Activities of Gérard DEPREZ related to 2016/2047(BUD)
Plenary speeches (3)
2017 budgetary procedure: joint text (A8-0353/2016 - Jens Geier, Indrek Tarand) FR
2017 budgetary procedure: joint text (debate) FR
General budget of the European Union for 2017 - all sections (debate) FR
Shadow reports (1)
Report on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017 PDF (809 KB) DOC (162 KB)
Amendments (37)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the commitments of the EC to provide the necessary resources to protect the external borders of the EU, to reinforce security inside and outside the Union, to provide MS support for the reception of people in need for international protection and to address the root causes of migration flows in the countries of origin and transit; points out however that the EUR 5.2 billion programmed in 2017 for Heading III and IV to address challenges posed by the refugee and migration crisis and unprecedented threat levels posed to the security of European citizens by terrorism, cybercrime and other serious organized crime of increasingly complex and cross-border nature represent less than 3,5% of the total Union budget, which is little considering existential stakes involved for the EU; considers that the Union should show solidarity with those in real need and the preservation of the European democratic values, when they are under threat by terrorism and intolerance aimed at destroying the European tolerance;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the commitments of the EC to provide the necessary resources to protecteffectively control the external borders of the EU, to reinforce security inside and outside the Union, to provide MS support for the reception of people in need for international protection and to address the root causes of migration flows in the countries of origin and transit; points out however that the EUR 5.2 billion programmed in 2017 for Heading III and IV to address challenges posed by the refugee and migration crisis represent less than 3,5% of the total Union budget, which is little considering existential stakes involved for the EU; considers that the Union should show solidarity with those in real need and the preservation of the European democratic values, when they are under threat by terrorism and intolerance aimed at destroying the European tolerance;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for a revision of the MFF to deliver a more powerful and sustainable response to the current crisis infrom 2017 and requests simplification of the financial regulation and procedures, as well as the verification of how European funds are spent;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the Union is currently facing a number of serious emergencies and new challenges, which could not be foreseen at the time when the MFF 2014-2020 was set-up; is convinced that the necessary financial resources need to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to meet the political challenges and allow the Union to deliver answers and effectively respond to those crises as a matter of utmost urgency and priority; considers that a strong political commitment is needed to secure fresh appropriations in 2017 and until the end of the programming period for this purpose;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the use of the flexibility instrument and the contingency margin under Heading 3 for an amount of EUR 1.7 billion but notes that further flexibility is no longer possible in 2017; regretnotes that actions under Heading 4 are only partially financed by the Union budget, which is a concern f; invites Member States to live up to their commitments and the Commission to support their implementation of the agreements as much as possible;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the use of the flexibility instrument and the contingency margin under Heading 3 for an amount of EUR 1.7 billion but notesis concerned that further flexibility is no longer possible in 2017; regrets that actions under Heading 4 are only partially financed by the Union budget, which is a concern for their implementation;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that whilst Parliament has supported the Commission’s actions in the tackling of the migration and refugees crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges and the sustainable development goals, it has always insisted that thisese challenges not take precedence over other important Union policies, for example in the field of jobs and growth; notes that the Heading 3 ceiling is vastly insufficient to provide for appropriate funding for the internal dimension of the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges as well as priority programmes, such as culture programmes;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its position that requests for additional funding needed for addressing the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges should not be deployed to the detriment of the Union’s existing external action, including its development policy; repeats that the setting-up of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT), Trust Funds, and any other ad-hoc instruments cannot be financed by cuts to other existing instruments; is concerned that the establishment of financial instruments outside the Union budget could threaten its unicity and circumvent the budgetary procedure, that requires the involvement and scrutiny of the European Parliament; notes that the Heading 4 ceiling (Global Europe) is vastly insufficient to provide a sustainable and effective response to the current external challenges, including the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges;
Amendment 28 #
4. Welcomes funding of AMIF (EUR 1.6 billion) and ISF (EUR 0.7 billion); considers that this increase adds to the need to ensure a fair and transparent distribution of annual funding between the different programs and objectives of the funds; supports the total funding (EUR 3 billion) for setting up the European Border and Coast Guard agency, the new Entry-Exit System, the new Common European Asylum System and for creating the instrument providing fast and efficient emergency humanitarian assistance within the EU;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its conviction that the Union budget should find ways of financing new initiatives which are not to the detriment of existing Union programmes and policies and is disappointed that the Preparatory Action for defence research, which will amount to EUR 80 million in the next three years will be squeezed under the current budget of the MFF; underlines the need to improve the competitiveness and innovation in the European defence industry and to stimulate growth and job creation; is convinced that with an already underfinanced Union budget, additional efforts for operations, administrative costs, preparatory actions and pilot projects in relation to the common security and defence policy also need additional financial means by the Member States; considers that the current MFF mid-term review/revision should be used by the Member States in that respect; calls for a defence research programme with a dedicated budget within the next MFF;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses that while the budgetary resources and the number of posts for the European Border and Coast Guard seem adequate for now, the future needs of the agency in terms of operational resources and staff will have to be closely monitored so that the agency does not lack behind reality; suggests, that the grades of temporary posts shall be increased to meet the complex nature of the new tasks assigned to the agency by the revised regulation;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Recalls that, in compliance with the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and in order to respond to the challenges and investment needs related to climate action, the Commission took the commitment to mainstream climate action in the 2014-2020 MFF and aims at reaching the target of at least 20% of Union spending dedicated to climate- related actions; notes that, according to the Statement of Estimates for the financial year 2017, the draft budget is expected to allocate 19,2% of expenditure to this aim; strongly encourages the Commission to pursue on this track so to apply the 20% target for the second half of this MFF;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Supports the budget increase of the efficient JHA agencies involved with migration and security; requests to further justify the dramatic 92%, EUR 73 million increase of the budget of EU-LISA for the Entry Exit System, the revision of Eurodac regulation, the interoperability of Information Systems and the revision of Dublin legislation as well as to explain break-down of appropriations between EU- LISA budget and the ISF;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Announces that, for the purpose of adequately financing those pressing needs, and considering the very tight MFF margins in 2017, Parliament will finance the reinforcements above the DB by the exhaustion of all margins available and an increased recourse to the Contingency Margin, to be offset against the remaining margins of 2016 and 2017;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses that a coordinated approach between the Member States to fight organised crime, cybercrime, terrorism and other serious crime with cross-border dimension is more important than ever and urges for an increase of Europol and Eurojust operational resources and staff; underlines especially Europol's need for sufficient human and operational resources; In this context is very concerned about the vulnerability of unaccompanied minors and young women during the migration crisis who can easily become victims of criminals; additional posts are needed to improve among others the identification of victims, to intensify the persecution of criminals, to destroy the organized networks of sexual abusers and to accelerate the detection, analysis and removal of child abuse material on- and offline; also stresses the urgency to combat terrorists misusing the migration flow for terrorist purposes and to combat organised crime networks misusing the hardship of migrants for their criminal intents;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Restores all cuts related to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) in the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and Horizon 2020 for a total of EUR 1 240 million in commitments via new appropriations to be obtained through the mid-term revision of the MFF; insists on the need to provide an effective response to youth unemployment accross the Union; therefore increases the Youth Employment Initiative with additional EUR 1 500 million in commitment appropriations to provide an effective response to youth unemploymentenable its continuation, which should also be financed by additional funds provided in the mid-term revision of the MFF;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recalls that the Commission has not proposed any commitment appropriations for the Youth Employment Initiative in 2017 as a result of its frontloading in the years 2014-2015; decides, in line with the Regulation on the European Social Fund7 which foresees the possibility of such a continuation, to increase the Youth Employment Initiative with additional EUR 1 500 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 500 million in payment appropriations to provide an effective response to youth unemployment, drawing lessons from the results of the coming Commission's evaluation of the YEI implementation; notes that, in line with Parliament’s requests, these new appropriations should be financed by the use of all financial means available under the current MFF Regulation and through the MFF mid-term revision; urges the Member States to do their utmost to speed up the implementation of the Initiative on the ground, for the direct benefit of young Europeans; __________________ 7 Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 470).
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Awaitnticipates the presentation of the Amending Letter for the emergency support package in particular for the dairy sector and increases therefore the appropriations by EUR 600 million; considers that this measure will contribute significantly to improving market disposition and will be reflected in improved prices for European dairy producers, in particular after the end of the quota system, and the financial impact of the Russian ban;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines that Parliament continues to put the current migration challenge at the top of its agenda; welcomes the Commission’s proposal for an additional EUR 1,8 billion to tackle the migration crisishallenge in the Union, above what had initially been programmed for 2017; notes that the big deviation of the original programming shows the need of a full revision of the current MFF; is disappointed that the Commission did not use the opportunity to adjust the ceilings accordingly, particularly of Heading 3; stresses that the Commission proposes to finance this reinforcement through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument (for EUR 530 million, thereby fully exhausting the funding available for this year) and the Contingency Margin (for EUR 1 160 million); given the unprecedented level of funding for migration-related expenditure (totalling EUR 5,2 billion in 2017 in headings 3 and 4 and the mobilization of the European Development Fund) and the proposals for applying flexibility on the table, does not request further reinforcements for migration-related policies; at the same time, will resist any attempts to reduce funding for Union actions in this field;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. In the context of the current security and migration challenges, welcomes the increase of the funding of AMIF (EUR 1,6 billion) and ISF (EUR 0,7 billion); considers that the increase of AMIF adds to the need to ensure a fair and transparent distribution of annual funding between the different programs and objectives of the fund and a better readability on how these financial resources will be spent;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal, as part of the MFF mid-term revision, to establish a new European Union Crisis Reserve, to be financed from de-committed appropriations, as an additional instrument to react rapidly to crises, such as the current migrhumanitariant and refugee crisimigratory challenges, as well as a wider set of events with serious humanitarian or security implications;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. In the face of increased threat levels in several Member States and, the concurrent challenges of migration management and, the fight against terrorism and organised crime, requests funding for additional staff for Europol and the necessity for a coordinated European response, requests funding for additional staff for Europol, with the aim to establish a 24/7 counter-terrorism cell providing Member States' competent authorities with intelligence responses; considers that this increase is also provided to improve the fight against trafficking with human beings (with a special focus on unaccompanied minors) and to reinforce the human resources at the Italian and Greek hotspots;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Condemns the Council’s cuts to numerous programmes in the areas of culture, the media, citizenship, fundamental rights and public health by a total of EUR 24,3 million in commitment appropriations; considers it a detrimental sign by the Council to cut culture programmes in order to free funds for the refugee and migration crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges; deplores that many of these cuts seem applied in an arbitrary manner and disregard excellent implementation rates; is of the opinion that even small cuts risk jeopardising the achievement of programme outcomes and the smooth implementation of Union actions; therefore restores all cuts to the level of the DB;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Welcomes the establishment of a Victims of Terrorism Response Co- ordination Centre (EUR 2 million) which should overcome barriers such as poor knowledge and weak skills development by bringing together key operational experts, victim advocates and organisation from around Europe to identify key priorities and issues for victims of terrorism and deliver a coordinated support for victims of terrorism across borders in order to have a proper victim- oriented approach in emergency response infrastructures;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that, in the light of the ongoing refugee crisihumanitarian and migratory challenges, the Union’s external action is faced with ever growing funding needs which largely exceed the current size of Heading 4; therefore, underlines that the Heading 4 ceilings are vastly insufficient to provide for appropriate funding for the external dimension of the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges; is disappointed that the Commission did not use the opportunity to adjust the ceilings, particularly of Heading 4 accordingly; deplores, that in order to fund new initiatives such as the FRT, the Commission chose in its DB to cut other programmes such as the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) which is against the principle that humanitarian distress must go in parallel with the development processes,; regrets also that appropriations for humanitarian aid and for the Mediterranean strand of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) are below those approved in the 2016 budget, despite their obvious relevance in tackling the large number of external challenges; disapproves, finally, the irresponsible cuts made by the Council, in particular on DCI and support expenditure lines;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes with concern that, despite their topical nature and significant size, EU Trust Funds as well as the FRT are virtually invisible in the Union budget; calls for them to be incorporated in a way that is more transparent and more respectful of the unity of the Union budget and of the prerogatives of the budgetary authority, and creates new budget lines to that end; also calls on the Commission to provide evidence that the use of financial instruments under the Trusts Funds does not result in diverting appropriations from the objectives under their initial legal bases; notes that the objective of leveraging national contributions on top of the Union budget has so far notoriously failed; highlights in that respect that, in future calls for an EU budget contribution to the Trust Funds, the Parliament will only agree to them once a comparable amount of Member States’ contributions has been delivered; invites, therefore, Member States to live up as soon as possible to their commitments;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42 a. Welcomes the budget increase of the efficient JHA agencies, especially those involved with migration and security; stresses that these agencies must be sufficiently resourced (including for investing in new technologies) and staffed when their mandates are increased;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. In the context of the current security challenges, and, bearing in mind the necessity for a coordinated European response, decconsiders to increase, within the overall package on security, the appropriations for the European Union Agency for Network and Informhat some of these increases are not sufficient and decides to reinforce the appropriations for the European Police Office (Europol), the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation SecurUnity (ENISAurojust), the European Police Office (Europol) and the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation UnitAgency for the operational management of large- scale IT systems (EU-LISA) and the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA),;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. In view of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Europe’s southern neighbourhood, and the increased number of asylum seekers, and mainly the intention to reinforce its mandate further than the Commission's proposal, decides furthermore to increase the 2016 budget appropriations for the European Asylum Support Office;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46 a. Considers that the grades of temporary posts for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency have to be increased to meet the complex nature of the new tasks assigned to the agency by the revised regulation;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Maintains unchanged the overall level of its budget for 2017, as adopted by the plenary on 14 April 2016 at EUR 1 900 873 000; incorporates the budgetary neutral technical adjustments to reflect into the budget its recent decisions and releases the reserve on the transport of Members, persons and goods budget line; opposes the additional expense of EUR 3,7 million to internalize the chauffeur service, which is against the Parliament's will as expressed in the abovementioned paragraph 47 of its resolution of 14 April 2016 on Parliament's estimates of revenue and expenditure for 2017;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 c (new)
Paragraph 60 c (new)
60 c. Regrets that despite numerous calls by the Committee on Budgets, mid- term and long-term strategy for Parliament buildings is not available for informed committee deliberations;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71