16 Amendments of Moritz KÖRNER related to 2022/2046(INI)
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the combined effect of multiple crises and, low MFF ceilings and cumbersome rules applying to any MFF review or revision has given rise to a ‘galaxy’ of ad hoc instruments beyond the EU budget, as well as greater use of external assigned revenue not subject to the budgetary procedure, most notably in the case of NextGenerationEU; whereas, as one arm of the budgetary authority, Parliament should play a full role in this new budgetary environment in order to ensure democratic accountability and transparency;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget must plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate country status and a membership perspective to Georgia; emphasises that this decision entails a long-term financial and budgetary commitment to supporting the necessary reforms specific to each country, as has been the case with other candidate countries, as well as to reconstruction and recovery;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Considers that the EU budget should play a role in the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine once the war is over, along with contributions by Member States and other international partners and Russian war reparations;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; notes that the Flexibility Instrument was mobilised for Heading 6 spending in 2022 and points to the proposal that it beCommission’s proposal in the Amending Letter 1/2023 that it will be significantly mobilised for spending under both Headings 62b, 5 and 76 in 2023; points out that, under the defence proposal of July 202218 , further appropriations are to be mobilised via special instruments in 2023 andalso in 2024; _________________ 18 Proposal of 19 July 2022 for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (COM(2022)0349).
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) was almost exhausted in 2021 and is projected to be fully exhausted in 2022 after having provided a combination of humanitarian aid and support to Member States for tackling natural and man-made disasters; points out that the extension of the scope of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to include public health emergencies, coupled with the increased scale and frequency of natural disasters, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the resulting arrival of large numbers of refugees in the EU, has placed the SEAR under extreme strain; expects, further, that the dramatic consequences of the unprecedented wildfires in the summer of 2022 will require significant financial support, including from the SEAR;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs in terms of share of the EU GDP; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls, further, that, despite Parliament’s demands that the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) be placed over and above the ceilings, the refinancing costs are repaid from within the MFF ceilings, exerting further pressure on the MFF, especially and requiring the use of special instruments in 2023, in a context of rising interest rates and increasing NGEU borrowing costs;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Observes the continuing demand for the EU budget to serve as a guarantee for additional necessary macro-financial assistance (MFA), especially for Ukraine; welcomes the EU support in this regard; notes, however, that the higher risks of default and the large amount at stake entail significant contingent liabilities;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent review and revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the short, medium and long term;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines that the unanimity requirement for adoption of the MFF Regulation impedes the necessary decisions in the revision process; calls, in that regard, on the European Council to activate the passerelle clause set out in Article 312(2) TFEU to allow for adoption of the MFF Regulation by qualified majority; recalls its proposals that the ordinary legislative procedure be applied for the adoption of the MFF Regulation;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Strongly supports the use of the Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the EU budget (the Conditionality Regulation); believes that its entry into force had a general deterrent effect on nationals authorities planning to breach the rule of law with EU funds; regrets its long- overdue application by the Commission in case of Hungary; commits to do whatever it can to ensure the respect of the provisions of the Regulation and their effective implementation; emphasises the clear link between respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the EU budget; notes that any upscaling of the 2021-2027 MFF should aim to reinforce the protection of the rule of law and EU’s financial interests; underlines that the Conditionality Regulation aims first and foremost at protecting the EU budget rather than the rule of law; asks the Commission to assess how the Regulation could be improved to allow the EU to suspend EU funds whenever there are breaches of the rule of law in Member States in order to ensure the full respect of Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights that the necessary spending to enhance defence cooperation and investment cannot solely be covered within the ceiling of Heading 5; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needswelcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European defence investment programme (EDIP) in view of introducing joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needs; considers, in this regard, that savings could be made thanks to a mutualisation of defence spending between the Member States at the EU level;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that the MFF revision must not lead to any downwards revision of the pre-allocated national envelopes; emphasises the fact that the late agreement on the MFF for 2021-2027 and on the cohesion policy package, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, led to a slow start to the programming process, but not because of the policy itself even though more administrative simplification is strongly needed; underlines that the delayed start does not in any way call into question the pivotal role and added value of cohesion policy as the essential Union investment policy and convergence instrument;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Stresses, in this context, that the trend towards increased use of external assigned revenue is not a satisfactory solution as it weakens the role of the budgetary authority (Parliament and the Council), thereby negatively impacting democratic scrutiny and reducing the transparency of the EU’s finances; demands legally sound solutions that allow for targeted, one-off or needs-based top- ups that display the same advantages as earmarkxternal assigned revenue (i.e. not counted against the ceilings), but that are at the same time subject to full control of the budgetary authority; reminds its strong commitment to the universality principle;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be equipped to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises; asks the Commission to review the whole architecture of the MFF, including through an assessment of the suitability of a long-term programming framework for all EU programmes and of the duration of programming periods of seven years;