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39 Amendments of Jasenko SELIMOVIC related to 2017/0087(COD)

Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
The European Parliament rejects the Commission proposal.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 1
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 43(2), 91, 100, 114, 192, 194(2) and 337 114 thereof,
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
(1) In accordance with Article 3(3) of Treaty on European Union (TEU), the establishment of an internal market is one of the main objectives to be reached by the Union in cooperation with the Member States. Pursuant to Article 26(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Union shall adopt measures with the aim of establishing or ensuring the functioning of the internal market. Under Article 26(2) TFEU, the internal market shall comprise an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured. The internal market has generated new opportunities and economies of scale for European undertakings, has created jobs, has offered greater choice at lower prices for consumers and has enabled European citizens to live, study and work in the Union. Despite all the progress made, significant difficulties in the establishment and functioning of the internal market remain and European citizens and undertakings are unable to reap the full benefits of the internal market. Those difficulties arise particularly when Single market directives are not completely and correctly transposed into Member States’ national law by the deadline set out in these directives. In certain cases, suboptimal information affecting the action by the Commission on the application of Union law in the area of the internal market at national level increases the risk of the emergence of difficulties to trade in the internal market resulting from uncoordinated national enforcement activities or multifarious development of national regulatory solutions to those problems.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
(2) Article 337 TFEU provides for the Commission's power, within the limits and under the conditions which the Council may lay down acting by a simple majority, to collect any information required for the performance of its tasks. However, iIn Case C-490/10 European Parliament v Council, the Court has clarified that where the collection of information contributes directly to the achievement of the objectives of a given European Union policy, the act laying down the conditions for such collection must be based on the legal basis which relates to that policy. This Regulation provides not only for a framework in which the Commission can collect information from undertakings and associations of undertakings, but also for measures to enforce the requests for information. Therefore, while taking fully into account the fact that the Commission derives its power to collect information directly from the Treaty, this Regulation should be based, in addition to Article 337 TFEU, on the provisions of Articles 43(2), 91, 100, 192 and 194(2) TFEU and also of on Article 114 TFEU, which provides for the adoption of measures necessary for the establishment and functioning of the internal market, including where differences between national rules are such as to obstruct the fundamental freedoms or where it is necessary to prevent the emergence of difficulties in the establishment and functioning of the internal market.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) Undertakings and associations of undertakings recognize the importance of the well-functioning internal market, which has been proved by their willingness to cooperate with the Commission. As evidenced by numerous cases, undertakings and associations of undertakings respond to the requests of the Commission to provide also information on a voluntary basis. Nevertheless, it shall be noted, that such tool may prove useful in case when well- targeted and timely information is needed in order to prove the existence of infringement vis-à-vis à Member States.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 b (new)
(3b) The introduction of the Single Market Information Tool does not aim to gather confidential business-related information from undertakings and association of undertakings for the purpose of creating new policies.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
(7) Although the current regulatory framework as regards the Commission’s means to obtain information for addressing difficulties to the establishment and functioning of the internal market rules works efficiently for a great majority of cases, challenges arise in a limited amount of specific situations where detailed, comparable, up-to-date, and often confidential, specific market data are necessary within a limited time frame. Indeed, a sound economic analysis is particularly appropriate for assessing the existence of difficulties to the establishment and functioning of the internal market in complex cases with cross-border dimension, notably when those cases relate to fast-moving markets, new economic activities or new business models challenging existing economic assumptions. However, completing such assessment may turn to be difficult in the absence of sufficient and comparable information. This renders the task of the Commission to ensure the application of Union law more difficult in those specific situations.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
(8) Where detailed, comparable, up-to- date, and often confidential market information could only be obtained from market players in a timely manner, it appears therefore appropriate, as a last resort, to empower the Commission, within the limits and under the conditions laid down in this Regulation, to request undertakings and associations of undertakings to directly provide it, in a timely manner, with comprehensive, accurate and reliable quantitative and qualitative market information where other sources of information have proven unavailable, insufficient or inadequate. To this effect, the Commission should first adopt a decision stating whyat other means to obtain the necessary information have been consulted as well as why those other means have proven ineffective. It is understood that the notion of undertaking has the same meaning as in other areas of EU law, in particular competition law.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
(10) Such empowerment does not aim at creating new enforcement powers for the Commission such as, in particular, the powers to pursue infringements of Union law in the internal market area against individual market participants. Its purpose is rather to provide the Commission with additional fact-finding ability where this is strictly required for performing the task entrusted to the Commission by the TFEU to ensure the application of Union law in relation toCommission’s responsibility to submit to the Court of Justice all the relevant factual information to prove the existence of an infringement with the aim of establishing and ensuring the functioning of the internal market in the framework of infringement procedures against Member States. In the interest of the establishment of a fully functioning internal market, it is appropriate to clarify that such empowerment covers also those economic sectors within the internal market for which TFEU has foreseen common policies: agriculture and fisheries (excluding the conservation of marine biological resources), transport, environment and energy.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
(11) For this investigative tool to be effective, the information sought should relate to the application of relevant Union law. This may consist, for example, of factual market data, including cost structure, pricing policy, products or services characteristics or geographical distribution of customers and suppliers. It may also consist of undertakings’ or associations of undertakings’ fact-based analysis of the functioning of the internal market, such as in relation to perceived regulatory and entry barriers or to costs of cross-border operations. In order to minimise costs of replying to requests for information, such requests should only cover information that is likely to be at the disposal of the undertaking or association of undertakings concernedbe addressed to undertakings and associations of undertakings that are capable of providing sufficiently relevant information, notably larger undertakings in the relevant Member States.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
(12) When issuing requests for information to undertakings and associations of undertakings, the Commission is required to undertake a careful selection of addressees of the requests, so that requests are only addressed to undertakings and associations of undertakings that are capable of providing sufficiently relevant information, notably larger undertakings in the relevant Member States. These requests for information are aimed at solving a presumed, i.e. based on the available information, serious problem whelping the Commission to exercise its responsibilithy the application of Union law in the areas of the internal market, agriculture o submit to the Court of Justice all the relevandt fisheries (excluding the conservation of marine biological resources), transport, environment and energy. Their aim is not to prosecute undertakings for the underpinning behaviour, if any. Accordingly, sanctions provided for inactual information to prove the existence of an infringement with the aim of establishing and ensuring the functioning of the instrument are designed to address exclusively two instances. They only cover an intentional or through gross negligence lack of a response to a request for information and an intentionally or through gross negligence incorrect, incomplete, or misleading reply. The collected information, if relevant, could also be used to provide insight into situations where undertakings find it difficult to comply with the legislation, with a view to improving the proper application of the internal market rulesternal market in the framework of infringement procedures against Member States. Their aim is not to prosecute undertakings for the underpinning behaviour, if any. With a view to avoid disproportionate administrative burden for micro- undertakings and SMEs, which are anyway unlikely to be in a position to provide sufficiently relevant information, the Commission should be precluded from issuing requests for information to this category of undertakings. When issuing requests for information to small and medium-sized undertakings, the Commission should take due account of the principle of proportionality. While SMEs are unlikely to operate at a larger scale enabling them to significantly affect market outcomes, the information gathered from SMEs could prove valuable in informing the Commission on difficulties in establishment and functioning of the internal market. Information readily available to SMEs might be of anecdotal nature but it could still alert the Commission about single market difficulties SMEs might suffer from. SMEs would normally not and should not incur any significant additional costs of data gathering in response to this tool. Given their relatively weaker bargaining position in value chains, SMEs might be more forthcoming with information when granted a procedure duly respecting confidentiality and anonymity. Resolving a difficulty in the single market establishment and functioning could in particular benefit SMEs as it is often the small innovative firms which face the greatest barriers when trying to start up and scale up across the single market. For reasons of consistency and legal certainty, the definitions of ‘micro-undertaking’, ‘small undertaking’ and ‘medium-sized undertaking’ of Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council29 should apply. __________________ 29 Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings, amending Directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC (OJ L 182, 29.6.2013, p.19).
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 109 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
(14) The investigative tool provided for in this Regulation is particularly useful for ensuring the application of Union law in the area of the internal market by the Commission. It is also useful, for any subsequent enforcement action by the Member States concerned that would require the use of the relevant information collected using this power and disclosed by the Commission to the Member States concerned. Moreover, where difficulties in the application of existing rules are experienced, including situations where undertakings are not able to comply with the legislation due to lack of legal clarity, this investigative tool could also be useful after the use of other tools and sources of relevant information have proven inadequate, for contributing to the conception or design of regulatory solutions. It is also appropriate not to allow the use of such information for other purposes, in particular the application of the competition rules of the TFEU, without prejudice to the reuse of information made public.deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
(15) The Commission should be able to enforce compliance with the requests for information it addresses to any undertaking or association of undertakings, as appropriate, by means of proportionate fines and periodic penalty payments imposed by way of decision. In setting the amounts of fines and periodic penalty payments, the Commission should take due account of the principle of proportionality (including the aspects of appropriateness), in particular as regards small and medium-sized undertakings. The rights of the parties requested to provide information should be safeguarded by giving them the opportunity to make known their views before any decision imposing fines or periodic penalty payments is taken.deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
(16) Taking due account of the principle of proportionality (including the aspects of appropriateness), the Commission should be able to reduce the periodic penalty payments or waive them entirely, when addressees of requests provide the information requested, albeit after the expiry of the deadline. For reasons of legal certainty, it is also appropriate to provide for limitation periods for the imposition and enforcement of fines and periodic penalty payments.deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 122 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
(17) The Court of Justice should, in accordance with Article 261 TFEU, have unlimited jurisdiction in respect of decisions by which the Commission imposes fines or periodic penalty payments under this Regulation, which means that it may cancel, reduce or increase the fine or periodic penalty payment imposed by the Commission.deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
(19) The disclosure of information about an undertaking’s business activity could result in a serious harm to the same undertaking. Therefore, the Commission should take due account of the legitimate interests of undertakings, in particular the protection of their business secrets. To ensure that business secrets and other confidential information provided to the Commission are treated in compliance with Article 339 TFEU, any undertaking or association of undertaking submitting information should clearly identify which information it considers to be confidential and why it is confidential. The Commission should not be able to disclose confidential information provided by such respondents to the Member State concerned by the request unless it has previously obtained their agreement to disclose that information to that effect. The respondent concerned should be required to provide the Commission with a separate non-confidential version of the information that could be disclosed to the relevant Member State. In cases where information marked as confidential does not seem to be covered by obligations of professional secrecy, it is appropriate to have a mechanism in place according to which the Commission can decide the extent to which such information can be disclosed. Any such decision to reject a claim that a piece of information is confidential should indicate a period at the end of which it may be disclosed, so that the respondent can make use of any judicial protection available to it, including any interim measure. The rights of the respondent should be safeguarded by giving it the opportunity to make known its views before any decision to reject the confidentiality claim is taken.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
(21) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In particular, this Regulation seeks to ensure full respect for the right to respect for private and family life, the right to protection of personal data, the right to good administration, in in particular the access to files, while respecting business secrecy, the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial, the right of defence and the principles of legality and proportionality of penalties.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
(21) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In particular, this Regulation seeks to ensure full respect for the right to respect for private and family life, the right to protection of personal data, the right to good administration, in in particular the access to files, while respecting business secrecy, the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial, the right of defence and the principles of legality and proportionality of penalties.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
(23) Since the objectives of this Regulation, namely facilitating the exercise of Commission's access to market information necessary for carrying ouresponsibility to submit to the Court of Justice all the relevant factual information to prove the existence of an infringement witsh tasks in order to achieve a smoohe aim of establishing and ensuring th-e functioning of the internal market in the framework of infringement procedures against Member States, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
This Regulation shall apply into the internal market as referred to in Article 26(2) of the TFEU as well as the internal market- related aspects of the following areasectors:
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) the internal market, as referred to in Article 26(2) of the Treaty;deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 159 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) agriculture and fisheries, other thanwith the exception of the conservation of marine biological resources;
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 183 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Where a serious difficulty with the application of Union law risks undermining the attainment of an important Union policy objectiveIn order to facilitate the exercise of the Commission's responsibility to submit to the Court of Justice all the relevant factual information to prove the existence of an infringement with the aim of establishing and ensuring the functioning of the internal market in the framework of infringement procedures against Member States, the Commission may request information from undertakings or associations of undertakings, as provided for in Chapter II, for the purpose of addressing the above- mentioned difficulty.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 212 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point d
(d) a reasoned explanationlist of whythe other means to obtain such informationhat have previously been consulted to obtain such information as well as a reasoned explanation of why those means have proven insufficient or inadequate or cannot be obtained in a timely manner to date;
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 222 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
The undertakings or association of undertakings concerned by the request as referred to in Article 4 are obligshall only be required to provide only information that is at their disposal.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall take due account of the principle of proportionality, in particular with regard to small and medium-sized undertakings.deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
The Commission shall not issue requests for information in accordance with this Regulation to micro-undertakings, small undertakings and medium-size undertakings unless they are part of a group of undertakings which qualifies at least as small group as defined ina large group under Article 6(53(7) of Directive 2013/34/EU.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 244 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
The Commission shall not issue requests for information in accordance with this Regulation to SMEs and micro- undertakings, unless they are part of a group of undertakings which qualifies at least as small group as defined in Article 6(5) of Directive 2013/34/EU.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 251 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The simple request referred to in paragraph 1 shall state the legal basis and its purpose, specify what information is required and prescribe a proportionate time limit within which the information is tomay be provided. It shall also refer to the fines provided for in Article 9(1) for supplying incorrect or misleading information.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 265 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
The decision referred to in paragraph 1 shall state the legal basis, the purpose of the request, specify what information is required and prescribe a proportionate time limit within which the information is to be provided. It shall also indicate the fines provided for in Article 9(1) and the periodic penalties payments provided for in Article 9(2), as appropriatemay be provided.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 268 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
The decision referred to in paragraph 1 shall state the legal basis, the purpose of the request, specify what information is required and prescribe a proportionate time limit within which the information is tomay be provided. It shall also indicate the fines provided for in Article 9(1) and the periodic penalties payments provided for in Article 9(2), as appropriate.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 284 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. The undertakings or associations of undertakings, which have voluntarily accepted to providinge information following a Commission’s request for information based on Article 5, shall submit their answers to the Commission in a clear, complete and accurate manner.
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 298 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall verify whether the confidentiality claim of the information transmitted made by the respondent undertakings or associations of undertakings under subparagraph 2 of paragraph 2 is well-founded and proportionate. After giving the undertaking or association of undertakings concerned the opportunity of making known its views, the Commission may take a decision finding that the information claimed to be confidential is not protected, and setting a date after which the information is to be disclosed. That period shall not be less than 1 month. That decision shall be notified to the undertaking or association of undertakings concerned without delay.deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 327 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9
Fines and periodic penalty payments 1. where deemed necessary and proportionate, impose on undertakings or association of undertakings fines not exceeding 1 % of their total turnover in the preceding business year where they intentionally or through gross negligence: (a) supply incorrect or misleading information in response to a request made pursuant to Article 6(2); (b) supply incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to a decision adopted pursuant to Article 6(3) or do not supply the information within the prescribed time limit. 2. impose on undertakings or associations of undertakings periodic penalty payments where an undertaking fails to supply complete, accurate and not misleading information within the prescribed deadline as requested by the Commission by a decision adopted pursuant to Article 6(3). The periodic penalty payments shall not exceed 5 % of the average daily turnover of the undertaking or association concerned in the preceding business year for each working day of delay, calculated from the date established in the decision, until it supplies the information requested or required by the Commission. 3. association of undertakings provides no or incomplete information, the Commission shall prior the imposition of a fine or penalty, set a final deadline of two weeks to receive the missing information. 4. account the nature, gravity and duration of the breach of Article 6(1), as well as the principle of proportionality in particular with regard to small and medium-sized undertakings when fixing the amount of the fine or periodic penalty payment. 5. associations of undertakings have satisfied the obligation which the periodic penalty payment was intended to enforce, the Commission may reduce or waive the amount of the periodic penalty payment. 6. accordance with paragraph 1 or 2, the Commission shall give the concerned undertakings or associations of undertakings the opportunity of making known their views.Article 9 deleted The Commission may, by decision, The Commission may, by decision, Where the undertaking or The Commission shall take into Where the undertakings or Before adopting any decision in
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 356 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10
Limitation period for the imposition of 1. Commission by Article 9 shall be subject to a limitation period of three years. 2. paragraph 1 shall start on the day on which the infringement referred to in Article 9 is committed. However, in the case of continuing or repeated breaches of Article 6(1), the period shall begin on the day on which the breach ceases. 3. Commission for the purpose of investigating or pursuing a possible breach of Article 6(1) shall interrupt the limitation period for the imposition of fines or periodic penalty payments, with effect from the date on which the action is notified to the undertaking or association of undertakings concerned. 4. limitation period shall start running afresh. However, the limitation period shall expire at the latest on the day on which a period of six years has elapsed without the Commission having imposed a fine or a periodic penalty payment. That period shall be extended by the time during which the limitation period is suspended in accordance with paragraph 5. 5. imposition of fines or periodic penalty payments shall be suspended for as long as the decision of the Commission is the subject of proceedings pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union.Article 10 deleted fines and periodic penalty payments The powers conferred on the The period provided for in Any action taken by the After each interruption, the The limitation period for the
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 366 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11
Limitation period for the enforcement of fines and periodic penalty payments 1. enforce decisions adopted pursuant to Article 9 shall be subject to a limitation period of five years. 2. paragraph 1 shall start on the day on which the decision taken pursuant to Article 9 becomes final. 3. in paragraph 1 shall be interrupted: (a) modifying the original amount of the fine or periodic penalty payment or refusing an application for modification; (b) acting at the request of the Commission, or of the Commission, intended to enforce payment of the fine or periodic penalty payment. 4. limitation period shall start running afresh. 5. The limitation period provided for in paragraph 1 shall be suspended for so long as: (a) pay; (b) the enforcement of payment is suArticle 11 deleted The powers of the Commission to The period provided for in The limitation period provided for by notification of a decision by any action of a Member State, After each interruption, the the respeonded pursuant to a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union.nt is allowed time to
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 375 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12
The decisions taken pursuant to Article 9(1) and (2) shall be addressed to the undertaking or association of undertakings concerned. The Commission shall notify the decision to the addressee without delay.Article 12 deleted Addressees of decisions
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 379 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13
Review by the Court of Justice The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have unlimited jurisdiction within the meaning of Article 261 TFEU to review fines or periodic penalty payments imposed by the Commission. It may cancel, reduce or increase the fine or periodic penalty payment imposed.Article 13 deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO
Amendment 387 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Union the decisions which it takes pursuant to Article 9(1) and (2).deleted
2018/03/28
Committee: IMCO