20 Amendments of Matt CARTHY related to 2015/0263(COD)
Amendment 32 #
(3) Several Member States have been undergoing and continue to undergo adjustment processes to correct macroeconomic imbalances accumulated in the past and many are facing the challenge of low potential growth. The Union has identified the implementation of structural reforms among its policy priorities to set the recovery on a sustainable path, unlock the growth potential to strengthen the adjustment capacity, and support the process of convergencerequired by the troika of the Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to undergo structural adjustment processes in order to reduce their public deficits caused by the financial crisis and public bailouts of financial institutions, with devastating social consequences in those Member States.
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) The institutions of the Union have used the sovereign debt crisis in some Member States in order to enforce an agenda of privatisation of public services, and deregulation of labour markets and pension systems, alongside deflationary policies of fiscal austerity.
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Reforms are by their very nature complex processes that require a complete chain of highly-specialised knowledge and skills. Addressing sThe predecessors of the Structural rReforms in a variety of public policy areas is challenging since their benefits often take time to materialise. Therefore, early and efficient Support Programme in place since 2011 - namely, the Structural Reform Support Service and the Task Forces for Greece and Cyprus - have pursued an agenda of designing and implementation is crucial, be it for crisis-struck or structurally-weak economies. In this context, the provision of support by the Union in the form of technical assistance has been crucial in supporting the economic adjustment of Greece and Cyprus in the last yearsosing deregulation in labour and product markets in the affected Member States against the democratic will of their populations, and have failed to achieve economic growth and recovery.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) Structural reform that is aimed solely at deregulating labour and product markets is based on the assumption that flexible prices and wages are the key to responding to economic shocks. However, empirical evidence shows that such reforms have failed to deliver growth and contributed to deflation. Such reforms have also failed to result in the mobilisation of private capital. In the absence of a programme of massive public investment, the Structural Reform Support Programme is bound to fail in its stated objective of contributing to economic growth and recovery.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Against this background, it is necessary to establish a Structural Reform Support Programme ('the Programme') with the objective of strengthening the capacity of Member States to prepare and implement growth-enhancing administrative and structural reforms, including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds. The Programme is intendednarrow view held by the Union institutions of what constitutes a 'structural reform' under such an assistance programme should be widened to include programmes of public investment, the renationalisation and remunicipalisation of public goods and services, and reforms that advance collective bargaining and promote real wage growth. The Programme should aim to contribute to the achievement of common goals towards obtaining economic recovery, quality job creation, boosting Europe's competitivenesscombating poverty and stimulating investment in the real economy.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) Macroeconomic reforms that benefit society should be initiated and designed at the Member State, regional or local level, with guaranteed maximum input from the social partners and civil society.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Support under the Programme should be provided by the Commission upon request by a Member State, in areas such as budget and taxation, public function, institutional and administrative reforms, the justice system, anti-fraud, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering, buspublic invess environment, private sector development, investment, competition, public procurement, privatiztment, development of quality, accessible public services including through renationalisation and remunicipalisation processes, access to finance, public investment, trade, sustainable development, innovation, education and training, labour policies, public health, asylum, migration policies, agriculture and rural development and financial sector policreception of asylum seekers, agriculture and rural development and financial sector policies. While a Member State should request such support, the process of initiating the request should take place in consultation with the social partners, civil society, and local and regional authorities.
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) Participation in the Programme should be strictly voluntary for Member States and should not include compulsory or punitive measures regarding implementation. Withdrawal from participation in the Programme should be able to occur immediately upon the request of a Member State.
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Member States should be able to request support from the Commission under the Programme in relation to the implementation of reforms in the context of economic governance processes, in particular of Country Specific Recommendations in the context of the European Semester, to actions related to the implementation of Union law, as well as in relation to the implementation of economic adjustment programmes. They should also be able to request support in relation to reforms undertaken at their own initiative, in order to achieve sustainable investment, growth and job creation.
Amendment 97 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. 'Beneficiary Member State' means a Member State that requests and receives support from the Union under this Programme;
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
The general objective of the Programme shall be to contribute to institutional, administrative and structural reforms initiated and designed in the Member States by providing support to national, regional and local authorities for measures aimed at reforming institutions, governance, administration, economic and social sectors in response to economic and social challenges with a view to enhancing competitiveness, growth,promoting public investment, combating poverty and social exclusion, creating quality jobs, and investmentpromoting collective bargaining, in particular in the context of economic governance processes, including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds.
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to assist the initiatives of national, regional and local authorities to design their reforms according to priorities, taking into account initial conditions and expected socio- economic impacts;
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The specific objectives set out in paragraph 1 shall refer to policy areas related to competitiveness, growth, jobs and investment, in particular to the following:
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) business environment, private sector development, public investment, privatizdevelopment of quality, accessible public services including through renationalisation and remunicipalisation processes, trade and foreign direct investment, competition and public procurement, sustainable sectoral development and support for innovation;
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) education and training, labour market policiecreation and defence of quality jobs, social inclusion, social security and social welfare systems, public health and healthcare systems, asylum, migration and borders policies;
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. A Member State wishing to receive support under the Programme shall submit a request for support to the Commission, identifying the policy areas and the priorities for support within the scope of the Programme as set out in Article 5(2). This request shall be submitted at the latest by 31 October of each calendar year. Local and regional authorities shall also have the ability to initiate the submission of a request. The requesting Member State shall guarantee the right to consultation of the social partners and civil society during the process, including prior to the initiation of the request.
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Amendment 193 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Amendment 194 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Article 10 – paragraph 3