11 Amendments of Maria GRAPINI related to 2016/2064(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that, having been fully operational for less than a year, the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) has kicked off successfully, delivering some initial concrete results and acting as a positive instrument to overcome the lack of investment and competitiveness in Europe through coordinated action; stresses, however, that the pace needs to be accelerated and its initial results need to improve significantly in the near future in order for the instrument to achieve its objectives fully;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Strategic Orientation approved by the EFSI Steering Board in December 2015, which includes indicative geographical concentration limits; notes an unbalanced geographical distribution among beneficiaries of the EFSI; recalls that the GDP ratio criterion is relevant, among other things to ensure economic, social and territorial cohesion, with a view to ensuring a balanced spread of projects that takes into account the GDP ratio criterion;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets the lack of concentration limits in the initial ramp-up phase; recalls that the transport sector has made the largest contribution to the EFSI Fund, with EUR 2.2 billion out of EUR 8 billion, representing more than 25 % of the total guarantee fund; notes with concern that the transport sector has received only around 13 % of all the investment mobilised and made available to date under the EFSI’s infrastructure and innovation window, which is far from the 30 % limit established for each specific sector; calls on the Investment Committee to pay particular attention to transport sector projects, since these are still very poorly represented in the investment portfolio and transport plays a significant role in economic growth and consumer safety;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses doubts about the additionality of some of the first transport projects selected as they could most probably have been financed without the EFSI and urges compliance with the basic principle that funding be provided initially for projects with a significant economic impact and those for which funding from the banking system is harder to obtain;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that, while the SMEs window of the EFSI represented a good opportunity for start-ups, SMEs and mid- caps, there is a lack of big investment, especially in the long term; emphasises, therefore, the need to improve the financing of infrastructure and innovation projects;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses the fact that the low numbers of SMEs to have used the EFSI owing to a lack of capital points to the need to find new means of cofinancing projects funded through the EFSI;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the need to support the EFSI with a view to the implementation of international-level projects that contribute to the development of SMEs and help increase their lifespan;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. In particular, considers essential to fill the gap of investments for the completion of a wide-spread, affordable and secure high-speed connectivity infrastructure, as a precondition for the full development of the Digital Single Market and for growth and cohesion in Europe; stresses the importance to overcome the still existing different level of infrastructures development among regions in Europe and between urban and rural areas;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Considers that reducing the investment gaps in terms of digital projects is a prerequisite for genuine enforcement of consumers' rights such as the access to content, the quality of service and costs;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Points out the need to make funds available for the digital transformation in order to support the SMEs affected by the digital transition, foster new and innovative technological development, with closer cooperation between established companies and start-ups; underlines the importance to finance the establishment of technology centres in less-industrialized regions in order to reduce regional disparities, revitalize local economies by providing high-quality jobs and skill development support;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the fact that the EFSI was created as an alternative means of financing investments with a major impact on the development of the internal market, but a year later on has not produced the expected results, with the less developed areas in the internal market being unable to capitalise on this fund; believes there is a need to review the criteria for the granting of EFSI funding in order to ensure greater uniformity of investment and reduce regional disparities.