16 Amendments of Adrian-Dragoş BENEA related to 2023/0199(COD)
Amendment 4 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) Whereas STEP, in order to reach its goal of structural investments in high technology industry and to avoid overlaps has to be closely coordinated with the existing EU initiatives to support the industry;
Amendment 5 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The uptake and scaling up in the Union of deep and digital technologies, clean technologies, and biotechnologies will be essential to seize the opportunities and meet the objectives of the green and digital transitions, thus promoting the competitiveness of the European industry and its sustainability and in the same time to further preserve economic, social, and territorial cohesion and solidarity among member states and their regions. Therefore, immediate action is required to support the development or manufacturing in the Union of such technologies, safeguarding and strengthening their value chains thereby reducing the Union’s strategic dependencies, and addressing existing labour and skills shortages in those sectors through trainings and apprenticeships and the creation of attractive, quality jobs accessible to all., as well as to reduce disparities in development of the various regions;
Amendment 7 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) TWhereas dependence on the global market has exposed EU industry to shortages which has led to chain disruptions and even stoppages of industrial processes, there is a need to support critical technologies in the following fields: deep and digital technologies, clean technologies, and biotechnologies (including the respective critical raw materials value chains) in all of them, in particular projects, companies and sectors with a critical role for EU’s competitiveness and resilience and its value chains. By way of example, deep technologies and digital technologies should include microelectronicpharmaceuticals, photonics, advanced materials technologies, microelectronics, semiconductors, semiconductor equipment, communication technologies, high-performance computing, quantum technologies (i.e., computing, communication and sensing technologies), cloud computing, edge computing, secure data infrastructures and ecosystems, and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity technologies, robotics, 5G and advanced connectivity and virtual realities, including actions related to deep and digital technologies for the development of defence and aerospace applications as well as applications to deliver healthcare such as digital medical devices. Clean technologies should include, among others, renewable energy; electricity and heat storage; heat pumps; electricity grid; geothermal energy, renewable fuels of non- biological origin; all sustainable alternative fuels– fuels technologies, including biofuels for road transport; electrolysers and fuel cells; carbon capture, utilisation and storage; energy efficiency; biolubricants; hydrogen and its related infrastructure; smart energy solutions cutting-edge solutions implemented for leak detection and repair inspections carried out along renewable gases and water transport and distribution networks; technologies vital to sustainability such as water efficiency, purification and desalination technologies; circular economy, such as high-quality recycling, resource- and material efficiency; advanced materials such as nanomaterials, composites and future clean construction materials, and technologies for the sustainable extraction and processing of critical raw materials, technologies supporting construction of roads with negative carbon footprint and development of new green road stabilisation solutions. Biotechnology should be considered to include technologies such as biomolecules and its applications, pharmaceuticals and, medical technologies and medical devices vital for health security, crop biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology, such as for waste disposal, and biomanufacturing. The Commission may issue guidance to further specify the scope of the technologies in these three fields considered to be critical in accordance with this Regulation, in order to promote a common interpretation of the projects, companies and sectors to be supported under the respective programmes in light of the common strategic objective. Moreover, technologies in any of these three fields which are subjects of an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) approved by the Commission pursuant to Article 107(3), point (b) TFEU should be deemed to be critical, and individual projects within the scope of such an IPCEI should be eligible for funding, in accordance with the respective programme rules, to the extent that the identified funding gap and the eligible costs have not yet been completely covered.
Amendment 20 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Strengthening the development and manufacturing capacity of key technologies in the Union will not be possible without a sizeable skilled workforce. However, labour and skills shortages have increased in all sectors including those considered key for the green and digital transition and endanger the rise of key technologies, also in the context of demographic change. Therefore, it is necessary to boost the activation of more people to the labour market relevant for strategic sectors, in particular through the creation of jobs and apprenticeships for young, disadvantaged persons, in particular, young people not in employment, education or training. Such support will complement a number of other actions aimed at meeting the skills needs stemming from the transition, outlined in the EU Skills Agenda.45 _________________ 45 Communication on a European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, COM(2020) 274 final.
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The scale of investments needed for the transition require a fulln intelligent mobilisation of funding available under existing EU programmes and funds, inclusive those granting a budgetary guarantee for financing and investment operations and implementation of financial instruments and blending operations. Such funding should be deployed in a more flexible manner, to provide timely and targeted support for critical technologies in strategic sectors. Therefore, a Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) should give a structural answercontribute to respond to the Union investment needs by helping to better channel the existing EU funds towards critical investments aimed at supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies, while preserving a level playing field in the Single Market, thereby preserving cohesion and aiming at a geographically balanced distributiondistribution of projects financed under STEP in a geographically balanced way amongst all regions of the EU of projects financed under the STEP in accordance with the respective programme mandates.
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) In order to extend support possibilities for investments aimed at strengthening industrial development and reinforcement of value chains in strategic sectors, the scope of support from the ERDF should be extended by providing for new specific objectives under the ERDF, without prejudice to the rules on eligibility of expenditure and climate spending as set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/106055 and Regulation (EU) 2021/105856 . In strategic sectors, it should also be possible to support productive investments in enterprises other than SMEs, and mid-caps which remain the focus and which can make a significant contribution to the development of less developed and transition regions, territories defined in the Just Transition Plans, as well as in more developed regions of Member States with a GDP per capita below the EU average. Managing authorities are encouraged to promote the collaboration between large enterprises and local SMEs, supply chains, innovation and technology ecosystems. This would allow reinforcing Europe’s overall capacity to strengthen its position in those sectors through providing access to all Member States for such investments, thus counteracting the risk of increasing disparities. _________________ 55 Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 laying down common provisions (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159). 56 Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (OJ L 224, 24.6.2021, p. 31).
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) The regulatory framework for the implementation of the 2014-2020 programmes has been adapted over the past years to provide Member States and regions with additional with additional flexibility in terms of implementation rules and more liquidity to tackle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war or aggression against Ukraine. These measures, introduced at the end of the programming period, require sufficient time and administrative resources to be fully exploited and implemented; also at a time where Member States will focus resources on revising the 2021-2027 operational programmes linked to the STEP objectives. With a view to alleviate the administrative burden on programme authorities and to prevent possible loss of funds at closure for purely administrative reasons, the deadlines for the administrative closure of the programmes under the 2014-2020 period should be extended in Regulation (EU) No 1303/201361 and Regulation (EU) No 223/201462 . More specifically, the deadline for the submission of that final payment application should be extended by 12 months. Furthermore, the deadline for the submission of the closure documents should also be extended by 12 months. The last accounting year of the period should accordingly be extended until June 30, 2025 in order to give Member States sufficient time to finalise the processes linked to the closure of projects. In the context of this amendment, it is appropriate to clarify that distribution of food and material bought until the end of the eligibility period (end-2023) may continue after that date. In order to ensure a sound implementation of the EU budget and respect for the payment ceilings, payments to be made in 2025 should be capped at 1 % of the financial appropriations from resources under the Multiannual Financial Framework per programme. Amounts due exceeding the ceiling of 1% of programme appropriations per fund for 2025 would not be paid in 2025 nor in subsequent years but only used for the clearance of pre- financing. Unused amounts shall be decommitted in accordance with the general rules for decommitment at closure. _________________ 61 Regulation (EU) 1303/2013 laying down common provisions (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 320). 62 Regulation (EU) 223/2014 on the Fund for European Aid on the Most Deprived (OJ L 72, 12.3.2014, p. 1).
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. To strengthen European sovereignty and security, accelerate the Union’s green and digital transitions and enhance its competitiveness, reduce its strategic dependencies, favoensure a level playing field in the Single Market for investments throughout the Union, and promote inclusive access to attractive, quality jobs, the Platform shall pursue the following objectives:
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
(a) supporting the development or manufacturing throughout the Union, including through establishment of new production facilities, or safeguarding and strengthening the respective European value chains, of critical technologies in the following fields:
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) preserving and strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among member states and regions.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) bring an innovative, cutting-edge element with significant economic potential to the Single Market or to the region in which investment occurs;
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) contribute to reduce or prevent strategic dependencies of the Union, its Member States and its regions.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall monitor the implementation of the Platform and measure the achievement of the Platform objectives set out in Article 2. The monitoring of implementation shall be targeted and proportionate to the activities carried out under the Platform, mainly using existing reporting channels and data, the monitoring shall be further rationalised.
Amendment 97 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. The annual report shall include consolidated information on the progress made in implementing the Platform objectives under each of the programmes and funds. It shall include qualitative and quantitative information on how Europe's economic, social and territorial cohesion is being reinforced.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EU) 2021/1058
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e (new) – subparagraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e (new) – subparagraph 1
when they contribute to the specificSTEP objective under PO 1 set out in Article 3(1), first subparagraph, point (a)(vi) or to the specific objective under PO 2 set out in point (b)(ix) of that subparagraphs referred to in Article 2 of Regulation .../... [STEP Regulation] under specific objective under PO 1, or to the specific objective under PO 2, in less developed and transition regions, as well as more developed regions in Member States whose average GDP per capita is below the EU average of the EU-27 measured in purchasing power standards (PPS) and calculated on the basis of Union figures for the period 2015-2017.
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)
Regulation (EU) 1303/2013
Article 24 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 24 – paragraph 1 a (new)
(1a) In Article 24 the following paragraph is inserted: "1a. By way of derogation from Article 60(1) and the first and fourth subparagraphs of Article 120(3), a co- financing rate of 100 % may be applied to expenditure declared in the final accounting year for one or more priority axes in a programme supported by the ERDF, the ESF or the Cohesion Fund. By way of derogation from Article 30(1) and (2) and Article 96(10), the application of the co-financing rate of 100 % shall not require a Commission decision approving a programme amendment. The Member State shall notify the revised financial tables to the Commission following approval by the monitoring committee. The co-financing rate of 100 % shall apply only if the financial tables are notified to the Commission before the submission of the final application for an interim payment for the final accounting year in accordance with Article 135(2)."