Activities of Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR related to 2022/2147(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION assessment of the new communication of the European Commission on Outermost Regions
Amendments (75)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the outermost regions are an integral part of the EU and their inhabitants suffer from natural constraints impacting their mobility, accessibility and connectivity and should have access to EU funding instruments and programmes supporting mobility, transport and tourism;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas tourism contributes to a significant share of the outermost regions’ economies and whereas the sector has suffered greatly from the COVID-19 crisis, rising energy and food prices, and has to respond to the twin transition;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the final declaration of the 27th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions, which took place at the European Parliament in Brussels on 15 and 16 November 2022,
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the outermost regions have great potential to develop key sectors such as ecotourism and other subsectors of tourism;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to revise the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation to reflect, which identifies the outermost regions’ connectivity needs, and to make them eligible for support from the Connecting Europe Facilitycohesion and user accessibility as objectives and priorities of this proposal, so that they become eligible for support from the Connecting Europe Facility; to this end, calls on the Member States and the Commission to include the infrastructure of these regions in the core or extended network, where it is in the interest of their region, in order to gain access to the CEF, with the corresponding co-financing rates of 70 %, and to the European Transport Corridors, in order to offer support for, inter alia, alternative fuel supply infrastructure in ports and the extension and maintenance thereof, urban mobility, aviation and the road network;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that, taking into account the dependence of the outermost regions on air connections, flights from those regions to the mainland of their respective Member States, as well as within and between the regions, should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System until 2030, andan impact assessment by the European Commission regarding the inclusion of ORs in this scheme is presented, this derogation being equally applicable to the maritime ETS; calls on the Commission to take into account the regions’' specific characteristics in the revision of all relevant legal acts by presenting assessments of the impact on the ORs, providing the necessary information on the economic, social and environmental consequences, in accordance with the Commission’s better legislation agenda; regrets that the Fit for 55 package and its legislative proposals have not been accompanied by an impact assessment for the ORs;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the outermost regions (OR) have assets of enormous potential, as recognised by the European Commission in the communication under review: a young population, extensive maritime economic zones, a unique biodiversity, a great wealth of renewable energy sources and a location and climate suitable for the development of space sciences;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 bis. Given the existence of permanent constraints in the ORs related to remoteness, low connectivity and mobility, dependence on air and maritime transport, and to the terrain, the Commission is called on to create a POSEI in the field of transport as an instrument to compensate for these cumulative disadvantages and impairments;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the Commission to facilitate the uptake of EU tools dedicated to connectivity and mobility, and calls on the Member States to use these funding opportunities to ensure that all European regionto this end, considers it important to present specific calls for the ORs within the European programmes managed by the Commission, as well as to carry out info days regarding the opportunities available to the ORs, and calls on the Member States to use these funding opportunities, such as calls for projects to replace undersea cables, to ensure that the ORs enjoy a high level of connectivity by 2050;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 bis. Calls on the Commission to set up a technical support platform for the ORs to facilitate access to European funding in the area of transport and tourism for major projects and to organise workshops, road shows and info days on the opening of calls as opportunities for these regions;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Encourages the Commission to support investments in tourism, to ensure EU funding for its recovery and sustainable development and to provide the sector with information on funding opportunities; considers it crucial to create a funding line for tourism in the next multiannual financial framework and to provide funds for the ecosystem in the Union’s annual budgets, and to set up a European Agency for Tourism;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas many ORs are faced with strong migratory pressure, with extremely severe consequences for their population and significant impacts on their own resources;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for connecting the ORs both to the European mainland and places outside the European Union; whereas these regions have no alternatives to these modes of transport;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 bis. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the tourism sector in the ORs in order to promote its recovery and digital and environmental transformation, with a particular focus on SMEs in the sector, using existing EU funds and setting up pilot projects for outermost destinations;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 ter. Calls on the Commission to develop initiatives for nautical and coastal tourism, in particular the development and dissemination of a network of maritime routes;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Member States to unlock the potential of the outermost regions through appropriate investments andwith the proper distribution of structural and investment funds, through investments and the submission of proposals for the respective European funding, which is the responsibility of the Member States and not of the regions, and appropriate reforms and by supporting the green and digital transitions.;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the ORs' maritime dimension provides the EU with the largest EEZ in the world;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas around 80% of the EU's biodiversity is to be found in the ORs;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
G c. whereas the economy of the ORs is intrinsically linked to the primary sector, particularly farming and fisheries, which, in addition to fostering food security and sufficiency, create jobs and help maintain the diversity of these regions' landscapes, ecology and territory;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
G d. whereas, owing to the current economic climate, Europe's economies are dealing with labour and raw material shortages and a generalised increase in prices, a situation which is taking on a worrying dimension in the ORs;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
G e. whereas the ORs strengthen the EU's global dimension by extending its borders to various continents, thus enhancing their importance in projecting the EU's values and principles in the regions in which they are embedded; whereas, furthermore, cooperation with neighbouring countries and with the Member States of which they form part is important for their regional integration and economic development;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Stresses how urgent it is to implementing many of the measures set out in this strategy which, in this time of crisis, are of particular importance, with a view to ensuring the sustainable (economic, social, territorial and environmental) recovery of these regions;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Advocates using this strategy as a guiding light for negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) concerning the ORs, taking into account the impacts of the current climate of crisis;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to expandreplicate the POSEI model toin other sectors;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to stepping up dialogue with the ORs and providing them with individualised support; cCalls on the Commission to adopt a tailor-made approach, definn action plan for this strategy, including an individual action plan for each OR in the context of a bottom-up-approach and in a multi- level governance framework, with a timetable and common and specific measures and targetproviding support and/or consultancy tools at the request of the authorities of the regions themselves;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recommends that Member States with ORs sign up to this Strategy, thereby guaranteeing territorial, social and economic cohesion for these regions;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates the need for greater flexibility in the rules on State aid for companies in the ORs; draws attention in this regard to the ongoing revision of the de minimis regulation, which sets out very low thresholds fails to take account of factors such as the additional operating costs borne by businesses in the ORs;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls, in the context of the forthcoming Convention for reforming the European Union Treaties, for the imperative safeguarding of the current specific status of the ORs - Articles 355(1), 349 and 107(3)(a) of the TFEU - be safeguarded or, if appropriate, its extension;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Stresses the need to produce up-to- date, harmonised data on the ORs so that the impact of European policies can be properly ascertained; advocates breaking EUROSTAT data down by OR;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Advocates the European institutions (the European Parliament and Commission) being represented in the ORs and not just in the Member States, to ensure their proximity to the population;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Deplores the unemployment, school-drop-out and poverty rates in the ORs, which are in an extremely fragile situation compared with other EU territories, aggravated by the current context of multiple and complex crises, a situation that requires greater European solidarity;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Highlights the difficulties encountered in attracting and retaining professionals in certain areas; calls, therefore, for specific measures to provide effective solutions to address this problem, including through an additional budgetary envelope for the ESF+;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to develop specific actions aimed at the ORson training, learning, development and skills- conversion in the ORs, particularly as part of the European Year of Skills in 2023;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the need to define strategies to retain young people in the ORs and to combat the brain drain; advocates, in this context, increasing support and assistance for higher education institutions in these regions, as well as for their vocational schools, so that they can better equip themselves and enhance the quality of the range of training they offer;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Emphasises the importance of having a well-coordinated, humanitarian, effective and safe EU Migration Policy, which takes into account the specific realities of the ORs, particularly those dealing with high migration flowsthe dramatic consequences of high, sustained migration flows; calls, in this regard, for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to be territorialised so it can be accessed more easily; stresses, in particular, the complex, delicate situation of unaccompanied minors in a number of ORs that have been responsible for their care and do not have adequate resources to provide an effective response, as is the case in the Canary Islands, for example;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Advocates the launching of pilot projects for integration, inclusion, training and service provision in those areas of the ORs that are coming under high migration pressure;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Calls for the implementation of Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 and the new measures introduced by the CARE Regulation in order to ensure genuine solidarity in responding to migration flows from conflict-affected areas in particular;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in combating illegal fishing and ocean pollution; calls on the Commission to set up a European centre in the Autonomous Region of Madeira to fight marine pollution by plastic;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Urges the Commission to take the ORs as the European Union benchmark in the fields of ocean governance, ocean knowledge, the blue economy and fishing;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Argues that the ORs should continue to design, implement and manage their own rural development measures, for which purpose a regionalised structure is therefore essential, so that regions can continue (particularly from 2028) to develop their own measures, with a regional management authority, as well as regional monitoring committees; calls for a direct communication channel to be established between the regional governments and the European Commission so that the European farm policy is implemented and enforced appropriately, efficiently and effectively;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls the importance of live animal maritime transport for the ORs’ economies, with small and distant islands very dependent on agriculture; urges the Commission to take account of this in the legislative revision it is due to present on the matter;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Points out that uncompetitive prices and a lack of competition in the ORs' transport sectors, particularly in freight transport, is placing constraints on their agricultural sector;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Supports the creation of a POSEI transport scheme, in addition to structural funds, in order to tackle the rising costs resulting from insularity and remoteness;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Points out that, due to ongoing constraints and structural factors, the additional strain on their regional budgets arising from the twin environmental and digital transition is beyond comparison with that placed on other European regions; calls on the Commission to carry out an impact analysis on application of the 'Fit for 55' package in the transport sector in the ORs and provide for financial instruments suitable for its implementation;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recalls that stability in the transport sector and infrastructure in the ORs is fundamental for their key sectors such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries; calls on the Member States and the Commission, where it is in the interest of these regions, to include their infrastructure in the core or extended trans-European transport network, in order to gain access to the Connecting Europe Facility and to the European Transport Corridors and provide support for, inter alia, alternative fuel supply infrastructure, the extension of ports, urban mobility, aviation and the road network;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the Commission to issue calls for proposals specifically relating to ORs within the EU programmes managed by it, such as the Connecting Europe Facility, as well as carrying out other actions in these regions, such as info days and road shows, to promote existing opportunities for the ORs.
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Emphasises that, given the ORs' dependence on air and maritime connections with the European continent and between themselves, such connections should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System pending an impact analysis by the European Commission relating to inclusion of the ORs therein, taking into consideration the economic, social, territorial and environmental consequences of such a measure;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of special treatment for the ORs with regard to state aid for airport, port and road infrastructure that has a purely local impact and does not create any distortion of intra-Community competition;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the crucial role of tourism for the development of the ORs, which are highly exposed to externalities; urges the Commission to develop a truly European tourism policy and to launch further measures to promote the recovery of the sector, such as creating a dedicated funding line for tourism in the next multiannual financial framework and providing funds for the tourism ecosystem in the Union's annual budgets; calls, in this regard, for a European Tourism Agency to be set up;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to support the tourism sector in the ORs in order to promote their recovery and digital and environmental transformation, with a particular focus on SMEs in the sector and the regions most dependent on tourism, using existing EU funds and setting up pilot projects for outermost destinations;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls on the Commission to develop initiatives for nautical and coastal tourism, in particular the development and enlargement of a network of maritime routes;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change effects, in particular to extreme weather events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond adequately to smaller-scale disasters also and to include the costs associated with prevention, regulatory compliance, evacuation and the disruption of local economies, in the event of extended seismic activity for example;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Reiterates the need for the specific characteristics of the ORs to be taken into consideration by way of consistent and appropriate regulations, in order to strike a fair balance between the environmental imperative, accessibility needs and the high social and economic costs borne by their populations;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)
Paragraph 30 c (new)
30 C. Warns of the increased risk of energy poverty in the ORs; advocates therefore the adoption of specific measures to prevent and tackle this situation; stresses, therefore, that the ORs face very specific constraints resulting from their isolated electricity production systems, with no possibility of connection with other regions; calls for the Modernisation Fund to be applied to the ORs in order to address the energy poverty endured by these extremely vulnerable regions;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 d (new)
Paragraph 30 d (new)
30 D. Urges the Commission to make a special contribution to energy self- sufficiency in the outermost regions, developing their potential, including geothermal, solar, wind and marine energy, and to define a mechanism to support these regions in combating energy poverty;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Reiterates the natural potential of the ORs for the development of innovative pilot projects on renewable energies; calls, however, on the appropriate bodies not to regard these regions merely as 'test laboratories' but also as regions which should be targeted to benefit from the resulting policies;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31 A. Advocates the need to consider the specific situation of the ORs in the legislative initiative on 'nature restoration', as these regions account for a large part of the EU's biodiversity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the national plans are drawn up in conjunction with the authorities of the ORs and that they are designed with an appropriate balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Commission to guarantee its support to Member States in order to ensure the swift use of all opportunities to fund digital infrastructure and connectivity; underlines that some of the submarine cables connecting the ORs are in need of urgent replacement, and calls on Member States to use funding from the Connecting Europe Facility for these projects;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 8
Subheading 8
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Points out the fragility of the ORs’ health systems, which are characterised in some cases by a lack of infrastructure and health professionals;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35 A. Calls for the situation of the ORs and the state of their health systems to be taken into consideration in particular in the improved and more effective health coordination that the EU seeks to pursue following the pandemic;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)
Paragraph 35 b (new)
35 B. Argues that the vulnerabilities of the sector in these regions reinforce the need to focus on prevention and early detection and should be considered and duly supported in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Paragraph 41 b (new)
41 B. Reiterates the importance of the participation of higher education institutions and marine research centres, as well as the involvement of maritime schools in the ORs and their business fabric in European and international research networks, owing to their knowledge of the unique dynamics and characteristics of these regions, with a view to strengthening their innovation systems and creating more 'blue jobs';
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42 A. Welcomes the fact that the European Commission recognises the ORs as a unique asset for the EU's external relations;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 b (new)
Paragraph 42 b (new)
42 B. Stresses the importance of ensuring that this strategy will guide the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the outermost regions;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 c (new)
Paragraph 42 c (new)
42 C. Advocates that the impacts of the current crisis in the ORs be taken into account in the revision of the MFF 2021- 2027;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43 A. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure greater synergies and coordinated management of European funds, particularly the ERDF, Global Europe and the OCT-EU Association Decision, in order to achieve, especially for the ORs, greater and more effective territorial cooperation and better financing, especially for their businesses and citizens;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 b (new)
Paragraph 43 b (new)
43 A. Requests the European Commission to provide support for continuing the work begun under the flagship FORWARD project, so that the efforts made and the results already achieved in the nine outermost regions are not lost;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 c (new)
Paragraph 43 c (new)
43 C. Underlines the importance of student exchange programmes, within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, in training young professionals from the participating countries; advocates setting up an exchange programme for students from the ORs with countries and regions neighbouring these regions, along the same lines;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 d (new)
Paragraph 43 d (new)
43 D. Recalls that cooperation between the ORs and neighbouring countries or territories must be improved in the light of current realities, and that action must therefore be taken with regard to the regulatory, administrative, budgetary and political rules and regulations governing this cooperation;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 e (new)
Paragraph 43 e (new)
43 E. Calls on the European Commission to strengthen and implement procedures, when negotiating free trade agreements, to take account of sensitive products from the ORs;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 f (new)
Paragraph 43 f (new)
43 F. Calls on the European Commission to consider the impact of certain trade agreements concluded or to be concluded by the European Union on the economies of the ORs, by systematically carrying out impact assessments in advance;