14 Amendments of Richard ASHWORTH related to 2015/2008(BUD)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU budget is predominantly an investment budget with a strong leverage effect and a catalyst for growth, competitiveness and jobs across the Union; whereas it facilitates the implementation of programmes and projects that would otherwise be difficult or impossible and ensures strategic investment in actions with European added value by pooling resources and allowing for economies of scale; whereas the EU budget has a tangibleproperly targeted investment at the EU level can help to boost Member State economies and have a positive impact on citizens’' lives ;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU budget cannot accomplish its mission if its soundness and credibility are putis currently lacking a degree of sound financial management and its credibility has been called into question; whereas it is imperative that all commitments forming part of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014- 2020 are respected in full, and that a number of problems that have accumulated over the past years, such asparticularly the situation of unpaid invoices at year-end, are resolved without any delay;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas 2016 will be the year when the new EU programmes of the MFF 2014- 2020 will be operational and in full swing, and when the MFF mid-term revisionew will be launched;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the indisputable potential and added value of the EU budget in the creation of employment andthrough the development of enterprises and entrepreneurship across the Union; acknowledges that a wide range of EU programmes, including Horizon 2020, COSME and Erasmus+, contribute directly to the attainment of these objectives; expects that the Commission will place such growth-orientated programmes and instruments at the heart of the Draft Budget 2016, in order to ensure that they are endowed with the necessary resources;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that many Member States remain engaged in long term fiscal rebalancing and believes that Europe must continue to show not only solidarity, but budgetary responsibility and restraint in light of these ongoing national budgetary consolidation efforts;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recognises that there is an acute shortage of funds in the EU, both at member state and European Union levels and the problems this may cause in the implementation of some programmes, stresses therefore the need to attach real importance to the concept of value for money and that all programmes and expenditure should be carefully scrutinised for viability, efficiency and effectiveness;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that Europe, despite being one of the safest places in the world, is faced with new types of risks to its internal security which require ensuring closer police and judicial cooperation and coordination and at the same times closer cooperation between police and judicial authorities, while at the same time there is a need to promotinge stability and peace in conflict areas; invitescalls on the Commission, if there is a need to propose targeted reinforcements of the relevant programmes and instruments, thus demonstrating the EU’s pledge to tackle these threatso find savings from other budget lines were financing is less urgent;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the full implementation of the joint statements on payment appropriations and on a payment plan agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the end of the 2015 budgetary procedure and considers that such action would indicate that all three institutions are serious about working towards a lasting solution to the problem of unpaid bills; recalls the commitment to hold, in the course of this year, at least three interinstitutional meetings on payments, in order to take stock of payment implementation and revised forecasts; expects the first of these meetings, in March 2015, to provide a first overview of the level of unpaid bills at the end of 2014 for the main policy areas; regrets that, as anticipated, this level reached at the end of 2014 the unprecedented amount of EUR 24.7 billion for 2007-2013 Cohesion programmes;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reiterates its long-standing position thatgrets that Parliament and Council hold divergent interpretation of the relevant MFF provision with regard to the payments of special instruments (Flexibility Instruments, the EU Solidarity Fund, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and the Emergency Aid Reserve) should be counted over and above the MFF ceilings, as is the case for commitments; regrets that no agreement was made possible during last year’s budgetary procedure due to the Council’s interpretation of the relevant MFF provision; expects the matter to be settled with the 2015 technical adjustment of the Global Margin for Payments by the Commission;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Council, in its consideration of next year’s budget, to live up to the expectations raised byremain true to its own statements and decisions, whether they relate to the MFF, the Europe 2020 strategy or the relaunch of investment; considers that such political declarations and commitments are void unless coupled with sufficient budgetary resources to allow their implementaconcrete proposals for action;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Undertakes, within the MFF ceilings and with due consideration to the acute shortage of payments, to play its role as one arm of the budgetary authority with dedication and responsibility by promoting well-targeted increases in those budgetary areas with high absorption capacity that correspond to its political priorities and guarantee successful delivery; in this light, intends to examine, with the support of its specialised committees, the specific programmes and budget lines that can better achieve this objectivescrutinise with the support of its specialised committees, the specific programmes and budget lines that best deliver on budgetary priorities and objectives while also routing out those budget lines which do not deliver satisfactory results;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Welcomes comments made by the Commissioner and the Court of Auditors, calling for a culture change in how the EU institutions deal with the EU Budget - in particular, the need for an increased emphasis on accountability and a focus on performance and spending outcomes; to this end highlights the need for Parliament to play a greater role in scrutinising expenditure and performance;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines that the 2016 budget will be crucial as it should serve as a benchmark ofor the post-electoral MFF review / revision, to be launched before the end of 2016; stresses the need to establish political priorities and identify in good time areas of proven added value of EU spending for which further investments will be deemed necessaryas investment in these areas will be targeted in the second half of the MFF 2014-2020; stresses, in this context, the importance of closely monitoring and scrutinising the implementation and performance of key EU programmes already during the current budgetary procedure;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Reaffirms its position in favour of an in-depth reformview of the system of EU own resources, whose current shortcomings are causing severe impasses in budgetary negotiations; attaches, therefore; attaches, the highest political importance to the work of the High Level Group on Own Resources, under the chairmanship of Mario Monti; eagerly anticipates the results and proposals of the work of this High-Level Group that are due to be presented in an interinstitutional conference, with the participation of national parliaments, during 2016, and considered in the context of the MFF review / revision;