9 Amendments of Romana TOMC related to 2018/0231(COD)
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The substantial body of Union legislation underpins the functioning of the internal market. This concerns, in particular, competitiveness, standardisation, consumer protection, market surveillance and food chain regulation but also rules concerning business, trade and financial transactions and the promotion of fair competition providing for a level playing field essential for the functioning of the internal market. Compliance with Union rules on the competition is not only a legal requirement in Member States but essential for the very functioning of the internal market.
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Several programmes for Union action exist currently in the fields of competitiveness of enterprises including SMEs, consumer protection, customers and end-users in financial services, policy making in financial services and food chain. Some additional activities are financed directly under the internal market budget lines. It is necessary to streamline and exploit synergies between various actions and provide for a more flexible and agile framework to finance activities aiming to achieve a well-functioning internal market in the most cost-efficient manner. It is therefore necessary to establish a new programme bringing together activities financed previously under those other programmes and other relevant budget lines. The programme should also include new initiatives which aim to improve the functioning of the internal market and its development.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The development, production and dissemination of European statistics are subject to a separate European Statistical Programme established by Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council47 . In order to provide continuity of producing and disseminating European statistics, the new programme should also include activities covered by the European Statistical Programme by providing a framework for the development, production, application and dissemination of European statistics. The new programme should establish the financial framework for European statistics to provide high-quality, comparable and reliable statistics on Europe in order to underpin the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all Union policies. _________________ 47 Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the European statistical programme 2013-17 (OJ L 39, 9.2.2013, p 12).
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) As consumer markets know no borders with the development of online trade and travel services and with the development of the digital market, it is important to ensure that consumers residing in the Union can benefit from adequate protection when importing goods and services from economic operators based in third countries. The Programme should therefore allow supporting cooperation with relevant bodies located in key trading third country partners of the Union where necessary.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Considering that the internal market as set out in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union includes a system ensuring that competition is not distorted, the Programme should support the Union’s competition policy, networks and cooperation with national authorities and courts, as well as outreach to a wider group of stakeholders inincluding by way of strengthening international cooperation as well as communicating and explaining the rights, benefits and obligations of Union competition policy. This should contribute to ensuring fair competition and a level playing field, also at international level, and empowering businesses, in particular SMEs, and consumers in order to reap the benefits of the Single Market;
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The Programme in particular needs to tackle the radical implications for competition and the functioning of the internal market resulting from the ongoing transformation of the economy and business environment, in particular through the exponential growth and use of data, taking account of the increasing recourse to artificial intelligence and other IT tools and expertise by companies and their advisors. It is also essential that the Programme supports networks and cooperation with Member State authorities and courts, considering that undistorted competition and the functioning of the internal market depend critically on action by those entities. In view of the particular role of competition policy in preventing harm to the internal market resulting from anticompetitive conduct beyond the Union’s border, the Programme should also support cooperation with third country authorities, as appropriate. Finally, widening outreach activities is necessary in order to allow more citizens and businesses to reap the full benefits of fair competition in the internal market. Given that a number of initiatives in the Programme are new and that the competition part of the Programme is particularly affected by dynamic developments in the conditions of competition in the internal market, notably relating development of the digital market to Artificial Intelligence, algorithms, big data, cybersecurity and forensic technology, the pace and magnitude of which are difficult to estimate, it is anticipated that flexibility will be required to face the evolving needs under this part of the Programme.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The Programme should provide effective support for SMEs throughout their life-cycle. It should build on the unique knowledge and expertise developed with regard to SMEs and industrial sectors and on a long experience in working with European, national and regional stakeholders. This support should build on the successful experience of the Enterprise Europe Network as a one-stop-shop to improve SMEs competitiveness and knowledge and develop their business in the Single Market and beyond. The Network plans to continue delivering services on behalf of other Union programmes, notably for the Horizon2020 programme, using the financial resources of these programmes. Also the mentoring scheme for new entrepreneurs should remain the tool to enable new or aspiring entrepreneurs to gain business experience by matching with an experienced entrepreneur from another country and thus allow strengthening entrepreneurial talents. The Programme should further strive to grow and extend its geographical coverage and thus offer wider range of matching possibilities to entrepreneurs in complementarity with other Union initiatives where relevant.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 41
Recital 41
(41) Citizens are particularly affected by the functioning of financial services markets. These are a key component of the internal market and require a solid framework for regulation and supervision which ensures not only financial stability and a sustainable economy, but also provides a high level of protection to consumers and other financial services end users, including retail investors, savers, insurance policyholders, pension fund members and beneficiaries, individual shareholders, borrowers and SMEs. It is important toThe Programme should enhance their capacity to participate in policy making for the financial sector.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. In relation to expenditure in support of competition policy, and in particular to activities covered by the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market, the Commission shall include in its annual report an overview of implemented actions under this Programme to be transmitted to the European Parliament and to the Council.