Activities of Elisabeth SCHROEDTER related to 2009/0096(COD)
Plenary speeches (2)
European Microfinance Facility for Employment and Social Inclusion (Progress) (debate)
European Microfinance Facility for Employment and Social Inclusion (Progress) (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Microfinance Facility for Employment and Social Inclusion (Progress Microfinance Facility) PDF (304 KB) DOC (436 KB)
Amendments (19)
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The ongoing Community and national efforts need to be strengthened to increase the supply of micro-credits to a sufficient scale and within a reasonable time-frame so as to address the high demand of those who need it most in this period of crisis i.e. unemployed or vulnerable people, including the young who want to start or develop a micro enterprise including self- employment but do not have, and those who have no credit standing and no capital resources and therefore no access to credit.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The Commission Communication "A Shared Commitment for Employment" underlined the need to offer a new chance to the unemployed and open the road to entrepreneurship for some of Europe’s most disadvantaged groups, including the young who have no credit standing and no capital resources and therefore no access to credit. In addition to existing instruments, specific action is needed to further strengthen economic and social cohesion by reinforcing activities undertaken by the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund and other international financial institutions without prejudice to the activities of the Member States. The Commission therefore announced a proposal for a new EU microfinance facility to deepen the outreach of microfinance to particular at- risk groups and to further support the development of entrepreneurship, the social and solidarity economy and micro- enterprises.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Using Community resources is appropriate and responds to the Resolution of the European Parliament of March 2009. Further, a single pan-EU facility would concentrate leverage from international financial institutions and avoid a dispersed approach thus increasing micro-finance supply in all Member States. In order to capitalise on the experience of international financial institutions and in particular the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund the Progress Microfinance Facility would be established on the basis of joint management.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The actions financed by the Facility should be coherent and compatible with the other Community policies and comply with the provisions of the Treaty and of acts adopted under it. The activities of the Facility should be complementary to other Community interventions, in particular the CIP financial instruments, JASMINE, EAFRD, ERDF and the European Social Fund.
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6 a) The actions financed by the Facility should be accompanied with mentoring and training programmes in order to maximise the chances of creating viable and competitive micro-enterprises. For this purpose a clear part of the budget needs to be assigned to such measures.
Amendment 51 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) persons who have lost or are at risk of losing their job or have difficulties entering or re- entering the labour market and want to start their own micro-enterprise, including self- employment;
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) disadvantaged persons, including the young, who are facing the threat of social exclusion and do not have credit standing and have no capital resources or who want to start or further develop their own micro-enterprise, including self- employment;
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) micro-enterprises in the social and solidarity economy which employ persons who have lost their job or which employ disadvantaged persons, including the young.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The financial contribution from the Community budget for the Facility for the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2013 shall be EUR 1050 million, with EUR 15 million foreseen for supporting measures such as training and capacity-building.
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 4
Article 3 – paragraph 4
4. The financial contribution shall cover the full cost of the Facility, including management fees for international financial institutions referred to in Article 5(2) managing the Community contribution as well as any other eligible costsall eligible costs of the Facility.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) support measures, such as communication activities, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation which are directly necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of this Decision and for the achievement of its objectives.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The Facility shall be open to public and private bodies established in the Member States which provide microfinance to persons and micro-enterprises in the Member States, as well as credit unions.
Amendment 76 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The public and private bodies established in the Member States which provide access to the Facility shall develop further guidance on the eligibility of final beneficiaries and shall closely cooperate with organisations which provide mentoring and training programmes for final beneficiaries in order to create viable and competitive micro-enterprises. These bodies should include civil society organisations working with target groups referred to in Article 2.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. To implement the actions referred to in Article 4(1), except for the support measures referred to in point (d) of Article 4(1), the Commission shall conclude agreements with international financial institutions,selected public and private providers of microfinance referred to in paArticular with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), in accordance with Article 53d of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 and Article 43 of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002. These agreements shall contain detailed provisions for the implementation of the tasks entrusted to them, including the necessity to ensure additionality with national schele 4 (2) that lay down their obligations to use the resources made available from the Facility in accordance with the objectives set out in Article 2 and to provide information for the establishment of the annual reports referred to in Article 8(1). These agreements between the Commission and microfinance providers shall contain detailed provisions for the implementation of the tasks entrusted to them, including the necessity to ensure additionality and coordination with existing European and national financial instruments, relevant social support measures and regional and local programmes.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 3
Article 5 – paragraph 3
3. Proceeds, including dividends and reimbursements, received by the international financial institutions referred to in paragraph 2 mayust be re-invested by them into actions referred to under Article 4(1) (a), (b) and (c) for a period of 6 years after the starting date of the Facility. Upon closure of the Facility, the remaining balance due to the European Communities shall be repaid to the general budget of the European Communities.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. The international financial institutions referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article shall conclude written agreements with the public and private providers of microfinance referred to in Article 4 (2) laying down their obligations to use the resources made available from the Facility in accordance with the objectives set out in Article 2 and to provide information for the establishment of the annual reports referred to in Article 8 (1)microfinance providers shall be selected on the basis of predetermined financial criteria and on the basis of criteria relating to Articles 2 and 4 of this Decisions, concerning the objectives of the Facility and the eligible actions and beneficiaries.
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall preceive annual implementation reports from the international financial institutionsent to the European Parliament and the Council annual implementation reports referred to in Article 5(2) setting out the supported activities in terms of financial implementation, distribution of funding with regard to sectors and type of beneficiaries, applications submitaccepted or rejected, contracts concluded, actions funded, results and, where possible, impact.
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. On the basis of that annual report the Commission shall, if necessary, adapt the Decision in order to ensure that it meets the objectives defined in Article 2.