Activities of Gérard DEPREZ related to 2018/2046(BUD)
Plenary speeches (1)
General budget of the European Union for 2019 - 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 2019 PDF (1 MB) DOC (199 KB)
Amendments (19)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the Union continues to face numerous challenges and is convinced that, especially ahead of the UK withdrawal from the Union and, the 2019 European elections, Union citizens expect the necessary financial resources to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to allow the Union to effectively respond to the abovementioned challeUnion needs the necessary financial resources to respond to citizens expectations and allow the Union to effectively tackle the numerous challenges it faces such as the fight against youth unemployment, the security as well as humanitarian and migratory challenges, the fight against climate changes and to improve the day- to-day life of its citizens;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth and foster job creation; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, digitalisation, education, infrastructure, SMEs and employment, particularly among the young people of Europe, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use of resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth and job creation, including Horizon 2020, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and COSME;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. underlines Europol´s increasing role in combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as in strengthening cross- border cooperation in the field of law enforcement; deeply regrets that the draft EU budget for 2019 put forward by the Commission implies a reduction of 21 million EUR and 38 temporary agent posts, compared to the proposal for 2019 agreed by the Member States in the Europol Management Board; calls for appropriate funding adjusted to the Agency´s needs;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights that youth unemployment remains unacceptably high in certain Member States and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; decides therefore to reinforce the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid-term revision; underlines however that the YEI should be further improved and be made more efficient, notably by ensuring that it brings real European added value to youth employment policies in the Member States and does not replace the financing of former national policies;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. stresses that the proposed 2019 budget does not meet the levels required by Europol´s role in fighting trans-border serious crime, including money laundering and cybercrime and in preventing and fighting terrorism; this even represents a substantial reduction compared to the budget currently being implemented; is concerned that insufficient budgeting has led to the de- prioritization of important operational technological initiatives and activities; asks for financial allocations of 143,3 million EUR, in line with the Agency´s draft budget for 2019 endorsed by the Member States and the Commission in the Management Board;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights that youth unemployment is the lowest since 2000 in the Union, but remains unacceptably high in certain Member States and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; decides therefore to reinforce the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid-term revision;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that cohesion policy plays a primary role in the development and growth of the Union; emphasises Parliament’s commitment to ensuring adequate appropriations for those programmes that represent one of the core policies of the Union; welcomes the fact that more and more Member States consider that structural funds should be a tool for guaranteeing solidarity in all Union policies, in particular regarding the migration issues;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Regrets that, under current projections, only 19,3 % of the Union budget 2014 – 2020 would be devoted to climate-related measures, failing thus to reach the target of 20 %; understands that this is largely due to delays in cohesion policy and the rural development programmes; urges Member States, who manage them, to speed up their implementation with a focus on climate- related spending in order to offset the lower allocations made during the first years of the MFF; calls on the Commission to develop an action plan within programmes having massive potential to contribute to reaching the climate-related spending target; calls also for a robust, annual consolidation exercise to progress towards the mainstreaming target, with concrete and coherent safeguards that guarantee climate proof budgetary decisions are in line with the EU’s commitments under the Paris agreement, with comprehensive reporting and monitoring of results anda realistic assessment of climate change needs that corrects overestimations and proposes additional measures in case the exercise shows that targets will not be met;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that Heading 3 has been largely mobilized in the recent years to address the migratory and refugee crisishallenge and that such actions should continue for as long as needed; calls on the Commission to actively 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 in the area of migration; decides to reinforce the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund to fully cover the needs of the Union in the field of migration, notably to support Members States in improving reception conditions, integration measures and practices for migrantasylum seekers and migrants, enhancing solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States and fair and effective return strategies; notes, once again, that the Heading 3 ceiling is inadequate to provide appropriate funding to the internal dimension of those priorities, as well as to other priority programmes, for example in the field of security, justice, citizenship and culture; considers that willingness of local authorities to do more than planned in their National Programme under shared management, to support the Union Resettlement Programme, should be further supported through the direct management strand of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF);
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates that part of the solution to the migratory and refugee crisishallenge as well as to the security concerns of Union citizens lies in addressing the root causes of migration and devoting sufficient financial means to internal and external instruments that aim at tackling issues such as poverty, lack of employment, education and economic opportunities, instability, conflict and climate change in the European Neighbourhood and Africa ; is of the opinion that the Union should make optimal use of financial means under Heading 4 which proved to be insufficient to equally address all external challenges;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Regrets that Parliament has not been duly involved in the discussions on the extension of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT); reiterates its longstanding position that new initiatives must not be financed to the detriment of existing Union externalsuccessful Union projects; maintains, while recalling its support for the continuation of the FRT, that, given the stretched situation under Heading 4 to respond to external challenges, including migration, the Union budget should contribute to the financing of the second tranche in the same proportion as for the first one, i.e. EUR 1 billion, while the Member States should contribute EUR 2 billion to its financing;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Restores all cuts proposed by Council to the Draft Budget (DB) 2019 across all headings, with limited exceptions in Heading 4 and subheading 1b; fails to understand the reasoning behind the proposed cutsrefuses to accept the proposed cuts to programs with the highest European added value, for example those to Horizon 2020 and CEF, two programmes already affected by redeployments to EFSI, or majority of cuts to external policies; stresses that the logic behind Council’s cuts is not substantiated by the actual implementation figures and ignores the varying implementation patterns of certain programmes;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that Erasmus+ remains a highly valued and hugely popular programme promoting youth learning mobility and vocational training, as demonstrated by the volume of applications received, which by far exceeds the funding available, and notes also that it helps foster a strong sense of European identity and encouragement for young people to take part in European democracy; deeply regrets that the 2019 draft budget for Erasmus+ falls well below Parliament’s expectations, failing to go beyond the programmed figures under the current MFF; considers it therefore essential to reinforce the education and training and youth strands of Erasmus +, as a corollary to the strengthening of the Youth Employment Initiative under subheading 1b;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights yet again the fact that SMEs are an essential part of the Union economy and play a crucial role in job creation throughout the Union; believes that there is a need to create an SME- friendly business environment, as well as to support SME clusters and networks; notes, however, with deep concern the Council cuts to the SME instrument, which send a contradictory signal to businesses in the Union; considers that the Union budget and access to finance backed by it can be a key tool in making SMEs more competitive and more innovative and in fostering the spirit of enterprise in the Union; recalls in this regard COSME and Horizon 2020;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recalls that youth unemployment ratesWelcomes the decreasing rate of youth unemployment at Union level, with 14,8 % (1.10.2018) which is lower than before the economic crisis, but regrets that the level still remains unacceptably high in the Unioncertain Member States; emphasises that, in order to address this issue, it is of importance to ensure proper funding of the Youth Guarantee schemes through YEI and the European Social Fund (ESF); welcomes the agreement on the need to provide fresh funding for YEI, and the inclusion of the corresponding appropriations in the DB 2019; considers nevertheless that, given the challenges and risks posed by youth unemployment, YEI should benefit from increased appropriations and therefore decides to bring YEI to EUR 580 million in commitments in 2019; considers that this increase is in addition to the amount for YEI currently programmed for the 2014- 2020 period;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Points out the essential role played by the Union agencies in the area of justice and home affairs in enhancing cooperation between Member States to address the concerns of Union citizens; decides to increase budgetary appropriations and staffing of European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL), European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), European Union Agency for the operational management of Large-Scale IT Systems (eu- LISA), European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust) and for the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO);
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. In the context of the challenges the Union is still facing in terms of security, and bearing in mind the necessity for a coordinated European response, decides to reinforce the appropriations for the EUROPOL, EU-LISA, CEPOL, EUROJUST, EPPO, and the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA);
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. WelcomNotes the decision of 25 September 2018 of the General Court confirming the Parliament’s refusal to grant access to documents relating to MEPs’ subsistence allowances, travel expenses and parliamentary assistance allowances (Judgment in Cases T-639/15 to T-666/15 Maria Psara and Others v Parliament and T-94/16 Gavin Sheridan v Parliament); regrets the decision of the Bureau to block a substantial reform of the General Expenditure Allowance; continues to support a substantial reform of the General Expenditure Allowance as proposed by the Working Group on the GEA as this would create greater transparency by allowing an auditor to check the relevant accounts;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 a (new)
Paragraph 79 a (new)
79 a. Reiterates Parliament’s support to the Strategic Communication Capacity and reinforces it to deliver a stronger coordinated EU response to the challenge of disinformation;