Activities of Domènec RUIZ DEVESA related to 2021/0227(BUD)
Plenary speeches (1)
General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022 - all sections (debate)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022 - all sections
Amendments (14)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the proposed 18% increase in commitment appropriations and 104% increase in payment appropriations of the 2022 Draft Budget as compared to the 2021 budget for the ‘Promoting citizens engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union’; recalls that the participation in the democratic livfe of the Union is a fundamental right of the EU’s citizens laid down in Article 10.3 of the TEU; therefore believes that a further increase is necessary to secure enough financial means for the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme and adequate support of the European Citizens' Initiative, among else, and consequently proposes a further 5% increase for this budgetary line; likewise, welcomes the implementation and the commitment appropriations for the Pilot Project BELE - Building Europe with Local Entities, as a way to enhance the participation of EU towns and villages beyond Member States' capitals in the democratic life of the Union;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Finds the proposed reduction in the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) by 0,5 % very disappointing; calls instead for a budgetary increase of EUR 27,132,2 million and for the addition of twoto allow FRA to continue to operate effectively, in particular in the area of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, migration and security as well as social and economic rights and discrimination; calls for the addition of 12 temporary agents and twoseven contractual agents to function group IV in the establishment plan to allow FRA to continue to operate effectively posts; highlights that without the additional financial and staff resources, FRA will not be able to carry out all the tasks assigned to it and fully implement its new mandate;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Highlights the importance of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme for the promotion of European citizenship education and calls for a budget line on demonstrative and voluntary primary and secondary curriculum for EU and global citizenship education;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Disagrees with the Council’s position to reduce by 3,6% funding proposed on the draft budget for the line on ‘Commission Representations’; proposes a 5% increase for this line as compared to the Commission’s proposal in the 2022 Draft Budget and deems this increase necessary for the purpose of encouraging proactive dialogues on EU matters with citizens in the Member States, including virtual and hybrid formats, organising events in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe as well as developing communication activities to fight disinformationforeign interferences and disinformation; considers that Parliament should also guarantee appropriate resources for its Liaison Offices for this purpose;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Insists on the importance of an adequate increase in payment appropriations for taking into account the goals of the Conference on the Future of Europe, as set out in the European Parliament’s position;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the proposed increase of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office by 11,2 %; calls for adjustments to the establishment plan as regards the distribution of posts across different grades to enable reclassification needs and for the publication of planned posts for 2022; emphasises that the latter will not impact the total budget or the total number of staff proposed; requests in addition 28 additional posts, and the related budget, in order to implement new activities in 2022 stemming from the new mandate of European Union Agency for Asylum;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned with the serious and repeated allegations made against European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) related to pushbacks at external borders and the conclusions reached by the investigations of the Frontex Management Board, the Court of Auditors, the European Ombudsman and the Frontex Scrutiny Group in the European Parliament; takes note of the ongoing investigation OLAF; is disappointed to note that, according to the Court of Auditors, Frontex has not managed to implement its mandate from 2016, let alone its updated mandate of 2019, and that serious and multiple deficiencies regarding its effectiveness have been identified; stresses that substantial budget and staff increases for Frontex are conditional on its accountability and transparency, on its commitment to Union law, and on its fulfilment of its mandate; proposes, therefore, to make the budget allocations conditional upon Frontex recruiting 40 fundamental rights monitors at AD grade, adopting a clear procedure for the implementation of Article 46 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 , and swiftly appointing deputy executive directors in line with Frontex’ 2019 mandate; _________________ 1Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624 (OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, p. 1).
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls the estimate made by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) that it will process 3 000 investigations in 2022; emphasises that EPPO is a prosecutorial body with mandatory competences and obligations to investigate irrespective of budgetary provision; is concerned that the funding proposed for 2022 does not include a meaningful increase as compared with 2021; stresses that a substantial funding increase to EUR 55,7 million and 59 additional members of staff are required; considers that a further increase should be considered through a draft amending budget if the number of cases processed is on trend to meet the estimates of the EPPO;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Increases the budget for “Multimedia actions” by EUR 2,2 million and creates a reserve of EUR 5 million, in order to encourage the Commission to provide more stability and predictability for radio networks covering EU affairs with funding covering at least two years; calls, however, for this reserve not to penalise the partnerships concluded by the Commission with other partners for the provision of quality European information, in the framework of "Multimedia actions"; affirms in particular its support for the editorial partnership concluded with Euronews in this perspective; furthermore, splits the existing budget line into its four components, for enhanced budgetary scrutiny.
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the decrease of 3,3 % in commitment and payment appropriations for the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and); is concerned that CEPOL’s residential and e-learning capacities will be reduced and that CEPOL will not be able to address the digital transition without further human and financial resources; requests rather additional funding of EUR 750 000 and additional five posts in the establishment plan;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the slight reduction in payment appropriations for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) compared to 2021; further takes note of the substantive increase in commitment appropriations to get that new fund up to cruising speed as quickly as possible; calls, in the light of the proposed New Pact on Migration, for a further 10 % increase in commitment and payment appropriations for the Common European Asylum System and the solidarity objectives of the AMIF; considers that the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey should be funded with new contributions from Member States and any redeployment to this end of EU budget funds be avoided;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is deeply concerned by the continuing loss of lives in the Mediterranean Sea, which have increased 56,6 % with respect to last year; is of the opinion that a more long-term approach to search and rescue (SAR) operations is necessary as SAR cannot be exclusively left to non-state actors; considers that the Commission should present a legislative proposal to set up a Search and Rescue Fund to support search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea; proposes, therefore, the creation of a new budget line for such a fund to encourage the saving of lives and to show solidarity among Member States in the carrying out of SAR operations in accordance with international law and fundamental rights, including the right to life and the principle of non-refoulement;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Is concerned by the redeployment of funds from the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI) to finance the expansion of Europol´s mandate; recalls the Parliament’s long- standing position that EU funding instruments should not be used to fund decentralised Agencies which enjoy their own budget lines;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its call for the creation of a separate budget line per specific objective set out in the legal bases of AMIF and the Instrument for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI); believes that a separate budget line per specific objective would help ensure adequate funding for all objectives of AMIF and BMVI; and would provide better readability and transparency regarding the annual allocation of financial resources to each of the specific objectives, thereby facilitating scrutiny of the implementation of the programmes;