17 Amendments of Ana GOMES related to 2013/2277(INI)
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the economic situation and recent developments in some Member States have compromised the quality of employment, social protection and health and safety standardsled to the deterioration of national health, education and social security systems, the general impoverishment of citizens and increasing wealth inequalities; whereas these factors have devastated citizens' trust in governments, politicians, the EU and in democracy all together;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas in October 2010 Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicholas Sarkozy met at Deauville, prior to a EU summit, and announced that sovereign bailouts from the European Stability Mechanism would require that losses be imposed on private creditors; whereas this triggered market speculation against the euro that dramatically aggravated yields demanded from Portuguese sovereign debt, forcing Portugal to request a bailout.
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the programmes were in the short run primarily meant to avoid a disorderly default and stop speculation on sovereign debt; whereas the medium term aim was to ensure that the money that was lent would be reimbursed, thus avoiding a large financial loss that would rest on the shoulders of the taxpayers of the countries which are providing the assistance and guaranteeing the funds; whereas this also requires the programme to deliver sustainable growth and effective debt reduction in the medium and long term; whereas the programmes were not suited to comprehensively correcting macroeconomic imbalances which had accumulated sometimes over decades; whereas, despite the announcements, no significant job growth and job creation measures were enacted at the national or European level;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that the initial agreement between the Portuguese authorities on the one side and the EU and IMF on the other was adopted on 17 May 2011 in the relevant MoUs containing the policy conditionality for EU-IMF financial assistance; further notes that the Portuguese programme has since been reviewed regularly to adjust the targets and objectives, given the unrealistic and unattainable initial goals, leading to the combined eighth and ninth quarterly reviews of Portugal’'s economic adjustment programme;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Regrets the lack of transparency in the MoU negotiations; notes the necessity to evaluate whether formal documents were clearly communicated and considered in due time ato the national parliaments and the European Parliament; further notes the possible negative impact of such practices on citizens’' rights and, the political situation within the countries concerned and on the credibility of the EU in the eyes of citizens of those countries;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Regrets the absence of proposals within the MoUs to fight corruption, fraud, party clientelism and influence peddling through budget transparency, regulation of conflict of interests in decision-making, mechanisms for civic participation, tighter rules and supervision of party funding, fair taxation and effective tax collection;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores that recommendations contained in MoUs mark a departure from the thinking initiated by the Lisbon strategy and the Europe 2020 strategies), namely leading to brutal disinvestment in education, qualification, scientific research and technical innovation; points out however that this can be partly explained, even if not fully justified, by the fact that programmes had to be implemented under considerable time pressure in a difficult political environment;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that the programmes for Greece, Ireland and Portugal comprise a number of detailed prescriptions for health systems reform and expenditure cuts; regrets that the programmes are not bound by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the Treaties, including Art. 168(7) TFEU; further regrets that the Troika gave its blessing to tax amnesties for tax evaders and other criminals, such as those occurred in Portugal in 2012 and 2013, while imposing brutal tax increases on the middle classes and perpetrating an unfair and unreliable tax system;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Deplores that the MoUs included forced privatization of state-controlled companies despite their clear strategic national and European interest; refers as examples the energy production and distribution companies in Portugal EDP and REN, which were ultimately sold to state-owned Chinese companies, thereby giving the Chinese State potential access and control to an advanced technology sector in Portugal and Europe, jeopardising the European Union's strategic autonomy;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deplores that since 2008 the income distribution inequality has grown above average in the four countries and that cuts in social benefits and rising unemployment are raising poverty levels; points out the inequity in brutal tax increases targeting the middle classes, yet sparing the upper income segments of society and the large scale tax evaders who were given "tax amnesties";
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points to the unacceptable level of youth unemployment in the four Member States under assistance programmes; points especially to the sharp increase in youth unemployment in Greece, Cyprus and Portugal; is concerned with the disastrous impact of the "brain drain" and emigration of the most qualified generation on the strategic development of those countries and the sustainability of their economy and social security systems;
Amendment 497 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Deplores however the sometimes over- optimistic assumptions made by the Troika, especially as far as growth isand unemployment are concerned, but also the insufficient recognition of political resistance to change in some Member States; deplores the fact that this also affected the Troika’'s analysis of the interplay between fiscal consolidation and growth; notes that as a result fiscal targets could not be fulfilled;
Amendment 536 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Points out that while the IMF’'s stated objective in its assistance operations within the frame of the Troika is internal devaluation through salary reduction and pension cuts, the Commission has never clearly endorsed this objective; notes that the objective emphasised by the Commission in all four programme countries under enquiry has rather been fiscal consolidation;
Amendment 556 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers that too little attention has been given to alleviating the negative impact of adjustment strategies in the programme countries; regrets namely the absence of credit access for SMEs and programmes for fostering job creation and growth at national and European levels;
Amendment 567 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses that national-level ownership is important, and that failure to implement agreed measures has consequences in terms of the expected results and devastating impact on the confidence of citizens in the EU;
Amendment 592 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that the Troika’'s mandate has been perceived as being unclear and, lacking transparency and democratic oversight;
Amendment 638 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Takes note of the dual role of the Commission in the Troika as both an agent of Member States and an EU institution; warns that conflicts of interests may therefore exist within the Commission between its role in the Troika and its responsibility as a guardian of the Treaties, especially in policies such as competition and state aid, state aid, social justice and fundamental rights of the citizens;