Activities of Markéta GREGOROVÁ related to 2023/0397(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans
Amendments (18)
Amendment 11 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The Facility should ensure consistency with, and support to the general objectives of Union external action as laid down in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union, including the respect for fundamental rights as enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It will notably ensure the protection and promotion of human rights, ILO Conventions, and the rule of law.
Amendment 13 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Activities under the Facility should support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, reducing inequalities while decoupling economic growth from resource use, the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and should not contribute to environmental degradation or cause harm to the environment or climate. Measures funded under the Facility should be in line with the Beneficiaries’ National Energy and Climate Plans, their Nationally Determined Contribution and ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050. The Facility should contribute to the mitigation action and to the ability to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, and foster climate resilience. The Facility should support boosting innovation for SMEs and social economy actors, as well as technology transfer in support of green and digital transitions; Activities under the Facility should include policies to reduce youth unemployment and brain drain away from the countries in the Western Balkans; Activities under the Facility should foresee environmental impact assessments and public consultations on projects affecting protected areas, biodiversity and environmental protection, taking into account local community views.
Amendment 18 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The implementation of this Regulation should be guided by the principles of equality and non- discrimination, as elaborated in the Union of Equality strategies. It should promote gender equality, including tackling gender pay gaps, and the empowerment of women and girls, and seek to protect and promote women’s and girls’ rights in line with the EU Gender Action Plans and relevant Council conclusions and international conventions. The implementation of the Facility should be in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure accessibility in its investments and technical assistance.
Amendment 19 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Reflecting the European Green Deal as Europe’s sustainable growth strategy and the importance of tackling climate and biodiversity objectives in line with the commitments of the Interinstitutional Agreement, the Facility should contribute to the achievement of the overall target of 30% of Union budget expenditure supporting climate objectives and 7.5% in 2024 and 10% in 2026 and 2027 to biodiversity objectives. At least 37% of the non-repayable financial support channelled through the WBIF should account to climate objectives, with a view to achieving climate-neutrality. The Facility should support activities that fully respect the climate and environmental standards and priorities of the Union and the principle of ‘do no significant harm’ within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/8528 . _________________ 8 Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088, OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13.
Amendment 20 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) In order to ensure an efficient implementation of the Facility, including the facilitation of the Western Balkans Beneficiaries’ integration in European value chains, all supplies and materials financed and procured under this Facility should originate from Member States, Beneficiaries, contracting parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and countries covered by Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council10 and Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 and countries for which reciprocal access to external assistance in Beneficiaries is established by the Commission, and shall meet, whenever possible, high social and environmental criteria, unless the supplies and materials cannot be sourced at reasonable conditions in any of those countries. _________________ 10 Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/947/oj).
Amendment 21 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The Reform Agendas should include an explanation of the Beneficiary’s system to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, corruption, fraud and conflicts of interests, when using the funds provided under the Facility, and the arrangements that aim to avoid double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors. The Reform Agendas should be designed and implemented with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in each country.
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The Commission should assess each Reform Agenda based on the list of criteria set out in this Regulation. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to approve those Reform Agendas. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council11 . The Commission will duly take into account Council decision 2010/427/EU and the role of the EEAS where appropriate, and in particular when monitoring the fulfilment of the precondition for Union support. The assessment of the Reform Agendas should be carried out by the Commission, assisted by independent experts, including from civil society. _________________ 11 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj).
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) accelerate the transition of the Beneficiaries to sustainable, climate- neutral and inclusive economies, with low inequality levels and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use, capable of withstanding competitive market pressures of the Union single market, and to a stable investment environment;
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) accelerate green transition in line with the 2020 Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and covering all economic sectors, particularly energy, including energy efficiency and the transition towards de- carbonised climate- neutral, climate- resilient and circular economy and the protection of biodiversity and the environment;
Amendment 26 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) boost innovation, particularly for SMEs and social economy actors, and promote technology transfer and in support of the green and digital transitions;
Amendment 27 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) boost quality education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies and the uptake of ILO Conventions, with a focus on tackling gender pay gaps and youth unemployment, including policies to avoid a brain drain away from Beneficiary countries;
Amendment 28 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) further strengthen the fundamentals of the enlargement process, including the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, through promoting an independent judiciary, reinforced security, the fight against fraud, corruption, organised crime and money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion and tax fraud; compliance with international law; strengthen freedom of media and academic freedom and an enabling environment for civil society as partner and watchdog of government policies; foster social dialogue; promote gender equality and the reduction of gender pay gaps, non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities;
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Cooperation under the Facility shall be based on and shall promote the development effectiveness principles, across all modalities, namely ownership of development priorities by the Beneficiaries, a focus on results, inclusive partnerships and participatory policy- making that includes civil society and local authorities, transparency and mutual accountability. The cooperation shall be based on effective and efficient resources allocation and use.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. Activities under the Facility shall mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity and environmental protection, human rights, democracy, gender equality and, where relevant, disaster risk reduction, and shall support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting integrated actions that can create co-benefits and meet multiple objectives in a coherent way, ensuring environmental impact assessments and public consultations on projects affecting protected areas, biodiversity and environmental protection, taking into account local community views. They shall avoid stranded assets, and shall be guided by the principles of ‘do no harm’ and of ‘leaving no one behind’, as well as by the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Preconditions for the support under the Facility shall be that the Beneficiaries continue to uphold and respect effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi- party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and guarantee respect for all human rights obligations, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Another pre- condition shall be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. All supplies and materials financed and procured under this Facility shall originate from any country referred to paragraph 1 point (a) and point (b) and shall meet, whenever possible, high social and environmental criteria, unless if the supplies and materials cannot be sourced at reasonable conditions in any of those countries. In addition, the rules on restrictions in paragraph 6 apply.
Amendment 41 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 5
Article 11 – paragraph 5
5. The Reform Agendas shall respect the general principles set out in Article 4 and shall be drafted in an open and transparent manner, in consultation with all stakeholders.
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Article 14 – paragraph 4
4. For the purpose of the assessment of the Reform Agendas submitted by the Beneficiaries, the Commission may be assisted by expertsindependent experts, including from civil society.