Activities of Ernest URTASUN related to 2021/2251(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility
Amendments (67)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
— having regard to the resolution on the rule of law and the consequences of the ECJ ruling (2022/2535),
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 b (new)
Citation 24 b (new)
— having regard to the Commission Communication RepowerEU: joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A (new)
Recital A (new)
A. whereas the RRF funding supports key policy areas such as green transition, digital transformation, economic, social and territorial cohesion, institutional resilience and crisis preparedness as well as children and youth and education and skills;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C (new)
Recital C (new)
C. whereas, to be eligible for financing, the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) must include the reforms and investment related to the scope based on the six areas of European interest, respect general and specific objectives, horizontal principles and the 11 assessment criteria set out in the RRF Regulation;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D (new)
Recital D (new)
D. whereas dialogue and transparency between the EU institutions and the Member States is crucial for the successful implementation of the RRF;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E (new)
Recital E (new)
E. whereas the European Commission, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the RRF, must regularly inform Parliament of the status of the assessment of the NRRPs, and how the targets and milestones have been implemented by the Member States including their contribution to the progress of meeting the green and digital targets; whereas the European Commission is required to take Parliament’s views into account;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F (new)
Recital F (new)
F. whereas the Member States must set up and maintain robust control systems and conduct necessary audits to ensure the protection of the financial interests of the Union throughout the entire life-cycle of the Facility;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G (new)
Recital G (new)
G. whereas the Regulation provides the possibility for a Member State to make a reasoned request to amend its NRRP within the period of implementation, where objective circumstances justify such a course of action;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H (new)
Recital H (new)
H. whereas the war in Ukraine and the economic sanctions in its response carry serious economic and social effects on Member States, including an urgent need to decrease energy dependency on imported fossil fuels, and thus present objectively changed circumstances compared to before the start of the war;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I (new)
Recital I (new)
I. whereas the European Parliament declared a “climate emergency” already in November 2019; whereas according to the the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of February 2022 the impacts of climate change represent an exceptional threat to humanity as global heating will trigger tipping points in Earth’s ecosystems;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is an unprecedented instrument of solidarity and a cornerstone of the NextGenerationEU (NGEU) instrument, ending in 2026, as the main tool in the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare the economies of the EU to face the new challenges; highlights the stabilising effect of NGEU for Member States at a time of great economic uncertainty, thereby allowing governments to maintain investment levels and limit borrowing costs despite immense demands on national budgets; recalls that the EU response was comprehensive and timely, leading to extensive use of existing instruments and deploying additional financing instruments;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Highlights that the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and the justified sanctions against Russia and Belarus will affect the economic recovery of the Union; underlines that a possible partial or complete stop of Russian fossil fuel imports will further aggravate the economic outlook; notes that the degree of energy dependency on Russian fossil fuel imports varies across Member States;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the fact that, even if the economic effects of the RRF cannot be fully disentangled from other developments, it seems fair to conclude that, so far, the RRF has had positive effects on gross domestic product (GDP)the RRF has had positive effects on Member States’ fiscal space and financing costs and that its effective implementation will be key for the EU’s economic growth; recognises that, while the main impact on GDP growth is expected to occur over the following years, the RRF has already helped to cushion EU economies and citizens from the most acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and is positively contributing to the EU’s recovery and resilience, including economic and social cohesion, jobs, productivity, competitiveness, research, development and innovation, and a well-functioning internal market with strong small and medium enterprises (SMEs);
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that Member States have taken sizeable fiscal measures in response to the pandemic and in support of the recovery (5.2% of GDP in 2021 and 2.8% of GDP in 2022), a significant share of which is financed via the RRF; Notes that, according to the Commission, the real GDP of the EU-27 could be around 1.5 % higher in 2024 than without NGEU investments19 , when implemented effectively; notes, furthermore, that the Commission forecasts that RRF grants will fund 24 % of total recovery support measures in 2022; __________________ 19 European Commission discussion paper 144, Quantifying Spillovers of Next Generation EU Investment, July 2021. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/ economy-finance/dp144_en.pdf
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Points out that a successful and transparent implementation of the RRF would contribute to long term competitive, strategically autonomous, sustainable, inclusive and resilient economies and societies and will help to foster economic, social and territorial cohesion and catalyse the green and digital transitions;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates the importance of the successful and timely implementation by the Member States of national recovery and resilience plans (NRRPs) in order to ensure amaximise the long- term impact on the EU economy and society; recalls that the RRF is a performance-based mechanism, whereby funding is disbursed upon completion of milestones and targets related to measures;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Underlines that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to increase strategic autonomy of the Union in key supply chains and critical infrastructures and services; stresses that this need has been reinforced by the Ukraine war and the sanctions, in particular in the area of energy dependency on fossil fuel imports from Russia; notes that according to the Commission, the RRF is expected to give a major boost to the implementation of the EU Industrial strategy;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the packages of reforms and investments, particularly growth-enhancing ones under the RRF, shshould also generate EU added value; notes that according to the Commission the EU-wide GDP effects are aroulnd also generate EU added valueone third larger when explicitly accounting for the spillover effects from individual country measures; emphasises that the packages of reforms and investments under the RRF should also contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; calls upon the Commission to assess whether national plans have led to unnecessary duplication of investments in national plans of adjacent countries and to assist Member States in avoiding unnecessary overlap;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Deplores the fact that women20 , children21 , young people, the elderly and vulnerable groups have been the most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis; recalls the need to ensure that the EU leaves no one behind, and that it tacklesdeplores the failure of the majority of RRPs to address the gender- specific socio- economic impacts on its path to recovery of the crisis; stresses that the so far limited interventions to improve the accessibility and the quality of child-care facilities are welcome, but fall short of what is needed; __________________ 20 European Parliament, Directorate- General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, COVID-19 and its economic impact on women and women’s poverty – Insights from 5 European Countries, May 2021. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/et udes/STUD/2021/693183/IPOL_STU(202 1)693183_EN.pdf 21 Eurochild, Growing up in lockdown: Europe’s children in the age of COVID-19, 17 November 2020. https://www.eurochild.org/resource/growin g-up-in-lockdown-europes-children-in-the- age-of-covid-19/
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates the importance of the six pillars in providing the Member States with a structure to propose and implement reforms and investments that tackle the green and digital transitions, the economy, productivity and competitiveness, social and territorial cohesion, health and institutional resilience, and measures for children and young people; highlights that all Member States are required by the RRF Regulation to include in their national recovery and resilience plans measures that address each pillar; deplores that not all Member States chose to respect the pillar structure of the Regulation;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concerned, however, that only seven Member States have requested loans amounting to a total of EUR 166 billion out of the EUR 385.8 billion available for loans, leaving a considerable amount available should Member States require loans at a later stage; is preoccupied that the limited interest for the loan component may lead to lost opportunities and prevent the RRF from reaching its full potential; encourages Member States to use full potential of the RRF, including loans, to counter the effects of the pandemic, the war and the recent sanctions;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Tasks the Commission with analysing the reasons why the Member States have not requested loans to the full extent of their allocation; reminds that a Member State may request loan support at the time of the submission of a recovery and resilience plan or at a different moment in time until 31 August 2023; calls on the Commission, where relevant, to come forward with targeted measures to incentivise the optimal use of the resources available under the RRF; calls in this respect for spending financed by RRF loans to benefit from a qualified treatment in the EU fiscal framework in order to prevent borrower countries to reduce their non-RRF spending once the currently suspended fiscal rules are re- activated; suggests, therefore, to treat this RRF-financed expenditure as one-off and exclude it from the structural balance as well as the expenditure benchmark;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recalls that, under Article 21 of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, objective circumstances allow a Member State to make a reasoned request to the Commission to make a proposal to amend or replace the approved plan; recalls that if the Commission considers that the reasons put forward by the Member State justify an amendment of the NRRP, it shall assess the amended NRRP in accordance with Article 19 and put forward a proposal for a Council implementing decision according to Article 20 of the Regulation; recalls that such a request for amendment entails an assessment and approval procedure identical to the first assessment and approval procedure of the plans; notes that, so far, no Member State requested to amend or replace the approved plan;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. Notes that the development of Member State GDP is currently forecast to differ significantly from the Commissions autumn 2020 forecast, therefore leading to expected changes in the grant amounts available to Member States for the second 30% funding window of the RRF; points out that significant changes in the allocated grant portion may require amendments of national RRPs;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. Is of the opinion that, irrespective of any change in allocation, the ongoing war in Ukraine should be deemed as relevant objective circumstances and justify the request for amendment; encourages the Commission to propose modifications to NRRPs that will further increase energy independence and help counter the effect of the recent sanctions; considers it essential that, in this context, any new allocation of existing funds is directed primarily towards reducing fossil fuel energy dependency through investments and reforms for reduction in energy consumption, increased energy efficiency, supply diversification and phase-out of fossil fuels; urges the Commission to encourage Member States to modify their approved plans to this effect, and to offer guidance on the swift and effective implementation of such investment and reform measures;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10 d. Calls on the Commission to assess whether the legally specified spending targets of 37% green spending and 20% digital spending are likely to be reached as planned during the implementation phase of the RRF and to recommend amendments of Member State RRPs where it anticipates that the targets could be missed;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Looks forward to more granular and disaggregated data allowing for a better understanding of the additionalityUrges the Member States to provide detailed information to the Commission in order to ensure effective reporting of the impacts of the RRF; urges the Member States to provide detailed information to the Commission reiterates the importance of the Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard in providing basic information for citizens on the global progress in the implementation of the RRPs; calls for more detailed reporting, focusing order to ensure effective reporting of the impactn outcome and impact indicators rather than output, to allow for better understanding the role and the additionality of the RRF;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that only nine operational arrangements have been signed between the Commission and Member States so far; calls on the Commission and Member States to sign operational arrangements as soon as possible and urges the Commission and all Member States to publish their operational arrangements, financing and loan agreements in a timely manner, in order to ensure better transparency and reinforce accountability;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that the RRF Regulation provides for the possibility to include in the NRRPs measures started from 1 February 2020 onwards and that some Member States have made use of this possibility; urges the Commission to provide more granular and disaggregated data allowing for a better understanding of the additionality impacts of the RRF; deplores that some Member States have largely reused existing stimulus packages, thereby missing an important chance to use the RRF to provide for incremental growth and effectively transferring national sovereign debt into European debt without the desired effect;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Welcomes the early dialogue between the Commission and the Member States in the preparation of the payment requests and Commission readiness in assessing payment requests; encourages it to continue thoroughly assessing whether milestones and targets are complied with consulting relevant experts where needed, in a timely manner; urges the Commission to ensure a fast deployment of payments and to closely monitor the implementation of reforms and investments;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the fact that 22 NRRPs have been approved and observes that as of early February 2022, four are currently undergoing Commission assessment and one Member State hads not yet put forward its NRRP; further notes that four NRRPs are pending assessment by the Commission; urges the countries with NRRPs pending assessment to engage in constructive discussions with the Commission to ensure full compliance with the 11 assessment criteria as set out in the regulation before presenting any draft Council Implementing Decision;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reminds the Commission that compliance with the rRule of lLaw conditionality mechanism is an essentialand TFEU Article 2 values an essential prerequisite and component of the RRF; calls on ithe Commission to refrain from a positive assessment of the draft NRRPs and calls upon the Council not to approvinge the NRRPs of Poland and Hungary as long as concerns regarding the observance of the rule of law and the prevention and detection of and fight against fraud, conflicts of interest and corruption persist in those countries, and to ensure that all the measures set out in their plans comply with EU values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union; and in particular, expects the three conditions for disbursing the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds to Poland mentioned by the Commission President on 19 October 2021 to be fulfilled; reminds Member States that the failure to fully comply with the provisions of the RRF Regulation and the subsequent delays in the approval of the NRRPs, seriously affect the capacity of local and regional authorities in adequately tackling the impact of the pandemic on their communities, businesses and citizens and can lead to a long term worsening of the local and regional economic situation; highlights that infringements of the Rule of Law, including of the independence of the judiciary, the right to free and fair elections and the freedom of the media, puts countries on the path towards autocratic leadership, undermines the values of our Union, and constitutes a serious and strategic security threat, especially, but not only, in the context of the Russian aggression;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. UReminds that the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism is fully applicable for the RRF; urges the Commission to monitor very carefully the risks to EU financial interests in the implementation of the RRF and any breach or potential breach of the principles of the rule of law and to take immediate action if the financial interests of the EU are negatively impacted;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Notes that, in addition to the requirements laid down in the RRF Regulation, NRRPs can include supplementary commitments taken by Member States in order to address domestic challenges, such as spending thresholds on territorializable investments; considers such commitments as binding, to the extent that they make integral part of the approved Plans; calls therefore on the Commission to evaluate the implementation of the Plans and national performances against these commitments;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)
Subheading 3 a (new)
The RRF’s contribution to the Green transition
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the Commission’s assessment states that all approved NRRPs expect to reach the green target of at least 37 % set out in the RRF Regulation, and that the overall climate expenditure of all approved NRRPs reaches almost 50 % or EUR 220 billion; points out, however, that external reviews of the spending identify lower figures with regard to Green spending; deplores that the Commission has defined milestones and targets, as well as their operational implementation, inconsistently in various Member States, even though they address the same intervention field; highlights in this regard that the milestones and targets associated with climate-related measures have not always been defined in a way to ensure that the implemented measures are as climate-supportive as announced; highlights the risk of “greenwashing” in the implementation of some national plans, where measures tagged as contributing 100% to the green spending target do not clearly address the requirements set out by the Regulation, including an engagement to produce 30% of primary energy savings for renovation measures;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Regrets that in their NRRPs several countries have prioritised measures such as investments in fossil gas boilers over renewable energy sources; deplores that some countries planned to fund fossil gas boilers as part of broader measures for building renovation and heating, running the risk of extensive lock-in in gas infrastructure that contradicts EU climate objectives; reiterates its call to fully apply the guidance, in particular in light of the urgent need to phase out Russian gas;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Underlines that the RRF Regulation’s definition of new climate spending intervention fields is aimed at providing Member States and Commission with the necessary flexibility to fulfil the spirit and letter of the Regulation; deplores that in some Member States spending for hybrid cars has been added to list of intervention fields and asks Member States to redirect funds committed to this aim, as hybrid car technologies do not effectively contribute to the Green transition, lack long-term impact, and do not comply with the DNSH, given that a superior technology is available in fully electric vehicles;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19 c. Recalls the urgent need to halt and reverse the dramatic loss of biodiversity; reminds the RRF should contribute to the mainstreaming of biodiversity action and that pillar one of the RRF is the green transition, including biodiversity; is concerned that most Member States have not used the recovery fund as an opportunity to improve biodiversity; regrets that binding targets on biodiversity were not part of the RRF Regulation; stresses that the key objectives of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030 are in jeopardy without significant changes in EU spending;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19 d. Recalls that the NRRPs need to be consistent with the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and the updates of thereof; calls on the Commission to assess the contribution of the investments earmarked for the green transition under the NRRPs to the achievement of the new 2030 climate and energy targets set out in the respective revised (NECPs);
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19 e. Notes that the Commission largely relies on Member States to thoroughly audit the RRP implementation; deplores that there is no mechanism for regular and systematic auditing of Member States control systems in place; doubts that the Commission has committed sufficient human and financial resources to verify that legal requirements of the RRF, in particular those for complying with the 37% Green spending targets, are being fulfilled in the milestones and targets as well as verification of compliance with DNSH requirements under the regulation;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)
Paragraph 19 f (new)
19 f. Urges the Commission to adopt all necessary steps to effectively monitor, audit and enforce the full implementation of these requirements, as well as on the non-regression of EU environmental law; calls on the Commission to analyse all payment requests in this light and ensure full compliance of all milestones and targets reached with the regulation before granting payments;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that all approved NRRPs expect to achieve the digital target of at least 20 % set out in the RRF Regulation and that the overall digital expenditure of all approved NRRPs reaches almost 29 % or EUR 130 billion; welcomes a strong focus in NRRPs on the digitalisation of public services, including the health sector, and digital skills, digitalisation of business, connectivity, digital R&D and advanced technologies; notes that two thirds of Member States included a security self-assessment for investments in digital capacities and connectivity in their RRPs;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines the importanceWelcomes that the NRRPs dedicate almost 50 % of total expenditure or EUR 203 billion to measures to benefit the well-functioning of the single market, improving the business environment and promoting private investments; reiterates the importance of private sector in the successful implementation of the RRF; calls on the Member States to lift all unnecessary obstacles that would prevent SMEs from accessing the relevant RRF funding, and to this end, asks the Commission to provide detailed analyses;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. NRecalls that the social consequences of the pandemic have been manifold and have unevenly burdened lower income and vulnerable groups while at the same time reinforcing the need for public services; notes that the Commission estimates social spending in the NRRPs to account for around 20 % of the grants and loans requested; observes that this expenditure focuses on employment incentives for specific disadvantaged groups, reforms of employment protection legislation and labour contract regulation; regrets that social investment measures have been rather limited to social infrastructure and that only some NRRPs contain measures for the development of proper care services and temporary support measures; supports the Commission’s aim, through the RRF, of building a more resilient and inclusive labour market;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Points out that all approved NRPPs so far address social and employment challenges such as measures for improving labour market participation, promoting upskilling and reskilling, the modernisation of labour market institutions and services, as well as of social protection and healthcare systems but fail to invest on a sufficient scale into social services; calls for increased public expenditure to ensure the provision of accessible high quality public services;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the importance of reforms and investments in health, economic, social and institutional resilience to increase crisis preparedness and crisis response capacity, which account for more than 17 % of total NRRP allocations, representing EUR 76 billion; highlights that according to the Commission under this RRF pillar Member States have to implement 789 measures linked to 1 900 milestones and targets; emphasises that COVID-19 has demonstrated that improving the resilience of public institutions to shocks should be an ongoing reform and investment priority for many Member States;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Points out that the principle ofStresses that the application of the ‘do no significant harm’ wcriteria as devaluated for each measure by the Commission in accordance with its technical guidance; notes that in order to complyeloped in the Commission’s guidance note must prevent environmentally harmful measures; is concerned that the quality of the DNSH assessments has been insufficient without resource to independent expertise and verification in the form of public consultation; notes with regret that currently most NRRPs do not contain enough detail to allow assessment of their environmental impacts; asks the Commission to disclose the submitted ‘do no significant harm’ assessments and provide an exhaustive list of projects that were included in the submitted recovery and resilience plans but rejected or amended on the grounds that they were not aligned with the DNSH principle, some Member States had to improve certain measures; calls on the establishment of a DNSH monitoring and tracking system throughout the course of investments that shall include avenues available for citizens to raise concerns regarding a specific investment; urges the protection and full application of the EU environmental acquis, with a specific focus on areas where infringement procedures are ongoing;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Observes that a large majority of NRRPs include a specific section explaining how the plan addresses gender- related concerns and challenges; notes that NRRPs contain measures focusing on the participation of women in the labour market and the reduction of the gender pay gap but that these measures largely fall short of what would have been needed to ensure a gender-equal recovery; notes that, according to current available data, jobs are largely created in male- dominated sectors without accompanying measures to increase the presence of women in those sectors; underlines the concern that the focus on male job creation will further increase gender inequality; underlines the importance of high-quality public care services to alleviate the burden of unpaid care work which is currently largely covered by women with negative consequences on GDP;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Highlights that independent studies in major Member States clearly show that the Regulation’s aim to make gender equality a horizontal goal has not been fulfilled; welcomes that the scoreboard contains gender-disaggregated data for indicators expressed with a headcount; deplores the fact that the scoreboard does not allow for a thorough quantitative analysis of investment beneficiaries since no gender indicators are required for funds flowing to businesses; underlines the lack of a qualitative analysis of gender aspects in the NRRPs; highlights the weak methodological assumptions on gender in several NRRPs;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Reminds that according to the RRF Regulation the recovery and resilience plans shall also be consistent with the information included by the Member States in the partnership agreements and operational programmes under Union funds; reiterates that this provision is not only important to avoid double-funding or overlapping of objectives, but also to ensure a coordinated approach and maximise the benefits of EU funding; requests the Commission to provide an analysis how this coordination is ensured; calls on the Commission to avoid delays in the adoption of Partnership Agreements and calls on these delays to be addressed; reiterates its call on the Commission to discourage the practice of repackaging projects without a real added value, notably for lagging regions, especially when this risks widening the social, economic and territorial convergence gap of the EU;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Urges the Commission to insist on the use of the integrated and interoperable monitoring system including a single data-mining and risk- scoring tool (ARACHNE), mentioned in Article 22(4) of the RRF Regulation for all RRF spending; urges Member States to collect and record data on final recipients and beneficiaries of Union funding in an electronic standardised and interoperable format and to use the single data mining and risk scoring tool provided by the Commission; calls on the Commission to ensure that ARACHNE is interoperable with other relevant datasets;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32 b. Recalls that Member States should collect and ensure access of data on beneficial owner(s) of the recipient of the funds and beneficiaries of the programme and reiterates the importance of ensuring the transparency of final beneficiaries; furthermore, reiterates the importance of digitalising all reporting, monitoring and audit; calls upon the Commission and Member States to publish data on final beneficiaries for the sake of public trust and transparency;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 c (new)
Paragraph 32 c (new)
32 c. Stresses that transparency is key for a strong monitoring system of the NRRPs that would allow meaningful public engagement; calls for the establishment of an open database that would disclose fiches of all projects funded under the NRRPs as well as the reports submitted by Member States on the progress made in the achievement of their recovery and resilience plans in accessible national web portals and integrated databases at EU level; reminds Member States and the Commission of their obligations to publish environmental information, inter alia, as parties to the Aarhus Convention and the full implementation of the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Directive; is of the opinion that material and data on the sustainability and DNSH profile of each investment should therefore be publicly available;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls that Member States are required to set up a robust control system in order to guarantee the protection of the financial interests of the Union and to prevent fraud and tackle corruption, and that the Commission is responsible for assuring that these systems are in place before the first payments are approved; recalls that milestones and targets have been set to ensure the protection of the Union’s financial interests and need to be met before payments are approved; expects the Commission to ensure these are fully met and to monitor ongoing compliance with any such measure thought the entire lifecycle of the RRF;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33 a. Calls on the Court of Auditors, OLAF, EPPO and national authorities to make full use of their prerogatives under the RRF Regulation and other relevant legislation and scrutinise thoroughly all RRF spending; notes that the 2022 EU Budget has allocated funds for 20 additional temporary staff for the Court of Auditors to audit the RRF implementation; urges the Court of Auditors to strengthen its efforts on implementation audits of milestones and targets, including the verification of specific criteria for Green spending, as defined by the RRF regulation;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Highlights that the governance of the RRF lacks sufficient democratic control through the European Parliament and national parliaments, which has reduced budgetary priority setting to a technocratic exercise between the Commission and national governments in many Member States; highlights that democratic accountability could have strengthened the Commission’s ability to negotiate more ambitions national plans, in some cases;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34 b. Regrets that in all Member States local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, social partners or other relevant stakeholders were not sufficiently involved, in the design and the implementation of the NRRPs and calls for their involvement in the implementation of the NRRPs to the maximum extent possible under the national legislation; recalls that local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, social partners and the other relevant stakeholders are at the forefront of NRRP local implementation and reminds the Commission and the Member States that proper involvement and coordination with local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, social partners, and other relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the plans is decisive for the success of the recovery in the Union; calls therefore for the establishment of a structured dialogue with civil society at an EU level to guarantee the promotion of the best practices and identify the need for action to address systemic issues; calls for regular interaction with relevant stakeholders throughout the implementation phase; urges Member States to fully engage local and regional authorities, as well as NGOs, wherever possible in implementing relevant milestones and target; stresses the role of NGOs in monitoring committees and similar structures;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Welcomes the launch in December 2021 of the recovery and resilience scoreboard, which willshould allow every citizen to monitor the implementation of the RRF; notes that, in line with the Delegated Act on common indicators, Member States shall report on several indicators ; regrets that these indicators do not entail reporting on biodiversity and territorial cohesion, and lack a performance or impact oriented dimension; considers that the Scoreboard in its current form is not designed to track Member States' performance and display the progress in the implementation of the recovery and resilience plans;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5 a (new)
Subheading 5 a (new)
Lessons learned from the RRF
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36 b. Highlights that, beyond the commitment period of the RRF, a modern and effective framework for EU common fiscal policy needs to be developed; emphasises that, to carry democratic legitimacy, such framework needs to overcome shortcomings in parliamentary accountability and the current lack of democratic oversight;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)
Paragraph 36 c (new)
36 c. Concludes that the design and implementation of the RRF offer important lessons and can serve as an inspiration for identifying and addressing common structural challenges and investment needs; underlines the need to guarantee the integration of the European Semester with the RRF; calls in this respect for national reform and investment plans, addressing CSRs, MIPs and EU-wide priorities, to become a standard feature of the Semester; considers that such plans shall be designed on a multiannual cycle of economic policy coordination that would increase national ownership by anchoring reforms in milestones and targets rather than the precise means to achieve those;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 d (new)
Paragraph 36 d (new)
36 d. Highlights the RRF’s success in protecting the fiscal space of Member States from the unexpected, substantial economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic; suggests that similar mechanisms, financed through a NGEU- like structure under Article 122 and Article 175 TFEU, should be used to protect the stability of the Union in other exceptional circumstances with grave consequences; finds that the emergency represented by climate change constitutes exceptional circumstances requiring such mechanisms to address the climate emergency and energy crisis and to establish a fully renewable EU energy system by 2035; equally finds this is the case for the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the related sanctions, which have substantial negative economic effects on all Member States, while affecting some more than others, and increase the urgent need to a catalyse the energy transition with the aim of making Europe truly energy independent by 2030;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 e (new)
Paragraph 36 e (new)
36 e. Underlines that the EU fiscal architecture remains incomplete as the EU lacks permanent meaningful budgetary instruments that would improve its ability to respond to macroeconomic shocks and thereby increase its resilience; calls for the establishment of a permanent fiscal capacity that would address common or country-specific shocks that are too large to be offset through the stabilising impact of monetary policy or the automatic stabilisers in national budgets, as well as to provide for the earmarking of government investments for a more efficient provision of European public goods;