Activities of Ciarán CUFFE related to 2020/0006(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Just Transition Fund
Amendments (28)
Amendment 28 #
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 objectivesregulatory framework governing the Union’s cohesion policy for the Union. 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 aperiod 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 to limit global temperature increase to below 1.5°C and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by concentrating Union funding on green objectives as well inas the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transiEuropean Pillar of Social Rights. This Regulation implements one of the priorities set out in the Communication fromon 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 cohesionEuropean 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 challenges of the transition to a climate-neutral fully renewables-based, highly resource- and energy-efficient and circular economy as early as possible and by 2050 at the very latest, and to support and accompany European regions and people with social, labour market and economic support.
Amendment 31 #
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fairinclusive and socially acceptable for all, reduce inequalities and leave no one behind. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States must take into account its economic and social implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequencesas well as the different regional and local actors should take into account its social, labour market and economic implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequences and enhance the positive ones, such as the creation of new, decent and sustainable jobs or the improvement of air quality. The Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 37 #
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 not only to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories andut also to create and enhance the future positive effects by supporting the most affected territories as well as the people living there and in particular the 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 thfacilitating and catalysing the transition by creating new sustainable employment opportunities, by mitigating adverse lsocial economysequences and by mitigatfinancing the negative repercussions on employment. diversification, sustainability and modernisation of the local economy. 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 39 #
(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 250% of the Union budget expenditure contributing to climate objectives. Resources transferred from the ERDF and ESF+ will contribute fully to the achievement of this target.
Amendment 49 #
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, and high modal shares of greenhouse gas intensive transport, 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, 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 55 #
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 accountfully aligning with all the objectives of the Green Deal and the Paris climate deal objective of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C. 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, gas, oil 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, while fostering the modal shift in transport, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 at the latest 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 62 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizensgroups of people who are the most vulnerable tolikely to require support to achieve 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 jobseekerspaying particular attention to the most vulnerable people as defined in the [ESF+ regulation], with the aim of helping them to adapt to new employment opportunities, and achieving gender balance across sectors, as well as providing active labour market and skills policies targeted towards future oriented sectors and employment, assistance to those affected by the transition, and personalised job-search assistance to all categories of jobseekers and ensuring equal access to all groups of people without discrimination and their active inclusion into the labour market.
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) The Member States and the Commission should ensure that the implementation of the priorities financed by the JTF also contributes to the promotion of equality between women and men in accordance with Article 8 TFEU. Evaluations have shown the importance of taking the gender equality objectives into account in all dimensions and in all stages of the preparation, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of operational programmes, in a timely and consistent manner while ensuring that specific actions are taken to promote gender equality, the economic independence of women, education and skills upgrading and the reintegration of female victims of violence into the labour market and into society.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted bywhich require additional support to achieve the transition, the JTF should provide support to productive investment inwith job creation potential in green and sustainable 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 green, decent and sustainable 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 and if they support the overarching goal of the JTF which is to accelerate the transition to a climate- resilient, circular economy, by creating or supporting the adaptation of 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 ifprovided that 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 ifprovided that they result in the protection of a significant number of decent and sustainable jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan, should be sustainable and should be consistent with the energy efficiency first principle as well as excluding any investments in fossil fuel infrastructure from the scope of the JTF. 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 75 #
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. Companies benefiting from JFT support should present operational transition plans including but not limited to promoting and actively supporting sustainable mobility within the company.
Amendment 90 #
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 process towards a climate- neutral economy of the Union by 2050he groups of people and the territories which require additional support to make the transition to a fully renewables-based , highly resource- and energy-efficient, circular and climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050 and turn the challenges into opportunities, particularly in terms of the creation of new decent and sustainable green jobs and the up- and re- skilling of the workers, education and training to promote a new economic model which provides prosperity and well- being to all within the planetary boundaries.
Amendment 97 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall support the Investment for jobs and growth goal in all Member States, respecting and supporting the overarching objectives of the European Green Deal, and in particular the Union-wide climate-neutrality objective as defined in the European Climate Law, in order to tackle climate and environmental challenges while ensuring a just transition that leaves no- one behind.
Amendment 117 #
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 and sustainable mobility, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy;
Amendment 127 #
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 projects;, including but not limited to the creation of biodiversity hubs, benefiting sustainable tourism.
Amendment 152 #
Additionally, the JTF may support, in areas designated as assisted areas in accordance with points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) of theTFEU and in compliance with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU, 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) and have undergone an additional check for compliance with the European Social Pillar of Rights. Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessary for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan, shall be sustainable and shall not increase or maintain dependency on fossil fuels.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
The JTF may also support investments to achieve the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from activities listed in Annex I to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council provided that such investments have been approved as part of the territorial just transition plan based on the information required under point (i) of Article 7(2). Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessary for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan, shall be sustainable and shall not increase or maintain dependency on fossil fuels.
Amendment 156 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the decommissioning or, the construction of nuclear power stationsr lifetime extension of or any other form of investment in nuclear power stations, as well as the management or storage of nuclear waste;
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) industrial activities whose finished products or their use are incompatible with the objective of carbon neutrality
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
(bb) No Union funding shall be provided for activities relating to the scheduling of new fossil fuel extraction or peat production, including the re-opening of temporarily decommissioned extraction facilities in the NUTS 2 region in which the territory falls, during the duration of the programme.
Amendment 165 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) investment directly or indirectly related to the production, processing, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels; or other fuels whose positive net climate impact has not been sufficiently and scientifically demonstrated at the time of the funding request.
Amendment 172 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) projects that are inconsistent with the achievement of the climate objectives
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, in full compliance with the partnership principle together with the relevant authorities of the territories concerned as well as local actors, 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. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic, labour market 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 188 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) a description of the transition process at national level towards a climate- neutral economy by 2050, including a timelineclear date for the phase-out of all fossil fuels as well as a pre-2030 date for the phase-out of coal, and a precise timeline including 2030 milestones for key transition steps which are consistent with the latest version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (‘NECP’); and the need to fully decarbonise transport.
Amendment 193 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) an assessment of the transition challenges faced by the most negatively affected territories, including the social, labour market, economic, and environmental impact of the transition to aand the co-benefits, in particular in terms of health and well- being, of the transition to a fully renewables-based, highly energy- and resource-efficient, circular and climate- neutral economy, identifying the potential number of affected jobs and job losses as well as potential job creation, other social consequences, the development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation orition to net zero emissions, the transition from fossil fuel use or to the closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities in those territories;
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) a description of the expected contribution of the JTF support to addressing the social, labour market, economic and environmental impacts of the transition to achallenges and opportunities of the transition to a fully renewables-based, highly resource- and energy-efficient, circular and climate- neutral economy; with a detailed list of actions planned;
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) an assessment of its consistency with other national, regional or territorial strategies and plans; as well as the related Union strategies (the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights) as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(ea) a detailed list of the different partners and stakeholders consulted representing people living in the territory concerned, in particular workers, of the region concerned;
Amendment 213 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
The territorial just transition plans shall exclude any public investment in fossil fuel infrastructure and shall offer an opportunity to further strengthen local economies and short economic routes