8 Amendments of Paul TANG related to 2014/2040(BUD)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls, once more, that the EU budget should in no way be perceived and evaluated simply as a financial item added as a burden to national budgets but, on the contrary, is to be understood as an opportunity to gear up those initiatives and investments that are of interest and of added value to the Union as a whole, most of them co-decided by Parliament and the Council and thus legitimised also at national level; regrets that, as for the council, a blind spot for this asset of the European budget seems to be embedded in the budgeting procedure; invites the council to join the conversation on proposals for a new structural approach to the European budget as to enhance the understanding of each other's position, to give the interlocutors a clearer image of the extent to which EU expenditures contribute to the shared commitment of growth and jobs for the EU, and to avoid unnecessary, returning conflicts as much as possible;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deplores that the Council, in its reading, reduced commitment appropriations by EUR 522 million and payment appropriations by EUR 2,1 billion, thus setting the Union budget for 2015 at EUR 145 077,4 million in commitments and EUR 139 996,9 million in payments; points out that the EUR 2,1 billion cut in payments would represent a reduction of - 0,18 % as compared to 2014 Budget (including AB 1/2014 and DAB 2-4/2014); is especially concerned about the severe cuts in the payment appropriations of the funds for competitiveness for growth and jobs under heading 1a, that represent an egregious breach with the council´s commitment to overcome the crisis and to reinvigorate economic growth;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Disapproves of the Council’s reading on the 2015 Budget which disregards the multiannual character of the Union's policies, and which would instead of tackling the issue further aggravate payments shortages and slowdown further the implementation of Union programmes; notes in this light that the growing gap between payment and commitment appropriations exacerbates the problems with the backlog of outstanding commitments.
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that the Council holds a strong political responsibility for the very tense situation in payments, due to its inability to gather a qualified majority within its ranks to secure a level of payments allowing the Union to cover undisputed payment needs; notes at the same time that the current design of the European budget, where payment appropriations are linked to national contributions, can bolster adverse choices among member states, especially in times where the importance of balanced national budget is in the centre of the discourse;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Regrets the innate conflict between the council on the one hand and the Parliament and Commission on the other hand; calls for ways to convert this tension in a more productive exchange of opinions; hopes that the openness for new attitudes and proposals will ultimately lead to structural changes that foster a balanced budget deal that reflects the ambitions and concerns of both arms of the budget authority;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Decides to concentrate its reinforcements on the programmes which are at the core of the Europe 2020 strategy aimed at fostering growth, competitiveness and employment, namely Horizon 2020, COSME, Erasmus +, the digital agenda, Progress, EURES, the Microfinance Facility and the social agenda; for these programmes are exemplary for how the European Union contributes to an innovative and prosperous economy among the continent;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Is concerned by increasing cases in which the effects of the payment shortage under 1a have become apparent, especially under Horizon 2020, where pre-financing is reduced and a considerable numbers of projects is blocked and a disruption of payments in the Erasmus+ program is looming; is alarmed by the numerous headings that were at or nearby the ceiling for payment appropriations for 2014 months before the deadline for submitting the bills expired;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Strongly condemns the Council's cut to commitment appropriations for humanitarian aid which cannot resolve the problem of carrying over backlogs of unpaid invoices from previous years and is jeopardising the smooth implementation of this policy, putting the lives of its beneficiaries in threat; stresses that the level of payment appropriations for the Emergency Aid Reserve should correspond to the level of commitment appropriations and must be entered in the budget over and above the MFF payment ceiling ;stresses the gap between commitment and payment appropriations in Humanitarian aid should be reduced in order to take account of the short spending cycles in this area and to break the habit of carrying over backlogs of unpaid invoices from previous years; strongly rejects the adverse effects that payment cutbacks pose for humanitarian aid, including postponed payment and delayed operations, that are a consequence of inadequate budgeting, and that are especially ill-fated when so many people are affected by increasing instability in the periphery; thinks these event serve as a sad but strong alarm signal for the necessity of a more realistic way of budgeting;