Activities of Notis MARIAS related to 2016/2047(BUD)
Plenary speeches (4)
2017 budgetary procedure: joint text (A8-0353/2016 - Jens Geier, Indrek Tarand) EL
2017 budgetary procedure: joint text (debate) EL
General budget of the European Union for 2017 - all sections (A8-0287/2016 - Jens Geier, Indrek Tarand) EL
General budget of the European Union for 2017 - all sections (debate) EL
Amendments (67)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the ambitious Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, to which the Union and Member States signed up in September 2015, requires development assistance from the EU budget to be kept at least at the level foreseen in the MFF, while maintaining its focus on long-term efforts to eradicate poverty, as stipulated bynd the Union and its Member States to comply with the commitments and take account of the objectives they have approved in the context of the United Nations and other competent international organisations, as expressly required under Article 208 TFEU;
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the objectives of the CFP can only be effectively reached if there is a sufficient budget; points out that the budget is concentrated in Section III and Title 11, ‘Maritime Affairs and Fisheries’; notes that the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and the compulsory contributions to regional fisheries management organisations and sustainable fisheries agreements make up most of the budget.
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned about the significant impact that the pledges made by the EU at the London conference on supporting Syria and in the context of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey will have on the external financing instruments and the humanitarian aid budget; while supporting those pledges, stresses that their fulfilment must not be to the detriment of other priority areas and long- term policies; cCalls in particular for an increase in the funding of the European Neighbourhood Instrument, which plays a vital role in supporting stability among Europe's Eastern and Southern neighbours; considers it essential to maintain the EU’s pivotal role in supporting the Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. RecallNotes that transport infrastructures are fundamental to the freedom of movement of persons, goods and services on which the single market is based, and that this freedom of movement is both a powerful catalyst for EU integration, jobs and tourism and is a key factor in the performance of European trade and industry;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the commitments of the EC to provide the necessary resources to protect the external borders of the EU, to reinforce security inside and outside the Union, to provide MS support for the reception of people in need for international protection and to address the root causes of migration flows in the countries of origin and transit; points out however that the EUR 5.2 billion programmed in 2017 for Heading III and IV to address challenges posed by the refugee and migration crisis represent less than 3,5% of the total Union budget, which is little considering existential stakes involved for the EU; considers that the Union should show solidarity with those in real needmust move now from words to deeds and show its real solidarity to member states such as Greece and Italy and should demand the immediate relocation of refugees from these countries as agreed by the EU institutions and the preservation of the European democratic values, when they are under threat by terrorism and intolerance aimed at destroying the European tolerance;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of the social and, economic and cultural dimension of fishing for local communities and some maritime and coastal regions; recognises the need to maintain enough financial previsions for enabling coastal, artisanal and small scale fleet sectors to obtain funding, particularly in remote island areas of the EU Member States bordering on third countries.
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the Commission to fully reflect in its Budget proposals the Union’s commitment to working with the private sector and financial institutions in development cooperation; hHighlights therefore the potential to leverage new resources for development through public- private partnerships, blending and other innovative ways; looks forward to the detailed proposals on the setting up of an investment plan for Africa, which should focus on capacity building and technical assistance, trade and investment opportunities, access to enspecifically on eradicating poverty and destitution, creating jobs, putting an end to discrimination, ensuring that the wealth generated is shared fairly, banning all forms of slavergy and infrastructure requirementsraising public health standards in Africa; stresses the important role that Parliament must play in supporting and monitoring such an investment plan;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that Union transport policy, in particular with regard to the Tran-European transport Network, is one of the most successful Union policies; points out that the TEN-T network must plays a fundamentaln important role in commercial exchanges within the Union, contributing to the wealth of its citizenin particular to linking the mountainous, remote and island areas of the Member States; recalls therefore the importance of financing missing and cross-border links of the TEN- T network;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that, in view of the dynamic developments taking place in the global security and humanitarian situation, EU crisis response mechanisms need to be reinforced; strongly rejects the proposed cuts to the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and stresses that weakening the Union’s unique crisis response, crisis preparedness and conflict prevention instrument would amount to a strategic mistake; highlights the importance of providing sufficient funds for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) budget, funding civilian crisis-management missions that contribute to the building of peace and security around the world;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the alarming gravity of the humanitarian needs triggered by the Syrian crisis and other unprecedented conflicts necessitates using the Emergency Aid Reserve (over and above the MFF ceilings) and the Flexibility Instrument to the fullest extent possible, while also using the margin under heading IV to address the humanitarian crisis; calls for the European Union to compensate Greece because, as a result of the long years of austerity and recession caused by the misguided policies pursued by the Troika, it has created a humanitarian crisis in the country, where more than 1.5 million people are unemployed, including 49.8% of young people, 100 companies are going out of business every day and 2.3 million people are living below the poverty line;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with regret that DB 2017 leaves a massively reduced unallocated margin of 0.64 billion under Heading 2; insists and notwithstanding any urgencies in other budgetary Headings that the allocated contingency margin of 0.65 billion must remain in Heading 2 to address the continuing crisis in agricultural markets andespecially in Member States such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, but also to address any possible forthcoming crises and frequently occurring price volatility;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the CFP should also contributes to social cohesion in outermost regions and remote offshore islands; points out that those regions and islands are dependent on fishing and should therefore be especially recognised and supported in accordance with Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that trade is an important foreign policy tool of the Union which can help to tackle migration causes if it is underpinned with the necessary financial means; with regard to Greece, increased EU funding is essential, given the need to address the current refugee crisis;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the implementation of the new CFP entails a paradigm shift in fisheries managementdditional funding both for Member States and for fishermen and recalls, in this regard, the difficulties encountered in previous financial years when appropriations were reducedarticular by impoverished Greek fishermen afflicted on a daily basis by the austerity measures and memorandum provisions imposed by the Troika.
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for a revision of the MFF to deliver a more powerful and sustainable response to the current crisis in 2017funds to the EU member states that deal with the consequences of the migration flows such as Greece and Italy and requests simplification of the financial regulation and procedures, as well as the verification of how European funds are spent;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the importance of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, including its support of election observation, stressingStresses that respect of human rights, democracy and the rule of law are key for stability and prosperity in the world; welcomes the increase in the funding of the Instrument, which should be further reinforced;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) did not produce the expected results as regards transport infrastructures; stresses therefore that cuts in the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) should not be further used to finance EFSI; strongly requests that the cuts in CEF to finance the EFSI programme are restored within the framework of the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework or are at least earmarked for transport infrastructure projects with European added valuand calls for them to be earmarked in particular for linking mountainous, remote and island areas in Southern Europe, especially Greece;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the Union isMember States are currently facing a number of serious emergencies and is convinced that the necessary financial resources need to be deployed and increased from the Union budget, in order to meet the political challenges and allow the Union to deliver answers and effectively respond to those crises as a matter of utmost urgency and priority; considers that a strong political commitment is needed to secure fresh appropriations in 2017 and until the end of the programming period for this purpose;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the proposed cuts for intervention in the agricultural markets, especially for milk and milk products compared to 2016; sees a continued financial effort being necessary to combat the crisis in the milk market; asks the Commission to extend emergency measures related to sales difficulties and especially for the protection of the traditional character of certain milk products such as Greek feta and Greek yogurt; is concerned that further markets intervention will be necessary;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers it of paramount importance to address protracted humanitarian crises, including those in EU Member States such as Greece, and to focus on prevention and cooperation with the private sector, in order to help bridge the global funding gap in humanitarian action;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of ensuring a proper funding for the collection of data, while at the same time respecting the personal data protection provisions in force, which is a key task to enabling rational and scientific based decisions to be taken on fisheries policy issues.
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises the need to give priority to projects focused on job creation (specially through the Youth Employment Initiative), on diversifying local economies in order to add more value to their fishing activities and on the protection and recovery of fish stocks and maritime ecosystems.
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to increase support for local public and private sector development in partner countries and calls for the respective budgetary allocations to be introduced as early as possible in next year’s budget; highlights the importance of encouraging a climate where public and private initiative can flourish, through legislative capacity building and a strong rule of law, sound banking systems and regulationsthe establishment of a strong rule of law, functioning tax systems, increased transparency and accountability;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists that the development budget for 2017 must reflect more consistently the Union’s focus on fragile states, Least Developed Countries, youth unemploymentEU Member States with very high youth unemployment levels, such as Greece, where the rate stands at 49.8%, and women in conflict situations;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points at twohe key transport policy areas closely related to infrastructure development, i.e. the establishment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and the promotion of Motorways of the Sea which aim at relieving land transport corridors and may constitute their "maritime leg" and, in particular, to linking mountainous, remote and island areas in the Member States, especially Greece; stresses that it is of upmost importance for the sustainability of transport in the Union that goods and passenger traffics are shifted from road to rail and, maritime and air means of transport; therefore underlines the vital importance of adequately European funding for the development of ERTMS and for the promotingon of Motorways of the Seas and the Air; underlines also the need to revitalise inland waterway transport in Europe including transport across lakes in the EU Member States, especially Greece; deplores the fact that there is not sufficient investment for the creation of cross-border railway lines and points at the low frequency of passenger railway services in numerous border areas; calls for the European Budget to adequately finance the efforts of the Member States to restore missing transport links;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the continued support for the school milk scheme of EUR 75 million in the DB for 2017; regrets the cuts of EUR 20 million to the school fruit and vegetables scheme; reiterates the vital importance of both schemes to farmers and Members States and underlines their importance given the current crisis and levels of child malnutrition in the Union; reiterates the vital importance of schemes for the free distribution of fruits and vegetables withdrawn from sale for larger families calls on the Commission to reduce bureaucracy in both schemes;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to assess and improve the existing tools aimed at promoting SME internationalisation regarding coherence with other SME support instruments such as COSME as well as subsidiarity, non-duplication and complementarity in relation to respective Member State programmes;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that all the operational programmes on fisheries have recently been adopted by the Members States, so in the financial year 2017 the Commission and the national administrations should speed up actions to ensure a timely implementation of the projects concerned; considers that the Union budget shouldought to foresee an appropriate level of payment appropriations and commitment appropriations to prevent payment problems and financial cuts for fisheries actions.
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Deplores the fact that, instead of promoting fair trade for all and increasing funding for the business sector, the EU is encouraging partnership agreements such as the TTIP which strengthen multinational companies, while forcing SMEs out of business.
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that after five years, entities benefitting from funding of the civil- society capacity building in the area of financial services are still disproportionately depending on EU funding with EU grants consistently representing more than 50 % of their respective budgets; emphasises that such entities should strive to achieve a higher degree of self-funding;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Points out that the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) can only perform its role if provided with sufficient technical, economic and financial resources; calls on the Commission to ensure sufficient funding for the appropriations devoted to the EFCA in order to enable it to fulfil its new tasks attributed to it in the proposal on a European Border and Coast Guard package; rRecalls the need to exempt all posts of agencies dealing with the migration crisis from the 5 % staff reduction target.
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is deeply concerned about the insufficient level of appropriations for the development cooperation instrument lines for Asia and the Middle East, in particular taking into account the external and internal stress and instability that countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Irakq and Yemen are facing.
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the conclusion of the fourth railway package; underlines the greater role of the European Railway Agency in terms of certification and technical infrastructure development, which must therefores which must be adequately financed; believes that continuous efforts should also be put on research and innovation in the rail sector and calls on adequate funding for the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. WelcomesNotes the funding of AMIF (EUR 1.6 billion) and ISF (EUR 0.7 billion); supports the total funding (EUR 3 billion) for setting up the European Border and Coast Guard agency, the new Entry-Exit System, the new Common European Asylum System and for creating the instrument providing fast and efficient emergency humanitarian assistance within the EU;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for better synergies between the CAP and other Union policies, in particular regarding energy, water supply, land use, biodiversity and ecosystems, the development of remote islands and mountainous areas and the reorganisation of primary production;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Urges the Commission and the Member States to take measures in response to the significant price volatility of agricultural products;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls on the Commission to ensure that Member States, in particular Greece, pay farmers and stockbreeders on time and in full the subsidies and aid to which they are entitled under the CAP, paying special attention to compensatory allowances;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points outNotes the present and future role of the three European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) in relation to Union- level financial supervision and the banking union; emphasises that the 2017 draft budget must provide sufficient resources for the ESAs to fulfil their mandate; points out that the budget foreseen in the multi- annual financial framework provides sufficient resources to deal with the tasks at hand;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the increase in operational funds for producer organisations; regrets the massive cuts in aid to producer groups for preliminary recognition; welcomes the prolongation of exceptional measures for the fruit & vegetable sector especially in light of the crisis and the Russian embargo that severely hit producers; calls on the Commission to increase the funds intended to compensate losses caused by the Russian embargo, so long as Union sanctions against Russia as a result of the Ukrainian crisis remain in place;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance ofat the goals set by COP 21 with regard to transport in order to combat climate change should not lead to the loss of jobs or the closure of businesses; underlines that financial means should be available to ensure a modal shift from road to rail and waterborne transport and encouraging Member States to invest in smart, sustainable, integrated public transport that is accessible to all; recommends also paying attention to noise reduction in transport to provide citizens with an environment of high quality;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points outNotes, however, that in the case of EBA, sufficient resources should be provided for in the 2017 draft budget to prepare a relocation away from London when the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. SupportNotes the budget increase of the efficient JHA agencies involved with migration and security; requests to further justify the dramatic 92%, EUR 73 million increase of the budget of EU-LISA for the Entry Exit System and the revision of Dublin legislation as well as to explain break-down of appropriations between EU- LISA budget and the ISF;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Announces that, for the purpose of adequately financing those pressing needs, and considering the very tight MFF margins in 2017, Parliament willshould finance the reinforcements above the DB by the exhaustion of all margins available and an increased recourse to the Contingency Margin, to be offset against the remaining margins of 2016 and 2017;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines that efficient logistics management in the Union can greatlyould contribute to a certain extent to decongesting of traffic and a reducing CO2 emissions; draws attention to the fact that Motorways of the Seas are cornerstones in logistics and that ports are main nodes for multi-modal transport schemes; calls for an increase in funds for developing ports in remote island areas of Member States – in particular Greece – that border third countries;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Insists on the need to provide funds to compensate for the economic losses suffered by farmers due to market crises or other effects especially by farmers from Member States such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal; reiterates the need to use the available margins under Heading 2 to this effect;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Restores all cuts related to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) in the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and Horizon 2020 for a total of EUR 1 240 million in commitments via new appropriations to be obtained through the mid-term revision of the MFF; increases the Youth Employment Initiative with additional EUR 1 500 million in commitment appropriations to provide an effective response to youth unemployment, especially to the Member States in southern Europe, such as Greece, which should also be financed by additional funds provided in the mid-term revision of the MFF;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that, again this year, subheading 1a is severely affected by the Council's reading with 52 % of the overall Council cuts in commitments falling within this heading; questions therefore how the Council can claim that jobs and growth is one of their two priorities and stresses that the Union should immediately combat the high unemployment rates of its Member States;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the keycrucial role of digital technology in the development of efficient and sustainable transport; encourages the Commission to support innovation, research and the development of innovative solutions for all transport sectors to the benefit of all Union citizens and tourists;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. WelcomNotes the increase of the budget line "Ensuring the protection of rights and empowering citizens" and expects the Commission to issue new calls for proposals, in particular to ensure the highest level of protection of fundamental rights in the digital environment.
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Strongly disagrees with these cuts in a heading that symbolises mainly the European added value and delivers more growth and jobs for citizens; consequently decides to restore all cuts made by the Council;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points out that in light of the legislative revisions with regard to the exchange of information in the field of taxation between national tax authorities, the legal basis for the Fiscalis 2020 programme may need to be revised in order to properly reflect those changesfight tax fraud and tax evasion properly.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the slight increase in funds allocated to support beekeeping, as Parliament has consistently viewed beekeeping as a priority for the future of agriculture and for the conservation of biodiversity.
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls the political importance of addressing the refugee and migrant issue and the contribution the European Maritime Safety Agency can make; emphasises the importance of adequate funding to ensure optimal use of state-of- the-art technology, information sharing – in accordance with the principles of personal data protection – and staff training;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the introduction of a direct budgetary line for tourism in the Union budget for 2017, given the importance of this economic activity in Europe and the need to further improve its attractiveness and competitiveness in a worldwide competitiveefficiency in an international environment; calls on the Commission to ensure the availability in all EU languages of the Guide on EU funding 2014-2020 for the tourism sector; asks the Commission to present a yearly overview of the Tourism projects financed;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Is alarmed by the significant delays in the implementation of the European Structural and Investment Fund cycle, which is likely toill have a serious detrimental effect on the timely achievement of results on the ground but risks also to lead to the reconstitution of a new backlog of unpaid bills in the second half the current MFF; urges the Member States concerned to promptly designate the remaining managing authorities and tackle all other causes of delay in the implementation of the programmes; notes the Commission’s proposals for more simplification for recipients of Union funds but sticks to the position that most remains to be done at the Member States’ level to ensure that the programmes reach full swing;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the importance of rural, mountainous costal and remote areas in further development of sustainable tourism in Europe; believes that means should be put in the promotion of those regions as well as in tourist locations not addressed by mass tourism and especially those that border third countries; believes that specific schemes aimed at facilitating access to persons with reduced mobility to tourist facilities in Europe should be developed.
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recallgrets that the Commission has not proposed any commitment appropriations for the Youth Employment Initiative in 2017 as a result of its frontloading in the years 2014-2015; decides, in line with the Regulation on the European Social Fund7 which foresees the possibility of such a continuation, to increase the Youth Employment Initiative with additional EUR 1 500 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 500 million in payment appropriations to provide an effective response to youth unemployment; notes that, in line with Parliament’s requests, these new appropriations should be financed by the use of all financial means available under the current MFF Regulation and through the MFF mid-term revision; urges the Member States to do their utmost to speed up the implementation of the Initiative on the ground, for the direct benefit of young Europeans; stresses the fact the Union should give priority to the Member States from southern Europe that suffer from the austerity measures; __________________ 7 Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 470).
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines that Parliament continues toshould put the current migration challenge at the top of its agenda; welcomestakes notes of the Commission’s proposal for an additional EUR 1,8 billion to tackle the migration crisis in the Union, above what had initially been programmed for 2017; notes that the big deviation of the original programming shows the need of a full revision of the current MFF; is disappointed that the Commission did not use the opportunity to adjust the ceilings accordingly, particularly of Heading 3; stresses that the Commission proposes to finance this reinforcement through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument (for EUR 530 million, thereby fully exhausting the funding available for this year) and the Contingency Margin (for EUR 1 160 million); given the unprecedented level of funding for migration-related expenditure (totalling EUR 5,2 billion in 2017) and the proposals for applying flexibility on the table, does not request further reinforcements for migration-related policies; at the same time, will resist any attempts to reduce funding for Union actions in this field;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. WelcomesPoints out the Commission’s proposal, as part of the MFF mid-term revision, to establish a new European Union Crisis Reserve, to be financed from de-committed appropriations, as an additional instrument to react rapidly to crises, such as the current migrant and refugee crisis, as well as a wider set of events with serious humanitarian or security implications;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Considers that Council’s cuts are unjustified and harmful for the Member States and restores the DB for all Commission administrative expenditure, including administrative and research support expenditure in headings 1 to 4;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. ApprovesTakes note of the changes in its establishment plan and corresponding budgetary appropriations towhich will respond to additional needs of the political groups; fully compensates these reinforcements by reducing the appropriations in the contingency reserve and fitting out of premises budget line;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Notes with regreCondemns the fact that the Council has decreased the DB of the Ombudsman by -EUR 195 000; underlines that this reduction would impose a disproportionate burden on the very limited budget of the Ombudsman and would have major impact on the institution's capacity to serve the European citizens effectively; restores therefore all the budget lines cut by Council in order to enable the Ombudsman to fulfil her mandate and commitments;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76
Paragraph 76
76. Notes with regreCondemns the fact that the Council has decreased the DB of the European Data Protection Supervisor by -EUR 395 000; points out that this is in sharp contrast with the additional task conferred upon the institution by Parliament and the Council and wouldthere is a high risk to jeopardise the institution’s capacity to serve the European institutions effectively; restores therefore all the budget lines cut by Council to enable the European Data Protection Supervisor to fulfil his obligations and commitments;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80
Paragraph 80
80. Is convinced that the Union budget can contributeshould immediately increase in order to addressing effectively not only the consequences but also the root causes of the crises that the Union isMember States are currently facing; takes the view, however, that unforeseen events with a Union-wide dimension should be tackled by pooling efforts and putting additional means at Union level rather than by calling past commitments into question or reverting to the illusion of purely national solutions; stresses, therefore, that flexibility provisions are there to enable such a joint and speedy response and should be used to the full in order to make up for the tight constraints of the MFF ceilings;