Activities of Enrique CALVET CHAMBON related to 2014/2213(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the urban dimension of EU policies – key features of an EU urban agenda
Amendments (14)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Observes that towns and cities have an important role to play in attaining the Europe 2020 objectives and must therefore be involved in the whole process of formulating policies at EU level, which can be achieved, inter alia, by means of the systematic inclusion of representatives of towns and cities in groups of experts; and also that multi-disciplinary consultations with bodies representing civil society, such as the European Economic and Social Committee and similar bodies in each Member State, will help define the approach that shall be applied to urban policies in order to optimise the outcome of EU policies and employment policies in particular;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that, in the operation of the European Fund for Strategic Investment, special attention should be devoted to projects in urban aregionas in order to promote socially and ecologically sustainable and employment-intensive investment, for example infinancing and investment with great potential for job creation; the Fundʼs Investment Committee which will examine projects will view positively those involving social housing, renovation of buildings, strategic public transport, education or health and care;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas subsidiarity, as defined in the TFEU, as well as multi-level governance and the partnership principle, are essential elements for the correct implementation of all EU policies, and whereas engagement of the resources and competences of local and regional authorities should be reinforced accordingly;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Observes that the consistent application of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles by the Commission is extremely important to towns and cities, to enable them to design their employment policies and social policies in a targeted manner, particularly in the fields of public services and services of general interestowns and cities shall be designed such that the outcomes of labour and social policies are optimised, particularly in the fields of public services and services of general interest; designing a strategic public transport network and locating childcare centres that encourage the creation of a good work-life balance is essential; it is also important that the design of towns and cities is used to constantly improve the social wage, as represented by the quality of schools, sports centres and care centres, preventing the emergence or growth of areas in towns and cities that are marginalised or excluded; the Commission shall apply the subsidiarity and proportionality principles in accordance with the Treaties.
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is of the opinion that EU policies should support and enable towns, cities and larger functional urban areas to attain their full strength and potential as motors of economic growth, employment and, social inclusion, EU citizenship and shared identity; believes, therefore, that towns, cities and larger functional urban areas need to be more closely associated with the entire European policymaking cycle; Urban Agenda should play an essential role in the promotion of the core values of the European Union;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that the European Urban Agenda should be a joint effort by the Commission, the Member States and the cities to rationalise, coordinate and implement EU policies with an urban dimension through a practical, integrated and coordinated, yet flexible, approach, ‘in and with’ the cities, and respecting each Member State’s institutional architecture;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to apply a more place-based integrated territorial approach when conceptualising new policy initiatives aimed at urban areas, in order to ensure consistency and to empower towns, cities and larger functional urban areas to deliver the Europe 2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Asks the Commission to systematically introduce a territorial impact assessment on the urban dimension of all relevant EU policy initiatives and to make sure that all relevant sectorial EU policies adequately address the challenges that towns, cities and larger functional urban areas are facing; calls on the Commission to concentrate these territorial impact assessments on the following elements: balanced territorial development, territorial integration and territorial governance, in the service of citizens;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets that, although the new cohesion policy has legally binding urban- related aspects, especially regarding involvement of cities in the programming phase, the actual participation of city and urban representatives in the shaping of the policy is weak; calls on the Commission and the Member States to systematically apply the partnership principle when implementing programmes and projects supported by EU funding, with particular attention being given to the involvement of cities and towns in the management and governance of the programmes, without generating inflexibility or forfeiting economies of scale by failing to develop responsive governance arrangements;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the Commission to develop a new model of multi-level governance, combining formal governmental structures with informal flexible governance structures that correspond to the new realities of the digitalised ‘network’ society, and which is adapted to the scale at which the challenges exist, a model which improves multi-level cooperation, both vertical and horizontal, with governmental and non-governmental actors at local, regional, national and European level, thus bringing government closer to the citizens and improving the democratic legitimacy of the European project; recommends that this model become the working method of the future European Urban Agenda; Europe needs to deliver results at the urban level and engage in a closer and comprehensive dialogue with its citizens;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Strongly believes that these challenges should respond to the following criteria: 1) are in line with the shared conceptual framework; 2) are major urban challenges with significant impact on cities and functional urban areas in Member States; 3) cannot be solved by Member States unilaterally; 4) where an EU approach has a clear added value; urges the Commission to start working on mapping such challenges in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, particularly those at local level; once the challenges have been identified, action should be taken to promote exchanges of good practice and to boost the financing of projects for social housing, renovation of buildings, strategic public transport and education, health and welfare infrastructure.