20 Amendments of Brando BENIFEI related to 2020/0104(COD)
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination (‘European Semester’), including the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, is the framework to identify national reform priorities and monitor their implementation. As part of the goals of the European Semester, structural reforms based on solidarity, integration and social justice are also addressed, with the aim of creating quality employment and growth, ensuring equality of and access to opportunity and social protection, protecting vulnerable groups and improving the living standards of all. Member States develop their own national multiannual investment strategies in support of those reforms. Those strategies should be presented alongside the yearly National Reform Programmes as a way to outline and coordinate priority investment projects to be supported by national and/or Union funding.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 changed the economic outlook for the years to come in the Union and in the world, calling for an urgent and coordinated response from the Union in order to cope with the enormous economic and social consequences for all Member. The challenges linked to the demographic context have been amplified by COVID-19. The current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the previous economic and financial crisis have shown that developing sound and resilient economies and financial and social welfare systems built on strong economic and social structures helps Member States to respond more efficiently to shocks and recover more swiftly from them. The medium and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis will critically depend on how quickly Member States’ economies will recover from the crisis, which in turn depends on the fiscal space Member States have available to take measures to mitigate the social and economic impact of the crisis, and on the resilience of their economies. Reforms and investments to address structural weaknesses of the economies and strengthen their resilience will therefore be essential to set the economies back on a sustainable recovery path and avoid further widening of the divergences in the Union.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The implementation of reforms contributing to achieve a high degree of resilience of deconomiestic econom and societies, strengthening adjustment capacity and unlocking growth potential are among the Union’s policy priorities. They are therefore crucial to set the recovery on a sustainable path and support the process of upward economic and social convergence. This is even more necessary in the aftermath of the pandemic crisis to pave the way for a swift recovery.
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) The scope of application of the Facility should refer to policy areas related to economic, social and territorial cohesion, the green and digital transitions, health, competitiveness, entrepreneurship, resilience, productivity, stability of the financial systems, culture, education and skills, children and youth policies, research and innovation, smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, public healthcare systems, policies in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights - such as social protection- high-quality jobs and investment, gender equality, the integration of people with disabilities, social dialogue and strengthening democratic systems, including efficient and independent judicial systems as well as media pluralism and media freedom.
Amendment 106 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) To ensure its contribution to the objectives of the Facility, the recovery and resilience plan should comprise measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment projects through a coherent recovery and resilience plan. In order for the reforms pursued to gather wide support, Member States wishing to benefit from the Facility should consult, as part of the process of drafting the recovery and resilience plans, regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including social partners and the civil society, in accordance with the Code of Conduct on Partnership. The recovery and resilience plan should be consistent with the relevant country- specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester, with the national reform programmes, the national energy and climate plans, the just transition plans, and the partnership agreements and operational programmes adopted under the Union funds. The recovery and resilience plan should also contain specific inequality and social progress indicators to achieve. To boost actions that fall within the priorities of the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, the plan should also set out measures that are relevant for the green and digital transitions. The measures should enable a swift deliver of targets, objectives and contributions set out in national energy and climate plans and updates thereof. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to ensure the national ownership and a focus on relevant reforms and investments, Member States wishing to receive support should submit to the Commission a recovery and resilience plan that is duly reasoned and substantiated. The recovery and resilience plan should set out the detailed set of measures for its implementation, including targets and milestones, and the expected impact of the recovery and resilience plan on growth potential, job creation and economic and social resilience; it should also includeoutline the extent of the consultation carried out with regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including the social partners and civil society before submission of the plan, as well as include inequality and social progress indicators to achieve, and measures that are relevant for the green and the digital transitions; it should also include an explanation of the consistency of the proposed recovery and resilience plan with the relevant country-specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester. Close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States should be sought and achieved throughout the process.
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32 a (new)
Recital 32 a (new)
(32a) Where the European Semester and in particular the country-specific recommendations, identifies challenges that require urgent reforms but the Member State in question makes inadequate use of the allocated funding or the Commission decided to suspend such funding because of unsatisfactory implementation of the recovery and resilience plans or in case of deficiency with regards to rule of law, regional and local level actions, including civil society initiatives that contribute to addressing those challenges should continue to benefit from the Facility, and funding should be made available for regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including social partners and civil society organisations.
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34 a (new)
Recital 34 a (new)
(34a) Member States should ensure that communication activities, in particular with regard to the obligation to make visibility of the support provided within the framework of the Facility, are properly disseminated at the appropriate regional and local level, on multiple outlets in a non-discriminatory manner.
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39
Recital 39
(39) The recovery and resilience plans to be implemented by the Member States and the corresponding financial contribution allocated to them should be established by the Commission by way of implementing act. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. The implementing powers relating to the adoption of the recovery and resilience plans and to the payment of the financial support upon fulfilment of the relevant milestones and targets should be exercised by the Commission in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council, under the examination procedure thereof13 . After the adoption of an implementing act, it should be possible for the Member State concerned and the Commission to agree on certain operational arrangements of a technical nature, detailing aspects of the implementation with respect to timelines, indicators for the milestones and targets, and access to underlying data. To allow the continuous relevance of the operational arrangements in respect of the prevailing circumstances during the implementation of the recovery and resilience plan, it should be possible that the elements of such technical arrangements may be modified by mutual consent. Horizontal financial rules adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on the basis of Article 322 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union apply to this Regulation. These rules are laid down in the Financial Regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget through grants, procurement, prizes, indirect implementation, and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors. Rules adopted on the basis of Article 322 TFEU also concern the protection of the Union's budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States, as the respect for the rule of law is an, democratic checks and balances, an independent judiciary, media pluralism and media freedom are essential preconditions for sound financial management and, effective EU funding and fighting corruption. __________________ 13 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
The scope of application of the Recovery and Resilience Facility established by this Regulation shall refer to policy areas related to economic, social and territorial cohesion, the green and digital transitions, health, competitiveness, resilience, productivity, culture, education and skills, research and innovation, smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, jobs and investment, and the stability of the financial systemssocial protection, high-quality jobs and investment, gender equality, and the inclusion of people with disabilities, stability of the financial systems, social dialogue and strengthening democratic systems, including efficient and independent judicial systems as well as media pluralism and media freedom.
Amendment 167 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Where the European Semester and in particular the country-specific recommendations, identifies challenges that require urgent reforms but the Member State in question makes inadequate use of the allocated funding or the Commission decided to suspend such funding because of unsatisfactory implementation of the recovery and resilience plans or in case of deficiency with regards to rule of law, regional and local level actions, including civil society initiatives that contribute to addressing those challenges shall continue to benefit from the Facility, and funding shall be made available for regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including social partners and civil society organisations.
Amendment 174 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Article 14 – paragraph 2
2. The recovery and resilience plans shall be consistent with the relevant country-specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester, in particular those relevant for or resulting from the green and digital transition and in line with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The recovery and resilience plans shall also be consistent with the information included by the Member States in the national reform programmes under the European Semester, in their national energy and climate plans and updates thereof under the Regulation (EU)2018/199921 , in the territorial just transition plans under the Just Transition Fund22 , and in the partnership agreements and operational programmes under the Union funds. The recovery and resilience plans shall be drawn up following adequate consultation with regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including social partners and the civil society in accordance with the Code of Conduct on Partnership; __________________ 21Regulation (EU)2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action. 22 […]
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) an explanation of how the plan strengthens the growth potential, job creation, social progress and economic and social resilience of the Member State concerned, contributes to the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, decreases inequality, mitigates the economic and social impact of the crisis, and its contribution to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion and convergence;
Amendment 189 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) the extent of the consultation carried out with regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including the social partners and civil society before submission of the plan;
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
(ca) the specific inequality and social progress indicators to achieve;
Amendment 223 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3 – point d
Article 16 – paragraph 3 – point d
(d) whether the recovery and resilience plan is expected to effectively contribute to strengthen the growth potential, job creation, social progress and economic and social resilience of the Member State, decrease inequalities, mitigate the economic and social impact of the crisis, and contribute to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 239 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 6
Article 19 – paragraph 6
6. Where the Member State concerned has not taken the necessary measures within a period of six months from the suspension, the Commission shall cancelmake the amount of the financial contribution pursuant to Article 14(1) of the Financial Regulatioavailable for regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including social partners and civil society organisations that contribute to addressing the challenges identified in the recovery and resilience plan after having given the Member State concerned the possibility to present its observations within two months from the communication of its conclusions.
Amendment 240 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – introductory part
7. Where, within eighteen months of the date of the adoption the decision referred to in Article 17(1), no tangible progress has been made in respect of any relevant milestones and targets by the Member State concerned, the amount of the financial contribution shall be cancelled pursuant to Article 14(1) of the Financial Regulatiomade available for regional and local authorities and other stakeholders, including social partners and civil society organisations that contribute to addressing the challenges identified in the recovery and resilience plan.
Amendment 241 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall take a decision on the cancellation of the financial contribution after having given the Member State concerned shall have the possibility to present its observations within a period of two months of the communication of itsthe assessment of the Commission as to whether no tangible progress has been made.
Amendment 251 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1
Article 26 – paragraph 1
1. The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the publicthe public, including through the media on a non- discriminatory basis.