Activities of Peter ŠŤASTNÝ related to 2013/2145(BUD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014 - all sections (debate)
Amendments (6)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes, in a context of scarcity of resources, the proposal to increase, in terms of both payments and commitments, several key budget lines within the Commission's trade policy title; is concerned, however, that these slight increases may not be sufficient to ensure that the Commission has the capacity to cope with its expanding bilateral negotiating agenda, including free trade agreements (FTAs) with the USA and Japan, to efficiently implement the EU´s trade defence instruments and to do its utmost to help shore up the multilateral trading system by drawing up new proposals and taking concrete initiatives;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that this slight increase of the budgetary line devoted to the trade policy of the EU should be complemented by adequate resources and staff reallocation within the Commission; is satisfied with the proposal of a significant increase in staff working in the Union delegations on trade-related matters, which should support the Union´s trade and economic influence in third countries;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets the sharp decrease in commitments for the Instrument for Macro-Financial Assistance and the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), which willcould undermine the EU's capacity to stabilise and assist its neighbouring countries, including those with whom it negotiates deep and comprehensive free trade agreements (DCFTAs); believes that the ENI funding should, given its restrictions, focus on trade-related technical support and assistance to our partners, especially those countries in the Eastern Partnership which could soon implement DCFTAs concluded with the EU as well as the Euromed countries;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the substantial increase in funding for the Partnership Instrument (former ICI/ICI+), which reflects the widened scope of this instrument; supports the significant financing for activities in support of EU businesses on third markets, but recalls that the coordination platform for internationalisation of SMEs will not be implemented until 2014 despite its inclusion in the scope of ICI+ since; welcomes the fact that the proposed resources for COSME and for the Partnership Instrument should allow for a whole range of activities in support of SMEs internationalisation and recalls the relevance of finally implementing the coordination platform for SMEs as of 20124;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes with interest that the Partnership Instrument will fund the expansion of the EU business centres in Asia, after thorough reviews of the existing structures in China and India, and the creation of a Business Centre in Latin America; believes that this renewed funding implies that the Commission will take into account all the lessons drawn from the first experiences of business centres, in terms of outreach to SMEs, complementarities with existing public and private structures of the EU and of Members States and sustainability of these projects;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the drop in the annual ceiling for possible use of the European Globalisation Fund for 2014-2020 is bcounld to reduce theaffect its effectiveness of this fund, the purpose of which is to help workers affected by globalisation and trade agreements, in particular as the EGF's scope of recipients has been expanded to anticipate the possibility of some negative social impact of future trade liberalisation by the Union;