Activities of Gérard DEPREZ related to 2017/2044(BUD)
Plenary speeches (3)
2018 budgetary procedure (debate) FR
2018 budgetary procedure (debate) FR
General budget of the European Union for 2018 - 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 2018 PDF (993 KB) DOC (188 KB)
Amendments (11)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that Parliament's reading of the 2018 Budget fully reflects the political priorities adopted by an overwhelming majority in its abovementioned resolutions of 15 March 2017 on general guidelines and of 5 July 2017 on a mandate for the trilogue; recalls that jobs, sustainable growth and, security and tackling climate change are at the core of those priorities;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the Union continues to face numerous challenges and is convinced that, while maintaining budget discipline, the necessary financial resources need to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to meet the political priorities and allow the Union to deliver answers and effectively respond to those challenges; underlines that Union spending should be targeted to areas with genuine European added value, tackling issues with cross-border nature and always respecting the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the fact that more and more Member States consider that cohesion funds should be a tool for guaranteeing solidarity in all Union policies, in particular for migration issues;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. BelieveRecalls that, while the peak ofUnion managed to put in place mechanisms helping to cope with the migratory and refugee crisis, seems to have passed,till over one hundred thousand refugees and migrants have arrived to Europe by sea so far in 2017 according to the UNHCR; therefore believes that the Union must stand ready to respond to any unforeseen event in this area and moreover pursue more proactive approach in the field of migration; therefore urges the Commission to continuously monitor the adequacy of allocations under Heading 3 and make full use of all available instruments to respond in a timely manner to any unforeseen event that might require additional funding; decides therefore to reinforce in a limited manner the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund and the Internal Security Fund; notes, once again, that the Heading 3 ceiling is vastly insufficient to provide for appropriate funding for the internal dimension of the migration and refugee crisis as well as other priority programmes, such as culture programmes;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Reminds that the Union budget must support the fulfilment of the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Union’s own long-term climate goals by achieving the target of 20 % climate spending in the 2014-2020 MFF; regrets that the Commission has failed to put forward concrete and realistic proposals to achieve these goals; therefore proposes increases above the level of the DB for climate-related actions; notes however that these increases are not sufficient and calls on the Commission to present all the necessary proposals to reach the goals in the forthcoming amending letter and in the following draft budgets;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses that the trend by the Commission to resort to satellite budgetary mechanisms such as the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, trust funds and other similar instruments has not always proven to be a success; is concerned that the establishment of financial instruments outside the Union budget could threaten its unity and circumvent the budgetary procedure; considers, indeed, that it undermines the transparent management of the budget and hampers the right of the Parliament to exercise effective scrutiny of expenditures; considers, therefore, that external financial instruments which emerged in recent years must be incorporated into the Union budget, with Parliament having full scrutiny over the implementation of these instruments;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Warns that such cuts would jeopardize programmes with real European added value and a direct impact on job and growth creation, such as Horizon 2020 or CEF; points out, in particular, that sufficient funding for Horizon 2020 is essential to allow for the development of research and, innovation in Europe and for SMEs, leadership in digitalisation and for the support of SMEs in Europe; recalls that this programme has demonstrated a strong European added- value with 83% of Horizon 2020-funded projects that would not have gone ahead without Union-level support; reiterates the importance of the CEF funding instrument for the completion of the TEN-T network and for achieving a Single European Transport Area; consequently decides to reverse all cuts made by the Council and, furthermore, to fully restore the original profile of the Horizon 2020 and CEF lines that were cut for the provisioning of the EFSI Guarantee Fund;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the importance of stimulating cooperative defence research in Europe for addressing key capability shortfalls at a time when international developments increasingly require Europe to step up its efforts on defence; fully supports the increased allocation for the Preparatory Action on defence research but calls for a defence research programme with a dedicated budget within the next Multiannual Financial Framework; reiterates, nevertheless, its longstanding position that new initiatives should be financed through fresh appropriations and not at the expense of existing EU programmes; underlines, furthermore, the need to improve the competitiveness and innovation in the European defence industry that can contribute to stimulate growth and job creation;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Notes that, while the number of migrant crossings on the Central and Eastern Mediterranean routes into the Union fell in the first eight months of 2017, pressure on the Western Mediterranean route remains high; according to IOM, 134,549 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in the first nine months of 2017, compared with 302,175 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, with over 75 % arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece, Cyprus and Spain; is of the opinion that additional funding is needed to fully cover the needs of the Union in the field of migration, notably through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Highlights the crucial role played by the EU agencies in the area of justice and home affairs in addressing pressing concerns of Union citizens; decides therefore to increase budgetary appropriations and staffing of Europol, including the creation of 7 staff posts for the new operating unit called Europol operating unit for missing children, as well as to reinforce Eurojust, EASO and CEPOL; reiterates the contribution of these agencies to enhancing cooperation between Member States in the field;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Recalls also the significance of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), the Emergency Aid Reserve (EAR) and the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF); supports the Commission’s intention to provide for a quicker mobilisation of the EUSF by putting most of its annual amount in a reserve in the Union budget, on top of the amount already budgeted for advances; regrets the Council’s cut in that respect and restores partially the DB level, with the exception of the amount which has been frontloaded to 2017 via amending budget 4/2017 and the mobilisation of the EUSF for Italy; extends the scope of the EUSF to provide assistance to victims of acts of terrorism and their families;