37 Amendments of Jean-Marc GERMAIN
Amendment 4 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility(9) (RRF Regulation),
Amendment 5 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
– having regard to the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights of 13 December 2017 and its resolution of 19 January 2017 thereon, to the Commission Action Plan of 4 March 2021 on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and to the Porto declaration on social affairs adopted by the members of the European Council in May 2021,
Amendment 8 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Semester plays an essential role in coordinating economic and, budgetary, social and employment policies in the Member States;
Amendment 14 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that, in the last few years, the EU has demonstrated a high degree of resilience in the face of major shocks, among other factors, thanks to a coordinated policy response and the positive contribution by NextGenerationEU (NGEU), in particular the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the instrument for Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) and in the recovery of EU economies and in macroeconomic stabilisation and resilience across the EU; further recalls that promoting sustainable growth in a sustained manner means promoting responsible fiscal policies, structural and socially just reforms and investments that increase productivity and that make societies more resilient, inclusive and sustainable;
Amendment 24 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that overcoming competitive and geopolitical challenges will require the transfer ofadditional expenditure ato the EU level in certain policy areas related to European public goods to increase the efficiency of overall public expenditure; welcomes the Union’s commitment to increasing its spending efficiency and investments in overalla fair green and digital transition, social and economic resilience, including the European Pillar of Social Rights, energy security and the build-up of defence capabilities to match its needs in the context of rising threats and security challenges;
Amendment 25 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Strongly insists on the introduction of genuine, adequate, and effective new own resources under the next MFF in order to help close the existing investment gap, which is currently bridged by the expiring RRF. The existing investment gap, combined with the need for the Union to remain competitive and resilient, require both the introduction of new own resources and the use of joint borrowing. Therefore calls on the Commission to come forward with additional proposals for genuine new own resources beyond what is currently included in the Commission proposal of June 2023. These measures are essential to address upcoming Union priorities while ensuring Member States' contributions do not need to increase;
Amendment 26 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Cautions the Commission against linking the European Semester and its country-specific recommendations to the allocation of funds from the EU budget;
Amendment 34 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Believes that the European Semester must strengthen its social dimension by embedding social conditionality as a core mechanism, based on the European Pillar of Social Rights, and by ensuring meaningful involvement of stakeholders, in particular social partners;
Amendment 35 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Underlines that the European Semester process should contribute to the full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Social Convergence Framework, the EU’s climate and biodiversity objectives, the EU Gender Equality Strategy as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 41 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. RegretNotes the fact that eight Member States have excessive deficits and welcomes remedial action;
Amendment 44 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Affirms that a renewed focus on medium-term net expenditure will require comprehensive investments and reforms of national budgetary planning procedures across the Member States;
Amendment 50 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Laments the fact that only seven Member States have sought an opinion from their relevant independent fiscal institution; regrets that nine Member States did not meet their obligation to conduct political consultations with regional authorities and relevant stakeholders, including social partners, civil society organisations and the business sector, prior to submitting their national plans; further laments the fact that several Member States have not involved their national parliaments in the approval process for the plans and have not reported whether the required consultations with national parliaments took place;
Amendment 51 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Observes that five Member States have requested an extension of the adjustment period; notes that the reforms and investments used to justify this extension rely heavily on reforms already approved under the Recovery and Resilience Facility; believes that some of these investments and reforms do not sufficiently meet the requirement to demonstrate their contributione to potential GDP growth;
Amendment 53 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Agrees with the Eurogroup that, given the macroeconomic outlook for 2025, gradual and sustained fiscal consolidation, as well as increased private and public investments in the euro area continues to be necessary; highlights the need to reduce the high levels of deficit and debt in a way that minimises the impact on growth;
Amendment 54 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that the implementation of the revised governance framework is expected to lead to a contractionary fiscal stance for the euro area as a whole in 2024 and 2025, which is appropriate in light of the macroeconomic outlook and the need to continue to enhance fiscal sustainability and support the ongoing disinflationary process; highlights that any contraction should not come at the expense of investment, which should be increased across the Union;
Amendment 57 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the rigorous application of the fiscal rules themselves is not a sufficient condition for achieving an optimal fiscal stance at all times; calls on the Commission and the Council to propose a mechanismexplore ideas, including the possibility of a central fiscal capacity for the Union, that helps ensure that the cyclical position for the EU as a whole is at all times appropriate to the macroeconomic outlookready to adopt countercyclical measures appropriate to the macroeconomic outlook and to be able to quickly react to unforeseen events and their social and economic effects, as well as finance EU strategic priorities;
Amendment 60 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Shares the view that the 2025 country-specific recommendations must also serve to promote sound and inclusive economic growth, enhance competitiveness and macroeconomic stability, promote the green and digital transitions and ensure social and inter- generational fairness;
Amendment 66 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 68 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Emphasises the role of the European Parliament in the EU’s economic governance framework and advocates for an increased engagement of the European Parliament in the European Semester, while fully respecting the competences established by the Treaties;
Amendment 69 #
2024/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Emphasises that many country- specific recommendations are consistent with those proposed in the Draghi and Letta reports, in that they call for significantly increased investment to remain competitive;
Amendment 31 #
2024/0234(COD)
Paragraph 13
13. Regrets the lack of clarity of the proposal on the final liability of the Union’s budget particularly in the framework of a loan guaranteed solely by the headroom, independently of the Ukraine Loan Mechanism support, or lack of thereof, for example in case there are significant changes to the sanctions regime underwriting the mechanism.
Amendment 2 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Belgium submitted application EGF/2024/001 BE/Match- Smatch for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following a total number of 513 displacements5 in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) in the provinces of Hainaut (BE32), Liège (BE33), and Namur (BE35) with 444 displacements within a reference period for the application from 11 December 2023 to 11 April 2024, and 69 displacements before or after the reference period; whereas workers in this region have experienced increased hardship due to lack of sufficient alternatives; whereas employees in the Belgian commerce sector in general find themselves in a precarious situation, brought upon by the broader structural transformations taking place within the industry; _________________ 5 Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation.
Amendment 3 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the application relates to 444 displacements within the reference period for the application whose activity has ceased in Match-Smatch; whereas many of these workers have been long- term employees, creating an additional barrier to re-entry into the labour market, with trade unions highlighting that many of these layoffs occurred without sufficient negotiation and without exploring alternative options to retain workers or transition them into new roles;
Amendment 4 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the application relates to 69 displacements whose activity ceased before or after the reference period of four months, where a clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the cessations of activity of the displaced workers during the reference period as required by Article 6(2) of the EGF Regulation; whereas trade unions have expressed concerns that these workers were prematurely laid off as part of a larger restructuring that did not adequately consider their welfare, and that little effort was made to mitigate the impact on these vulnerable employees;
Amendment 5 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of EGF Regulation, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream producers and/or self-employed persons whose activity has ceased; whereas trade unions point to this as an example of mass layoffs and hyperflexibility becoming more common in the retail sector;
Amendment 6 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Belgian food retail sector recorded a significant decline in volumes sold in 2023, due to the energy and inflationary crisis, and increased cross- border shopping and e-commerce; whereas trade unions highlight that despite these external challenges, the sector has failed to adequately protect its workers through effective collective agreements and adequate social dialogue;
Amendment 8 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas to prevent a further accumulation of losses, Match-Smatch accepted the Colruyt Group’s offer to acquire 57 of the 84 stores in September 2023, also taking over the stores' staff (1 069 people); whereas eight additional stores went to Carrefour, Delhaize, Intermarche and Delfood; whereas workers, particularly those in non- acquired stores, have been left uncertain about their future, with trade unions raising alarms about the lack of clear communication and safeguards for workers in the event of store closures and restructuring;
Amendment 11 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the multiannual financial framework (MFF) revision reduces the maximum annual amount of the EGF from EUR 186 million to EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765; whereas all institutions needthe Commission should closely monitor the implementation of the EGF and all institutions should take any and all necessary measures to ensure that, despite these cuts, workers made redundant can count on EU solidarity via support of the EGF;
Amendment 13 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that half of the Match- Smatch redundant workers (46 %) are aged fifty or older, an age group that faces more barriers to employment and that in the last quarter of 2023, there was a difference of 18,3 percentage points between the employment rate for the 20-54 age group (76,8 %) and the employment rate for the 55+ age group (58,5 %) at national level7 ; stresses that reskilling and upskilling the workers in line with labour-market demand for qualified jobs will thus pose a challenge, all the more considering the large number of people dismissed at the same time; _________________ 7 Statbel. Emploi et chômage (13.6.2024). Chiffres.
Amendment 14 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the fact that the co- ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up by Belgium in consultation with targeted beneficiaries, their representatives and the social partners to make the affected areas, and the overall labour market, more sustainable and resilient in the future;
Amendment 17 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the digital and green transformationConsiders it a social responsibility of the Union to provide these workers made redundant with the necessary qualifications for the digital and green transformation of the Union industry and economy, which will also have an effect on the labour market; calls, therefore, for special attention to be paid to qualified and relevant education, including vocational training;
Amendment 3 #
2024/0212(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas between 3 and 6 August 2023, Slovenia was impacted by heavy rainfall which led to floods across the country and was its worst natural disaster to date, resulting in total direct damages of EUR 7.3 billion according to the Commission;
Amendment 6 #
2024/0212(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the increasing number of severe and destructive natural disasters in Europe and considers that the budget of the EUSF should be expanded; urges the Commission to increase the budget of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR); further emphasizes the importance of ensuring adequate funding for EUSF or its equivalent, in view of the upcoming Commission proposal on the new Multiannual Financial Framework, including in its discussions and relevant inter-institutional negotiations;
Amendment 11 #
2024/0212(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission to further streamline the procedure and shorten the time required for the processing of the applications for the mobilisation of the Fund;
Amendment 14 #
2024/0212(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Further stresses the need for reasonable flexibility in deadlines when recipient countries face justifiable delays and challenges in applying for and utilizing allocated funding;
Amendment 1 #
2024/0133(NLE)
Paragraph 1
1. ConsiderNotes that the support allocated to the Protocol should meets the objectives of cooperation in the fields of sustainable exploitation of fishery resources, aquaculture, sustainable development of the oceans, protection of the marine environment, and the blue economy; considers that this should be thoroughly scrutinized to ensure that this is done effectively during the implementation of the Protocol; notes that the support has a direct link to the principles of the Samoa Agreement reinforcing the Union’s external action towards African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and taking in particular account of the Union’s objectives with regard to democratic principles and human rights, strengthening EU presence in the region and the cooperation with an important strategic partner;
Amendment 2 #
2024/0133(NLE)
Paragraph 13
13. ConsiderStresses that the financial programming of line 08 05 01 is deemedneeds to be enough to cater for the financial obligations in the years 2025-2027 subject to the decision of the budgetary authority in the annual budgetary procedures; in this regard, notes that line 08 05 01 in the 2025 Draft Budget and in the Council Position on the 2025 Draft Budget include an amount of EUR 150 560 000 in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR 135 275 000 in payment appropriations (PA); calls for scrutiny regarding the financial programming of line 08 05 01 in the annual budgets of 2026 and 2027;