14 Amendments of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS related to 2019/2028(BUD)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes note of the draft budget proposed by the Commission in the field of transport; regrets the indiscriminate cuts demanded by the Council; insists on an ambitious budget for the EU transport sector, which takes into consideration emerging challenges and current political priorities related to the EU transport policy;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes the time is ripe for a more fundamental reshaping of EU transport financing with a view to establishing a net zero-emission transport sector by 2050 and guarantee full alignment with the Paris Agreement; stresses thus that a high level of funding, result-oriented and efficient use of funds in the Horizon 2020 transport portfolio, programmes and joint undertakings delivering these objectives are of utmost importance; highlights the importance of projects and programmes in the fields of decarbonisation and digitalisation, requests an adequate funding and asks for their prioritisation; urges the Commission to promote digitalisation in logistics;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Insists that the EU transport policy is essential for economic, social and environmental sustainability and therefore priority should be given to the quality and sustainability of projects rather than their quantity or size; stresses that the EU transport policy needs an adequate and sufficient funding in order to secure growth, jobs and competitiveness in Europe, more investments in research and innovation, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates that the provisional agreement on the regulation setting up the Invest EU Programme1 contains a general provision - applicable to all transport related financing - ensuring that "ProjectOperations that are inconsistent with the achievement of the climate objectives shallould not be eligible for support" and that all projects "shall be screened"Investment projects receiving substantial Union support, notably in the area of infrastructure should be screened by the implementing partner to determine if they have an environmental, climate or social impact and if so, shallould be subject to climate, environmental and social sustainability proofing"sustainability proofing (...)"; recalls that Invest EU Fund should support investments contributing to greater economic, territorial and social cohesion in the Union and that, in order to maximise the impact and the added value of EU financing support, it is appropriate to maximise “synergies across relevant Union programmes in areas such as transport, energy and digitalisation”; _________________ 1 European Parliament legislative resolution of 18 April 2019 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the InvestEU Programme (COM(2018)0439 – C8-0257/2018 – 2018/0229(COD)).
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that beyond its key role in implementing the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and InvestEU, it is vital that the revision of the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) transport policy due in 2020 paves the way for more fundamental overhaul of the Bank’s transport financing; calls on the EIB to report on all steps of its transport policy revision to Parliament in a timely manner;recalls that the EIB has provided approximately €140 billion in loans for transport projects in the 2007-2018 period, of which around 80% relate to road infrastructure [1]; calls on the EIB to report on all steps of its transport policy revision to Parliament in a timely manner; [1] European Court of Auditors - Audit preview“ Roads connecting European regions” p.9 - https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADoc uments/AP19_08/AP_CONNECTING_R OADS_EN.pdf
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) spending in the field of transport can be improved by increasing further the share of funding for zero emission transport modes; recalls that the CEF is an extremely important and vital financial instrument in the transport sector and the short and long term planning of spending should take into consideration a result-oriented approach and seek for and EU added value, especially regarding the development and completion of the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks; welcomes the approach of the Commission to co-finance the re-establishment of regional cross- border rail connections that were dismantled or abandoned and encourages the Members States, cross-border regions and the Commission to further intensify these bottom-up projects that contribute to reopening borders in the EU where they still exist; calls on the Commission to significantly increase the reserved amount within the CEF budget line for financing for the re-establishment of regional missing rail links that were dismantled or abandoned; calls on the Commission to take into account the still large divergences in terms of transport infrastructure across the EU; further electrification of railway infrastructure must be intensified and a quicker roll out of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is required; the CEF budget should also take account of rail freight noise abatement measures in order to ensure a sustainable and efficient freight transport system;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Encourages the Commission to promote the revitalisation of comfortable European night trains as a possible and sustainable alternative to short-distance flights and long-distance car travelling;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to combineexplore the options of possible combinations of the co-financing of the EuroVelo network with the comprehensive rail network;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. In light of the still very high number of deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents, and the new Directive on road infrastructure safety management with its provision ensuring that “Member States shall ensure that the needs of vulnerable road users are taken into account”, insists that the Commission and Member States further prioritise the financing of the transport safety of passengers in different means of transport and that they focus on the safety of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and other micro- mobility users; calls on the Commission to provide the necessary technical and administrative assistance to Member States concerning the adequate maintenance measures of the existing roads in their respective comprehensive transport plans, in order to increase the quality and safety of roads;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for a more transparent funding landscape and more transparent project assessments, with particular attention paid to the participation of citizens, civil society and NGOs in transparent decision-making and monitoring the development of large projects that have a total investment volume of over EUR 1 billion;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that public investment in infrastructure is particularly sensitive to corruption; sStresses the importance of guaranteeing a transparent and competitive tendering process for large-scale transport infrastructure projects financed by the EU; insists that contracting authorities and bidders for these large-scale projects must enter into Integrity Pacts under which third parties monitor their compliance with commitments to best practice and transparency; recalls that the Member States have the primary responsibility for setting up a management system, which aims to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of investment projects, and urges the Commission to ensure the necessary administrative and technical support in order to facilitate their implementation;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Commission to have a more result-oriented approach, seek for an EU added-value and focus more on the political objectives while defining the criteria for selection of pilot projects and preparatory actions and recalls the importance of their proper implementation;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Regrets that the broadened tasks of the EU transport-related agencies - EASA, EMSA and ERA - have not been taken into consideration for Budget 2020 while the increased need of financial and human resources should be taken into account, in order to ensure the full deployment of their tasks;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13 c. Believes that the tourism sector is extremely related to the transport sector, therefore a specific and dedicated funding under a separate budgetary line should be created; stresses its importance and economic impact on growth, competitiveness, employment and social development;