Activities of Stefan ECK related to 2018/0231(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Programme for single market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and European statistics and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014, (EU) No 258/2014, (EU) No 652/2014 and (EU) 2017/826
Amendments (12)
Amendment 13 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The internal market is a cornerstone of the Union. Since its inception, it has proved a major contributor to growth, competitiveness and employment. It has generated new opportunities and economies of scale for European businesses, notably micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and strengthened their industrial competitiveness. The internal market contributed to the creation of jobs and offered greater choice at lower prices for consumers. It continues to be an engine for building a stronger, more balanced and fairer economy. It is one of the Union's major achievements and its best asset in an increasingly global world.
Amendment 15 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The substantial body of Union legislation underpins the functioning of the internal market. This concerns, in particular, competitiveness, standardisation, consumer protection, environmental protection, animal welfare protection, market surveillance and food chain regulation, economic sustainability, but also rules concerning business, trade and financial transactions and the promotion of fair competition providing for a level playing field essential for the functioning of the internal market.
Amendment 19 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Still, barriers to the proper functioning of the internal market remain and the new obstacles emerge. Adopting rules is only a first step, but making them work is as important. This is ultimately a matter of citizens' trust in the Union, in its capacity to deliver, and ability to create jobs and growth while protecting the public interest and the planet.
Amendment 20 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Several programmes for Union action exist currently in the fields of competitiveness of enterprises including SMEs, consumer protection, customers and end-users in financial services, policy making in financial services and food chain. Some additional activities are financed directly under the internal market budget lines. It is necessary to streamline and exploit synergies between various actions and provide for a more flexible and agile framework to finance activities aiming to achieve a well-functioning internal market in the most cost-efficient manner while preserving the public interest, without harming the environment, and without attempting to go against EU rules in the fields of food waste and food fraud, animal welfare, official controls and the fight against human and animal diseases. It is therefore necessary to establish a new programme bringing together activities financed previously under those other programmes and other relevant budget lines. The programme should also include new initiatives which aim to improve the functioning of the internal market and increase the level of protection of human and animal health, animals' dignity as sentient beings and the environment.
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The development, production and dissemination of European statistics are subject to a separate European Statistical Programme established by Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council47 . In order to provide continuity of producing and disseminating European statistics, the new programme should also include activities covered by the European Statistical Programme by providing a framework for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. The new programme should establish the financial framework for European statistics to provide to the general public and to all economic and social stakeholders and to public administrations high-quality, comparable and reliable statistics on Europe in order to underpin the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all Union policies. _________________ 47 Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the European statistical programme 2013-17 (OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p 12).
Amendment 24 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The Programme should support the design, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation underpinning the proper functioning of the internal market. The Programme should support the creation of the right conditions to empower all actors of the internal market: businesses, citizens including consumers, civil society and public authorities. To that end, the Programme should aim to ensure the competitiveness of businesses, notably SMEs, but also supporting the enforcement of consumer protection and safety rules and by raising the awareness of businesses and individuals by providing them with the right tools, knowledge and competence to make informed decisions and strengthen their participation in Union’s policy- making. Furthermore, the Programme should aim to enhance regulatory and administrative cooperation, notably through exchange of best practices, building of knowledge and competence bases, including the use of strategic public procurement. The Programme should also aim to support the development of high- quality international standards that underpin the implementation of Union legislation. This also includes standard setting in the field of financial reporting and audit, thereby contributing to the transparency and well-functioning of the Union’s capital markets and to enhancing investor, consumer and animal protection. The Programme should support rulemaking and standard setting also by ensuring the broadest possible stakeholder involvement. The objective of the Programme should also be to support the implementation and enforcement of Union legislation providing for a high level of health for humans, animals and plants along the food chain and the improvement of the welfare of animals.
Amendment 27 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) A modern internal market promotes competition and benefits consumers, businesses and employees, respects the environment and animal welfare EU rules. Making better use of the ever evolving internal market in services should help European businesses create jobs and grow across borders, offer wider choice of services at better prices, and maintain high standards for consumers and worker, workers, the environment and to the animals. To achieve this, the Programme should contribute to the removal of remaining barriers, and to ensure a regulatory framework that can accommodate new innovative business models.
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Placing on the market of products that are not compliant with Union law puts those who comply at disadvantage and may endanger consumers and the environment. Many entrepreneurs disregard the rules either through lack of knowledge or intentionally to gain a competitive advantage. Market surveillance authorities are often underfunded and constrained by national boundaries, while entrepreneurs trade at Union or even global level. In particular, in the case of e-commerce, market surveillance authorities have great difficulties in tracing non-compliant products imported from third countries and identifying the responsible entity within their jurisdiction. The Programme should therefore seek to strengthen product compliance by providing the right incentives to entrepreneurs, intensifyingintensifying compliance checks, reinforcing compliance rules, by strengthening sanctions for non- compliance checks and by promoting closer cross- border cooperation among enforcement authorities. The Programme should also contribute to the consolidation of the existing framework for market surveillance activities, encourage joint actions of market surveillance authorities from different Member States, improve the exchange of information and promote convergence and closer integration of market surveillance activities.
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) As consumer markets know no borders with the development of online trade and travel services, it is important to ensure that consumers residing in and outside the Union can benefit from adequate protection when importing or exporting, goods and, services or live animals from economic operators based in third countries. The Programme should therefore allow supporting cooperation with relevant bodies located in key trading third country partners of the Union where necessary.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The implementation and development of the internal market in the area of financial services, financial stability and the Capital Markets Union including sustainable finance, highly depends on the evidence based policy measures taken by the Union. In order to achieve this objective, the Commission should have an active role in constantly monitoring financial markets and financial stability, assessing the implementation of Union legislation by Member States, evaluating whether the existing legislation is fit for purpose and identifying potential areas of action where new risks emerge, with a continuous involvement of stakeholders, citizens' groups, NGOs and the public in general throughout the policy cycle. Such activities rely on the production of analyses, studies, training materials, surveys, conformity assessments, evaluations and statistics and are supported by IT systems and communication tools.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e – point i (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e – point i (new)
(i) The specific objectives in the food area within the Single Market will include, among others: prevent and eradicate diseases and pests; support a sustainable food production and consumption by reducing food waste and informing consumers in view of ensuring high quality standards across the EU; improve the effectiveness, efficiency and reliability of official controls all along the food chain with the view to ensure the proper implementation and enforcement of EU rules in this area; support policies to increase animal welfare including related actions, such as measures against antimicrobial resistance, in the context of the 'One Health' approach and the sustainable use of pesticides; incorporate farm animal welfare standards in supplier contracts;
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
3a. Benchmarking how food companies manage farm animal welfare, conducting proper assessments of the risks and opportunities that farm animal welfare presents for their business, alongside gap analysis of their farm animal welfare management systems and processes. This should enable them to identify areas of strength and weakness, and provide the basis for implementing appropriate and effective management systems and controls.