16 Amendments of Stéphane BIJOUX related to 2023/0397(COD)
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The support under the Facility should be provided to meet general and specific objectives, based on established criteria and with clear payment conditions safeguarded by comprehensive audit frameworks. The general objectives of the Facility should be to accelerate regional economic integration, progressive integration with the Union single market, socio-economic convergence of Western Balkans economies and alignment with Union laws, rules, standards, policies and practices with a view to Union membership. The Facility should also help accelerate reforms related to fundamentals of the enlargement process, including rule of law, public procurement and State aid control, public finance management and fight against corruption. These objectives should be pursued in a mutually reinforcing manner.
Amendment 27 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The Facility should promote the development effectiveness principles, respecting additionality to the support provided under other Union programmes and instruments and striving to avoidpreventing duplication between assistance under this Regulation and other assistance provided by the Union, the Member States, third countries, multilateral and regional organisations and entities.
Amendment 28 #
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, and the rule of law which are the fundamental political prerequisites of the EU accession process.
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13 a) This regulation should promote the European code of conduct on partnership and the multi-level governance principle in order to prepare the Beneficiaries for the future implementation of the European Structural and Investment Funds.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies with enhanced levels of transparency and continuous evaluation by the Commission. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respect and uphold effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Another pre-condition should 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 37 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respects and upholds effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to national, religious, cultural and sexual minorities. Another pre-condition should 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 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respects and upholds effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Another pre-condition should 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
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Restrictions of eligibility in award procedures under the Facility should be allowed on account of the specific nature of the activity or when the activity affects security or public order in due process with adequate means of appeal to avoid arbitrary use of these provisions based on political partiality.
Amendment 40 #
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 avoidshould prevent double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors.
Amendment 41 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) The Commission should ensure that the financial interests of the Union are effectively protected under the Facility. At the same time, given the long track record of financial assistance provided to the Western Balkans Beneficiaries also under indirect management and taking into account their gradual alignment with the Unions internal control standards and practices, the Commission may rely to a great extent on the operation of the national internal control and fraud prevention systems. In particular, the Commission and OLAF should be informed of all suspected cases of irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflict of interests affecting the implementation of funds under the Facility without delay. The Commission and OLAF should provide evaluation of said fraud prevention systems and offer recommendations for upgrades or fixes to the Beneficiaries in line with the EU acquis in case of deficiencies.
Amendment 58 #
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 in line with the respective EU accession priorities;
Amendment 71 #
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. They shall avoid stranded assets, and shall be guided by the principles of ‘do no harm’ and of, ‘leaving no one behind’ and the European code of conduct on partnership and the multi-level governance principle, as well as by the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 7
Article 8 – paragraph 7
7. Tender applicants and candidates from non-eligible countries may be accepted as eligible in theonly in substantiated cases of urgency or where services are unavailable in the markets of the countries or territories concerned, or in other duly substantiated cases where application of the eligibility rules would make the realisation of an action impossible or exceedingly difficult, with full transparency and backed by legitimate justification.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point c a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point c a (new)
(c a) the Beneficiary's commitment to the fundamental EU principle of subsidiarity in the distribution of funds within its jurisdiction, preventing regional or political favouritism.
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(f a) provisions facilitating transparency and accountability through the means of easy public access to information related to the distribution of Facility funds.
Amendment 102 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
For the part of the Facility funding paid as financial assistance, channelled directly to the Beneficiaries’ national budgets, the Commission shall rely on existing and improved internal control systems of the Beneficiaries, including the National Audit Authorities and, where applicable, the Anti-Fraud Coordination Services of each Beneficiary established in the framework of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance as well as on local civilian oversight facilitated by transparency measures in line with EU standards.