9 Amendments of Markus PIEPER related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The transition to a competitive, climate-neutral and circular economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the Union. On 12 December 2019, the European Council endorsed the objective of achieving a climate-neutral Union by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This will require significant new investments, particularly in innovation. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transition from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the energy transition entails a wider social and economic impact for those regions that rely heavily on solid fossil fuels - especially coal, lignite, peat and oil shale - or greenhouse gas intensive industries. Such a situation not only creates the risk of a variable speed transition in the Union as regards climate action, but also of growing disparities between regions, detrimental to the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources ofrom the JTF should complement the resources available under cohesion policy. be substantial and consistent with its ambitious objective and should complement the resources available under cohesion policy. The establishment of the JTF should under no circumstance lead to cuts in or transfers from the funds covered by Regulation (EU) ../.. [new CPR], particularly from funds such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF+) or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies, and arere technologically feasible and sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a gradual transition to an innovative, competitive, climate-neutral and circular economy. For dseclining sectortors with high CO2 emissions levels, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the gradual phasing out of the activity and the corresponding reduction in the employment level. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission level conducted in cooperation with social partners and within a reasonable timeframe. With the aim of transforming these sectors, support should promote enewrgy efficiency and lower carbon activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or products, leadingthe renewable energy sources and investments in the deployment of infrastructure and technology for affordable low emission energy as well as new processes or products. Gas has to be recognised as a bridge technology that needs to play an important role in the transition to a low-emission economy. Further, security of supply must remain intact by technical innovations, including the roll-out of hydrogen which has the potential to become one of the major energy carriers of the 21st century. Such activities should lead to significant life- cycle emission reduction, in the energy system of the territory and be in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 while maintaining and enhancing skilled employment and, avoiding environmental degradation and enhancing the robustness of an energy system based predominantly on renewable energy sources, including through flexible balancing technologies and storage solutions. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a competitive, climate- neutral and circular economy. __________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) In order to achieve the objectives of the JTF, the European Commission should consider changes to the Environmental Protection and Energy Aid Guidelines, “EEAG Guidelines”, which are necessary to facilitate private investments and successful implementation of the JTF. A strong state aid framework is needed to prevent that any aid for decarbonisation leads to undue distortions in the internal market. The revision of the EEAG has to accompany the Green Deal, in particular by taking into account recent and new regulatory developments, technological progress and opportunities as well as market evolutions in the energy sector. The planned revision of the EEAG should allow for national support for structural changes due to coal phase-out following the same conditionality as the Just Transition Fund. When revising the guidelines, the Commission should therefore also take into account the problems of structural change in the regions concerned, in order to ensure that these region are given sufficient flexibility to carry out their projects in a socially and economically viable manner.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 b (new)
Recital 12 b (new)
(12b) Support for productive investment in enterprises other than SMEs through the Just Transition Fund should not be limited to the areas eligible for State aid under the applicable State aid rules pursuant to Article 107(3)(a) and (c) TFEU. On the contrary, State aid rules should allow all regions receiving assistance through the JTF to effectively address the threat of job losses at an early stage. This should also be ensured by adapting the general block exemption Regulation accordingly;
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 c (new)
Recital 12 c (new)
(12c) The areas most affected by the transition to a climate-neutral economy should be given the opportunity to actively address the associated structural change as early as possible. This requires adjustments to state aid law, e.g. through a new guideline of the European Commission on the basis of Article 107 (3) (b) or (c) TFEU, so that it is ensured that aid is permissible under the applicable rules regardless of the status of the assisted regions;
Amendment 190 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The objectives of this Regulation, namely to support territories facing economic, energy and social transformation in their transition to a climate-neutral economy, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States alone. The main reasons in this regard are, on the one hand, the disparities between the levels of development of the various territories and the backwardness of the least favoured territories, as well as the limit on the financial resources of the Member States and territories and, on the other hand, the need for a coherent implementation framework covering several Union funds under shared management. Policy coherence with other policies has to be ensured, most notably industrial policy and public procurement rules, with a view to ensuring a level playing field to enable European industry, including SMEs, to produce the sustainable goods and services in line with the Green Deal and to provide jobs. Since those objectives can better be achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives,
Amendment 195 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) to provide support to territories facing serious socio- economic , energy security and environmental challenges deriving from the energy transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050, namely to all regions where coal is still harvested or where important structural changes take place after phasing out coal-mining activities as well as to regions with greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities.
Amendment 348 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Additionally, the JTF may support, in areas designated as assisted areas in accordance with points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) of the TFEUthe respective territories, productive investments in enterprises other than SMEs, provided that such investments have been approved as part ofincluded in the territorial just transition plan as necessary for energy transition, based on the information required under point (h) of Article 7(2). Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessary for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan.