30 Amendments of Jérôme RIVIÈRE related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The regulatory framework governing the Union’s cohesion policy for the period from 2021 to 2027, in the context of the next multi-annual financial framework, contributes to the fulfilment of the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by concentrating Union funding on green objectives. This Regulation implements one of the priorities set out in the Communication on the European Green Deal (‘the European Green Deal’)11 and is part of the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan12 providing dedicated financing under the Just Transition Mechanism in the context of cohesion policy to address the economic and social costs of the energy industry transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by equivalent absorptions. __________________ 11 COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 12 COM(2020) 21, 14.1.2020.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the UnionIn this context of unprecedented health and economic crisis linked to COVID-19, one of the most important policy objectives for the industrial strategy of Member States is to assist the energy transition with financial and social support measures intended for all territories. On 12 December 2019, the European Council endorsed the objective of achieving a climate-neutral Union by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transition from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the transition entails a wider social and economic impact for those regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels - especially coal, lignite, peat and oil shale - or greenhouse gas intensive industries. Such a situation not only creates the risk of a variable speed transition in the Union as regards climate action, but also of growing disparities between regions, detrimental to the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) As set out in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, a Just Transition Mechanism should complement the other actions under the next multi-annual financial framework for the period from 2021 to 2027. It should contribute to addressing the social and economic consequences of transitioning towards Union climate neutrality by bringing together the Union budget’s spending on climate and social objectives at regional level , according to well-defined operating and integration schemes.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) which is one of the pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism implemented under cohesion policy. The aim of the JTF is to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned. In line with the JTF specific objective, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to alleviate the impact of the transition by financing the diversification and modernisation of the local economy and by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment through new job solutions. This is reflected in the JTF specific objective, which is established at the same level and listed together with the policy objectives set out in Article [4] of Regulation EU [new CPR].
Amendment 96 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In view of the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement, the commitment regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the increased ambition of the Union as proposed in the European Green Deal, the JTF should provide a key contribution to mainstream climate actions. Resources from the JTF own envelope are additional and come on top of the investments needed to achieve the overall target of 25% of the Union budget expenditure contributing to climate objectives. Resources transferred from the ERDF and ESF+ wishall contribute fully to the achievement of this target.
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy is a challenge for all Member States. It will be particularly demanding for those Member States that rely heavily on fossil fuels or greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities which need to be phased out or which need to adapt due to the transition towards climate neutrality and that lack the financial means to do so. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, and all sources of energy supply likely to be renewed, but the distribution of its financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutrality.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies and are sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy. For declining sectors, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the phasing out of the activity and the corresponding reduction in the employment level. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission levels, support should promote new activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or, products or new skills, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 while maintaining and enhancing employment and avoiding environmental degradation. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a climate- neutral and circular economy. __________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition, the JTF should provide support to productive investment in SMEs. Productive investment should be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises in view of producing goods and services thereby contributing to gross-capital formation and employment. For enterprises other than SMEs, productive investments should only be supported if they are necessary for mitigating job losses resulting from the transition, by creating or protecting a significant number of jobs and by training staff in the event of industrial conversion operations and they do not lead to or result from relocation. Investments in existing industrial facilities, including those covered by the Union Emissions Trading System, should be allowed if they contribute to the transition to a climate- neutral economy by 2050 and go substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14 and if they result in the protection of a significant number of jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market and cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular, support to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should be limited to enterprises located in areas designated as assisted areas for the purposes of points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) TFEU. __________________ 14Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
Amendment 160 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) The JTF takes into account the supply chain of energy sector which build on existing national industrial networks, namely suppliers working for large industrial groups that could be involved in new energy projects.
Amendment 163 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) In order to provide flexibility for the programming of the JTF resources under the Investment for jobs and growth goal, it should be possible to prepare a self- standing JTF programme or toand accurate JTF work programme JTF resources in one or more dedicated priorities within a programme supported by the European Regional Development Fund (‘ERDF’), the European Social Fund Plus (‘ESF+’) or the Cohesion Fund. In accordance with Article 21a of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], JTF resources should be reinforced with complementary funding from the ERDF and the ESF+should be reinforced with supplementary funding from the ERDF and the ESF+, where there is complementarity between the thematic priorities.. The respective amounts transferred from the ERDF and the ESF+ should be consistent with the type of operations set out in the territorial just transition plans.
Amendment 174 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The JTF support should be conditional on the effective implementation of a transition process in a specific territory in order to achieve a climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with their National Energy and Climate Plans. To this end, the Commission should set up a Just Transition Platform, which would build on the existing platform for coal regions in transition to enable bilateral and multilateral exchanges of experience on lessons learnt and best practices across all affected sectors.
Amendment 183 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The territorial just transition plans should identify the territories most negatively affected, where JTF support should be concentrated and describe specific actions to be undertaken to reach a climate-neutral economy, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or other greenhouse gas intensive activities. Those territories should be precisely defined and correspond to NUTS level 3 regions or should be parts thereof. The plans should detail the challenges and needs of those territories and identify the type of operations needed in a manner that ensures the coherent development of climate-resilient economic activities that are also consistent with the transition to climate-neutrality and the objectives of the Green Deal. Only investments in accordance with the transition plans should receive financial support from the JTF. The territorial just transition plans should be part of the programmes (supported by the ERDF, the ESF+, the Cohesion Fund or the JTF, as the case may be) which are approved by the Commission.
Amendment 189 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
Amendment 194 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The objectives of this Regulation, namely to support territories facing economic and social transformation in their energy transition to a climate-neutral economy, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States alone. The main reasons in this regard are, on the one hand, the disparities between the levels of development of the various territories and the backwardness of the least favoured territories, as well as the limit on the financial resources of the Member States and territories and, on the other hand, the need for a coherent implementation framework covering several Union funds under shared management. Since those objectives can better be achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives,
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) to provide support to territories facing serious socio- economic challenges deriving from the transition processguide Member State towards a climate- neutral economy of the Union by 2050.
Amendment 205 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. It lays down the specific objective of the JTF, its geographical coverage and resources, the specific scope of its support with regard to the Investment for jobs and growth goal referred to in [point (a) of Article 4(2)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR] as well as specific provisions for programming and indicators necessary for monitoring.
Amendment 206 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – title
Article 2 – title
Specific objectives
Amendment 207 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
1. In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article [4(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the JTF shall contribute to the single specific objective ‘enabling regions and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’. 2. The JTF encourages renewal investments in existing low-carbon energy infrastructures that ensure the supply- demand balancing in domestic electrical systems and, via exports, the European electrical system. 3. The JTF promotes industrial cooperation to promote low-carbon electric production models from some Member States in those countries that are highly dependent on fossil fuels.
Amendment 233 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The financing of the JTF shall not affect the resources allocated to Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the LIFE programme(Financial Instrument for the Environment) supporting the same thematic priorities.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall adopt a decision by means of an implementing delegated act setting out the annual breakdown of resources, including any additional resources referred to in paragraph 2, by Member State in accordance with the methodology set out in Annex I.
Amendment 239 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall only support activities that are directly linked to its specific objectives as set out in Article 2 and which contribute to the implementation of the territorial just transition plans established in accordance with Article 7.
Amendment 277 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
(d) investments in the deployment of technology and infrastructures for affordable clean energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency new nuclear and renewable energy;
Amendment 284 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) investments in the renewal of existing energy infrastructures that currently guarantee a high low-carbon supply rate at national and European level;
Amendment 290 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d b (new)
(db) investments in mixed energy supply models based on the synergy of all low-carbon technologies- renewable, nuclear, CO2 capture and storage - in order to: reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, meet the rapidly growing demand for electricity in the coming years, achieve a deep decarbonisation of the electricity sector by 2050;
Amendment 297 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d c (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d c (new)
(dc) promotion of industrial cooperation through the transmission of virtuous energy and industrial models between the European Union members to create the best conditions for future investment in countries preparing the transition;
Amendment 332 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
(h) development of new skills, upskilling and reskilling of workers;
Amendment 341 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
(j) training and active inclusion of jobseekers;
Amendment 356 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5
Article 5
Amendment 385 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 470 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 8(4) shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time from [the date of the entry into force of this Regulation].