Activities of Niklas NIENASS related to 2020/0104(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility
Amendments (35)
Amendment 1 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination (‘European Semester’), including the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, 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 reforms. The involvement of regions, cities and municipalities in the European Semester process is essential, in particular for the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic which has impacted territories inside a Member State in different ways. 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.
Amendment 10 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The implementation of reforms contributing to achieve a high degree of resilience of domestic economies, strengthening adjustment capacity and unlocking growth potential are among the Union’s policy priorities. They are therefore crucial to set the recovery on a sustainable path and support the process of upward economic and social convergence, social and territorial cohesion. This is even more necessary in the aftermath of the pandemic crisis to pave the way for a swift recovery.
Amendment 11 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
Amendment 18 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6 a) Women are disproportionally hit as a result of the crisis as workers of sectors with rising unemployment and as principal household keepers and carers in times of confinement. To address the specific situation and role of women during the crisis and in the recovery, gender equality should be promoted as a matter of priority. Particular focus should therefore be placed on investment in the care sector.
Amendment 24 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8 a) Horizontal principles as set out in Article 3 of the Treaty on the European Union (‘TEU’) and in Article 10 of the TFEU, including principles of subsidiarity and proportionality as set out in Article 5 of the TEU should be respected in the implementation of the Facility, taking into account the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Member States should also respect the obligations of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure accessibility in line with its article 9 and in accordance with the Union law harmonising accessibility requirements for products and services. Member States and the Commission should aim at eliminating inequalities and at promoting equality between men and women and integrating the gender perspective, as well as at combating discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Facility should not support actions that contribute to any form of segregation or exclusion, or support infrastructure which is inaccessible to persons with a disability. The objectives of the Facility should be pursued in the framework of sustainable development and the Union’s promotion of the aim of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment as set out in Article 11 and Article 191(1) of the TFEU, taking into account the polluter pays principle and the commitments agreed under the Paris Agreement. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market, operations benefitting undertakings shall comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Reflecting the European Green Deal as Europe’s sustainable growth strategy and the translation of the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the Facility established by this Regulation will contribute to mainstreaming climate actions and environmental sustainability and to the achievement of an overall target of 250 % of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11 a) The objectives of the Facility should be pursued in the framework of the objectives set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights. In order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, it is necessary to target support of the Facility towards the overarching and internationally recognised 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and their targets set by 2030. The Commission and Member States should ensure consistency, coherence and synergies with the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Facility’s general objective should be the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion. For that purpose, it should contribute to improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions aimed at achieving a climate neutral Europe by 2050 the latest, thereby restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union in the aftermath of the crisis, fostering employment creation, in particular in the care sector, and to promoting sustainable growth.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to ensure the national ownership and a focus on relevant reforms and investments, Member States wishing to receive support should submit to the Commission a recovery and resilience plan that is duly reasoned and substantiated. It is essential that representatives or authorities of the regional and local level, economic and social partners as well as civil society organisations are involved in the preparation of the recovery and resilience plan and have given their consent to it before it is submitted to the Commission. The recovery and resilience plan should set out the detailed set of measures for its implementation, including targets and milestones, and the expected impact of the recovery and resilience plan on growth potential, job creation and economic and social resilience; it should also include measures that are relevant for the green and the digital transitions; it should also include an explanation of the consistency of the proposed recovery and resilience plan with the relevant country- specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester. Close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States should be sought and achieved throughout the process.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The Commission should assess the recovery and resilience plan proposed by the Member States and should act in close cooperation with the Member State concerned. The Commission will fully respect the national ownership of the process and will therefore take into account the justification and elements provided by the Member State concerned and the consent given by the stakeholders involved, and assess whether the recovery and resilience plan proposed by the Member State is expected to contribute to effectively address challenges identified in the relevant country-specific recommendation addressed to the Member State concerned or in other relevant documents officially adopted by the Commission in the European Semester; whether the plan contains measures that effectively contribute to the green and the digital transitions and to addressing the challenges resulting from them; whether the plan is expected to have a lasting impact in the Member State concerned; whether the plan is expected to effectively contribute to strengthen the growth potential, job creation and economic and social resilience of the Member State, mitigate the economic and social impact of the crisis and contribute to enhancing economic, social and territorial cohesion; whether the justification provided by the Member State of the estimated total costs of the recovery and resilience plan submitted is reasonable and plausible and is commensurate to the expected impact on the economy and employment; whether the proposed recovery and resilience plan contains measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment projects that represent coherent actions; and whether the arrangement proposed by the Member State concerned are expected to ensure effective implementation of the recovery and resilience plan, including the proposed milestones and targets, and the related indicators.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
3. ‘European Semester of economic policy coordination’ (hereinafter ‘European Semester’) means the process set out by Article 2-a of Council Regulation (EC) No 1466/97 of 7 July 199720 . For the purpose of this regulation, it shall be complemented by the involvement of regions, cities and municipalities. _________________ 20Council Regulation (EC) No 1466/97 of 7 July 1997 on the strengthening of the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and coordination of economic policies (OJ L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 1).
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
The scope of application of the Recovery and Resilience Facility established by this Regulation shall refer to policy areas related to economic, social and territorial cohesion, the green and digital transitions, health including care, competitiveness, resilience, productivity, education and skills, research and innovation, smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, jobs and investment, and the stability of the financial systems.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. The general objective of the Recovery and Resilience Facility shall be to promote the Union’s economic, social and territorial cohesion by improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions, thereby contributing to restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union, fostering employment creation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, in particular in the care sector, and promoting sustainable growth.
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a Horizontal principles 1. Member States and the Commission shall ensure respect for fundamental rights and compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the implementation of the Facility. 2. Member States and the Commission shall ensure that equality between men and women, gender mainstreaming and the integration of gender perspective are taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation, implementation, monitoring reporting and evaluation of plans. 3. Member States and the Commission shall take appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation during the preparation, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of programmes. In particular, accessibility for persons with disabilities shall be taken into account throughout the preparation and implementation of recovery and resilience plans. 4. The objectives of the Facility shall be pursued in line with the objective of promoting sustainable development as set out in Article 11 TFEU, taking into account the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The objectives of the Facility shall be pursued in full respect of the EU environmental acquis. Investment in fossil fuels shall be excluded from support.
Amendment 116 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – title
Article 6 – title
Resources forom shared management programmes
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Resources allocated to Member States under shared managementthe Facility may, at their request of a Member State, be transferred to the Facility. The CommissionUnion Funds to be used for the benefit of the Member State requesting the transfer. Those resources shall be implement those resources directlyed under shared management in accordance with point (a) of Article 62(1)3 of the Financial Regulation. Those resources shall be used for the benefit of the Member State concernedules of the recipient Union Fund shall apply for those resources.
Amendment 122 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9
Article 9
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 changed the economic outlook for the years to come in the Union and in the world, calling for an urgent and coordinated response from the Union in order to cope with the enormous economic and social consequences for all Member. The challenges linked to the demographic context, social inclusion and social cohesion have been amplified by COVID-19. The current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the previous economic and financial crisis have shown that developing sound and resilient economies and financial systems built on strong economic and social structures helps Member States to respond more efficiently to shocks and recover more swiftly from them. Moreover, they have shown that cuts in public spending on education, culture and healthcare are counterproductive to a swift recovery and to build resilient economies and societies. The medium and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis will critically depend on how quickly Member States’ economies will recover from the crisis, which in turn depends on the fiscal space Member States have available to take measures to mitigate the social and economic impact of the crisis, and on the resilience of their economies and public services of general interest. Reforms and investments to address structural weaknesses of the economies and public services of general interest and strengthen their resilience will therefore be essential to set the economies and social life back on a sustainable recovery path and avoid further widening of the divergences in the Union.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
The Member State shall involve stakeholders, in particular representatives or authorities of the regional and local level, economic and social partners as well as civil society organisations, in the preparation of the recovery and resilience plan. The Member State shall ensure the consent of the stakeholders listed in the proceeding subparagraph to the recovery and resilience plan and shall provide evidence of the consent when it submits the recovery and resilience plan to the Commission.
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) Considering that the cultural and creative sectors and industries have been hit particularly hard by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic due to, amongst other things, the closure of cinemas, theatres and other cultural venues, the sudden stop of ticket sales and low advertisement sales, the Union and its Member States should earmark at least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for the support of these sectors, which are of utmost importance for the economies, social cohesion, tourism and recreation.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate its effects on the economies have had disastrous consequences for the social life in all Member States. Education, cultural activities, tourism and recreation came almost to a standstill. The Union and its Member States should therefore also invest in the recovery and resilience of these sectors and policy areas.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 b (new)
Recital 4 b (new)
(4b) Considering that the cultural and creative sectors have been hit particularly hard by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic due to, amongst other things, the closure of cinemas, theatres and other cultural venues, the sudden stop of ticket sales and low advertisement sales, the Union and its Member States should earmark at least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for the support of these sectors, which are of utmost importance for the economies, social cohesion, tourism and recreation.
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 c (new)
Recital 4 c (new)
(4c) The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore that our educational systems are not as resilient as they should be. The pandemic has probably caused the most severe disruption to the world’s education and training systems in history, with many pupils and students in the Union having no or little access to remote learning due to a lack of digital equipment, infrastructure and competences, but also due to their vulnerable social status. This situation is threatening a loss of learning for an entire generation of pupils and students, likely to decrease future income levels of the affected generation and to negatively impact labour productivity, growth and competitiveness levels for the Union as a whole. The Union and its Member States should therefore allocate 10% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for investments in quality and inclusive education and training, educational infrastructure, online and offline, skills and competences.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The implementation of reforms contributing to promote social cohesion and to achieve a high degree of resilience of domestic economies, strengthening adjustment capacity and unlocking growth potential are among the Union’s policy priorities. They are therefore crucial to set the recovery on a sustainable path and support the process of upward economic and social convergence. This is even more necessary in the aftermath of the pandemic crisis to pave the way for a swift recovery.
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Past experiences have shown that investment is often drastically cut during crises. However, it is essential to support investment, public and private, in this particular situation to speed up the recovery, mitigate the effects of the pandemic on social inclusion and cohesion and strengthen long- term growth potential. Investing in green and digital technologies, capacities and processes aimed at assisting clean energy transition, boosting energy efficiency in housing and other key sectors of the economic are important to achieve sustainable growth and help create jobs. It will also help make the Union more resilient and less dependent by diversifying key supply chains. However, it is equally important to invest in education, culture and other public services of general interest in order to promote social inclusion and social cohesion, to prepare the citizens for the future needs of our labour markets, to equip them with the necessary skills and competences and to give them new opportunities.
Amendment 174 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
(g a) an explanation how it addresses challenges to good and effective governance and capacity gaps including through capacity building among public authorities and beneficiaries at the appropriate scale;
Amendment 176 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point h
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point h
(h) any other accompanying measures that may be needed;
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3 – point -a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 3 – point -a (new)
(-a) whether the stakeholders as referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 15 have given their consent to the recovery and resilience plan;
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Currently, no instrument foresees direct financial support linked to the achievement of results and to implementation of reforms and public investments of the Member States in response to challenges identified in the European Semester, and with a view to having a lasting impact on the productivity and resilience of the economy and public services of the Member States.
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 22 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) ensure complementarity, synergy, coherence and consistency among different instruments at Union, national and, where appropriate, regional levels, in particular in relation to measures financed by Union funds, both in the planning phase and during implementation;
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 22 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) ensure close cooperation between those responsible for implementation at Union, national and, where appropriate, regional levels to achieve the objectives of the instruments established under this Regulation.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to implement these overall objectives, relevant actions will be identified during the Facility’s preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes. Also, due attention should be paid to the impact of the national plans submitted under this Regulation on fostering not only the green transition, but also the digital transformation, including the promotion of digital education, skills and competences. They will both play a priority role in relaunching and modernising our economy.
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Facility’s general objective should be the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion. For that purpose, it should contribute to improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions aimed at achieving a climate neutral Europe by 2050, thereby restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union in the aftermath of the crisis, fostering public services, employment creation and to promoting sustainable growth.
Amendment 344 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) To ensure its contribution to the objectives of the Facility, the recovery and resilience plan should comprise measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment projects through a coherent recovery and resilience plan. The recovery and resilience plan should be consistent with the relevant country- specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester, with the national reform programmes, the national energy and climate plans, the just transition plans, and the partnership agreements and operational programmes adopted under the Union funds. To boost actions that fall within the priorities of the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, the plan should also set out measures that are relevant for the green and digital transitions. Furthermore, the plan should set out measures in the areas of education and culture, which contribute considerably to economic and social resilience. The measures should enable a swift deliver of targets, objectives and contributions set out in national energy and climate plans and updates thereof. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union.