Activities of Michael GAHLER related to 2023/0200(COD)
Plenary speeches (5)
Establishing the Ukraine Facility (debate)
Establishing the Ukraine Facility (debate)
Establishing the Ukraine Facility (A9-0286/2023 - Michael Gahler, Eider Gardiazabal Rubial) (vote)
Multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 - Establishing the Ukraine Facility - Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) (joint debate - multiannual financial framework revision)
Multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 - Establishing the Ukraine Facility - Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) (joint debate - multiannual financial framework revision)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility
Amendments (19)
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The Union should also foster close consultation and association of locensure the involvement in policy shaping of local and regional authorities, which embrace a large variety of sub-national levels and branches of government, including regions, municipalities, rayons and hromadas and their associations, as well as their participation in the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine, based on sustainable development and through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at local and regional level. The Union should recognise and support the multiple roles played by the local and regional authorities as promoters of a territorial approach to local and regional development, including decentralisation processes, participation and accountability, and further enhance its support for local and regional authorities’ capacity building.
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 51
Recital 51
(51) The commitment appropriations and corresponding payment appropriations from the Ukraine Reserve should be mobilised annually in the budget over and above the ceilings of the Multiannual Financial Framework. In order to effectively allow the budgetary authority oversight and freedom of action, the Ukraine Reserve should be composed of at least three additional budgetary lines, corresponding to each of the pillars in which the proposal is structured.
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 59
Recital 59
(59) The Commission and the Member States should ensure the compliance, coherence, consistency and complementarity of their assistance, in particular through regular consultations and frequent exchanges of information during the different phases of the assistance cycle, including at local level. In light of the presence of various international donors, the necessary steps should also be taken to ensure better coordination and complementarity with other donors, including through regular consultations. In this regard, the Multi- Agency Donor Coordination Platform should be used as an already established forum for such exchange and make provision for a territorial component, in which the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine would play a coordinating role.
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 70
Recital 70
(70) The preparation and implementation by Ukraine of the Plan should take particular account of the situation in Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, having regard to their specific needs for recovery and reconstruction, reform, modernisation and decentralisation, and should be done in consultation with regional, local, urban and other public authorities, in accordance with the multi-level governance principle and taking into account a bottom-up approach. In this context, the Plan should in particular enhance the economic, social, environmental and territorial development of Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, which should be complemented by explicit recognition of a public legal personality for territorial entities. The Plan should support the decentralisation reform across Ukraine and convergence towards the Union’s standards; it should also ensure the involvement of sub-national authorities, in particular municipalities, in decision- making on the use of support in the reconstruction process at local level, and that the reconstruction projects selected and implemented by such sub-national authorities constitute an adequately substantial share of the support.
Amendment 221 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 86
Recital 86
(86) Under pillar III of the Facility, support should mainly aim at progressively aligning to Union rules, standards, policies and practices (‘acquis’) with a view to future Union membership, thereby contributing to the implementation of the Ukraine Plan. Relevant recommendations of international bodies and regional alliances, such as the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission and the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine should also be taken into account in this process. Support should also aim at strengthening stakeholders, including social partners, civil society organisations and local authorities’ capacities.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) rebuild and modernise infrastructure damaged by the war, such as energy infrastructure, water systems, internal and cross-border transport networks including rail, roads and bridges and border crossing points, and foster modern, improved and resilient infrastructures; restore food production capacities; restore natural ecosystems that have been affected by shelling, bombing, mining, and oil pollution caused by military operations; help address social challenges stemming from the war, including for specific groups such as war veterans, Internally Displaced Persons, single parents, disabled people, minorities and other vulnerable persons; contribute to the demining effortand decontamination effort as enablers of recovery and reconstruction work;
Amendment 281 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) foster the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy and a stable investment environment; support the integration of Ukraine into the Single Market; repair, rebuild and improve social infrastructure, such as housing, healthcare facilities, schools and higher education institutions, and research infrastructure; strengthen economic and social development, with particular attention to women and youth, including through quality education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies, including for researchers; support culture and cultural heritage; strengthen strategic economic sectors and support investment and private sector development, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and innovation, as well as on agriculture and rural development, aquaculture and fisheries; strengthen the resilience of Ukraine's society and economy by building a robust system of protected areas, along the paradigm of the EU's Natura 2000 network; restructure Ukraine’s financial markets, including banking sector and capital markets; increase domestic revenue mobilisation; strengthen Ukraine’s ability to trade; take steps into reorienting economy of Ukraine from a resource-centric model to a competitive framework akin to EU member states model, diversify and transition away from a heavy reliance on natural resources.
Amendment 333 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
3. The sum of the resources made available pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not exceed EUR 50 000 000 000 for the period 2024 to 2027. The amounts shall be mobilised annually in the budget over and above the ceilings of the Multiannual Financial Framework by the budgetary authority. The nomenclature of the Ukraine Reserve shall be composed of additional budgetary lines, corresponding to each of the pillars in which the proposal is structured.
Amendment 336 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 5
Article 6 – paragraph 5
5. The resources referred to in point paragraphs 1(d) and 4 may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Facility, both for the EU and Ukrainian civil society organisations and experts, such as preparatory actions, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, which are required for the management of the Facility and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, consultations with the Ukrainian authorities, conferences, consultation of stakeholders, including local and regional authorities and civil society organisations, information and communication actions, including inclusive outreach actions, and corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, corporate information technology tools, and all other technical and administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management and costs of the Facility at headquarters and in Union delegations. Expenses may also cover the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and independent monitoring of projects on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of reforms and investments.
Amendment 356 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Amendment 387 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) an explanation of how the Plan corresponds to the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation needs stemming from the war in Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, and thereby enhances their economic, social, environmental and territorial development, supports the decentralisation reform across Ukraine and convergence towards the Union’s standards; an explanation of the methodology and processes used for the selection and implementation of projects, and the mechanisms to involve sub- national authorities, in particular municipalities, in decision-making on the use of support in the reconstruction process at local level; the methodology used to track related expenditure; and an explanation of how the Plan ensures that the reconstruction projects selected and implemented by such sub-national authorities constitute an adequately substantial share of the support; this explanation is intended to cover twinning and partnerships between cities, as well as peer-to-peer cooperation and programmes embedded in partnerships between cities and regions in the Union and Ukraine.
Amendment 392 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) an explanation of the extent to which the measures under the Plan are expected to contribute to climate and environmental objectives of Ukraine and the acquis communitaire;
Amendment 394 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
(ga) The plan should ensure contribution to environmental and climate objectives, through establishment of the climate and environmental standards as well as relevant legislative initiatives and reforms.
Amendment 409 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 3
Article 17 – paragraph 3
3. The preparation and implementation of the Ukraine Plan shall be done in consultation with regional, local, urban and other public authorities, civil society and expert community, in accordance with the multi-level governance principle and taking into account a bottom-up approach.
Amendment 415 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) whether the Plan represents a coherent, comprehensive and adequately balanced response to the objectives set out in Article 3, including structural reforms and measures to promote the convergence with the Union, so that the Plan as a whole raises thleads to sustainable growth rate of the Ukrainian economy while fostering resilience to climate change;
Amendment 435 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2
Article 19 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission proposal for a Council implementing decision shall set out, for the part to be funded by the Facility, the reforms and investments to be implemented by Ukraine, the conditions stemming from the Plan as described in Article 15(2), including the indicative timetable, and the amounts referred to in Article 6(1) point (a) and (2) and relevant contributions under paragraph 4 of that Article.
Amendment 437 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The Commission proposal referred to in paragraph 2 shall also lay down:
Amendment 491 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 2
Article 32 – paragraph 2
(2) 2. Assistance under this Chapter shall also be provided to ensure that capacities of stakeholders, including social partners, civil society organisations and local authorities are strengthened, in particular to promote twinning and partnerships between cities, as well as peer-to-peer cooperation and programmes embedded in partnerships between cities and regions in the Union and Ukraine.
Amendment 516 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 a (new)
Article 33 a (new)
Article33a Physical and cyber protection of investments made with Union financial support (1) The agreements referred to in Articles 9, 10 and 21 shall provide for the obligation of Ukraine to identify physical and cyber protection measures for each of the investments made with Union financial support. An appropriate amount of the Union financial support may be set aside for physical and cyber protection purposes, and the necessary restrictions shall apply in accordance with the Article 11, paragraph 7 (b). (2) Until the cessation of hostilities, physical protection may include measures to protect against munitions and missiles and their effects, including through means delivering kinetic effects. Such means should be operated under the auspices of the state authorities of Ukraine and may not be used for the purpose of doing harm to persons.