13 Amendments of John HOWARTH related to 2017/2052(INI)
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls, therefore, for continuous support for existing policies, in particular the long-standing EU policies enshrined in the Treaties, namely the common agricultural and fisheries policies, and the cohesion policy; rejects any attempt to renationalise these policies, as this would neither reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and consumers, nor achieve better results, but would instead hamper growth and, the functioning of the single market whileand the EU's and its member states ability to address supranational challenges, while also widening the disparities between territories and economic sectors; intends to secure the same level of funding for the EU-27 for these policies in the next programming period while further improving their added value and simplifying the procedures associated with them;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines, therefore, the need for the MFF’s duration to move progressively towards a 5+5 period with a mandatory mid-term revisionto a 5+5 period; calls on the Commission to elaborate a clebring forward proposal setting out the methods ofs for the practical implementation of a 5+5 financial frameworkthis principle;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges, however,Stresses that the timing of the next European Parliament elections in spring 2019, given that the current MFF runs until December 2020, does not allow for a 5+5 solution to be implemented immediately, as no satisfactory alignment of the different cycles would be achieved; takes the view, therefore, that the next MFF should be set for a period of seven years (2021-2027), including a mandatory revision, by way of a transitional solution to be applied for one last timeand the conclusion of the current MFF at the end of 2020 represent the best opportunity for change and bringing the MFF into synchronisation with the political cycle of Parliament and appointment cycle of Commissioners and concludes that the post 2020 MFF be in force from 2012-2025 with a forward planning framework from 2026 to 2030;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Considers that under this 5+5 architecture the MFF would be prepared prior to the conclusion of legislature, allowing for the revision and/or confirmation of the framework following the election of the next legislature, thus providing both the stability necessary for programmes such as agriculture, infrastructure and long term research, improving political accountability and transparency and streamlining the budgetary process of the Union by removing the need for mid-term revision;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Considers that the use of the EGF, providing EU solidarity and support to workers losing their jobs as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns arising from globalisation or as a result of the global economic and financial crisis, has not lived up to expectations and needs to be improved in order to refocus on the purpose it was originally intended, to improve its coordination with the structural funds, and to integrate its activation within a structuring, long-term strategy ; points out, inter alia, that the procedures for implementing support from the EGF are too time- consuming and cumbersome; believes that a revised EGF should be endowed with at least an identical annual allocation under the new MFF; is moreover convinced that the scope of the EGF should be widened to encompass workers losing their jobs as a result of structural changes in the production patterns due to the need to fight against climate changes and to implement the COP21 objectives
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Believes that, under the next MFF, the Union budget should display with greater accuracy the extent of assigned revenues and their impact on actual expenditure, in particular those stemming from third countries’ contributions; underlines that this is even more relevant in view of the UK’s wish to participate in some Union budgetary programmes of the new MFF post-2020 as a non-Member State, as expressed in the context of the negotiations on its withdrawal from the Union; highlights in this regard that third country participation in EU programmes should be supported where participation brings substantial benefits to the EU as well as the third country/countries;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Considers it essential to secure a sustainable and affordable energy supply in Europe; calls, therefore, for continuous support for investments ensuring the diversification of energy sources, increasing energy security and enhancing energy efficiency, including by CEF Energy; asks to focus the support towards the objectives of Article 194(1) TFEU; stresses therefore the need to reorient CEF Energy support in gas infrastructure to investments aimed at decarbonizing the gas supply (biogas, green hydrogen, synthetic methane,...); stresses in particular the importance of providing for comprehensive support, especially for carbon-intensive regions, energy transition, transition to a low- carbon economy, the modernisation of power generation and grids, carbon capture storage and utilisation technologies, and the modernisation of district heating; considers that the transformation of the energy sector in the light of the climate objectives should be supported by the creation of an Energy Transition Fund under the next MFF that would facilitate the structural changes in energy-intensive industries and carbon-intensive electricity production plants, and create incentives for low-carbon investments and innovative solutions;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Emphasises the need for a European wide investment plan in favour of energy efficiency in light of the ambitious objectives the EU has set itself for 2030; is convinced that such an investment program would have a very positive effect in terms of job creation, affordable housing and fight against energy poverty ; is therefore convinced that the next MFF should encompass a visible and "easy to access" Energy Efficiency EU wide investment program that would enable local public authorities to get administrative and financial support to carry out energy efficiency plans in the housing and building sector;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 b (new)
Paragraph 75 b (new)
75b. Considers that under the next MFF, the transition of the energy sector in the light of the climate objectives should be supported by the creation of a Just Transition Fund with the aim of supporting workers and communities adversely affected by this transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy; in this respect urges the Commission to set up a financing platform at Union level for this initiative, drawing lessons from the current experiences and ensuring sufficient additional resources to cover needs in the affected areas; furthermore stresses that this fund should focus on the creation of decent and sustainable jobs together with retraining and new skills in clean processes and technologies, and on enhancing social protection schemes, including active labour market policies;
Amendment 447 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78
Paragraph 78
78. Expects the global amount of direct payments to be kept intact under the next MFF, as they generate clear EU added value and strengthen the single market by avoiding distortions of competition between Member States; opposes any renationalisation and any national co- financing in that respect; stresses the need to increase funding in line with responses to the various cyclical crises in sensitive sectors, to create new instruments that can mitigate price volatility and to increase funding for Programmes of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI); concludes, therefore, that the CAP budget in the next MFF should be at least maintained at its current level for the EU-27; subject to an examination of the basis of CAP payments to more effectively address agricultural, rural, and environmental issues and obligations on the sector;
Amendment 504 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Considers maintaining the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importance; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between and within EU regions; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented under the current MFF; calls for more synergies and complementarity between public investment policies by the Member States budgets and the Union budget and invites the Commission to assess ways to achieve that;
Amendment 514 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Considers maintaining the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importance; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between and within EU regions; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented under the current MFF;
Amendment 674 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 96
Paragraph 96
96. Welcomes initiatives by the institutions, bodies and agencies to further enhance efficiency through increased administrative cooperation and the pooling of certain functions, thereby generating savings to the Union budget; highlights that, for certain agencies, further efficiency gains could be made, especially through increased cooperation among agencies with similar tasks, such as in the field of the financial market supervision and of agencies and institutions with multiple locations including the European Parliament;