting functions to the accounting officer of the Commission on a contractual basis as this will increase the efficiency of the preparation of the annual accounts and ensure their reliability;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2181(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes that the Centre publishes its vacancy notices by means of dissemination to the members of its governing bodies, to the Reitox national focal points, to the other Union agencies and on the Inter-Agency Job- Advertisement Portal; regrets however that the Centre does not also publish vacancy notices on the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO); points out that this would be useful and relevant as it would further increase transparency and publicity and allow citizens to identify vacancies published by the different institutions and agencies of the Union collectively; requests the Centre to also publish all of its vacancy notices on the EPSO website;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2181(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the commitment of the Centre to address the recommendations identified by the IAS in their 2017 audit report on “Management of Data Collection, Validation and Quality Assurance”; stresses the importance of the Centre to deliver on its commitment.
Amendment 2 #
2018/2180(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. RegretNotes that at least three open calls for tenders for procuring studies were unsuccessful because offers received exceeded the defined maximum contract value (due to unrealistic market estimations); regretnotes that this led to additional administrative overhead for the Agency and, although it affected the timing of its operations, it did not cause any delay to the implementation period of projects; notes that the Agency has taken measures to mitigate the risks associated with future unsuccessful tender procedures; acknowledges the Agency’s budgetary constraints that limit its ability to bear the steeply increasing costs of highly specialised surveys requested by stakeholders; notes the request for additional funding of the Agency but; points out that budgetary constraints can nevershould not lead to suboptimal public procurement procedures; asks therefore the Agency to continue to improve the efficiency of its public procurement procedures;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2180(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the fact that the Agency’s mandate still limits its role as regards the support for fundamental rights; stresses that the Agency should be able to offer opinions on legislative proposals on its own initiative and that its remit should extend to all areas of rights protected under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including issues of judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters; recommends the inclusion of those thematic areas in the new multiannual financial frameworkStresses that the Agency's remit should be linked to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Amendment 1 #
2018/2175(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that as a result of the new assignments entrusted to the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) to provide the secretariat of the new European Data Protection Board (as part of the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 ) and of the new Cooperation Board (as part of the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/6794 of the European Parliament and of the Council2 ), the budget of the EDPS increased by 21.93% in 2017 (EUR 11 324 735,00); welcomes in this changing context that in its annual report on the implementation of the budget concerning the financial year 2017, the Court of Auditors (the Court) did not identify any specific issues concerning the EDPS; _________________ 1 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1). 2 Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA (OJ L 135, 24.5.2016, p. 53).
Amendment 3 #
2018/2175(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets however that according to the EDPS annual activity report, only a single payment was examined in 2017 by the Court; points out that even if the budget of the EDPSEDPS is not a decentralised Union Agency and its budget represents a very small percentage of the Union budget, the legality and regularity of EDPS transactions should nevertheless be properly examined by the Court as transparency is vital for the appropriate functioning of this Union body; requests therefore that the Court, as from 2018, issues separate annual activity reports as from 2018 forreports on the annual accounts of this important Union body;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deeply regrets, however, that for 2017, just like for 2016, the Court chose to ignore the request of the LIBE Committee toRegrets that the Court did not calculate the specific payment error rate of Heading III (Security and Citizenship) in 2017; Reiterates its call to provide specific error rates per budget heading; notes that DG HOME self-assessed its payment error rate below the materiality threshold of 2%; regrets that the limitedcalls for a larger sample of 15 transactions audited for 2017 was not sufficient for the Court to confirm this positive resultthat are audited to provide the Court with the necessary information to properly assess the results achieved in this policy area;
Amendment 5 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses nevertheless the importance for the EU thato have the Court systematically and independently assesses payment error rates of all politically sensitive areas of the EU budget; fears especiallyconsiders that theany misuse of EU funds in, especially funds allocated to the Migration, Security and Border Management policies could have severe detrimental impacts on the functioning of the EU due to institutional reputation degradation, loss of trust by citizens or governments, rise of anti-EU sentiment, etc.; insists that intangible (non-financial) risks should properly be taken into account by the Court in its audit strategy and in addition to tangible and quantifiable financial oney areas, entails the risk of a reduced impact on the EU's efforts to achieve its policy goals;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2166(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the key finding of the Court that AMIF and ISF accounts cleared by the Commission in 2017 did not distinguish between pre-financing payments (advances) made by Member States to final beneficiaries, and payments made to reimburse expenditure actually incurred; agrees with the Court that, even if such practice is in line with the current reporting requirements for AMIF and ISF, it nevertheless severely undermines as agreed by both co-legislators, it has an impact on the Commission’s supervisory role; supports the recommendation of the Court to require Member States, in the annual accounts of their AMIF and ISF national programmes, to break down the nature of the amounts they report into recoveries, pre-financing, and expenditure actually incurred, so the Commission can report this information adequately in its Annual Activity report as from 2018; calls on the co-legislators to change the reporting requirements of JHA funds in the upcoming multiannual financial framework.
Amendment 1 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
— having regard to Articles 107, 108, 113, 115 and 1165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 3 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
— having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2015 with recommendations to the Commission on bringing transparency, coordination and convergence to corporate tax policies in the Union4 , _________________ 4 Legislative resolution of 16 December 2015 ‘Bringing transparency, coordination and convergence to corporate tax policies in the Union’, OJ C 399, 24.11.2017, p. 74. and coordination of taxation policies in the Union,
Amendment 11 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who was murdered in Malta and Ján Kuciak who was murdered in Slovakia together with his partner Martina Kušnírová,
Amendment 14 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14
Citation 14
— having regard to the Commission proposals pending for adoption, in particular on the CC(C)TB14 , the digital taxation package15 and public country-by- country reporting (CBCR)16 , _________________ 14 Proposal of 25 October 2016 for a Council Directive on a Common Corporate Tax Base (CCTB), COM(2016)0685 (2016/0337(CNS)) and on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB), COM(2016)0683 (2016/0336(CNS)). 15 The package consists of the ‘Time to establish a modern, fair and efficient taxation standard for the digital economy’ communication (COM(2018)0146), the proposal for a Council directive laying down rules relating to the corporate taxation of a significant digital presence (COM(2018)0147, 2018/0072(CNS)), the proposal for a Council directive on the common system of a digital services tax on revenues resulting from the provision of certain digital services (COM(2018)0148, 2018/0073 (CNS)) and the recommendation relating to the corporate taxation of a significant digital presence (C(2018) 1650). 16 Proposal of 12 April 2016 for a directive amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches, COM(2016)0198 (2016/0107(COD)).
Amendment 27 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
- having regard to the letter sent by the TAX3 Committee Chair to the Permanent Representative of Malta to the EU, HE Daniel Azzopardi, seeking explanations about the company '17 Black' and why the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister of Malta, Keith Schembri, and Tourism Minister, Konrad Mizzi, set up structures to receive regular payments of hundreds of thousands of Euros,
Amendment 30 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that current international and national tax rules were mostly conceived in the early 20th century; asserts that there is an urgent need for reform of thsome rules, so that international, EU and national tax systems are fit for the new economic, social and technologic challenges of the 21st century; notes the broad understanding that current tax systems are not equipped to keep up with these developments and ensure that all market participants pay fair taxes;
Amendment 58 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the fact that during its current term the Commission has put forward 22 legislative proposals aimed at closing some of the loopholes,to improvinge the fight against financial crimes and aggressive tax planning, and enhancing tax collection efficiency and tax fairness; calls for the swift adoption of initiatives linked to EU competences that have not yet been finalised and for careful monitoring of the implementation to ensure efficiency and proper enforcement, in order to keep pace with the versatility of tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning;
Amendment 115 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission and the Council to propose and adopt a comprehensive definition of aggressive tax planning indicators, building on both the hallmarks identified in the fifth review of the Directive on administrative cooperation (DAC6)26 and the Commission’s relevant studies and recommendations27 ; calls on Member States to use those indicators as a basis to repeal all harmful tax practices deriving from existing tax loopholes; _________________ 26 Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 of 25 May 2018 amending Directive 2011/16/EU as regards mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements, OJ L 139, 5.6.2018, p. 1. 27 https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/site s/taxation/files/resources/documents/taxat ion/gen_info/economic_analysis/tax_pape rs/taxation_paper_61.pdfand https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/site s/taxation/files/tax_policies_survey_2017. pdf;
Amendment 153 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls that itaxes must be paid ins the jurisdictions where the actual economic activity and value creation takes place or, in case of indirect taxation, where consumption takes placeprerogative of EU Member States to set their own individual fiscal policy;
Amendment 164 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 274 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2.2.2
Subheading 2.2.2
Amendment 277 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
Amendment 311 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. WelcomNotes the digital tax package adopted by the Commission on 21 March 2018; calls on the Council to swiftly adopt these proposals, taking into account Parliament’s opinion on them;
Amendment 459 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Highlights that the highNotes the level of inward and outward foreign direct investment as a percentage of GDP in seven Member States (Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands) can only be partially explained by real economic activities taking place in these Member States;40 _________________ 40 Kiendl Kristo I. and Thirion E., An overview of shell companies in the European Union, EPRS, European Parliament, October 2018, p.23.; notes that it is easier for small Member States to have a higher level of inward and outward foreign direct investment as a percentage of their GDP;
Amendment 466 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Underlines that a high share of foreign direct investment held by special purpose entities exists in several Member States, particularly in Malta, Luxembourg and the Netherlands;41 _________________ 41 Kiendl Kristo I. and Thirion E., op. cit., p.23.within the EU;
Amendment 473 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Notes that economic indicators such as an unusually high level of foreign direct investment, as well as foreign direct investment held by special purpose entities are two of many ATP indicators42 ; _________________ 42 IHS, Aggressive tax planning indicators, prepared for the European Commission, DG TAXUD Taxation papers, Working paper No 71, October 2017.
Amendment 482 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Notes that the ATAD anti-abuse rules (artificial arrangements) cover letterbox companies, and that the CCTB and CCCTB would ensure that the income is attributed to where the real economic activity takes place;
Amendment 518 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s VAT action plan of 6 April 2016 to reform the VAT framework and the 13 legislative proposals adopted by the Commission since December 2016 that address the shift towards the definitive VAT regime, remove VAT obstacles to e- commerce, review the VAT regime for SMEs, modernise the VAT rates policy, update the list of VAT exemptions, in order to, amongst others, tackle the current discrimination that education operators are facing when compared to other companies as they cannot claim VAT back on expenses related to their business and tackle the VAT tax gap;
Amendment 539 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
Amendment 542 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. WelcomNotes the opening of infringement procedures by the Commission on 8 March 2018 against Cyprus, Greece and Malta to ensure that they stop offering unlawful favourable tax treatment for private yachts, which distorts competition in the maritime sectoron tax treatment for private yachts; considers it strange that infringement procedures were opened against Malta, Cyprus and Greece when other Member States have similar systems in place; understands that assurances have been received by Malta to have its system fully in line with EU law;
Amendment 614 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85
Paragraph 85
85. Observes that a majority of Member States have adopted citizenship by investment (CBI) or residency by investment (RBI) schemes57 , generally known as visa or investor programmes, by which citizenship or residence is granted to non-EU citizens in exchange for financial investment; observesdeplores the fact that these programmes do not necessarily require applicants to spend time on the territory in which the investment is made, or if they do, this obligation is not applied in practice; _________________ 57 18 Member States have some form of RBI scheme in place, including four Member States that operate CBI schemes in addition to RBI schemes: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Romania. 10 Member States have no such schemes: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. Source: study entitled ‘Citizenship by investment (CBI) and residency by investment (RBI) schemes in the EU‘, EPRS, October 2018, PE: 627.128; ISBN: 978-92-846-3375-3.
Amendment 629 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87
Paragraph 87
87. Stresses that CBI and RBI schemes carry significant risks, including a devaluation of EU and national citizenship and the potential for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion; reiterates its concern that citizenship or residence could be granted through these schemes without properan effective or indeed any customer due diligence (CDD) having been carried out; notes that several formal investigations into corruption and money laundering have been launched at national and EU level directly related to CBI and RBI schemes; notes that no formal investigations directly related to CBI and RBI schemes have been launched in other EU Member States even when reports on clear cases of corruption have emerged; underlines that, at the same time, the economic sustainability and viability of the investments provided through these schemes remain uncertain;
Amendment 646 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89
Paragraph 89
89. Worries that there is very little transparency in relation to the number and origin of applicants, the numbers of individuals granted citizenship or residency by these schemes and the amount invested through these schemes; appreciates the fact that some Member States make explicit the name and nationalities of the individuals who are granted citizenship or residency under these schemes; urges other Member States, such as Malta, to provide stand- alone lists of individuals who made use of cash-for-citizenship schemes and those who received citizenship through naturalisation;
Amendment 679 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
93. Urges the Commission to finalise its study on CBI and RBI schemes in the Union; urges the Commission to examine whether, and, if so, which of these schemes posed a threat to EU legislation, not just on paper but also in practice; reiterates that citizenship and all the rights associated with it should never be for sale;
Amendment 704 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 102
Paragraph 102
102. Calls on the Commission to table a legislative proposal to ensure the automatic exchange of information between the relevant authorities, including law enforcement, tax and customs authorities, on beneficial ownership and transactions taking place in free ports, customs warehouses or SEZs;
Amendment 753 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111 a (new)
Paragraph 111 a (new)
Amendment 776 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116
Paragraph 116
116. Highlights that the European Central Bank (ECB) has withdrawn the banking licence of Malta’s Pilatus Bank following the arrest in the United States of Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, Chairman of Pilatus Bank and its sole shareholder, on, among other things, charges of money laundering; stresses that the European banking Authority (EBA) concluded that the Maltese Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit had breached EU law because it had failed to conduct an effective supervision of Pilatus Bank due to, among other things, procedural deficiencies and lack of supervisory actions; notes that the Maltese authority managing Malta's cash-for- citizenship scheme, Identity Malta, included references to Pilatus Bank in its promotion of the cash-for- citizenship scheme;
Amendment 829 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 126
Paragraph 126
126. Recalls that pursuant to AMLD5 Member States are obliged to set up automated centralised mechanisms enabling swift identification of holders of bank and payment accounts, and to ensure that any FIU is able to provide information held in those centralised mechanisms to any other FIU in a timely manner; calls on the Member States to speed up the establishment of these mechanisms so that Member States’ FIUs are able to cooperate effectively with each other in order to detect and counteract money-laundering activities; notes that EU FIUs can cooperate in their fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism by using the FIU.net system; calls for more measures and systems to be adopted in order to facilitate and strengthen such cooperation;
Amendment 874 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 133
Paragraph 133
133. Notes that the Union’s AML legislation obliges Member States to establish central registers containing complete beneficial ownership data for companies and trusts, and that it also provides for their interconnection; welcomes the fact that AMLD5 obliges Member States to ensure that the information on beneficial ownership is accessible in all cases to any member of the general public; stresses that the interconnection of registers should be ensured by the Commission; considers that the Commission should closely monitor the functioning of this interconnected system and assess within a reasonable time whether it is working properly, and whether it should be supplemented by the establishment of an EU public register ofif it is not the case, to propose ways how such deficiencies can ben eficial ownershipfectively addressed;
Amendment 959 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 150
Paragraph 150
150. Recalls the importance of a common EU list of non-cooperative third country jurisdictions for tax purposes (hereinafter ‘EU list’) based on comprehensive, transparent, robust, objectively verifiable and commonly accepted criteria that is regularly updated;
Amendment 1008 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 155
Paragraph 155
155. Renews its call for countermeasures aimed at incentivising compliance by the third countries listed in Annex I of the EU list; takes note that most countermeasures proposed by the Council are left to national discretion;
Amendment 1191 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 186
Paragraph 186
186. Urges the Maltese authorities to make progress in identifying thidentify the masterminds behind the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia; welcomes the initiative of 26 international media freedom and journalists' organisations to push Malta's Prime Ministigator of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galiziaer Joseph Muscat and his Government to initiate an independent public inquiry on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and to assess whether this assassination could have been avoided; calls on the Maltese Government to initiate this independent public inquiry without any delay;
Amendment 1204 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188
Paragraph 188
188. Deplores the fact that investigative journalists, such as Daphne Caruana Galizia, are often victims of abusive lawsuits intended to censor, intimidate and silence them by burdening them with the costs of legal defence until they are forced to abandon their criticism or opposition; recalls that these abusive lawsuits constitute a threat to fundamental democratic rights, such as to freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom to disseminate and receive information; calls on the Member States to put in place mechanisms to prevent strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP); considers that these mechanisms should take duly into consideration the right to a good name and reputation; calls on the Commission to assess the possibility of takingtake legislative action in this area;
Amendment 1253 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 204
Paragraph 204
Amendment 1262 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 205
Paragraph 205
205. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to propose qualified majority voting for specific and pressing tax policy issues where vital legislative files and initiativeswork aimed at combating tax fraud, tax evasion, aggressive tax planning orand financial crimes have been blocked in the Council to the detriment of Member States;
Amendment 1273 #
2018/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 206
Paragraph 206
Amendment 6 #
2018/2085(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that blockchain represents a new paradigm of data storage and management, the rise of which poses challenges in terms of data protection and transparency, and exponentially increasleading to increased transparency due to the inputting being immutable and shared with all the participating parties, the risks of money laundeus also ensuring, the capture of the financial system by organised crime and the financing of terrorismsecurity and integrity of data;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2085(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Differentiates between the positive opportunities, also for SMEs, deriving from the introduction of blockchain technology as part of the EU's trade policy, which will bring about, amongst other benefits, lower transactional costs and greater efficiency, and the application of this technology, which in other cases outside the scope of the EU's trade policy, may increase the risks of money laundering and the facilitation of the financing of terrorism;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2085(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that, if adequately designed, blockchain blockchain technologies can share the goal of the General Data Protection Regulation by giving data subjects more control over his/their data; recalls, however, that the possible clash between the protection of fundamental rights and the promotion of innovation has to be addressedommends that blockchains and applications built on top of a blockchain follow the privacy by design principle and should only store unintelligible data;
Amendment 26 #
2018/2085(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with concern the lack of any reference to the serious implications, which might be positive, but could also be detrimental, of blockchain technology in relation to the fight against money laundering and to countering the financingCalls on the Commission to take the lead on the promotion and innovation of blockchain technologies, including in specific sectors that can bring about additional benefits across the EU, such as in the case of the EU's trade policy; deems that any utilisation of blockchain technologies should be anticipated by the delineation of what will be stored on and off terrorism, if such technology is appropriated by organised crimehe chain, with personal data being stored off the chain;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2085(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to also look into the application of blockchain technologies, which if appropriately applied, it can reduce the risk of money laundering due to its immutability feature such as by the verification of identity documents with each individual recorded electronic transaction.
Amendment 2 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2017 on the fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI));
Amendment 5 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Europol programming document 2018-20206a highlights the increasing relevance of an enhanced multi-disciplinary approach, including the pooling of necessary expertise and information from an expanding range of partners, for the delivery of Europol's mission; _________________ 6aEuropol Programming Document 2018- 2020 adopted by Europol's Management Board on 30 November 2017, EDOC# 856927v18.
Amendment 6 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the Europol External Strategy 2017-20207a underlines the need for closer cooperation between Europol and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) in light of the current terrorist threats as well as migration-related challenges; _________________ 7aEuropol External Strategy 2017-2020, adopted by the Europol Management Board on 13 December 2016, EDOC#865852v3.
Amendment 7 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas Parliament underlined in its 2017 Resolution on the Fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI)) that strategic and operational cooperation agreements between Europol and third countries facilitate both the exchange of information and practical cooperation in the fight against cybercrime;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that cooperation with the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in the field of law enforcement may beis necessary for the European Union’s security interests but highlights that due caution is needed while, in particular to counter crime phenomena linked to terrorism as it poses a direct security threat to both parties, especially when it comes to addressing the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, migrant smuggling as the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria continues to be a transit country for such smuggling including the risk at its southern border which is utilised for irregular travel towards Libya, illicit trafficking of firearms especially since controls at the Algerian borders constitute a strategic priority for the EU and drug trafficking as the country is negatively influenced by illicit substance abuse and production; highlights the need to apply due diligence when defining the negotiating mandate for an agreement between the European Union and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on the exchange of personal data between the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Algerian competent authorities for fighting serious crime and terrorism;
Amendment 22 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that the categories of offences for which personal data will be exchanged need to be clearly defined and listed in the international agreement itself, in line with EU criminal offences definitions when available; this list should include the activities covered by such crimes, and the persons, groups and organisations likely to be affected by the transferlikely effects of the transfer of personal data;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the Council and the Commission to define, pursuant to Court of Justice (CJEU) case-law and within the meaning of Article 8(3) of the Charter, with the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, which independent supervisory authority is to be in charge of supervising the implementation of the international agreement; is of the opinion that such an authority should be agreed and established before the international agreement can enter into force; insists that the name of this authority and the contact details be expressly included in the agreement;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that the independent supervisory body should also be competent to decideit should be possible for either one of the contracting parties to suspend or terminate the agreement in the event of a breach of the agreement; considers that any personal data falling within the scope of the agreement transferred prior to its suspension or termination may continue to be processed in accordance with the agreement;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that a clear definition of the concept of individual cases is needed as this concept is needed to assess the necessity and proportionality of data transfers; highlights that this definition should normally only refer to actual criminal investigations, and notonly in extremely exceptional cases with all the necessary safeguards in place, to criminal intelligence operations targeting specific individuals considered as suspects;
Amendment 33 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that data transferred to a receiving authority can never be further processed by other authorities and that, to this end, an exhaustive list of the competent authorities in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to which Europol can transfer data should be set up, including a description of the authorities’ competences; considers that any changemodification to such a list that would replace or add a new competent authority would require a review of the international agreement;
Amendment 37 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that the transfer of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data or data concerning a person’s health and sex life is extremely sensitive and gives rise to profound concerns given the different legal framework, societal characteristics and cultural background of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria compared with the European Union; highlights the fact that criminal acts are defined differently in the Union from in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria; is of the opinion that such a transfer of data should therefore only take place in very exceptional cases and with clear safeguards for the data subject and persons linked to the data subject; Considers it necessary to impose safeguards ondefine specific safeguards that would need to be respected by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria as regards fundamental rights, including the respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and human dignity and so forth;
Amendment 41 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Believes that a monitoring mechanism should be included in the agreement and it should be made subject to periodic assessments to evaluate its functioning in relation to the operational needs of Europol as well as its compliance with European data protection rights and principles;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2067(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on the Commission to keep its competent committee informed about the progress of negotiations on the international agreement;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2017 on the fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI));
Amendment 6 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Europol programming document 2018-20206a highlights the increasing relevance of an enhanced multi-disciplinary approach, including the pooling of necessary expertise and information from an expanding range of partners, for the delivery of Europol's mission; _________________ 6aEuropol Programming Document 2018- 2020 adopted by Europol's Management Board on 30 November 2017, EDOC# 856927v18.
Amendment 7 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the Europol External Strategy 2017-20207a underlines the need for closer cooperation between Europol and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) in light of the current terrorist threats as well as migration-related challenges; _________________ 7aEuropol External Strategy 2017-2020, adopted by the Europol Management Board on 13 December 2016, EDOC#865852v3.
Amendment 8 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas Parliament underlined in its 2017 Resolution on the Fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI)) that strategic and operational cooperation agreements between Europol and third countries facilitate both the exchange of information and practical cooperation in the fight against cybercrime;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt in the field of law enforcement may beis necessary for the European Union’s security interests but highlights that due caution is needed while, in particular to counter crime phenomena linked to terrorism since both parties have been targeted by terrorist attacks, migrant smuggling especially in light of the resolute action taken by the authorities of the Arab Republic of Egypt on this matter, drugs considering the Arab Republic of Egypt is a transit country, illicit trafficking of firearms due to its proximity to Libya and counterfeit goods as intellectual property rights breaches are a major source of illicit proceeds in the country; highlights the need to apply due diligence when defining the negotiating mandate for an agreement between the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt on the exchange of personal data between the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Egyptian competent authorities for fighting serious crime and terrorism;
Amendment 27 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that the categories of offences for which personal data will be exchanged need to be clearly defined and listed in the international agreement itself, in line with EU criminal offences definitions when available; this list should include the activities covered by such crimes, and the persons, groups and organisations likely to be affected by the transferlikely effects of the transfer of personal data;
Amendment 30 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the Council and the Commission to define, pursuant to Court of Justice (CJEU) case-law and within the meaning of Article 8(3) of the Charter, with the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, which independent supervisory authority is to be in charge of supervising the implementation of the international agreement; is of the opinion that such an authority should be agreed and established before the international agreement can enter into force; insists that the name of this authority and the contact details be expressly included in the agreement;
Amendment 33 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that the independent supervisory body should also be competent to decideit should be possible for either one of the contracting parties to suspend or terminate the agreement in the event of a breach of the agreement; considers that any personal data falling within the scope of the agreement transferred prior to its suspension or termination may continue to be processed in accordance with the agreement;
Amendment 36 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that a clear definition of the concept of individual cases is needed as this concept is needed to assess the necessity and proportionality of data transfers; highlights that this definition should normally only refer to actual criminal investigations, and notonly in extremely exceptional cases with all the necessary safeguards in place, to criminal intelligence operations targeting specific individuals considered as suspects;
Amendment 38 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that data transferred to a receiving authority can never be further processed by other authorities and that, to this end, an exhaustive list of the competent authorities in the Arab Republic of Egypt to which Europol can transfer data should be set up, including a description of the authorities’ competences; considers that any changemodification to such a list that would replace or add a new competent authority would require a review of the international agreement;
Amendment 43 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that the transfer of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data or data concerning a person’s health and sex life is extremely sensitive and gives rise to profound concerns given the different legal framework, societal characteristics and cultural background of the Arab Republic of Egypt compared with the European Union; highlights the fact that criminal acts are defined differently in the Union from in the Arab Republic of Egypt; is of the opinion that such a transfer of data should therefore only take place in very exceptional cases and with clear safeguards for the data subject and persons linked to the data subject; Considers it necessary to impose safeguards ondefine specific safeguards that would need to be respected by the Arab Republic of Egypt as regards fundamental rights, including the respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and human dignity and so forth;
Amendment 47 #
2018/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Believes that a monitoring mechanism should be included in the agreement and it should be made subject to periodic assessments to evaluate its functioning in relation to the operational needs of Europol as well as its compliance with European data protection rights and principles;
Amendment 51 #
2018/2066(INI)
18 b. Calls on the Commission to keep its competent committee informed about the progress of negotiations on the international agreement;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2017 on the fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI));
Amendment 5 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Europol programming document 2018-20206a highlights the increasing relevance of an enhanced multi-disciplinary approach, including the pooling of necessary expertise and information from an expanding range of partners, for the delivery of Europol's mission; _________________ 6aEuropol Programming Document 2018- 2020 adopted by Europol's Management Board on 30 November 2017, EDOC# 856927v18.
Amendment 6 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the Europol External Strategy 2017-20207a underlines the need for closer cooperation between Europol and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) in light of the current terrorist threats as well as migration-related challenges; _________________ 7aEuropol External Strategy 2017-2020, adopted by the Europol Management Board on 13 December 2016, EDOC#865852v3.
Amendment 7 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas Parliament underlined in its 2017 Resolution on the Fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI)) that strategic and operational cooperation agreements between Europol and third countries facilitate both the exchange of information and practical cooperation in the fight against cybercrime;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that cooperation with the Lebanese Republic in the field of law enforcement may beis necessary for the European Union’s security interests but highlights that due caution is needed while, in particular to counter crime phenomena linked to terrorism as it poses a direct security threat to both parties, firearms trafficking also due to the already established cooperation on this matter including through exchange of best-practices, training and capacity-building, migration- related challenges due to the Lebanese Republic hosting a significantly large population of irregular migrant and the cooperation that has already been established on border management and drug trafficking as the Lebanese Republic is the second main producer of cannabis and resin of cannabis in the MENA region; highlights the need to apply due diligence when defining the negotiating mandate for an agreement between the European Union and the Lebanese Republic on the exchange of personal data between the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Lebanese competent authorities for fighting serious crime and terrorism;
Amendment 22 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that the categories of offences for which personal data will be exchanged need to be clearly defined and listed in the international agreement itself, in line with EU criminal offences definitions when available; this list should include the activities covered by such crimes, and the persons, groups and organisations likely to be affected by the transferlikely effects of the transfer of personal data;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the Council and the Commission to define, pursuant to Court of Justice (CJEU) case-law and within the meaning of Article 8(3) of the Charter, with the Government of the Lebanese Republic, which independent supervisory authority is to be in charge of supervising the implementation of the international agreement; is of the opinion that such an authority should be agreed and established before the international agreement can enter into force; insists that the name of this authority and the contact details be expressly included in the agreement;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that the independent supervisory body should also be competent to decideit should be possible for either one of the contracting parties to suspend or terminate the agreement in the event of a breach of the agreement; considers that any personal data falling within the scope of the agreement transferred prior to its suspension or termination may continue to be processed in accordance with the agreement;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that a clear definition of the concept of individual cases is needed as this concept is needed to assess the necessity and proportionality of data transfers; highlights that this definition should normally only refer to actual criminal investigations, and notonly in extremely exceptional cases with all the necessary safeguards in place, to criminal intelligence operations targeting specific individuals considered as suspects;
Amendment 33 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that data transferred to a receiving authority can never be further processed by other authorities and that, to this end, an exhaustive list of the competent authorities in the Lebanese Republic to which Europol can transfer data should be set up, including a description of the authorities’ competences; considers that any changemodification to such a list that would replace or add a new competent authority would require a review of the international agreement;
Amendment 37 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that the transfer of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data or data concerning a person’s health and sex life is extremely sensitive and gives rise to profound concerns given the different legal framework, societal characteristics and cultural background of the Lebanese Republic compared with the European Union; highlights the fact that criminal acts are defined differently in the Union from in the Lebanese Republic; is of the opinion that such a transfer of data should therefore only take place in very exceptional cases and with clear safeguards for the data subject and persons linked to the data subject; Considers it necessary to impose safeguards on the Lebanese Republic as regardsdefine specific safeguards that would need to be respected by the Lebanese Republic as regards fundamental rights, including the respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and human dignity and so forth;
Amendment 41 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Believes that a monitoring mechanism should be included in the agreement and it should be made subject to periodic assessments to evaluate its functioning in relation to the operational needs of Europol as well as its compliance with European data protection rights and principles;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on the Commission to keep its competent committee informed about the progress of negotiations on the international agreement;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2017 on the fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI));
Amendment 5 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Europol programming document 2018-20206a highlights the increasing relevance of an enhanced multi-disciplinary approach, including the pooling of necessary expertise and information from an expanding range of partners, for the delivery of Europol's mission; _________________ 6aEuropol Programming Document 2018- 2020 adopted by Europol's Management Board on 30 November 2017, EDOC# 856927v18.
Amendment 6 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the Europol External Strategy 2017-20207a underlines the need for closer cooperation between Europol and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) in light of the current terrorist threats as well as migration-related challenges; _________________ 7aEuropol External Strategy 2017-2020, adopted by the Europol Management Board on 13 December 2016, EDOC#865852v3.
Amendment 7 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas Parliament underlined in its 2017 Resolution on the Fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI)) that strategic and operational cooperation agreements between Europol and third countries facilitate both the exchange of information and practical cooperation in the fight against cybercrime;
Amendment 12 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that cooperation with the Kingdom of Morocco in the field of law enforcement may beis necessary for the European Union’s security interests but highlights, in particular to counter crime phenomena linked to terrorism and firearms trafficking that pose a threat due caution is needed whileto both parties, migration- related challenges to help prevent irregular migration, drug trafficking considering the Kingdom of Morocco is a key source country for cannabis products entering the EU market and cybercrime, especially since the Kingdom of Morocco is making progress in addressing cybercrime threats; highlights the need to apply due diligence when defining the negotiating mandate for an agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco on the exchange of personal data between the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Moroccan competent authorities for fighting serious crime and terrorism;
Amendment 22 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that the categories of offences for which personal data will be exchanged need to be clearly defined and listed in the international agreement itself, in line with EU criminal offences definitions when available; this list should include the activities covered by such crimes, and the persons, groups and organisations likely to be affected by the transferlikely effects of the transfer of personal data;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the Council and the Commission to define, pursuant to Court of Justice (CJEU) case-law and within the meaning of Article 8(3) of the Charter, with the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, which independent supervisory authority is to be in charge of supervising the implementation of the international agreement; is of the opinion that such an authority should be agreed and established before the international agreement can enter into force; insists that the name of this authority and the contact details be expressly included in the agreement;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that the independent supervisory body should also be competent to decideit should be possible for either one of the contracting parties to suspend or terminate the agreement in the event of a breach of the agreement; considers that any personal data falling within the scope of the agreement transferred prior to its suspension or termination may continue to be processed in accordance with the agreement;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that a clear definition of the concept of individual cases is needed as this concept is needed to assess the necessity and proportionality of data transfers; highlights that this definition should normally only refer to actual criminal investigations, and notonly in extremely exceptional cases with all the necessary safeguards in place, to criminal intelligence operations targeting specific individuals considered as suspects;
Amendment 33 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that data transferred to a receiving authority can never be further processed by other authorities and that, to this end, an exhaustive list of the competent authorities in the Kingdom of Morocco to which Europol can transfer data should be set up, including a description of the authorities’ competences; considers that any changemodification to such a list that would replace or add a new competent authority would require a review of the international agreement;
Amendment 37 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that the transfer of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data or data concerning a person’s health and sex life is extremely sensitive and gives rise to profound concerns given the different legal framework, societal characteristics and cultural background of the Kingdom of Morocco compared with the European Union; highlights the fact that criminal acts are defined differently in the Union from in the Kingdom of Morocco; is of the opinion that such a transfer of data should therefore only take place in very exceptional cases and with clear safeguards for the data subject and persons linked to the data subject; Considers it necessary to impose safeguards ondefine specific safeguards that would need to be respected by the Kingdom of Morocco as regards fundamental rights, including the respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and human dignity and so forth;
Amendment 41 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Believes that a monitoring mechanism should be included in the agreement and it should be made subject to periodic assessments to evaluate its functioning in relation to the operational needs of Europol as well as its compliance with European data protection rights and principles;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on the Commission to keep its competent committee informed about the progress of negotiations on the international agreement;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2017 on the fight against cybercrime (2017/268(INI));