Activities of Michela GIUFFRIDA related to 2016/2304(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on increasing engagement of partners and visibility in the performance of European Structural and Investment Funds PDF (366 KB) DOC (82 KB)
Amendments (28)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission summary report on the 'Ex-Post Evaluation of the ERDF' for the period 2007-2013 (SWD(2016) 318 final),
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas, the principal findings of an independent evaluation drawn up for the Commission concerning EU investments in 2007-2013, with specific reports for each Member State, are as follows: a million jobs were created, that is to say one-third of total net job creation in the EU over that period, with additional GDP of EUR 2.74 for every euro of cohesion policy funding invested, producing an estimated EUR 1 trillion in additional GDP by 2023;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas EU cohesion policy funding has an overall positive impact on both the economy and citizens’ lives, but the results have not always been well communicated and awareness of its positive effects remains rather low;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas increasing the visibility of ESI Funds can contribute to changimproving perceptions about the effectiveness of cohesion policy and to regaining citizens’ confidence and interest in the European project;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas increasing the visibility of ESI funds can help increase public involvement in the programming and implementation thereof;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas methodologies for providing information and for the diversification of communication channels should be increased and improved;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the High Level Group of Independent Experts on Monitoring Simplification set up by the Commission is studying specific ways of facilitating access to ESI funding in order to improve the regional impact of cohesion policy and make the funds easier to use under the future programming cycle;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes, on the other hand, that with concern the progressive decline in overall public awareness and perceptions aboutregarding the effectiveness of the EU’'s regional policy have been declining over the years; refers to the Eurobarometer 423 of September 2015 in which just over a third (34%) of Europeans affirm they have heard about EU co- financed projects improving the quality of life in the area where they leave;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that ensuring the visibility of cohesion policy investments should remain primarily the responsibility of local and regional authorities, as they constitute the most effective interface of communication with citizens by bringing Europe closer to thembe the joint responsibility of the Commission and of local and regional authorities;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses the need for the Commission to assume overall responsibility for the formulation of European communication strategies designed to increase awareness of the use of ESI funds;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses that it is nevertheless the responsibility of the regional and local authorities, which are most effective interface for communication with citizens, to provide information in situ regarding ESI fund implementation and performance achieved;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that providing visibility for a policy involves a two-sided process of communication and interaction with partners; highlights, moreover, that, in the context of complex challenges, and in order to ensure legitimacy and provide effective long-term solutions in line with the partnership principle, public authorities need to involve relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes in this context the uneven progress registered across Member States towards streamlining administrative procedures in terms of the broader involvement of local and regional partners;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points alarm to the increase in Euroscepticism and in anti-European populist propaganda that distorts information on Union policies; stresses therefore the urgent need to develop communication strategies that are capable of conveying an accurate message to citizens on the added value of the European project for their quality of life and prosperity;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that making cohesion policy results more visible will heighten public awareness of the presence of Europe at regional level, bridging the gap between the EU and its citizens and dispelling the prejudices generated by mostly populist disinformation;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses that misleading information regarding structural fund fraud, often confused by the news channels with simple irregularities, increases public distrust of the of European institutions and local administrations;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines that it is essential to increase ownership of the policy on the ground in order to ensure efficient delivery and communication of the results; appreciates that the partnership principle adds value to the implementation of European public policies, as confirmed by a recent Commission study, but points out that mobilising partners remains rather difficult on account of their diversity and, sometimes, conflicts of intereststresses that involvement of partners is frequently achieved through formal implementation of the partnership principle, without allowing real and active participation of ESI fund recipients in the governance process;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes the important role of the media in informing citizens on EU affairs; regrets nevertheless the rather limited media coverage of EU cohesion policy investments; stresses the need to develop communication strategies that are adapted to the current informational challenges and take account of digital advancements and the mix of different types of media channels;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. calls on the Commission to draw up specific guidelines setting out techniques and methods of communication regarding the implementation of cohesion policy, indicating clearly the core elements that all relevant information campaigns should contain in order to make ESI- funded projects quickly and easily recognisable.
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Points out that, given the quantity and quality of information transmitted on traditional and modern media, it is no longer enough simply to display the Commission logo on project description panels; calls on the Commission to devise more effective means of identification
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Underlines the need for further prioritisation of communication among the hierarchy of EU Cohesion policy priorities, especially among management staff not directly responsible for communication, and bringing communication within the normal procedure of ESI Funds; asks for further professionalism in communication especially in going local and avoiding EU jargon;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Commission to promote an exchange of good practices regarding the most effective communication strategies and projects implemented by the regions of Europe;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission to establish a regional version of the RegioStars award to be given each year for the best project carried out or completed;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Encourages the further improvement and promotion of data and charts within the ESI Funds Open Data Platform for the use of journalists;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights the role of the partnership principle in enhancing the collective commitment to and ownership of cohesion policy; calls for the link between public authorities, potential ESI fund recipients and citizens to be strengthened through open dialogue, adjusting the composition of partnerships as necessary during implementation, with a view to ensuring the right mix of partners to represent community interests at every stage of the process; calls for this to be made a more binding principle within the framework of post-2020 cohesion policy;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to increase the attractiveness of EU cohesion policy funding through further simplification and flexibility measures, as well as through reducing the number of regulations, in light of the recent recommendation by the the High Level Group on Simplification Monitoring, so that cohesion policy initiatives can be more beneficial to final recipients;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Emphasizes also the need to strengthen the role of interest groups as a channel for communication with its members, thereby improving the level and quality of information regarding European policies.
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Urges the Commission to also focus, in its action plan on communication, on strengthening cooperation among communicators at different levels, and on establishing an overview of target audiences, with a view to developing and transmitting customised messages to better reach citizens on the ground;