Activities of Margarida MARQUES related to 2019/2211(INI)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on European Semester for economic policy coordination: Annual Growth Survey 2020
Amendments (35)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13
Citation 13
— having regard to the Commission communication of 21 Nov17 December 20189 entitled ‘Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020’ (COM(2019)0650), and to the Commission’s Alert Mechanism Report 2020 of 17 December 2019 (COM(2019)0651),
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
- having regard to the European Investment Bank Report 2019/2020, "Accelerating Europe´s transformation"
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the European Union needs a more sustainable growth model in order to respond to environmental, digital and demographic challenges; welcomes the European Green Deal as the new green growth strategy for Europe with sustainability, citizen well-being and fairness at its core as well as a socially just transition, that will respect the limitations of our natural resources and ensure job creation and lasting prosperity for the future;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 14 January 2020 on the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan (COM(2020) 21 final)
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. stresses the importance to swiftly adopt the European investment stabilisation function together with a European unemployment benefit reinsurance scheme, with a view to protecting citizens and reducing pressure on public finances during asymmetric shocks so as to overcome social and economic imbalances;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 b (new)
Citation 25 b (new)
- having regard to the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Just Transition Fund (COM(2020) 22 final)
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the importance of the European Semester as an instrument to ensure macroeconomic policyies coordination with a shift in emphasis from macroeconomic stability to sustainable development; welcomes the increased focus on climate and environmental sustainability and on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Country Reports;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes the new Commission’s commitment to revise the actual rules of the Stability and Growth Pact, which in an period of economic stagnation and underinvestment, are no longer appropriate; therefore, considers that additional flexibility is needed in order to boost growth, environmental and social public investments to counter the climate emergency and its social consequences;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Recalls, for instance, the importante role of the Cohesion Funds in the implementation of the SDGs, as well as the European Pilar of Social Rights, in the Member States;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Reminds, as another example, the paramount effect of investments in research and development, as well as on skilling youth, in the Member States’ productivities, and stresses the paradox between this fact and the repetitive willingness from some Member States over the last years and for the next period, for a low ambition EU policy in this regards;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the importance of a properly funded EU budget in order to address common challenges and citizens’ expectations; recalls Parliament’s position demanding a strong and credible EU budget and an agreement on the reform of the EU’s own resources to give its consent; requests that the Commission adopt a more transparent, stringent, comprehensive methodology for climate and biodiversity mainstreaming, while involving Parliament in this process; including reformed performance indicators, for defining and tackling climate and biodiversity relevant expenditure, the prevention of financial support for harmful measures and the monitoring of the mid to long-term impact of climate mainstreaming for mitigation and adaptation, while involving Parliament in this process; recalls that the future EU budget should contribute to climate and biodiversity mainstreaming beyond levels of targeted spending shares through the integration of the climate and social dimensions in the decision-making of all major policies and throughout the entire policy cycle;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Considers that the transition to this new growth model requires a significant amount of investment and some of the instruments envisaged in the next MFF 2021-2027 can play an important role in supporting the green transition;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that the Member States and regions have different starting points when it comes to the transition and the efforts already made shall not be neglected; considers that the Just Transition Mechanism should ensure an adequate, inclusive and fair transition for all affected by environmental and climate transformation towards a neutral carbon economy;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes the initiative of the Commission to present a Sustainable Europe Investment Plan as a real catalyser to the necessary investments to deliver on the European Green Deal;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Recalls the importance to complete the Economic and Monetary Union with a central fiscal capacity able to accommodate macro-economic shocks with instruments such as the European Unemployment Benefit Reinsurance Scheme and the European Investments Stabilisation Function; notes the proposals to create a Budgetary Instrument for Convergence and Competitiveness for the Euro area and a Reform Support Programme; considers that its governance structure should be subject to democratic control and fears that if this budgetary instrument is too small it risks not being macro- economically relevant;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Underlines the importance, for the budgetary resources of the EU and its Member States, of fighting tax evasion, tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning; recalls that investment in this fight brings back financing power to national budgets much more easily and systematically than any saving performed on the back of the EU budget; considers that digital technologies will impact the way value added is created in the economy and that the European taxation system should be reformed to cope with this transformation;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6 d. Considers that flexibility of the Stability and Growth Pact should be further revised to take into account Member States' efforts supporting, through public investment, a fair and inclusive transition towards a competitive green and digital economy; reiterates that, as a contribution to an investment and counter-cyclical budget, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, Member States’ contributions to EU budget and/or national co-financing of EU programmes should be excluded from the national deficits calculations;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6 e. Underlines that any taxation reform aiming at greening the national budgets must be conceived so as to avoid increasing the fiscal burden on the contributors;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Invites the Commission to continue to enhance the democratic accountability of the European Semester. and invites Member States to involve national parliaments, social partners and relevant stakeholders to collaborate more closely with the European Parliament in the context of the European Semester on the macroeconomic policy coordination;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. having regard to the need for a European Climate Law with a legally binding goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest and an intermediate target of at least 655 % for 2030;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that, in view of the climate change emergencyenvironmental, digital and demographical challenges, the EU’s Annual Growth Survey (AGS) has now been renamed the Annual Sustainable Growth Survetrategy (ASGS), and consid to steers that this implies a change in the posie EU´s economic policy orientation ing of the report and the implementation of ecological indicatorsdirection of sustainable growth;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the role of the European Green Deal as the EU’s new growth strategy defining ecological issueswith sustainability and the wellbeing of citizens as principal goalits fcor the Unione; notes, with regard to the scope of the European Semester, the inclusion of the SDGs and of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), which willmight require the adjustment of existing indicators and the creation of new ones to monitor the implementation of EU economic, environmental and social policies, as well as coherence between policy goals and budgetary means; notes the need to implemenreflect long-term planningconcerns in addition to short- term economic policy management to tackle climate change;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the role of the European Green Deal as the EU’s new strategy defining ecological issues and the wellbeing of citizens as one of the principal goals for the Union; notes, with regard to the scope of the European Semester, the inclusion of the SDGs and of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), which willmight require the adjustment of existing indicators and the creation of new ones to monitor the implementation of EU economic, environmental and social policies, as well as coherence between policy goals and budgetary means; notes the need to implement long-term planning to tackle climate change;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes that long-term potential growth is affected by negative demographic situation, therefore demanding policies to overcome this situation and to foster productivity;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Considers that the transition to a new growth model requires significant amount of public and private investment; stresses the importance of a properly funded EU budget able to deliver on the common challenges committed and to meet citizens expectations; recalls the need to create the right conditions for private investment to accelerate the transformation and the importance to complete the Capital Markets Union to support long-term investment, including the one for the transitions, and foster higher-risk investment for young and innovative firms.
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Endorses the conclusion of the European Fiscal Board (EFB) that the fiscal framework has not protected the quality of public expenditure, and welcomes the EFB’s proposal for a ‘golden rule’ to protect public investment; calls, therefore, for the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact and the introduction of a golden rule aimed at implementing sound fiscal policy on an equal footing with investment within the EU’s policy objto simplify the Stability and Growth Pact and make it more effectives; whereas this should cover the investment foreseen for the realisation of the Green Deal, the Digital Revolution, the SDGs and the EPSR Rights, including expenditure aimed at reducing poverty and inequality related to social protection, health services and long-term care, and education and trainingcalls, therefore, for a revision of the Stability and Growth Pact including an enabling framework to protect growth-enhancing public expenditure, while ensuring sound fiscal policy;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. States that climate policy must go hand-in-hand with supporting public and private investment in the EU and enhance industrial competitiveness of the EU economy as well as create further jobs;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its call for a European stabilisation function and, namely through a tool to protect public investment or a European unemployment benefit reinsurance scheme, with a view to protecting citizens and reducing pressure on public finances during external shocks so as to overcome social and economic imbalances;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls the importance of the efficient regulation of the banking and financial sectors in order to prevent a new crisis; believes that such regulation must integrate the ecological situation; emphasises the importance of completing the Banking Union, through the adoption of the Third Pillar of the Banking Union (EDIS), and the need to reform the European Stability Mechanism, as the backstop for the SRF;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the systematic inclusion of tax matters in the Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs), with the aim of ensuring economic coherence across EU Member States as well as the fairness of EU tax systems; believes that the CSRs could ensure a fair balance between sources of revenue and should also include innovative elements aiming at promoting the Green Deal; further believes that they should also support Member States in tackling tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning; calls for the swift adoption of own-resources legislation at European level, namely through the adoption of Digital Tax and Carbon Border Tax at the European level;
Amendment 330 #
17 a. Emphasizing that tax fraud has been a serious hit for the EU Member States' budgets, calls for decisive steps of the Commission and the Council to overcome the deadlock in the negotiations of the CC(C)TB and the public CbCR; Emphasizes a need for a clear common position of the EU for the international negotiations related to tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy;
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Notes that despite of the recovery in the European labour market, productivity growth has slowed and strong disparities persist. Noting that skills constraints are still one of the main obstacles to investment, considers that technological changes can have a significant impact on jobs and that a long term strategy to foster adaptative and inclusive systems for skills development is needed;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Notes that there are significant disparities in the Members States’ job market situations; highlights the important role of investment in promoting growth and job creation;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasizing that youth unemployment is still a major issue in many EU Member States, underlines that the unemployment rate in the EU has been steadily falling; Takes note of AMR 2020’s finding that wage growth at euro area level remains below what would be expected at the current levels of unemployment on the basis of historical data, and that this affects the inflation rate; highlights that the currently low productivity and inflation together with structural reforms transferring collective bargaining to the enterprise level are detrimental to wage growth and are leading to greater income inequality and an increase in the numbers of working poor, with in-work poverty affecting almost one in ten workers in Europe; accordingly advocates wage growth;
Amendment 400 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Looks forward to the stronger involvement of the EP and the national parliaments in the European Semester process and to the creation of an institutionalised dialogue with the Commission, the social partners, territories and civil society, at both EU and national level, in order to further boost the process’s democratic legitimacy; Believes that streamlining the process and better communication on the European Semester could increase citizens' interest in the Commission's recommendations, intensify national ownership and - therefore - increase the willingness of EU Member States to commit to the reforms proposed by the Commission;