51 Amendments of Gheorghe FALCĂ related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources from the JTF should complement the resources available under cohesion policy and other public funds made available by all Member States.
Amendment 50 #
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, alternative natural resources and skilled workforce to do so. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, 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 59 #
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 and regional 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, 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 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transition, the JTF should also cover the up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workers, with the aim of helping them to adapt to new employment opportunities, as well as providing job-search assistance to jobseekers and their active and full inclusion into the labour market.
Amendment 72 #
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 iInvestment should be understood as finvestmenancial support 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 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 78 #
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 shouldwill 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, but to monitor the transition process, as well.
Amendment 99 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The resources for the JTF under the Investment for jobs and growth goal available for budgetary commitment for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 7.5 billion in 2018 prices, which maywill be increased, as the case maywill be, by additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act.
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources ofrom the JTF should complement the resources available under cohesion policy. be substantial and consistent with its ambitious objective and should complement the resources available under cohesion policy. The establishment of the JTF should under no circumstance lead to cuts in or transfers from the funds covered by Regulation (EU) ../.. [new CPR], particularly from funds such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF+) or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
For the purposes of programming and subsequent inclusion in the Union budget, the amount referred to in the first subparagraph shall be indexed at least with 2% per year.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in SMEs, including start-ups, leading to economic diversification and reconversion;
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in diversification/expansion of already established companies and the creation of new firms, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 124 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e
(e) investments in digitalisation, artificial intelligence and digital connectivity;
Amendment 128 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in green infrastructure, reducing pollution, regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects;
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f – point i (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f – point i (new)
i) investments in public and sustainable multimodal urban mobility;
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g
(g) investments in enhancing the circular economy, including through waste of all kinds, prevention, reduction, resource efficiency, reuse, repair and recycling;
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) decommissioning or the construction of nuclear power stations;
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
(h) investments in programmes for upskilling and reskilling of workers;
Amendment 143 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h – point i (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h – point i (new)
(i) developing social infrastructure needed to support the access to labour market, social inclusion and active health ageing;
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h – point ii (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h – point ii (new)
(ii) investments in education and vocational training programmes;
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h – point iii (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h – point iii (new)
(iii) investments in entrepreneurial educational programmes;
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
(j) active and full inclusion of jobseekers;
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) undertakings in difficulty, as defined in Article 2(18) of Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/201416 , except for those that could get support from JTF for green investments, new technology and infrastructures which could contribute to gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and/or production of energy from renewable sources; _________________ 16Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty (OJ L 187, 26.6.2014, p. 1).
Amendment 164 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) investment related to the production, processing, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels with the exception of: (i) the replacement of coal-based heating systems by gas-based heating systems and other transitional alternatives for climate mitigation purposes; (ii) investment in networks of distribution and transport of natural gas substituting coal; (iii) investment related to clean vehicles as defined in [the recast of Directive 2009/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council;
Amendment 183 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant authorities of the territories concerned, including local and regional authorities, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Thematic enabling conditions are not applicable to JTF. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in particular with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity. _________________ 17 Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1).
Amendment 195 #
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 , energy security and environmental challenges deriving from the energy transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050, namely to all regions where coal is still harvested or where important structural changes take place after phasing out coal-mining activities as well as to regions with greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities.
Amendment 204 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) where support is provided to productive investments to enterprises other than SMEs, an exhaustive list of such operations and enterprises and a justification of the necessity of such support through a gap analysis demonstrating that the expected job losses would exceed the expected number of jobs created in the absence of the investment;
Amendment 208 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) synergies and complementarities with other Union programmes and pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism to address identified developinvestment needs.
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point j – point i (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point j – point i (new)
i) a comprehensive timeframe of implementation for the concrete actions previewed in the plan.
Amendment 219 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Where the Commission concludes, based on the examination of the final performance report of the programme, that there is a failure to achieve at least 650% of the target established for one or more output or result indicators for the JTF resources, it may make financial corrections pursuant to Article [98] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR] by reducing the support from the JTF to the priority concerned in proportion to the achievements.
Amendment 224 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall support the Investment for jobs and growth goal inerritories as mentioned in article 1 paragraph 1 from all Member States.
Amendment 225 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The resources for the JTF under the Investment for jobs and growth goal available for budgetary commitment for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 7.at least EUR 18,75 billion in 2018 prices, which and shall not be transferred from the allocations of the funds covered by the Regulation (EU) [new CPR], particularly from funds such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF+) or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). That amount may be increased, as the case may be, by additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act.
Amendment 236 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 4
Article 3 – paragraph 4
4. By way of derogation from Article [21a(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], any additional resources referred to in paragraph 2, allocated to the JTF in the Union budget or provided by other resources shall not require complementary support from the ERDF or the ESF+.
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
In accordance with paragraph 1, the JTF shall exclusivelyat least support the following activities:
Amendment 246 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in SMEs, includingexisting companies, including regional and local publicly-owned companies, SMEs and start-ups, leading to economic diversification and reconversion; as well as contributing to the creation of new jobs;
Amendment 280 #
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) investment in deployment of technologies to replace technologies based on fossil fuel, except natural gas, with technologies using alternative fuels including natural gas.
Amendment 281 #
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 related to the production, processing, transportation, distribution, storage or combustion of natural gas, renewable gas and hydrogen;
Amendment 308 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing project, decontamination, environmental remediation, revitalization, access and renovation of former coal mine and power station as well as brownfield sites and facilities, land restoration and repurposing projects, including afforestation of post coal mine sites;
Amendment 316 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f a (new)
(fa) investments in environmentally- friendly multimodal urban mobility and alternative transport fuels accelerating the transition towards zero-emission mobility;
Amendment 324 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) investment in transport infrastructure facilitating economic development and jobs creation;
Amendment 326 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g b (new)
(gb) investment in transport decarbonisation
Amendment 351 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Additionally, the JTF may support, in areas designated as assisted areas in accordance with points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) of the TFEU,the territories as defined in Article 1 paragraph 1 productive investments in enterprises other than SMEs, provided that such investments have been approved as part of the territorial just transition plan based on the information required under point (h) of Article 7(2). Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessary for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan.
Amendment 392 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The JTF priorityogrammes or priorities shall comprisebe finance by the JTF resources consisting of all or part of the JTF allocation for the Member States and the resources transferred in accordance with Article [21a] (1)]of Regulation (EU) [new CPR]. The total of the ERDF and ESF+ resources transferred to the JTF priority shall be at least equal to one and a half times the amount of support from the JTF to that priority but shall not exceed three times that amount.
Amendment 435 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Amendment 442 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i a (new)
(ia) where support is provided to investment to transport infrastructure, a list of such operations and the impact study demonstrating the level of attracted investment and the expected jobs created as effect of the built infrastructure;
Amendment 443 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i b (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i b (new)
(ib) where support is provided for implementing, for a transition period, of technologies to produce reduced greenhouse emissions an analyses demonstrating the benefit generated by preserved jobs versus emission reduction.
Amendment 475 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
(a) the share of each Member State is calculated as the weighted sum of the shares determined on the basis of the following criteria, calculated as an average for 2015-2017 period, weighted as indicated:
Amendment 904 #
RCO 01 a new - lost and new created enterprises
Amendment 905 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – table – column 1 – Outputs – row 1 – RCO 01 b (new)
Annex III – table – column 1 – Outputs – row 1 – RCO 01 b (new)
RCO 01 b new - GDP/cap in the territory
Amendment 906 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – table – column 2 – Results – row 1 – RCR 01 a (new)
Annex III – table – column 2 – Results – row 1 – RCR 01 a (new)
RCR 01 a new - Gap between loss and created jobs
Amendment 907 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – table – column 2 – Results – row 1 – RCR 01 b (new)
Annex III – table – column 2 – Results – row 1 – RCR 01 b (new)
RCR 01 b new - Increase of GDP/cap in the territory