Activities of Janusz LEWANDOWSKI related to 2022/0212(BUD)
Plenary speeches (2)
General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023 - all sections (debate)
2023 budgetary procedure: joint text (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023
Amendments (33)
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the budget should ensure appropriate financial support for the economies of Ukraine and the Union, in particular countries hosting large numbers of refugees, including third countries, in the context of the war in order to make the economies and financial systems more resilient, while reinforcing the Union’s capacity to deal with rapidly growing geopolitical challenges;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that, in its resolution of 5 April 2022 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2023 budget, Parliament set clear political priorities for the 2023 budget; reaffirms its strong commitment to those priorities and sets out the following position to ensure an appropriate level of financing to deliver on them; believes that the Union must be equipped with all possible budgetary means to respond to current crisis e.i. to stipulate investments and support further recovery from the pandemic; considers that it is indispensable, especially in time of war, to boost investments and tackle unemployment and to lay the foundations for a more resilient and sustainable Union;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the provision of adequate resources for the coordination and surveillance of macroeconomic policies, for the fight against financial crime, money laundering and tax evasion, for the implementation of the OECD agreement on corporate taxation, for the enforcement of competition law, and for compliance with the economic governance framework; recalls that tax avoidance, tax fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering undermine government revenues; underlines that it is of utmost importance to fight tax avoidance and evasion while keeping taxes at a level that supports sustainable economic growth;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the Union faces an extraordinarily complex set of challenges, including the direct and indirect repercussions of the war in Ukraine, high inflation, high energy prices and security of supply risks, and a worsening economic outlook, in particular for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the need to secure the recovery from the pandemic, crises in many other parts of the world, technological change, including increasing digitalisation, as well as climate change and its consequences; considers that the Union budget should contribute to tackling those challenges, while expressing concern at the exceptionally limited margins, which are about one third of last year’s, or, in the case of Heading 6 and Heading 7, the lack of margin, and the limited flexibility built into the budget; deplores the fact that the draft budget is an insufficient response to the current challenges; recalls that the multiannual financial framework (MFF) was not established to address a pandemic, a war, high inflation, high energy prices, high numbers of refugees, new accessions, food insecurity, and a humanitarian crisis;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises the need to stimulate sustainable growth while supporting green and digital transformations, structural reforms to modernise the Union economies and access to finance and capital markets for SMEs and retail investors through information and transparency; highlights the potential of the InvestEU and its SMEs window;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Maintains the appropriations entered in the DB for the thematic special instruments, namely the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and the Brexit Adjustment Reserve; considers that, bearing in mind the challenges faced by the Unionunforeseen and extraordinary challenges the Union has never faced before, the full amount of the Flexibility Instrument should be used; considers, given the current grave interlocking crises, that it is necessary to mobilise the 2021 margins under compartment (a) of the Single Margin Instrument and additional appropriations under compartment (c) of that Instrument;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that the Union budget, on account of its size, structure and rules, has a very limited capacity to respond appropriately in 2023 to the challenges facing the Union or to adequately finance new shared Union policy ambitions or initiatives announced in the Commission’s President’s 2022 State of the Union address; recalls in particular that the Heads of State or Government have described the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine as a ‘tectonic shift in European history’ and that the Commission has stated that the ‘unforeseen needs created by war in Europe are well beyond the means available in the current multiannual financial framework’, necessitating new financing sources; is of the view that this is a further demonstration of the urgent need to revisefor substantial revision of the MFF, including to make it more flexible, raise the ceilings where necessary to reflect emerging needs and new priorities and to address the problems generated by including the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) financing costs in Heading 2b;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Underlines, that real progress on new own resources is essential for repayments of the NGEU as well as financial stability and implementation of the current and future multiannual financial frameworks; calls on Commission to ensure timely implementation of New Own resources as agreed in the Interinstitutional agreement of 16 December 2020 in line with a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources and to accelerate the proposal for the second basket; urges the Council to respect the agreed timing and to made necessary progress within the first basket proposed by the Commission on 22 December 2021;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that the agreed roadmap for the introduction of new own resources is of the utmost importance to ensure repayment of the NGEU programme; therefore urges the Council to respect the agreed timeline to make the necessary progress on the new revenue basket proposed by the Commission in December 2021; also urges the Commission to propose second basket of own resources in line with the roadmap agreed in the IIA;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Underlines that in the current context of unexpected needs linked to the Ukraine crisis, inflation, energy insecurity, climate related spending and, at the same time, very limited margins and flexibility of the EU budget, urgent and comprehensive revision of the MFF is indispensable;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Points out, that 2023 will be the last year of contracting under the Next Generation EU programmes and the last year of the implementation of the MFF 2014-2020, as well as the year in which the new programmes 2021-2027 will gather momentum, fostering economic, social and territorial cohesion of the Union;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7 d. Notes, that the automatic inflationary adjustment of the annual budget is well below the actual inflation rate, calls therefore for the adequate level of the payment appropriations and budgetary flexibility to respond in time to the highly unpredictable needs in 2023;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7 e. Calls on the Member States to comply with all the country-specific recommendations of the European Semester, in particular in the field of the rule of law, and to implement the necessary reforms in line with the condition of protecting the Union budget;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Underlines importance of additional funding for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions to support training of researchers through trans- national, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility with specific focus on the European Green Deal, the Digital Agenda and Making Europe Stronger in the World;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 g (new)
Paragraph 7 g (new)
7 g. Highlights the need to secure adequate funding for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund; acknowledges that the protection of the EU’s external borders is a condition for the proper functioning of the Schengen area;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Underlines deep concern about the proposed management mode of the EIC Fund, which contradicts Horizon Europe legislation as well as the intention of the co-legislators, and the associated uncertainty about proper implementation of the EIC Accelerator budget; demands the Commission engages in an open dialogue with the legislators on the management mode of the Fund to ensure proper budgetary implementation;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 h (new)
Paragraph 7 h (new)
7 h. Highlights the need to secure adequate financial and human resources to Court of Auditors, the European Anti- Fraud Office and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to scrutinise the use of EU funds;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9 c. Underlines the lack of clarity regarding the funding of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) from 2023 onwards and calls to further develop the NEB building towards a Mission under Horizon Europe with support under the 2023 Union budget;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 i (new)
Paragraph 7 i (new)
7 i. Highlights that developments in the fields if sustainable finance, fintech, anti-money laundering, cyber resilience, payments and non-bank financial intermediation will entail new competences and tasks for ESAs, which should be accompanied by adequate staffing and funding;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reverses the redeployments proposed by the Commission to fund the Chips Act and the Secure Connectivity Programme, in line with its position that new initiatives should be funded using fresh money, and deletes the relevant Council reserves, thereby ensuring a proper level of funding for priorities in Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe Programme and the Union Space Programme; makes research decommitments available again to compensate for earmarking under Horizon Europe for the Chips Act and the Secure Connectivity Programme, so that those new proposals do not detract from existing research priorities; emphasize that an absorption of funds from the NGEU 2021-2023 should not be a reason not to implement Article 15.(3) at the beginning of the multiannual financial framework and substantial use of decommitmensts in time of crises;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that businesses and SMEs in particular, have been severely hit by the COVID-19 crisis, including in the tourism sector - considering the severe contraction that the sector has experienced, and by the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, in particular high energy prices; reiterates Parliament’s longstanding request for the creation of a specific programme on sustainable tourism at European level that reflects both the importance of the tourism sector in the EU economy; supports an increase of EUR 10 million above the DB for the SME strand of the Single Market Cluster; proposes also an increase of EUR 1 million above the DB to support the ongoing work of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) in designing high-quality reporting standards, on the condition that EFRAG adopts a work plan outlining the measures to ensure a proper transparent due process and public oversight as well as a balanced representation of stakeholders;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reiterates that, despite Parliament’s demands to placecount the EURI over and above the MFF 2021-2027 ceilings, the refinancing costs are paid from within Heading 2b; notes that, in a context of unforeseen situation in the financial market due to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine which continues to negatively affect the EU economy, setting it on a path of lower growth and higher inflation, rising interest rates, the line dedicated to the EURI financing costs is likely to be needed in full and needs may well exceed the budgeted amount; deplores the fact that this has a de facto impact on programmes under the same heading by constraining the Commission’s ability to propose above-financial programming reinforcements where they are needed; notes that EURI financing costs should not be taken from special instruments, which are intended to tackle unforeseen challenges, such as the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Deems it necessary to secure sufficient appropriations for the Turkish Cypriot Community budget line for the purpose of contributing decisively to the continuation and intensification of the mission of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, and of supporting the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, thereby promoting trust and reconciliation between the two communities;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Expresses its grave concerns about the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine and its economic fallout as well as of the extreme weather events on production and distribution in the agricultural sector and food markets; recalls that 2023 is the first year of the new common agricultural policy that will support Union farmerunderlines the strategic role that agriculture plays in avoiding a food crisis by providing safe, high-quality food at affordable prices all over Europe; recalls that 2023 is the first year of the new common agricultural policy that will support Union farmers who play a fundamental role in maintaining the economic resilience of rural areas, to ease the debt burden of young farmers and help them with the rising loan interest rates and higher input costs; believes that the crisis situation justifies the partial mobilisation of the new agricultural reserve by a minimum of EUR 10 million for young farmers; calls on the Commission to prepare pertinent exceptional measures in line with the relevant provisions in the basic act and to increase, as relevant, the amount to be mobilised;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Highlights the importance of an effective European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to assist Member States in managing the common external borders of the Union and to ensure integrated border management in full compliance with fundamental rights; notes that Frontex continues to have difficulty in absorbing the steep year-on-year increase in appropriations and recruiting the additional staff required what requires in- depth analyses by the Commission to improve proper implementation; decides therefore to support Council’s proposed cut of EUR 50 million for Frontex in 2023; nevertheless at the same time underlines the needs to secure necessary budgetary means to fulfil its mandate and obligations;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40 a. Underlines, the need to restore the level of the DB of the Internal Security Fund to ensure enough funding for the increased level of serious and organised crime with a cross border dimension and cybercrime following the Russian war on Ukraine and several migration waves coming from the Middle East to facilitate increased protection and assistance for the victims of crime;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Notes with deep concern that the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its worldwide effects have dramatically increased humanitarian assistance needs, which were already under pressure because of funding gaps and the multiplication of crises in the world; asks to significantly increase humanitarian aid to address the unprecedented gap between needs and available resources; deplores the fact that Heading 6 has no margin and is therefore not fit for the current situation; regrets that the DB is not able to at least sustain the current level of response while humanitarian needs and emergencies are steeply increasing around the globe, notably worsening food insecurity on account of the impact of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, increasingly severe climate-induced disasters and newly emerging conflicts; recalls that, even with the increases proposed by Parliament, there would be insufficient resources to address the humanitarian aid needs in 2023; underlines, Parliament’s long-standing position that the Heading 6 ceiling should be revised, to provide the Union with means to play its role on the world stage and to respond to the extraordinary challenges of our time. The revision of the MFF is indispensable and urgently needed;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Asks for additional resources to be allocated to the Southern Neighbourhood in order to support political, economic and social reforms; welcomes the recent announcement of the Union’s continued commitment to multiannual funding to UNRWA; underlines that the increase in appropriations for the Southern Neighbourhood is notablyamong others intended to provide predictable funding for UNRWA, in the light of the crucial role it plays in protecting and ensuring the essential needs of Palestinian refugees as well as contributing to their human development; underlines that funds dedicated to educational tasks for the Palestinian Authority shall be put in reserve and only released until a positive assessment by the Commission confirms that all textbooks and study cards in use adhere to UNESCO standards and does not praise the terrorism and antisemitism. Funds shall be redirected to Palestinian civil society organization that incentivise positive change through creating alternative methods of teaching Palestinian education that adhere to UNESCO standards;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Calls for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to be included as soon as possible within the scope of the Instrument for Pre-Accession; considers that it is necessary to provide support to Ukraine and Moldova, as new EU candidate countries, and to Georgia, as an aspiring applicant, on their path to EU membership; calls for the support for further financial assistance provided under IPA III in order to promote the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Considers that the Council’s cuts in this heading - which are designed to obviate recourse to the Flexibility Instrument, as proposed in the DB - are unjustified and would not allow the Commission to fulfil its tasks; restores therefore the DB for the Commission administrative expenditure, including with respect to its Offices; ensuring adequate and stable funding for important interinstitutional communication services informing about the EU engaging with citizens at local level even more urgent facing war in Ukraine, countering disinformation and facilitate citizen participation in democratic life;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Emphasises the importance of ensuring that the Commission has sufficient staff to fulfil its tasks, including those relating to new initiatives and newly adopted legislation; calls, therefore for necessary additional staffing that should be provided by the Commission for efficient and effective implementation; highlights in that context the impact of the legislative proposals under the EU Green Deal, the Digital Market Act and the Digital Services Act, and increased Union spending owing to NGEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, on staff needs in certain services, in particular the Commission’s Directorate- General for Environment (DG ENV), the Directorate- General for Competition (DG COMP), the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT) and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF); expresses concern that the Commission does not have the staff necessary for the work required; asks the Commission to take account of those staff needs, without undermining staff levels in other parts of the Institution;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Underlines the need to provide a sufficient level of payment appropriations in the 2023 budget and decides, as a general rule, to reverse Council's cuts and to reinforce payment appropriations on those lines which are amended in commitment appropriations; underlines that the 2023 budget should contain sufficient level of payment appropriations for both the new programmes and the completion of past ones, including to ensure that the Union budget provides the necessary economic stimulus; drawing lessons from the past frameworks, emphasises that it is necessary to accelerate programme implementation to avoid the backlog of payments in the second half of the MFF period;