Activities of Bettina VOLLATH related to 2017/0035(COD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers
Amendments (15)
Amendment 13 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The system established by Regulation (EC) No 182/2011 has, overall, proven to work wellefficiently in practice and struck an appropriate institutional balance as regards the roles of the Commission and the other actors involved. Thate main elements of the system shcould therefore continue to function unchanged except for. However, certain targeted amendments concerning specific aspects of procedure at the level of the appeal committee seem to be justified. These amendments are intended to ensure wider political accountability and ownership of politically sensitive implementing acts without, however, modifying the legal and institutional responsibilities for implementing acts as organised by Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. The further objective underlying the amendments is to improve Union citizens' awareness of procedures related to implementing acts. In order to increase trust in the Union’s institutions and bodies, it is essential not only to inform Union citizens about decision-making but also to explain the reasons behind those decisions, as well as the decision-making process that leads to the decisions.
Amendment 18 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Experience has shown that, in the vast majority of cases, the appeal committee repeats the outcome of the examination committee and results in no opinion being delivered. The appeal committee has therefore not helped in providing clarity on Member State positions, or to overcome the absence of opinions in the examination procedure.
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) Where the act concerns the protection of the health or safety of humans, animals or plants, the granting of authorisations with regard to a product or substance should be subject to a qualified majority.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The Commission should have the possibility, in specific cases, to ask the Council to indicate its views and orientation on the wider implications of the absence of an opinion, including the institutional, legal, political and international implications. The Commission should take account of anyIn specific cases, at the request of the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council may decide to express their views on the wider implications of the outcome of the vote in the appeal committee, including the institutional, legal, political and international implications. In such cases, those views should be expressed within three months of the Commission’s request. In addition, the positions expressed by the Council within 3 months after the referral. In duly justified cases, the Commission may indicaEuropean Parliament, the Council or both should also be sent, as appropriate, to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee a shorter deadline in the referral. nd to the Committee of the Regions without undue delay.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Transparency on the votes of Member State representatives at the appeal committee levelthroughout the advisory and examination procedures should be increased and the individual Member State representatives' votes should be made public. Additionally, the Commission should provide information on the composition of committees, including the persons present and the authorities and organisations to which those persons belong.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) In order to enhance visibility and Union citizens’ awareness, as well as their understanding of the procedure, each Member State representative’s vote should be accompanied by reasons. Where the act concerns particularly sensitive areas, such as the protection of consumers, the health or safety of humans, animals or plants, or the environment, case-specific and detailed reasons for votes and abstentions should be given by each Member State representative.
Amendment 41 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 b (new)
Recital 11 b (new)
(11b) The accessibility of the register should be further increased and changes to its content should be made in order to ensure greater transparency. Improving the search functions of the register to allow searches by policy area is an essential element in this process.
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a
3a. Where no opinion ishas been delivered inby the appeal committee, the Commission may refer the matter to the Council for an opinion indicating its views and orientation on the wider implications of the absence of opinion, including the institutional, legal, political and international implications. The Commission shall take account of anyask the European Parliament and the Council to express their views on the wider implications of the outcome of the vote in the appeal committee. Those views shall be delivered within three months of the Commission’s request. In addition, the positions expressed by the Council within 3 months after the referral. In duly justified cases, the Commission may indicate a shorter deadline in the referralEuropean Parliament, the Council or both shall also be sent, as appropriate, to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions without undue delay.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new)
(ba) the following paragraph is inserted: “4a. By way of derogation from paragraph 3, where the basic act concerns the protection of the health or safety of humans, animals or plants and the draft implementing act provides for the grant of authorisations for a product or substance, such authorisations shall be approved only if the vote in accordance with paragraph 1 results in a positive opinion. This paragraph shall be without prejudice to the right of the Commission to propose a modified draft implementing act concerning the same subject matter.”
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point b b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 6 – paragraph 4 b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 4 b (new)
(bb) the following paragraph is inserted: “4b. The Member State representatives shall provide reasons for their vote or abstention under paragraph 1. Where the act concerns particularly sensitive areas, such as the protection of consumers, the health or safety of humans, animals or plants, or the environment, the Member State representatives shall provide case-specific detailed reasons for their vote or abstention.”;
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point -a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point -a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point c
(-a) in paragraph 1, point (c) is replaced by the following: “(c) the summary records, together with the lists of the persons present and the authorities and organisations to which those persons designated by the Member States to represent them belong;”
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) the voting results including, in the case of the appeal committee,, broken down by representative of each Member State, together with the reasons for the vote or abstention and, where the act concerns particularly sensitive areas, such as the vprotes expressed by the representative of each Member Statection of consumers, the health or safety of humans, animals or plants, or the environment, the accompanying case- specific and detailed reasons for the vote or abstention;
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
(aa) in paragraph 1, the following subparagraph is added: “The European Parliament and the Council shall have access to the information referred to in paragraph 1 without undue delay.”;
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 10 – paragraph 5
Article 10 – paragraph 5
5. The references of all documents referred to in points (a) to (d), (f) and (g) of paragraph 1 as well as theAll documents and information referred to in points (e) and (h) of that paragraph 1 shall be made public in the register.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 10 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 5 a (new)
(ba) the following paragraph is added: “5a. For the purpose of greater transparency, the Commission shall ensure that the search functions of the register enable the search by policy area.”