28 Amendments of Markus FERBER related to 2020/2078(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular its Articles 121(2) and 136 and Protocols No 1 and 2 thereto,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
- having regard to the Commission reports of 17 December 2019 entitled ‘Alert Mechanism Report 2020’ (COM(2019)0651) and to the Commission recommendation for a Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area (COM(2019)0652),
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)
Citation 1 c (new)
- having regard to the Council recommendation of 10 February 2020 on the economic policy of the euro area, 1a _________________ 1a https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press /press-releases/2020/02/18/council- approves-its-recommendation-on-the- economic-policy-of-the-euro-area-for- 2020/
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 d (new)
Citation 1 d (new)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the shock is symmetrical but the impact varies considerably among Member States, reflecting the severity of the pandemic and the stringency of their containment measures, but also their specific economic exposures and initial conditions, including their available scope for discretionary fiscal policy responses, emphasizing that those Member States which gradually have had built fiscal buffers were better placed to mobilise fiscal stimulus packages at much faster pace and without associated borrowing costs, which helped to mitigate negative socio-economic effects of the pandemic;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas solidarity-based European response also means responsibility which requires a credible repayment plan to be presented before the adoption of the MFF and NGEU;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with great concern that, according to the Commission’s Spring 2020 economic forecast, the EU is expected to suffering the deepest recession in its history in 2020;; Euro area GDP is expected to contract by 7,7% (7,4% in the EU) in 2020 with the rebound of 6,3% (6,1% in the EU) in 2021; 1a _________________ 1a Spring forecast 2020, page 168, Table 1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/ec onomy-finance/ip125_en.pdf
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned at the remarkably negative impact of the COVID-19 crisispandemic on the globalEU’s economy, trade, incomeparticularly on SMEs, Single Market and its competitiveness, multilateralism, inequalities and poverty;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that the Commission’s estimate of the investment needs of the EU for delivering the green transition and digital transformation amounts to at least EUR 595 billion per year8 ; _________________ 8Commission Staff Working Document - Identifying Europe's recovery needs, p. 16:aggregate liquidity measures provided in response to the pandemic outbreak amount to 22% of EU GDP and were complemented by existing EU budget instruments offering support of up to about 4½% of EU GDP; 1a _________________ 1aPage 3 of the Spring 2020 forecast. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/ec onomy- finance/assessment_of_economic_and_in vestment_needsip125_en.pdf
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that the EU faces the unprecedented challenge of mitigating the social and economic consequences of the historic recession and setting the course for a rapid economic recovery linked to a sustainable and just transition and digital transformation; is convinced that, for this, a significant short-term increase in economically viable public and private investment compared to the 2010s is indispensable and; points out that the increaselevated levels of investment must be stabilised for many years to comepublic expenditure cannot be sustained indefinitely;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the swift and strong response to the crisis in the area of monetary and fiscal policy, at both EU and Member State level, as well as the European Recovery Plan; considers it essential that the proposed recovery package is fully aligned with the EU’s new growth strategy, i.e. in accordance with the principles of the European Green Deal (EGD), the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and with the aim to protect women’s rights and achieve gender equality; demands that funds and resources be directed to projects and beneficiaries that comply with our Treaty- based fundamental values and that recipient firms protect their workers, pay their fair share of taxes, and refrain from paying out dividends and its underlying financing strategy is sound; demands that funds and resources be directed to projects and beneficiaries that generate the highest possible economic impact and that comply with our offering share buy-back schemes aimed at remunerating shareholderTreaty-based fundamental values;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes theNotes the temporary activation of the general escape clause ofunder the Stability and Growth Pact, and expects that it will remain activated at least until the end of 2021no longer then it is strictly necessary in order to support the efforts of the Member States to recover from the pandemic crisis and strengthen their competitiveness, economic and social resilience;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that the current EU fiscal and budgetary rules have proven to provide the needed flexibility in crisis times and have demonstrated extraordinary counter-cyclicality allowing all Member States to adopt necessary fiscal stance to protect the EU’s economies;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Welcomes the recommendation of the European Fiscal Board1a that guidance on the timing of and conditions for an exit from the general escape clause should be provided by spring 2021 at the very latest; _________________ 1aEuropean Fiscal Board (2020): Assessment of the fiscal stance appropriate for the euro area in 2021.
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls the specific need to foster convergence within the euro area and EU as such;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the conclusion of the European Fiscal Board (EFB)9 that the fiscal framework has to be revisewed, and is convinced that the deep economic crisis triggered by the pandemic further exacerbates this need; believes that the review and reform havehas to meet the above requirements in terms of increasing investment relating to recovery of EU’s economy, particularly in SMEs, Single Market and its competitiveness, climate change and digitalisation and stabilising the new level of investment, while ensuring sound budgetary management and re-starting building fiscal buffers in order to be able to respond effectively to any future challenges; _________________ 9EFB Annual report 2019, p. 71 - https:/ec.europa.eu/info/sites/infos/files/20 19-efb-annual-report_en.pdf
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concerned about the significant but uneven negative impact of the COVID- 19 crisis on government deficit and private debt, which further aggravates the situation of Member States that are particularly affected by the pandemic and/or pre- existing high levels of government debt; calls for a solution that guarantees the sustainability of public debtle reduction of public debt, particularly in Member States which had high levels of public debt before the fallout of the pandemic;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers it essential that the revisionew of the EU’s fiscal and economic policy framework should be completed by the time the escape clause is repealedin due time and should enable fiscal policy to respond with discretion to shocks in the short term, and to reduce high public debt ratios to an agreed reference value in the long term, while allowing a sufficient level of public investment, progressive tax policies and the repayment of loans in a cycle- comfortable manner, and the long-term modernisation of public commoditi; points out that the review of the economic governance framework should also look at how to improve enforcement and compliance with the EU's fiscal rules;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. PropoWishes to sese a combination of expenditure rules for public non- inverapid EU’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis by stmrent expenditure and a golden rule for public investment which is central to both; wishes to see a rapid recovery from the COVID-19 crisis andgthening the Single Market, competitiveness, cohesion, a transition to a cleaner, socially sustainable and more digital society;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. recalls that the European Semester cycle is a framework for EU Member States to coordinate their budgetary and economic policies;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the refocusimmediate attention of the European Semester Spring Package aimed at providing an immediate economic policy response to tackle and mitigate the health and socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and reboot economic activity; supports the Commission’s announcement of a reform of the European Semester to convert it into a tool to coordinate the recovery measures, fram, with particular attention to SMEs support; notes that the European Semester Spring Package proposed country-specific recommendations (CSRs) providing economic policy guidance to all EU Member States in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, focused byon the principles of the EGD, the EPSR and the SDGs; is convinced that this has to include the coordination of measures concerning state aid and tax policies; underlines the need for the intmost urgent challenges brought about by the pandemic and on relaunching sustainable growth and that recommendations are structured around two objectives: in the short-term, mitigating the coronavirus pandemic's severe negration of a new set of binding sustainability and wellbeing indicators and alternative measurements of growth performance; ve socio-economic consequences; and in the short to medium-term, achieving sustainable and inclusive growth which facilitates the green transition and the digital transformation; 1a _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscor ner/detail/en/ip_20_901
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recognises the role that the Commission has allotted to the European Semester in the Recovery Plan; notes, however, that the effectiveness and success of the alignment of Member States’ investment and reform programmes to the Semester process will depend on the progress of the Semester reform and the above-mentioned reform of the Stability and Growth Pact; ownership by the Member States, more specifically, the implementation of the country-specific recommendations, therefore, calls on the Commission to communicate more proactively and better with the Member States and offer tailor- made solutions ahead of the customary adoption of the CSRs, especially now that the Recovery and Resilience Facility will be embedded into the semester, it is visible that the communication has to be improved as EU Member States made at least some progress on only 40% (37 out of 93) of recommendations under the 2019 European Semester; 1a _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/ATAG/2020/624400/IPOL_ATA(2 020)624400_EN.pdf
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of Parliament’s democratic role in the economic governance framework in any upcoming Treaty change and, in the meantime, for an Interinstitutional Agreement on Sustainable European Governance granting Parliament a right of consent on the policy recommendations presented in the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey, the euro area fiscal package and the Country Specific RecommendationsHighlights the importance of full debate and proper involvement of national parliaments, European Parliament and relevant stakeholders in the process of the European Semester, welcomes the European Parliament’s role as defined by the two- and six-packs and calls on the Council and Commission to take due account of the resolutions adopted;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines that publictax revenues are essential to finance the post-pandemic recovery restoring EU’s competiveness and the just transition to a sustainable economy; recalls thate importance to fight tax fraud, tax evasion and, tax avoidance at EU level amount to up to EUR 160-190 billion each year, constituting missing revenues for the treasuriend money laundering both at national and EU levels;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls the urgent need to strengthen the Banking Union and complete and reinforce the EMU architecture with a view to protecting citizens and reducing pressure on public finances during external shocks so as to overcome social and economic imbalances, by creating a fiscal capacity for public investment, a macroeconomic stabilisation and cohesion function for the euro area, and a European unemployment benefit reinsurance scheme;