21 Amendments of Maria Gabriela ZOANĂ related to 2018/0213(COD)
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination is the framework to identify national reform priorities and monitor their implementation. Member States develop their own national multiannual investment strategies in support of those reform priorities. Those strategies should be presented alongside the yearly National Reform Programmes as a way to outline and coordinate priority investment projects to be supported by national and/or Union funding. They should also serve to use Union funding in a coherent manner to achieve the proposed objectives and to maximise the added value of the financial support to be received notably from the programmes supported by the Union under the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion fund, the European Social Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Investment Stabilisation Function and InvestEU, where relevant.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Specific objectives should be setMember States, in cooperation with the Commission, should set out the specific objectives for each instrument of the Programme. With regard to the reform delivery tool, they should consist of fulfilling concrete milestones and targets set out in relation to the completion of reform commitments, which would trigger the release of the financial incentives. With regard to the technical support instrument, they should be to assist national authorities in their endeavours to design and implement reforms, by taking into account good practices and lessons learned from peers. Those objectives should be pursued in all Member States under those two instruments and, in the context of the convergence facility, by those Member States whose currency is not the euro and which have taken and are continuing to take demonstrable steps towards adopting the single currency within a given time- frame.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In order to ensure that the reforms in the Member States supported by the Programme address all the key economic and societal areas, both financial support and technical support under the Programme should be provided by the Commission, upon request from a Member State, in a broad range of policy domains, which include areas related to public financial and asset management, institutional and administrative reform, business environment, the financial sector, markets for products, services and labour, education and training, sustainable development and measures to combat climate change, public health and social welfare.
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) In order to cater for additional needs under the Programme, Member States should have the possibility to transfer to the budget of the Programme resources programmed in shared management under the Union funds, in accordance with the procedure thereof. Transferred resources should be implemented in accordance with the rules of this Programme and should be used for the benefit of the Member State concerned in line with the objectives and strategies proposed.
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union's commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this Programme will contribute to mainstream climate actions and to the achievement of an overall target of 25 % of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives. Relevant actions will be identified during the Programme's preparation and implementation, and reassessed on the basis of joint criteria in the context of the relevant periodical evaluations and review processes.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) It is necessary to establish a clear and straightforward process for the submission of proposals for reform commitments by the Member States, and the content thereof. With a view to ensuring the expediency of procedures, a Member State should submit the proposal for reform commitments together with its national reform programme, but in the form of a separate annex, which may also be submitted at a different point in time. While participation in the Programme is voluntary, Member States experiencing excessive imbalances should be particularly encouraged to come forward with reform proposals under the reform delivery tool, which address the problems that led to such excessive imbalances so as to reduce them and achieve the objectives.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The Commission should assess the nature and the importance of the reform commitments proposed by the Member States and should determine the amount to be allocated on the basis of fair and transparent criteria. To that effect, it should take into account the substantive elements provided by the Member States and assess whether the reform commitments proposed by the Member States are expected to effectively address challenges identified in the context of the European Semester, whether they represent a comprehensive reform package, whether they are expected to strengthen the performance and resilience of the national economy and whether their implementation is expected to have a lasting impact in the Member State where relevant by strengthening the institutional and administrative capacity of the Member State concerned. In addition, the Commission should assess whether the internal arrangements proposed by the Member States, including the proposed milestones and targets, and the related indicators, are expected to ensure effective implementation of the reform commitments during a maximum period of three years.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) In order to contribute to the preparation of high quality proposals and assist the Commission in the assessment of the proposals for reform commitments submitted by the Member States and in the periodic assessment of the degree of their achievement, provision should be made for the use of peer counselling and expert advice for the purpose of avoiding any penalties. In addition, the Council for Economic Policy Committee of the Council dealing with the European Semester, in consultation, where appropriate, with relevant Treaty-based committees, should be able to provide an opinion on the proposals for reform commitments as submitted by Member States. In the interest of simplification, the reporting by Member States on the progress made in the implementation of reform commitments should be made within the framework of the European Semester.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) For the purposes of transparency, the reform commitments adopted by the Commission shouldmust be communicated to the European Parliament and the Council and communication activities should be carried out periodically by the Commission as appropriate.
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) For the purpose of sound financial management, specific joint rules should be laid down for budget commitments, payments, suspension, cancellation and recovery of funds. Payments should be based on a positive assessment by the Commission of the implementation of the reform commitments by the Member State. Suspension and cancellation of the financial contribution should be possible only when the reform commitments have not been implemented in a satisfactory manner by the Member State and only after the process has been properly examined. To ensure a sustainable impact of the reforms after they are implemented, a reasonable period defining the durability of the reforms after the payment of the financial contribution should be established. A period of five years should be considered to be a reasonable minimum to be applied. Appropriate contradictory procedures should be established to ensure that the decision by the Commission in relation to suspension, cancellation and recovery of amounts paid respects the right of Member States to provide observations.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34
Recital 34
(34) In line with the rules and practice already existing under the SRSP, a light process for the submission of requests for technical support should be established. Respecting the overarching principle of equal treatment, sound financial management and transparency, appropriate joint criteria for the analysis of the requests submitted by Member States should be laid down. Those criteria should be based on the urgency, the severity and extent of the problems, as well as on the support needs identified in respect of the policy areas where technical support is envisaged.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 36
Recital 36
(36) For the purposes of accountability, transparency and to ensure visibility of the Union action, subject to certain conditions that protect sensitive information, the cooperation and support plans shouldmust be provided to the European Parliament and the Council and communication activities should be carried out periodically by the Commission as appropriate.
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) The convergence facility should aim at providing both financial support and technical support to Member States (in addition to that already available under the two other instruments of the Programme), whose currency is not the euro and which have taken and are continuing to take demonstrable steps towards adopting the single currency within a given time-frame, with a view to helping them prepare for membership in the euro area. To that effect, "demonstrable steps" should consist of a formal letter from the government of the Member State concerned to the Commission stating its clear commitment to join the euro area within a reasonable and defined timeframe and presenting a credible, time-bound roadmap, after consultation with the Commission, for implementing concrete measures to prepare for successful participation in the euro area, including steps to ensure full alignment of its national legislation with the requirements under Union law (including the Banking Union).
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. ‘technical support’ means measures that help Member States to carry out institutional, administrative and growth- sustaining structural reforms, including measures that help Member States, whose currency is not the euro, to prepare for participation in the euro area and implement the relevant programme;
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
6. ‘eligible Member State’, under the convergence facility, means a Member State, whose currency is not the euro and which has taken and is taking demonstrable steps towards adopting the single currency within a given time-frame, in its preparation to join the euro area. Demonstrable steps shall consist of a formal letter from the government of the Member State concerned to the Commission stating its clear commitment to join the euro area within a reasonable and defined timeframe and presenting a credible time-bound roadmap, after consultation with the Commission, for implementing concrete measures to prepare for successful participation in the euro area, including steps to ensure full alignment of its national legislation with the requirements under Union law (including the Banking Union).
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) business environment, including for small and medium-sized enterprises, focusing on rural SMEs for the development of rural areas, making them more competitive and attractive, and re- industrialisation, private sector development and public-private partnerships, product and service markets, investment, public participation in enterprises, privatisation processes, trade and foreign direct investment, competition and public procurement, sustainable sectoral development and support for research and innovation and digitisation;
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) education and training, including long-term training to reduce unemployment, labour market policies, including social dialogue, for the creation of jobs, digital skills, the fight against poverty, the promotion of gender equality and social inclusion, social security and social welfare systems, public health and healthcare systems, as well as cohesion, asylum, migration and border policies;
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) policies for implementing climate action, programmes to combat climate change, mobility, promoting energy and resource efficiency, renewable energy sources, achieving energy diversification and ensuring energy security, and for the agricultural sector, fisheries and the sustainable development of rural areas; and
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. The financial envelope for the Programme may also cover expenses pertaining to preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, which are required for the management of the Programme and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, information and communication actions at not only national but also regional and local level where appropriate, including corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, in so far as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, including corporate information technology tools, and all other technical and administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of the Programme. Expenses may also cover, under each of the three instruments referred to in Article 3, the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and monitoring of technical support projects on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of structural reforms.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
(i) seminars, conferences and workshops, including exchanges of best practices, when appropriate;
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) studies, research, analyses and surveys, evaluations and impact assessments, and the development and publication of guides, reports and educational material and information;