87 Amendments of Mercedes BRESSO related to 2014/2248(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
– having regard to the MFF and the interinstitutional agreement as finally adopted on 2 December 2013 and published in the Official Journal of 20 December 20134 , __________________ 4 OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p.884.
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 18-19 February 2016 concerning a new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union6 , which is rendered void due to the decision of the UK to leave the Union, __________________ 6 EUCO conclusions of 19 February 2016.
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
– having regard to the decision to leave the European Union resulting from the UK referendum on EU membership,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution 24 June 2015 on the review of the economic governance framework: stocktaking and challenges8a, __________________ 8a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0238.
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of XXXXX on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 b (new)
Citation 18 b (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on the European Border and Coast Guard15a , __________________ 15a OJ L 251, 16.9.2016, p. 1.
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the ‘polycrisis’ currently faced by the Union, including its financial, economic, social and migratory consequences, have all led to the rejeincreased dissatisfaction byfrom a growing parsegment of the population of the currentregarding the functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas progress towards a Union that can really deliver on and achieve its goals are impaired by a failure of governance owing to a continuous and systematic search for unanimity in the Council (which is still based on the so- called Luxembourg Compromise) and the lack of a credible single executive authority enjoying full democratic legitimacy and competence to take effective action across a wide spectrum of policies; whereas recent examples such as the uncontrolled migrationinadequate management of refugee flows, the slow clean-up of our banks after the outbreak of the financial crisis and the lack of an immediate common response to the internal and external threat of terrorism have aptly demonstrated that the Union’s incapacity, paralysed by Member States, has not been able to respond effectively and quickly;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the European Union cannot fulfil the expectations of the European citizens, because its primary law does not provide all the necessary instruments, competences and decision- making procedures to effectively tackle common challenges like migration, internal and external security, the economic and fiscal policies as well as social investment;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, instead of fostering the Union, the system whereby Member States make progress at different speeds in accordance with their different capacities and circumstances, further reinforced in the Lisbon Treaty, which introduced new formal methods of enhanced cooperation, has increased the complexity of the Union and accentuated its ‘variable geometry’; whereas more and more Member States are declining to agree on the goals and prefer ‘à la carte’ solutions, some of them even unilaterally the Treaties offer forms of flexible and differentiated integration on secondary law level through the instruments of enhanced and structured cooperation, whereby Member States make progress at different speeds in accordance with their different capacities and circumstances; whereas twenty years after its introduction the impact of enhanced cooperation remains limited; whereas enhanced cooperation has been granted in three instances, namely with regards to common rules for the applicable law for divorces of international couples, the European patent with unitary effect, and the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT);
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas despite the flexibility offered by the Treaties numerous opt-outs on primary law level have been granted to several Member States; whereas these ‘à la carte’ solutions increased the complexity of the Union, created an opaque system of intersecting circles of cooperation, and impede democratic control and accountability;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, as regards Schengen, the free movement of people and the resulting abolition of internal border controls, all formally integrated into the Treaties, ‘opt- outs’ were given to the UK and Ireland; whereas four other Member States are also not taking part, but have the obligation to do so, while ‘opt-ins’ were accorded to three countries outside the European Union; whereas this fragmentation not only prevents the total abolition of some remaining internal borders, but also hinders the establishment of a true internal market and of a fully integrated area of freedom, security and justice;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, last but not least, this ‘variable geometry’opt-outs for individual Member States endangers the uniform application of EU law, leads to excessive complexity in terms of governance, jeopardises the cohesion of the Union and undermines solidarity among its citizens;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas, since the Treaty of Lisbon, further accelerated by the financial and migration crises, the European Council has widened its role to include day-to-day management through the adoption of intergovernmental instruments outside the framework of the EU such as the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (TSCG or the ‘Fiscal Compact’) and the deal with Turkey on migrationin violation of Article 15 (1) TEU;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the unanimity requirement in the European Council and its incapacity to find consensus has led to the adoption of intergovernmental agreements outside the EU legal framework such as the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (TSCG or the 'Fiscal Compact') and the deal with Turkey on migration;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas, while Article 16 of the TSCG provides that within five years of the date of entry into force (before 1 January 2018) the necessary steps must have been taken to incorporate the Fiscal Compact into the legal framework of the Union, it is clear that the resilience of the euro area, including the completion of the banking union, cannot be achieved without further fiscal deepening steps together with the establishment of a more reliable, effective and democratic form of governance; whereas this will complete the current Stability and Growth Pact, which, ever since it came into existence, even after its reform by the so-called six-pack and two-pack, has never been applied for any obvious political reasons;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas this new system of governance implies that the European Commission becomes a genuine government equipped to formulate and implement the common monetary, fiscal and macro- economic policies that the euro area desperately needs and must be endowed with a treasury and budget commensurate with the scale of the tasks at hand; whereas this requires, in addition to measures within the existing primary law, a reform of the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas this is also the case for the necessary reform and modernisation of the financial resources of the whole European Union; whereas the agreement on the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) was only reached after long and strenuous negotiations and was accompanied by the decision to establish a high-level group to review the Union’s revenue system of ‘own resources’, due to report in 2016; whereas the current MFF severely limits the financial and political autonomy of the Union, as most of the revenue consists of national contributions by the Member States and a large part of the expenditure is already preordained by means of returns to these same Member States; whereas although designed as a balancing system, GNP/GNI-based national contributions have become by far the largest source of revenue;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas it is deplorable that the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is inferior in nominal terms compared to the previous one while the circumstances require major budgetary efforts to assist refugees and stimulate economic growth and a more social Europe; calls on the European Council to revise upwards the current MFF;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas the unanimity requirement for the harmonisation of taxes prevents tackling harmful tax competition between Member States and the existence of tax havens within the European Union; whereas corporate tax rates significantly below EU-average and tax benefits for multinational corporations distort the functioning of the internal market, endanger the Member States’ tax income, and ultimately shift the tax burden towards citizens and SMEs;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the European Union is a constitutional system based on the rule of law; whereas the Treaties must be changed to give the European Court of Justice (ECJ) jurisdiction over all aspects of EU law, in particular common foreign and security policy (founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities; whereas the European Union’s existing instruments to assess and sanction breaches of these principles by Member States have proven insufficient; whereas infringement procedures launched against specific legal acts or actions by a Member State violating EU law are inadequate to address systemic breaches of the EU’s fundamental values; whereas under Article 7 (1) TEU the Council acts by a majority of four fifth of its members when determining a clear risk of a serious breach of the fundamental values, and pursuant to Article 24(17 (2) TEU) and monetary and economic policy (Article 126(10 the European Council acts by unanimity when determining the existence of a serious and persistent breach; whereas as a consequence neither the preventive measure under Article 7 (1) TEU nor the sanctioning mechanisms of Article 7 (2) and (3) TFEU); have been invoked;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas the Treaties must be changed to give the European Court of Justice (ECJ) jurisdiction over the common foreign and security policy (Article 24(1) TEU);
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas this review is also needed to rebalance the functioning of the Union, with the aim of less bureaucratic regulation and more effective policymaking; whereas this exercise also concerns the competences conferred on the Union that impair the abilitymore effective policymaking closer to the needs of the citizens; whereas the European Union requires the necessary competences to make progress towards some of its stated objectives such as the energy union, common migration managementand asylum management, social rights, combating unemployment, taxation and security policy;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas building systematic dialogue with civil society organisations and strengthening social dialogue, at all levels and in accordance with the principles laid down in Articles 11 TEU and 152 TFEU, are key to overcoming Euroscepticism and to reasserting the importance of Europe’s solidarity based dimension, social cohesion and the construction of a participatory and inclusive democracy, as a supplement to representative democracy;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
Recital M b (new)
Mb. whereas the role of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) must be safeguarded as institutional representatives of civil society organisations, and regional and local actors;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the decline of Europe’s defence capabilities has limited its ability to project stability beyond our immediate borders; whereas this goes hand in hand with the reluctance of our US allies to intervene if Europe is not ready to take its fair share of responsibility; whereas this leads inevitably to the need for more intense cooperation among the Member States and an integration of some of their defence capacities into a European defence community, both in line with a new European security strategy;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas these changes in the Union’s primary law have become unavoidable, as regrettably none of the ‘passerelle clauses’ provided for in the Lisbon Treaty with a view to facilitating the reform ofstreamlining the Union’s governance have been deployed, and are unlikely to be so in the present circumstances; whereas this is in sharp contrast with the attitude of the European Council in the matter of the envisaged reduction in the number of members of the European Commission, where the ‘let-out’ clause was used instantlyo the contrary due to the European Council decision of 18/19 June 2009 the reduction in the number of Commissioners as envisaged in the Lisbon-Treaty could not be implemented;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas clarifications are still needed as regards the European elections and on the matter of who leads the Union; whereas, despite the outcome of the 2014 European parliamentary elections having, the 2014 European parliamentary elections through the nomination of lead candidates by the European political parties have led for the first time led directly to the nomination of the candidate for President of the Commission, a clear direct democratic link is still lacking, although the European Counci; whereas the supranational chas agreed to review the ‘Spitzenkandidat’ process in time for 201918 ; whereas, moreover, there is stillracter of the European elections should be further reinforced; __________________ 18 EUCO confclusion – not least among third parties – about the interrelationship of the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council; __________________ 18s of 27 June 2014. EUCO conclusions of 27 June 2014.
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas, finally, the urgency for reform of the Union has been dramatically increased by the United Kingdom’s decision, through a referendum, to leave the European Union; whereas it is crystal clear that the negotiations to set out the arrangements for the UK’s withdrawal also need to take account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union; whereas this agreement must be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) TFEU and be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S
Recital S
S. whereas the UK’s decision creates an opportunity to reduce and drastically simplify the ‘variable geometry’ and complexity of the Union; whereas it offers at least the opportunitycomplexity of the Union, and to clarify what membership of the Union really means and what could be a clear structure in the future for the EU’s relationship with non- members in our periphery (the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, etc.); whereas the founding fathers of the Union had already envisaged a type of ‘associate status’neighbourhood;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the time of crisis management by means of ad hoc and incremental decisions has passed, as it only leads to measures that are too little, too late; is convinced that it is now time to address the shortcomings of the governance of the European Union need to be addressed as soon as possible by undertaking a comprehensive, in-depth reform of the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that recent Eurobarometer polling demonstrates that, contrary to popular belief, EU citizens are still fully aware of the importance of, and in support of, genuine European solutions19 , inter alia in the fields of security and migration; __________________ 19 Standard Eurobarometer 84 - Autumn 2015 & Special Eurobarometer EP - June 2016.
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Observes with great concern the prolifermultiplication of subsets of Member States undermining the unity of the Union by causing a lack of transparency, as well as diminishing the trust, and that some Member States openly break Union law, by refusing to implement two Council Decisions of September 2015 ofn the peoplereallocation of refugees;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that a comprehensive democratic reflection on the reform of the Treaties can and must only be achieved through a Convention, which guarantees inclusiveness through its composition ofincludes representatives of national parliaments, governments of all the Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament, and, also providess observers, the Committee of Regions and the pEuroper plan Economic and Social Committee; to this end a participatform for such reflection and engagement with European citizensy mechanism, as for example national Conventions in all Member States, for the input of European citizens and civil society both before and during the convention should also be created and the public should have access to the deliberations and all relevant information in order to ensure transparency;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the fracturing process of ‘variable geometry’ has found its way into the European decision-making process every time the European Council decides to apply intergovernmental methods and to bypass the ‘Union method’ (‘Community method’) as defined in the Treaties; this not only leads to less effective policy- making but also contributes to a growing lack of transparency, democratic accountability and control;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that the ‘Union method’ is the only democratic method for legislating which ensures that all interests, especially the common European interest, are taken into account prevails; understands by ‘Union method’ that the Commission as the executive initiates legislation, Parliament and the Council representing respectively the citizens and the states decide by majority voting, and the Court of Justice oversees and provides ultimate judicial control;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Suggests to render the requirements for establishing enhanced and structured cooperation less restrictive, inter alia by lowering the minimum number of participating Member States;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Proposes that the next revision of the Treaties should rationalise the current disorderly ‘variable geometry’, i.e. ‘l’Europe à la carte’, by ending the disruptive practice of opt-outs, opt-ins and exceptionsput an end to opt-outs by individual Member States on the level of EU primary law;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recommends that, instead of these multiple derogationindividual opt-outs, a new type of ‘associate status’membership could be proposed to those states in the periphery that only want to participate on the sideline, i.e. in some specific Union policies; this statukind of membership with a limited involvement in the decision-making process should be accompanied by obligations corresponding to the associated rights, as for example a contribution to the EU budget and the respect of the Union’s fundamental values and the four freedoms;
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that this new type of ‘associate status’membership could also be one of the possible outcomes to respect the will of thea narrow majority of the citizens of the United Kingdom to leave the EU; stresses that this wish must be respected, given that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, as one of the larger Member States, and as the largest non-euro-area member, affects the strength and the institutional balance of the Union – a new situation that adds to the need for revision of the Treaties;
Amendment 437 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the fact that, until the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom, it will continue to participate in all decision-making of the Union throughout itsin the EU institutions, with the exception of the negotiations and the agreement concerning its own withdrawal; considers that for the time of the withdrawal negotiations, intermediate arrangements will need to be madeshould be considered concerning the UK’s participation in European decision-making, as it will be politically difficult to allow a Member State in the process of leaving to influence decisions affecting the Union of which it will soon cease to be a member;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
New Economic Governance and establishment of a Social Europe
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recalls as stated in its resolution of XXXX on a budgetary capacity for the eurozone that the various crises require the euro area to make, as soon as possible, a qualitative leap of integration to deliver on its promise of stability, convergence, growth and jobs;
Amendment 458 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is greatly concerned by the lack of economic reform and congrowing economic and social divergences in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) as well as the loss, notably due to the absence of a competitiveness of the economiesmon fiscal and economic policy, aggravated by the lack of a proper aggregate fiscal stance for the euro area and the absence of many of its Member St industrial stratesgy;
Amendment 476 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers that in their current form neither the Stability and Growth Pact nor the ‘no bail-out’ clause (Article 125 TFEU) provide the intended solutions, and that they have furthermore lost credibility in their current form, as the pact has been infringed by several Member States without political or legal consequences, while Greece has been bailed out on a large scale on three occasions;
Amendment 506 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Acknowledges the improvements brought byTakes note of the European Semester, the six- pack and the two-pack aimed at addressing these issues, but concludes that they have not solved the problems; believes, moreover, that they have contributed to makingrendered the system overly complex, are not binding with regard to country- specific recommendations and do not cover spill-over effects between one Member State and another, or to the euro area or the EU as a whole;
Amendment 521 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is acutely aware of the need to review the efficacy of the many recent crisis-management measures taken by the EU, and to codify in primary law certain decision-making procedures – such as ‘reverse qualified majority voting’ – as well as the need to entrench the legal bases of the new regulatory framework for the financial sector; agrees with the Five Presidents’ Report that the ‘open method of coordination’ as the basis for Europe’s economic strategy does not function and needs to be elevated into binding legal acts;
Amendment 538 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Proposes therefore merging the deficit and debt procedures, the macroeconomic imbalance procedure and the country-specific recommendations into a singleReiterates its call for the adoption of a ‘convergence code’ of, as a legally binding nature, setting minimum and maximum standards, where only compliance with this code would allow access to EU funds for investment projects or participation in new instruments that combine economic reform with fiscal incentiv act by ordinary legislative procedure, to streamline the existing coordination of economic policies into a more effective convergence of economic policies; such as a fiscal capacity for the euro area or a common debt instrument; the coordination of economic policies as provided for in Article 5 TFEU would therefore become a ‘shared competence’ between the Union and the Member Statggests that the code should be focusing for the first period on convergence criteria regarding taxation, labour market, including among others minimum wages, investment, social cohesion and public administrative and good governance capacities;
Amendment 545 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Proposes that compliance with this code would allow access new instruments that combine economic reform with fiscal incentives such as a budgetary capacity for the euro area or a common debt instrument;
Amendment 546 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Suggests that the coordination of economic policies as provided for in Article 5 TFEU should become a ‘shared competence’ between the Union and the Member States;
Amendment 554 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that, in order to reduce the still excessively high debt burden of Member States, such a common debt instrument needs to be established, inspired by the proposal by the German Council of Economic Experts of 9 November 2011, whereby euro-area members would undertake joint and several liability for a sinking fund, with strong individual commitments on structural reforms to reduce the debt-to- GDP ratio to the required maximum of 60 %; insists that euro-area members would only be able to participate when they are in compliance with the convergence code, as this will prevent moral hazard;
Amendment 567 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 583 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for the integration of the Fiscal Compactevaluation and, if necessary, review of the Fiscal Compact and its subsequent integration into the EU legal framework as well as; calls likewise for the incorporation of the ESM and the Single Resolution Fund into EU law, with corresponding democratic oversight by Parliament and further development of the inter-parliamentary conference foreseen in Article 13, to allow a substantial and timely discussions between the EP and the national parliaments where needed;
Amendment 609 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Is of the opinion that, in order to increase financial stability, mitigate cross- border asymmetric and symmetric shocks and, reduce the effects of recession, and ensure a proper level of investment, the euro area needs a fiscalbudgetary capacity based on genuine own resources and a proper treasury facility equipped with a capacity to borrow; this treasury must be based in the Commission and be subject to democratic scrutiny and accountability through Parliament and the Council;
Amendment 628 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Points out that, because compliance with the new code is crucial to the functioning of the Economic and Monetary Union, stronger governmental institutions are required than those currently provided by the Commission and/or the Eurogroup, as well as full democratic checks and balances through the involvement of the European Parliament on all EMU aspects;
Amendment 642 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls, therefore, for the executive authority to be concentrated in the Commission in the role of an EU Finance Minister, by endowing the Commission with the capacity to formulate and give effect to a common EU economic policy combining macro-economic, and fiscal and monetary instruments, backed up by a euro-area budget; the Finance Minister should be responsible for the operation of the ESM and other mutualised funds, including the budgetary capacity, and be the single external representative of the euro area in international organisations, especially in the financial sector;
Amendment 658 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Considers it necessary to endow the Finance Minister with proportionate powers to intervene in the setting of national economic and fiscal policies in cases where the convergence code is not respected, and the power to use the fiscaluse the budgetary capacity or the common bond instrument for those Member States that are compliant with the convergence code;
Amendment 703 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls, finally, for the banking union and the Capital market union to be completed as soon as possible on the basis of a fast-track timetable;
Amendment 710 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Considers it necessary to lift the unanimity requirement for the harmonisation of certain taxes to allow the EU to set minimum tax rates and tax corridors with the aim of safeguarding the fair and smooth functioning of the internal market and to avoid harmful tax competition between Member States;
Amendment 713 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Considers a strong social dimension indispensable for a comprehensive EMU and that Article 9 TFEU in its current form is not sufficient to guarantee a proper equilibrium between social rights and economic freedoms; calls therefore for these rights to be equally ranked and conflict between them solved by the principal that no right should be limited more than necessary in order to protect countervailing rights;
Amendment 722 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Recognises the geopolitical, economic and environmental need for the creation of a genuine European energy union; notes that this will require the removal of the constraint that EU policy must not affect a state’s right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy sources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply (Article 194(2) TFEU);
Amendment 730 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Underlines that climate change is one of the key global challenges facing the EU; stresses the need for the full ratification and implementation of the Paris Agreement and the adaptation of binding EU climate targets and actions accordingly; notes that the exclusive competence of the Member States to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy sources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply (Article 194(2) TFEU) may undermine the successful implementation of common energy policies;
Amendment 744 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that the Treaties provide ample means to set up a humane, well- functioning migration management and asylum system including a European Border and Coast Guard and welcomes the progress in this regards; believes, however, that the Treaties, particularly Article 79(5) TFEU, are too restrictive regarding other aspects of migration, especially on the establishment of a genuine European legal migration system; insists that democratic scrutiny by Parliament is needed on the implementation of border control, asylum and migration policies, and that the safeguarding of national securityinterests cannot be used as a pretext to circumvent European action;
Amendment 771 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Regrets, as stated in its resolution of XXXXX on the improvement of the functioning of the European Union building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty, that the EU has not made more progress in developing its capacity to agree and to implement a common foreign and security policy (CFSP); notes that its efforts in initiating a common security and defence policy have not been particularly successful, especially with regards to the sharing of costs and responsibilities;
Amendment 784 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Is of the opinion, while reiterating that more progress could and should be made under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty, including as regards use of the provisions to act by qualified majority voting, and that the Vice-President / High Representative should be named EU Foreign Minister and be supported in her efforts to become the main external representative of the European Union in international fora, not least at the level of the UN; considers it essential that, owing to the broad and heavy workload,that the Foreign Minister should be able to appoint political deputies; proposes a review of the functionality of the current European External Action Service;
Amendment 802 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses that for the Union to strengthen the defence of the EU territory, as a pillar within NATO, which remains the cornerstone of the European security architecture, and toe need to create a proper European Defence Union, which in strategic partnership with NATO could enable the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to stabilising its neighbourhood, the Treaties should provide for the possibility of establishing a; stresses that the European Parliament should be fully involved in all steps of the creation of the European dDefence uUnion and have the right of consent in case of operations abroad;
Amendment 809 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Considers that the Union should have a Commissioner for Security and Defence under the authority of the High Representative/Minister for Foreign Affairs as well as a more intense cooperation and integration of Member states defence capacities as the basis for the establishment of European Armed Forces;
Amendment 818 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Believes, finally, that it is essential that the restrictions in Article 24(1) TEU on the authority of the European Court of Justice in the field of CFSP be removed; calls, in the same spirit, for Parliament to gain greater powers of scrutiny and accountability over CFSP, including full co-decision powers over the budget;
Amendment 826 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5 a (new)
Subheading 5 a (new)
Safeguarding the EU’s fundamental values
Amendment 829 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Underlines that respect for and the safeguarding of the EU’s fundamental values are the cornerstone of the European Union as a community based on values and bind European Member States together;
Amendment 831 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34b. Calls for a revision of the procedures laid down in Article 7 TEU to make the preventive mechanism and the sanctioning mechanism with regards to violations of the EU’s fundamental values relevant and applicable; proposes that the Council should act by qualified majority instead of a majority of four fifth of its members when determining a clear risk of a serious breach of the fundamental values under Article 7 (1) TEU, and that the European Council should act by qualified majority instead of unanimity when determining the existence of a serious and persistent breach under Article 7 (2) TEU;
Amendment 833 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 c (new)
Paragraph 34 c (new)
34c. Proposes to amend Article 258 TFEU in order to explicitly allow the Commission to take ‘systemic infringement action’ against Member States violating fundamental values; understands ‘systemic infringement action’ as the bundling of a group of related individual infringement actions suggesting a serious and persistent violation of Article 2 TEU by a Member State;
Amendment 879 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the successful new procedure whereby European political parties promote their top candidates for the President of the European executive, but believes that they should be able to stand during the next elections as official candidates in all Member States; proposes, therefore, following its legislative proposal on the reform of the electoral law of the European Union, empowering the electorate by giving them two votes, one for the national or regional lists and a second one for the European party lists; these European lists will be headed by the European political parties’ nominees to become President of the European executive or government and will be composed of candidates drawn from at least one third of the Member States;
Amendment 888 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Recalls that Parliament, followingSupports the European Council Decision of 28 June 2013, will need to present before the end of 2016 a proposal to establish a system which will make it possible, before each election to the European Parliament, to reallocate the seats among Member States in an objective, fair, durable and transparent way, respecting the principle of degressive proportionality, while taking account of any change in the number of Member States and demographic trends;
Amendment 905 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Stresses the need to better inform citizens about the EU, their role in European decision-making and their rights, which can be achieved amongst other means through civic education across the EU; reiterates its call from 28 October 2015 to reform the European Citizens Initiative to ensure that citizens engage directly with the EU institutions and become more actively involved in the framing of European policies and legislation;
Amendment 909 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 b (new)
Paragraph 39 b (new)
39b. Calls for an increase in the capacity of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) to directly impact the policy-shaping and legislative processes of the European Union by including them at the earliest stage possible in the Union’s legislative programming and by formally acknowledging their role in the assessment of EU policies and legislations;
Amendment 917 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Notes that, despite the prohibition in Article 15(1) TEU, the European Council has undertaken various legislative initiatives; proposes abolishing Article 15(1) andto integratinge the European Council intoas a Council of States that could engage legitimately in the law-making process anconfiguration into the Council of the European Union, where it could provide direction and coherence to the other specialised Council configurations;
Amendment 924 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Considers that thise Council and its specialised configurations, as the second chamber of the EU legislature, should, in the interest of specialism, professionalism and continuity, replace the practice of the rotating six-month presidency with a system of permanent chairs chosen from their midst; suggests that the idea of creating a special Law Council should be favourably reconsidered;
Amendment 935 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Stresses that, following the creation of the role of EU Finance Minister, Parliament should accordingly create an independent technical body, with a role similar to that of the Congressional Budget Office in the United States of America, in order to support and enhance its political control over economic and fiscal matters, and the Eurogroup should be considered as a formal specialised configuration of the Council with legislative and control functions but no executive tasks;
Amendment 952 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Proposes that, after the adoption of a budgetary capacity for the Eurozone, when Parliament and the Council vote on legislation specific to the euro area, only MEPs elected in the euro areathe interests of those non-euro countries that are obliged and resexpectively representatives of its member states, can take part in the voteed to join the EMU should be considered; proposes that arrangements should be found that only MEPs elected in the euro area take part in the vote on matters related to the Eurozone budgetary capacity;
Amendment 958 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Calls on Member States without a derogation to clarify their engagement with regard to the common currency, and on those of them who fulfil the accession criteria to adopt the euro as soon as possible;
Amendment 959 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
Amendment 971 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Recognises the significant role played by national parliaments in the constitutional order of the European Union, and in particular their role in transposing EU legislation into national law and the role they would play in both ex-ante and ex-post control of legislative decisions and policy choices made by their members of the new Council of States, including its specialised configuratthe European Unions; suggests therefore complementing and enhancing the powers of national parliaments by introducing a ‘green card’ procedure whereby national parliaments could submit legislative proposals to the Council for its considerationconsiders that the political dialogue between national parliaments and the European Parliament should be intensified and made more meaningful and substantial, without overstepping the limits of their respective constitutional competences;
Amendment 986 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Calls for the full replacement of the consultation procedure by co-decision between Parliament and Council;
Amendment 1019 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Believes, finally, that the current Treaty ratification procedure is too rigid to befit such a supranational polity as the European Union; proposescould be amended allowing amendmentchanges to the Treaties to come into force if not by an EU-wide referendum then after being ratified by a qualified majority of four-fifths of the Member States, having obtained the consent of Parliament; correspondingly, once this threshold has been met, Member States which still decline to ratify the amended Treaty should decide, in accordance with their own constitutional requirements, whether to start the process of secession or to opt for an associate statuswith a double majority, i.e. a majority of the European electorate and a positive public vote within a majority of the Member States or after being ratified by a qualified majority of four-fifths of the Member States, having obtained the consent of Parliament;
Amendment 1035 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Is of the opinion that the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome would be an appropriate moment to modernisestart an in- depth reflection on the future of the European Union and to startleading to a Convention with the purpose of making the European Union ready for the decades ahead;