23 Amendments of Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ related to 2021/2202(INI)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
— having regard to the report of the European Commission and of the Association of European Border Regions “b-solutions: solving border obstacles. A Compendium 2020-2021"11a, _________________ 11a https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2776/625110
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas border regions, especially those with a low population density, tend to experience more unless favourable development conditions and are generally less economically successful than other regions within Member States, and whereas their economic potential is not being fully tapped;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how fragile and interdependent Europe’s cross-border regions are and paralysed manyunveiled cross-border regions’ exposure to detrimental disruptions of the Single Market and to the paralysis of public services, especially in healthcare settings, and whereas the pandemic has also disrupted the free movement of goods and essential medical equipment following the closure of national borders;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas border regions would benefit from a supranational legal instrument capable of circumventing negative externalities that might arise from the deliberate actions of Member States to fragment the Single Market;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the conclusion of Partnership Agreements in the context of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy is lagging behind, undermining the allocation of vital resources in the territories in need ;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the EU also has maritime cross-border regions in the shape of islands in the Mediterranean and outermost regions in the Atlantic and Indian oceans; whereas the geographic remoteness of some European islands, coupled with their condition as border regions, exposes them to a combination of constraints in the labour market, in the field of transportation and healthcare which severely hampers their growth potential;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the progress the Commission has made thus far in implementing its 2017 action plan, in particular via the ‘b-solutions’ initiative – which has made it possible to provide legal and administrative support to authorities in border authoritieregions and to resolve 90 cases involving barriers to interaction – and via the support provided to improve access to employment, promote multilingualism in border areas and pool healthcare facilities;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the EU institutions and on Member States to raise awareness among cross-border regions about the possibility to receive support from the European Commission under the b- solutions initiative; underlines that sharing knowledge about successful b- solutions might contribute to solve and prevent the emergence of new administrative and legal barriers;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Underlines, however, that b- solutions alone cannot represent an appropriate and effective response to the legal and administrative barriers affecting border regions;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the important role that macro-regions and Euroregions play in promoting collective interests and in cross- border cooperation; calls on the Commission to initiate an in-depth assessment of Macro-regional strategies, with the purpose of evaluating their coherence with the renewed environmental and digital priorities of the European Union;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes that in 2018 the European Commission issued a proposal for a Regulation on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context15a , better known as European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM); _________________ 15ahttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2018%3 A373%3AFIN
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Recalls that this mechanism aims to facilitate cooperation between cross- border regions on joint projects of a different nature (infrastructure, healthcare, labour, etc.) by allowing one of them to apply the legal provisions of the neighbouring Member State if the application of its own laws presents legal obstacles;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that the regulation on a European cross-border mechanism (ECBM)ECBM, as proposed by the Commission, would have contributed to removed more than 50 % of the barriers concerned, including those resulting from the lack of cross-border public transport, and limited access to employment, education, cultural and leisure services; with that in mind, deeply regrets the fact that the legislative procedure relating to the ECBM has been blocked by the Council;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that the ECBM proposal was supported by a wide majority in Parliament, as shown by the 2019 Parliament’s first reading vote15b, and by the Plenary debate following the oral question to the Council in October 2021; _________________ 15b https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-8-2019-0118_EN.html
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to amend the current proposal, taking into account the conclusions of the Council’s Legal Service and lookingand Parliament's Legal Services, with a view to strike a balance between the co- legislators’ respective positions;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that alongside the damage caused by COVID-19, border regions are also having to dealconfronted with the consequences of Brexit, which are creating new barriers to free trade and causing serious disruption to cross-border trade between the EU and the UK, making life more difficult for businesses and citizens in border regions; welcomes, in that regard, the agreement reached on the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to provide financial and legal support to Member States and regions affected by Brexit;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with interest that the public consultation on overcoming border obstacles conducted by the Commission in 2020 showed that the main problem experienced by people living in border areas wasere, among others, the lack of reliable cross-border public transport services, the lack of digital services and their limited cross-border interoperability, obstacles directly due to language differences, obstacles related to the legislative processes, and to economic disparities;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Calls on the Commission to carry out an in-depth analysis, gathering specific assessments and comparative statistics, on the socio-economic circumstances of cross-border SMEs;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Points out that, according to the 8th Cohesion Report, Interreg indicators show that only 68% of the 2023 targets for cross-border labour mobility had been met by the end of 2020, while in other areas the targets had been reached up to 495%; encourages the Member States to continue on this path in order to achieve the 2023 targets;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Notes that most barriers hindering cross-border employment are legal in nature, arising from diverging national laws or general EU laws; urges the three institutions to agree as soon as possible on a EU framework allowing border regions to overcome such legal obstacles;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Recalls that natural catastrophes occurred in 2021 affected several border regions in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany; notes that an enhanced cross-border cooperation in information sharing, exchange of best practices, and joint civil protection operations could ensure a more effective and prompt reaction;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Underlines that the development of new public transport infrastructure should comply with sustainability and cost-efficiency requirements; calls therefore for the timely allocation of the Just Transition Fund to ensure an active role of border regions in the achievement of the goals of the Green Deal;