BETA

Activities of Liliana RODRIGUES related to 2016/2302(INI)

Plenary speeches (1)

The right funding mix for Europe’s regions: balancing financial instruments and grants in EU cohesion policy - Future perspectives for technical assistance in cohesion policy (debate) PT
2016/11/22
Dossiers: 2016/2302(INI)

Shadow reports (1)

REPORT on the right funding mix for Europe’s regions: balancing financial instruments and grants in EU cohesion policy PDF (573 KB) DOC (86 KB)
2016/11/22
Committee: REGI
Dossiers: 2016/2302(INI)
Documents: PDF(573 KB) DOC(86 KB)

Amendments (41)

Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 a (new)
- having regard to Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas local and regional authorities have a crucial role to play in the implementation of cohesion policy;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas local and regional authorities have encountered technical difficulties in implementing this type of instrument;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas regions with low population density encounter difficulties in attracting investment;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas financial instruments must operate on a non-discriminatory basis, comply with the principles of sound financial management and complement traditional instruments such as subsidies, in order to improve the quality of spending and help optimise financial resources, placing them at the service of the real economy;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas obstacles to access to credit frequently represent a serious barrier to investment, chiefly where young people are concerned;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Af. whereas financial instruments can play a significant role in maximising efficiency in the implementation of regional policy – a clear priority given the current economic and financial context;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Ag. whereas, according to the assessment of the implementation of financial instruments in the period 2007- 2013, a new approach is needed to the allocation and use of financial instruments and the submission of accounts, based on performance, best practice and flexibility, with a view to the effective achievement of cohesion policy objectives;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A h (new)
Ah. whereas it is important for all the partners involved in implementing financial instruments to have the necessary experience, skills and technical assistance to guarantee their success, and for the Commission to provide management authorities with information, training and support in understanding and implementing these instruments;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A i (new)
Ai. whereas the term financial instruments covers a variety of instruments, and their assessment and decisions on their use require constant detailed analysis on a case-by-case basis, linked to an assessment of the specific needs of local and regional economies or of a particular target group;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A j (new)
Aj. whereas ongoing and detailed data collection is needed on the application of financial instruments in order to assess their added value in cohesion policy, as regards both safeguarding the European Union’s financial interests when compared with other financing methods, and their effectiveness in implementing cohesion policy objectives;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A k (new)
Ak. whereas it is necessary to pay attention to and remedy the shortcomings and gaps identified by the European Court of Auditors in the regulatory framework governing financial instruments in the period 2007-2013, with particular regard to the provisions relating to attracting additional investment and the recycling of funds; the scope of the amounts allocated to the financial instruments; possible unjustified preferential treatment for the private sector; and the lack of clarity in the treatment of ‘current assets’;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 20 #
Al. whereas a balance needs to be struck between promoting private sector involvement and safeguarding public funding and interests;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A m (new)
Am. whereas one of the most problematic aspects of the monitoring process concerns the identification of suitable, precise and differentiated indicators on financial instruments and their implementation, which is the only way of evaluating their real impact on cohesion policy;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A n (new)
An. whereas extending the use of these instruments in the post-2020 programming period would be a positive step;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A o (new)
Ao. whereas shortcomings in assessing market needs must be avoided since this could lead to the overcapitalisation of these instruments, thus reducing or eliminating their real impact;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the fact that crucial regulatory changes in programming, implementation and management of financial instruments, such as direct links to and coverage of all 11the thematic objectives, compulsory ex- ante assessment, and creation of tailor- made and off-the- shelf solutions and reporting mechanisms, contribute to the implementation of financial instruments;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses that the use of financial instruments is a tool designed to support cohesion policy objectives and not an end in itself, and for this reason they should not replace grants;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Reaffirms the need to work towards policies supporting young people’s enterprise development and the removal of all unnecessary barriers to setting up a business, chiefly those related to financing or access to credit and markets;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Considers it crucial to promote participation by and representation of all relevant sectors of society in access to these instruments, especially young people;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Takes the view that Member States and regions should be guaranteed sufficient flexibility so that they can reinvest financial returns appropriately, in line with the medium and long-term policy objectives that have been defined;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10e. Calls for the financial instruments to be made as flexible as possible in respect of local and regional circumstances, with scope for terms of maturity reflecting the actual economic position of each project and possible positive discrimination measures in favour of less developed regions and localities if they prove to be useful in achieving the relevant objectives;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 f (new)
10f. Proposes the direct involvement of local and regional authorities in setting strategies for implementing the financial instruments in the EU’s various regions;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 g (new)
10g. Stresses that the success of the combination between grants and financial instruments will also depend on a proper assessment of market needs, and that partnerships with independent organisations, particularly research centres and universities, may be useful to that end; stresses, however, that grants must remain the principal tool of cohesion policy, particularly for small beneficiaries, and that financial instruments should only be used as additional instruments in sectors where they have proven more effective than grants in achieving cohesion policy objectives; recalls that financial instruments should not replace or diminish use of traditional forms of support provided as grants, and should be used only as an means of bringing additional funding for cohesion;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 h (new)
10h. Calls for a much-needed support strategy on how to use financial instruments for the outermost regions – whose economies are structurally more fragile than other regions – encompassing elements from training to investment advice, thus fostering their development;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 i (new)
10i. Stresses and endorses the fundamental role of partnerships with research institutes and universities in supporting innovative investment projects that could benefit from these financial instruments, thus promoting entrepreneurship and providing young graduates with employment;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 j (new)
10j. Encourages the Member States to use these instruments as a means to support projects creating high-quality jobs, promoting social investment and sustainable, inclusive growth and to help reduce poverty and boost social inclusion;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 k (new)
10k. Calls for the financial instruments not to have the sole aim of short-term returns on investments, but rather to consolidate investment, create qualified human resources and reduce asymmetries in the medium and long term;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 l (new)
10l. Stresses that the financial instruments should enable public investment to be increased at local and regional level, particularly in areas hardest hit by unemployment and falling population density, with a view to attracting private investment – or, if none is forthcoming, mitigating the lack thereof – in small-scale projects with local and regional growth potential, including initiatives promoting social cohesion;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 m (new)
10m. Points out that auditing processes should not increase the financial and administrative burden on beneficiaries;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 n (new)
10n. Stresses the importance of the timely and efficient use of technical assistance in supporting these instruments, while avoiding the duplication of structures;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 o (new)
10o. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that potential beneficiaries are adequately informed and legally protected in their use of these financial instruments;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 p (new)
10p. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop and implement specific training on the various Financial Instruments for potential beneficiaries in sectors of regional and local economies;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 q (new)
10q. Highlights the importance of continuing to work within a simple, clear and transparent legal framework, striking the right balance between control, effective implementation and accountability that does not increase the administrative burden on beneficiaries and makes the financial instruments attractive to public and private investors;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 r (new)
10r. Stresses the importance of running a comprehensive information campaign on the financial instruments at EU, Member State and regional level with a view to allowing access to them for investors of all sizes;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 s (new)
10s. Calls on the Commission to encourage and provide guidance to Member States on the use of these instruments, together with the community-led local development (CLLD) and integrated territorial investment (ITI) initiatives;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 t (new)
10t. Emphasises the need to follow the Commission’s recommendation to ascertain, by the end of the 2014-2020 programming period, the precise degree of leverage possible under each of the financial instruments, broken down by country and region, and distinguishing clearly between public and private contributions;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
16. WelcomesNotes that the existing technical assistance practices provided by the Commission and the EIB Group through, including the fi-compass platform are in need of improvement; regrets that the on-the- ground support services to authorities and especially to recipients of financial instruments, including EFSI, are limited; calls for a joint technical assistance plan by the Commission and the EIB comprising financial and non-financial advice as well as capacity building, targeted at national authorities as well as fund managers;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Stresses that the Commission should take account of the European Court of Auditors’ recommendation that it should provide a definition in the financial regulation of the leverage of financial instruments applicable across all areas of the EU budget;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Asks the Commission to provide the Member States with further guidance on the suitability of the provisions of ERDF and ESF financial instruments aimed at attracting more private capital without exposing taxpayers to greater risk;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Calls on the Commission to come up with guidelines enabling continued use of the financial instruments in the next programming period;
2017/02/06
Committee: REGI