Activities of Lambert van NISTELROOIJ related to 2015/0009(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Fund for Strategic Investments (debate) NL
Amendments (32)
Amendment 19 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The economic and financial crisis has led to a lowering of the level of investments and knowledge valorisation within the Union. Investment has fallen by approximately 15% since its peak in 2007, impacting all European regions and especially the less developed ones. The Union suffers in particular from a lack of investment as a consequence of market uncertainty regarding the economic future and the fiscal constraints on Member States. This lack of investment slows economic recovery and negatively affects job creation, long-term growth prospects and competitiveness. It therefore prevents a speedier realization of the objectives of the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Comprehensive action is required to reverse the vicious circle created by a lack of investment. Structural reforms and fiscal responsibility are necessary preconditions for stimulating investment, although there is room for flexibility in order to provide incentives for creating an investment inducing environment in all Member States. Along with a renewed impetus towards investment financing, these preconditions can contribute to establishing a virtuous circle, where investment projects help support employment and demand and lead to a sustained increase in growth potential.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The investment environment within the Union should be improved and stabilized by removing barriers to investment, reinforcing the Single Market and by enhancing regulatory predictability. The work of the EFSI, and investments across Europe generally, should benefit from this accompanying work.
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The purpose of the EFSI should be to help resolve the difficulties in financing and implementing productive and strategic investments in the Union of economic and societal importance and to ensure increased access to financing. It is intended that increased access to financing should be of particular benefit to small and medium enterprises. It is also appropriate to extend the benefit of such increased access to financing to mid- cap companies, which are companies having up to 3000 employees. Overcoming Europe's current investment difficulties should contribute to strengtheningthe closing of the innovation divide in Europe and the strength of the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The EFSI should support strategic investments with high economic value added, contributing to achieving Union policy objectivesEU policy objectives for the period 2014-2020 and the Union Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
(29 a) The Commission should explore in the context of the MFF midterm review the possibilities under the Union Budget to redirect the available funding to the EU guarantee from programmes other than the Horizon 2020 and the CEF, including the possibility to use up to 1/3 of the amount of the performance reserve as provided for and calculated in accordance with Article 20 of the Common Provisions Regulation, and submit to the European Parliament and the Council the appropriate proposals to that effect.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) Member States have also begun work at national level on establishing and promoting project pipelines for projects of national significance. The information prepared by the Commission and the EIB should provide links to the accompanying national project pipelines. Regional and local authorities including regional innovation platforms, regional development agencies and management authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds are a crucial source of information on current and future investments opportunities.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The purpose of the EFSI should be to help resolve the difficulties in financing and implementing productive investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing. It is intended that increased access to financing should be of particular benefit to small and medium enterprises. It is also appropriate to extend the benefit of such increased access to financing to mid- cap companies, which are companies having up to 3000 employees. Overcoming Europe's current investment difficulties should contribute to strengthening the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion and digital development.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
To meet that objective, the EIAH shall use the expertise of the EIB, the Commission, national promotional banks and local and regional authorities, including regional innovation platforms, the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds. and regional development agencies.
Amendment 99 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
To meet that objective, the EIAH shall use the expertise of the EIB, the Commission, technical assistance experts, national promotional banks and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Many small and medium enterprises, as well as mid-cap companies, also oriented at digital development across the Union require assistance to attract market financing, especially as regards investments that carry a greater degree of risk. The EFSI should help these businesses to overcome capital shortages by allowing the EIB and the European Investment Fund ('EIF') to provide direct and indirect equity injections, as well as to provide guarantees for high-quality securitisation of loans, and other products that are granted in pursuit of the aims of the EFSI.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The EFSI should target projects delivering high societal and economic value. In particular, the EFSI should target projects that promote job creation, long- term growth and competitiveness. The EFSI should support a wide range of financial products, including equity, debt or guarantees, to best accommodate the needs of the individual project also objectives related to the digital development in Europe. This wide range of products should allow the EFSI to adapt to market needs whilst encouraging private investment in the projects. The EFSI should not be a substitute for private market finance but should instead catalyse private finance by addressing market failures so as to ensure the most effective and strategic use of public money. The requirement for consistency with State aid principles should contribute to such effective and strategic use.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Decisions on the use of the EFSI support for infrastructure and large mid- cap projects should be made by an Investment Committee. The Investment Committee should be composed of independent experts who are knowledgeable and experienced in the areas of investment projects in the sectorial domains specified in the Regulation as well as geographic markets within the Union. The Investment Committee should be accountable to a Steering Board of the EFSI, who should supervise the fulfilment of the EFSI's objectives. To effectively benefit from the experience of the EIF, the EFSI should support funding to the EIF to allow the EIF to undertake individual projects in the areas of small and medium enterprises and small mid-cap companies.
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The Member States shall make use of the expertise of regional authorities (e.g. regional innovation platforms, managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds and regional development agencies) as an important source of information on market and investment opportunities and actual developments.
Amendment 163 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
At the latest [PO insert date: 18 months after the entry into force of this Regulation] the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an evaluateion on the use of the EU guarantee and the functioning of the guarantee fund, including the use of endowments according to Article 8(9). The Commission shall submit its evaluation to the European Parliament and the Council, as well as the source of financing of the guarantee and submit to the European Parliament and the Council in the context of the MFF midterm review appropriate proposals in view of redirecting to the guarantee any available funding from programmes other than those that are covered by Article 18 and Article 19 of this regulation, including the possibility to use up to 1/3 of the amount of the performance reserve as provided for and calculated in accordance with Article 20 of the Common Provisions Regulation.
Amendment 175 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) At the level of projects, third parties may co-finance together with EFSI on a project-by-project basis or in investment platforms related to specific geographic or thematic sectors. Special attention shall be given to investment platform that highlights added value related to the potentiality of the digital drivers present in all sectors of the economy to help the Digital Single Market implementation goals and the development of digital infrastructure.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The EFSI should support strategic investments with high economic and societal value added contributing to achieving Union policy objectives in synergy and additionality with existing EU operations, including the 2014-2020 cohesion policy. The EFSI should improve the competitiveness of the European enterprises through enhancing the access to funding, supporting innovation and research, and lead to the enhancement of the regulatory environment.
Amendment 218 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
Amendment 266 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The EFSI should target projects delivering high societal and economic value. In particular, the EFSI should target projects that promocreate job creations, long- term growth, innovation and competitiveness. The EFSI should support a wide range of financial products, including equity, debt or guarantees, to best accommodate the needs of the individual project. This wide range of products should allow the EFSI to adapt to market needs whilst encouraging private investment in the projects. The EFSI should not be a substitute for private market finance but should instead catalyse private finance by addressing market failures so as to ensure the most effective and strategic use of public money. The requirement for consistency with State aid principles should contribute to such effective and strategic use.
Amendment 323 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2
The Investment Committee shall be composed of sixtwelve independent experts and the Managing Director. Independent experts shall have a high level of relevant market experience in project finance andin the areas pointed in Article 5(2) as well as geographic markets within the Union. The Investment Committee shall be appointed by the Steering Board for a renewable fixed term of three years.
Amendment 379 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) improvement and promotion of the smart use of ICT and the integration of SMEs in digital value chains;
Amendment 431 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) The EIB should regularly evaluate activities supported by the EFSI with a view to assessing their relevance, performance, additionality to EU funding instruments, value added and impact and to identifying aspects that could improve future activities. Such evaluations should contribute to accountability and analysis of sustainability.
Amendment 449 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Alongside the financing operations that will be conducted through the EFSI, a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') should be created. The EIAH should provide strengthened supportdecentralised on the ground and strengthened technical assistance for project development and preparation across the Union, by building on the expertise of the Commission, the EIB, national promotional banks and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds. This should establish a single point of entry for questions related to technical assistance for investments within the Union. EIAH should add value to and coordinate with existing technical assistance facilities.
Amendment 575 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The purpose of the EFSI shall be to support investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing for companies having up to 3000 employees, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises and innovative companies, through the supply of risk bearing capacity to the EIB ('EFSI Agreement').
Amendment 702 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The EFSI Agreement shall provide for the creation of a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') within the EIB. The EIAH shall have as its objective to build upon existing EIB and Commission advisory services in order to provide decentralised on the ground advisory support for investment project identification, preparation and development and act as a single technical advisory hub for project financing within the Union. This shall include support on the use of technical assistance for project structuring, use of innovative financial instruments, use of public-private partnerships and advice, as appropriate, on relevant issues of EU legislation.
Amendment 716 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
To meet that objective, the EIAH shall use the expertise of the EIB and its existing technical assistance facilities, the Commission, national promotional banks and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds.
Amendment 786 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 924 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
The EU guarantee shall be granted for EIB financing and investment operations approved by the Investment Committee referred to in Article 3(5) or funding to the EIF in order to conduct EIB financing and investment operations in accordance with Article 7(2). The operations concerned shall be consistent with Union policies and supportcontribute to recovering EU's economic convergence, be consistent with Union policies and ensure additionality to existing EU funding through any of the following general objectives:
Amendment 1256 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) the financial statements of the EFSI, accompanied by an opinion of an independent external auditor .
Amendment 1323 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 4
Article 12 – paragraph 4
4. The EIB and EIF shall on a regular basis provide the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission with all their independent evaluation reports which assess the practical results achieved by the specific activities of the EIB and EIF under this Regulation, focusing on outcomes and impacts.
Amendment 1326 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 5
Article 12 – paragraph 5
5. At the latest [PO insert date three years after the entry into force of this Regulation], the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of this Regulation, including assessment of the value added of the EFSI and its additionality to existing EU funding instruments, accompanied by any relevant proposal. for improvements.
Amendment 1426 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point 1
2015/0009
article 18 – paragraph 3
article 18 – paragraph 3
3. The EIT shall be financed through a maximum contribution from Horizon 2020 of EUR 2 361,4496,97 million in current prices as set out in Annex II. The InnovFin risk sharing finance facility shall provide for 0,5 billion euro, to be transferred to the EU guarantee for the EFSI funding as an alternative funding source.