30 Amendments of Dick ERIXON related to 2024/0176(BUD)
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its economic and societal consequences continue to put a severe strain on the everyday lives of people across Europe and frontline countries; acknowledges that a confluence of political, security, socio- economic, climate and environmental challenges demand a resolute response from the Union, including by exploiting to the fullest possible extent the crisis response capacity of the EU budget; considers it crucial for the Union to be able to act swiftly and adequately in emergency situations caused by major natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies or public health crises in Member States and accession countries and to support third countries suffering from conflicts, refugee crises or natural disasters;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern that while inflation has begun to subside compared to previous years’ peaks, its longer term impact on the cost of living, energy and food prices continues to be a burden on households’ purchasing power and companies’ competitiveness and productivity; stresses that, against this background, a combination of policy responses comprising regulatory, fiscal and budgetary measures will have to be deployed to adequatel this situation has been partially caused by baddress the broad range of challenges; reminds that the Union budget, in complementarity with the national budgets of the Member States and private finance should play a central role in this regard; recalls that the EU budget is an investment budget in line with Union’s political priorities and programmes which g economic and monetary policy of the European Cenetrates a return on investment and growth possibilitiesl Bank; emphasises that the 2024 European Parliament elections have sent a clear message for more solidarity between Member Statesuch stricter migration policy, transitioning climate policy from utopianism to realism and more investments in policies and programmes on national level which improve people’s lives; highlights that this call must not be answered by ever more budgetary cuts and by a reduction in badly needmanaged resources to help people go through these difficult times;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underscores that the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework has been partly successful and partly unsatisfactory; acknowledges that the revision has resulted in providing additional resources for Ukraine, the Western Balkan and several other budget lines of strategic importance as well as replenished flexibility mechanism; welcomes that the Commission has proceeded with translating the outcome of the MFF revision into the Financial Programming as well as amending budgets 2024 and the draft general budget for 2025 (the “DB”); underlines once again that the higher than foreseen repayment costs of the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) should have been placed fully in a EURI special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings with a view to restoring some margin within Heading 2b and protecting budgetary space in the Flexibility and Single Margin Instrumentsare the result of overoptimistic, imprudent borrowing policy of the Union; recalls the Interinstitutional Agreement adopted as part of the 2020 MFF agreement, according to which expenditure to cover NGEU financing costs “shall aim at not reducing programmes and funds”;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the 2025 Budget will be the first full annual budgetary procedure under the revised MFF ceilings and rules; insists that the spirit and letter of the MFF revision be respected and the additional appropriations resulting from the revision be fully authorised and committed; reminds that a certain level of redeployments, in particular under headings 1 and 6 was part of the MFF revision package; wishes to not see such reductions repeated or made worse in the annual procedure;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes note that the Council, in its position which it calls “prudent”, proposes to cut commitment appropriations by EUR 1.52 billion across the MFF headings, leaving a total of EUR 191,527 billion, and reduces payment appropriations by EUR 876 million across the MFF headings; strongly believes that the European Parliament shall fully adhere to this approach; stresses that, by cutting across headings on programme lines to generate additional unallocated margins, the Council’s position may convey an ambiguousencouraging message of creating additional availabilities for 2025; underlines that this approach, however, is not is in accordance with the reality of current budgetary needs, as these margins are not intended for use in the annual budget 2025 of national treasuries of the Member States;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is adamant that, in times of geopolitical and institutional change, financial pressure, climate change and societal challenges, a reliable, robust, flexible, investment oriented EU budget remain instrumental for the implementation of the Union’s policies and central in responding to people’s increasing needs, leaving no-one behind through the green and digital transitions, in delivering prosperity and security for people and in boosting the competitiveness of the Union economy; to defend the social dimension of Union spending in all policy areas, in other words, we will work to reinforce budgetary lines that have a direct impact on improving peoples’ livthe annual budget of the EU shall be fully concentrated on internal investments of the block and Ukraine as external recipient of military aid and other support measures;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. RegretWelcomes the Council’s approach to opt for what it calls “prudent” budgeting, creating artificialdequate margins under the MFF ceilings; notes that the Council, in its position on the 2025 budget, and similar to 2024, reduces appropriations dedicated for EURI borrowing costs; points out that the Council’s position to cover only around 35% of the overrun costs by the EURI Special Instrument runs counter to the 50:50 benchmark that the Council itself insisted on during the MFF negotiations; alerts; is aware that in order to finance the difference and create additional unallocated margin (mostly in H2b but also in other headings, presumably in view of using it in future years through the SMI), sizeable reductions to a number of flagship programme envelopes shavell been proposed that have repercussions in 2025 as well as in 2026 and 2027; recalls that the most affected programmes, Horizon Europe, CEF digital and Erasmus, are well-established priorities for the European Parliament and flagship programmes of the Union; highlighconsents that the Council targets for reductions are across several headings and even touch some programmes that were already subject to the MFF redeployments, such as Horizon, reduced by 400 million; or lines that were topped up in previous years, such as Erasmus+, reduced by 295 million, EU4Health or LIFE;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines, once again, that repayment of the EURI borrowing costs is a legal obligation for the Union and a non- discretionary expenditure item in the EU budget; is adamant, therefore to cater fully and timely for the NGEU repayment costs that will fall due in 2025; agrees to apply, in this regard, the newly established EURI cascade mechanism, in the letter and the spirit of the recently revised MFF Regulation; proposes to finance 65% of the overrun costs by the de-commitment compartment of the EURI Special Instrument; deems the margin of EUR 46.2 million, which was programmed before the DB was submitted, to be available for reinforcing programmes under the ceiling of Heading 2b; intends to revisit the amendments linked to the cascade mechanism once the Amending Letter provides updated estimations of the actual needs for the EURI line in 2025;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights the vital role that Horizon Europe plays in this context; recalls that the programme remains heavily over-subscribed and is therefore unable to support a large number of research projects evaluated as ‘excellent’; proposes, therefore, to increase allocations for the programme by a total of EUR 242 million compared to the DB, with reinforcements for the European Research Council, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Clusters ‘Health’, ‘Culture’ ‘Climate, Energy and Mobility’, ‘Food’, EIC and ‘Widening participation’;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is key to boosting investment in high-performance, and sustainable trans-European networks and to decarbonising the Union economy, thereby accelerating the green transition and, thereby promoting interconnectivity; proposes, to increase appropriations for CEF Transport by EUR 40 million above the DB in 2025; further proposes to top-up CEF Energy with an additional EUR 30 million;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Reinforces Heading 2a by EUR 755 965 in commitment appropriations, i.e. by the remaining margin undConsiders crucial to reform the Cohesion policy, where the sub-ceiling, above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 889 718 compared to the Councilbest results would be achieved by not conveying the funds via Brussels' readingstributive machine;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Underlines that the expenditure programmes under Heading 2b have to share the tight resources and margins under Heading 2b with the EURI budget line which covers the NGEU debt management and interest costs and, eventually, debt repayments; is intent on covering these borrowing costs in a reliable and transparent manner without having toby reduceing programme allocations for this purpose; is convinced that, for 2025, the cascade mechanism and the newly created EURI Special Instrument make it possible that this objective can be achieved; emphasises that this is a crucial message to the beneficiaries of EU fundingtaxpayers of the EU and the public at large;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Reiterates the indispensable role of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme in promoting European values and citizens’ rights, in fostering active civic engagement, in building resilient societies, in combatting gender-based violence and in supporting the key principles of democracy, the rule of law, solidarity, inclusiveness, justice, non- discrimination and equality; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the programme by EUR 9 million above the DB, with reinforcements for the equality and rights, ‘citizens’ engagement and participation’, Daphne and ‘Union values’ strands; to this end, reminds that the European Commission shall absolutely restrain from promoting islamic veil in its public campaigns as a legitimising sign of islamisation;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Recalls the important role played by the decentralised agencies under Heading 2b; reinforcing funding and staffing levels for the Fundamental Rights Agency, for the European Institute for Gender Equality, the European Labour Authority and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation in line with the agencies’ identified needs; proposes, furthermore, to reinforce the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in terms of financing and staff to allow the body to fulfil its duties and protect the Union’s financial interests;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45 a. Calls on the European Court of Auditors to audit without delay all EU funded green investments, without limiting the scope of investigation;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Underlines that instability in neighbouring regions, as well as poverty and underlying trends in economic development, demographic changes, globalisation in transport and communications continue to create migration flows towards the Union, placing significant pressure on programmes and agencies under Heading 4 fall under the full responsibility of the neighbouring states and have zero connection with the European taxpayers;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Notes that additional financing is needed underIs convinced that the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in order to ensure appropriate and speedy implementation ofmust be rebranded as the Asylum and, Migration Pact; decides, therefore, to reinforce the AMIF by EUR 25 million above DB in 2025 given AMIF’s positive contribution in providing immediate support to refugeesand Repatriation Fund (AMRF) and be fully focused on deportation of illegal migrants from the EU;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Underlines the important role that the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) plays in managing the Union’s external borders and in particular in supporting Member States with reinforced border protection capabilities including physical infrastructure, buildings, equipment, systems and services required at border crossing points; underlines that the instrument should also support the acceleration of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area; proposes therefore to increase appropricalls on the European Commission to provide particular attention and resources to the construction of the walls at the Finnish- Russian, Polish-Belorussian and Greco- Turkish borders; calls for a swift approval of the Finnish government applications for the BMVI by EUR 35 million above DB;50mln EUR in BVMI funding to help secure the EU external border1a; _________________ 1a https://intermin.fi/-/suomi-hakee-50- miljoonan-euron-rahoitusta-komissiolta- itarajan-valvonnan-vahvistamiseen-
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Proposes to reinforce the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) by EUR 2 million and to reinforce staff at the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), which shall start immediately the negotiations aiming at creating asylum reception centers in third countries outside the Union;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Emphasises that, and once more as a consequence of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the international context has deteriorated rapidly as a result of the food, energy and economic crises, which have dramatically increased pressure on Heading 6; welcomes the fact that the introduction of the Ukraine Facility and the Western Balkan Facility over the MFF ceilings provides a stable basis for support for Ukraine and the Western Balkan countries and releases some pressure on the availabilities within Heading 6 and more particularly on the cushion and buffers in the NDICI envelope; reminds that the commensurate redeployments leave behind gaps on some other budget lines which are difficult to manage;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Stresses the importance of the Southern Neighbourhood line in supporting political, economic and social reforms in the region; taking into consideration the increasing humanitarian needs in the region as well as other purposes of regional cooperation in providing assistance to refugees, in particular Syrian and Palestinian refugees, and in enabling support along the southern migration routes; proposes to increase appropriations for the line by EUR 60 million above the DB, including to reinforce funding for UNRWA based on EU regulations and valuesconsiders vital to condition EU aid with repatriation agreements to increase returns; is equally convinced that EU partnerships with third countries must be built on strict requirement of non- cooperation with the Russian regime;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65 a (new)
Paragraph 65 a (new)
65 a. Is profoundly sceptical as regards the rule of law in the Western Balkan countries and expresses concern over how this affects the reliability of the EU funds being spent under the Western Balkan Facility;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Overall, reinforces Heading 6 by EUR 256 200 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB and by EUR 234 461 645 compared to the Cocalls to redeploy all external action funds under Heading 6 towards Ukraine unctil rpeadingce in Europe is restored;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Maintains unchanged the overall level of its budget for 2025 set at EUR 2 499 233 329, in line with its estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2025; incorporates budgetary-neutral adjustments to reflect updated information which was not available earlier this year; calls for an establishment of the Single Seat of the European Parliament;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 73 – point b a (new)
(b a) Highlights once again the necessity of savings and unaffordability of 19 Europa Experiences and of 33 European Parliament Liaison Offices in times of economic hardships and squeezed Heading 7ceilings;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80 – point b
Paragraph 80 – point b
(b) restore the level of appropriations partially in line with the estimates of the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, the European Data Protection Supervisor and the European External Action Service by increasing the appropriations above the DB for budgetary lines that cover cyber- security and operational needs;