775 Amendments of Corina CREȚU
Amendment 1 #
2023/2181(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2181(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve transparency;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2181(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31 a. Notes that the implementation of the Sysper Job information system module began during 2022; notes from the Consolidated Annual Activity Report, that the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking will complete Sysper human resources management System in 2023;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2180(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Acting Executive Director of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Acting Executive Director of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve transparency;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Acting Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Acting Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Instructs its President to forward this decision and the resolution forming an integral part of it to the InterimActing Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve transparency;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes, in this regard, that at the end of 2022, the JU had fully committed the maximum EU operational contributions of EUR 966 million for signed grant agreements under the that programme; notes, ten years after the end of the FP7 programme, around EUR 44.9 million (or 5 %) still remains to be paid for projects yet to be completed; notes that this gap corresponds to 5 projects carrying out research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR); notes, furthermore, that 2 of these projects completed their activities by the end of 2022; acknowledges that AMR is a challenging field of research and appreciates the scientific and societal value of funding the development of novel approaches to fight antibiotic resistance;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that, for Horizon 2022 activities the JU received no new operational commitment appropriations, as the itProgramme had finished its last call for proposals by the end of 2020; notes that the implementation rate for the operational payment appropriations was at the level of 87% (96% in 2021);
Amendment 8 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Notes, from the 2022 Corporate Annual Activity Report, that the IHI Joint Undertaking has performed well against the majority of the IMI2 key performance indicators (KPIs), often exceeding the established targets; welcomes, in particular, that the IHI Joint Undertaking’s projects funded under IMI2 have completed 24 regulatory procedures, including two regulatory letters of support, ten regulatory qualified opinions, two submissions for qualification opinion and the inclusion in six regulatory guidelines;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Notes with appreciation that a share of 58.3% (above the 50% target) of the IHI Joint Undertaking’s projects funded under IMI2 have made accessible their resources and outputs beyond the consortia partners; highlights examples such as the library of chemical compounds, the European Compound Collection, established by the ESCulab project, the open source RADAR-base data platform developed by RADAR-CNS, the European federated data network, established by the EHDEN project, or the self-sustaining pluripotent stem cells biobank delivered by EBiSC2;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14 c. Welcomes the fact that about 67% of papers produced by the projects funded by the Joint Undertaking have co-authors from different sectors, demonstrating the cross-disciplinary nature of the research and the collaborative approach of its projects;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2179(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes, as regards to gender balance, that and geographical balance, around 65% of staff are women and around 35% are male, coming from 15 different nationalities within IHI Joint Undertaking in 31 December 2022;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2178(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (Fusion for Energy) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy (Fusion for Energy) discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve transparency;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Notes that, the Joint Undertaking has slightly improved the gender balance; notes from the Consolidated Annual Activity Report, as regards gender balance that around 38% were female and 62% male in F4E’s workforce; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve gender balance and strive for a balanced geographical balance in this respect;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the new work programme for 2021 and 2022 including new activities and financing as set out in the new founding Regulation were only adopted by the Joint Undertaking’s Governing Board in December 2021 and that this delayed implementation of activities, development of internal control activities and recruitment;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas under the 2021-2027 Mmultiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking receives significantly more funds from the Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and Connecting Europe Facility programmes, to support the acquisition and development of high- performance computing, and quantum computers as well as the upgrading and operation of the infrastructures for supercomputers and quantum computers;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information made available by the members including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve the transparency;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that, for 20223 , the available payment budget amounted to EUR 629.9 million (EUR 348.2 million in 2021) and the available committed budget amounted to EUR 1 374.5 billion (EUR 753.4 million in 2021); notes that the available budget includes unused appropriations of previous years, which the Joint Undertaking re- entered in the budget of the current year, in line with the N+3 rules assigned revenues and reallocations to the next year; _________________ 3 Total budget includes operational budget (used for funding selected projects) and administrative (used for funding Programme Office activities) - Consolidated Annual Activity Report 2022.
Amendment 7 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the Court categorises the risk to budget management as medium because of weaknesses observed in the budget planning and monitoring process and the complex and lengthy acquisition process for supercomputers;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with concernthat due to the length of time it takes to procure supercomputers, the low implementation of both 2022 operational - commitment and payment appropriations were at 79% and 24% respectively (2% and 47% in 2021)4 - and administrative budgets - 45% for administrative commitment appropriations and 37% of its administrative payment appropriations; _________________ 4 The very low commitment appropriations implementation of the 2021 operational budget was largely due to the delayed start of the JU under the 2021-2027 MFF and the transfer by the Commission and Participating States of EUR 700 million of funds to the JU in December 2021.
Amendment 10 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that the Court assessed the risk to programme implementation as medium due to the high risk that EuroHPC may not achieve the minimum contributions targets for their private members by the end of the Horizon 2020 programme; notes that, according to the Joint Undertaking, the lower achievement rates are explained by the involvement of Participating Stateprivate members;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that, in 2022, the JU only implemented 45% of its administrative commitment appropriations and 37 % of its administrative payment appropriations, partly due to the no achievementpartial completion of its recruitment plan for 2022 and to the no reallocation of significant amounts of unused payment appropriations of previous years when planning its 2022 budget;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that in the Joint Undertaking’s 2022 annual accounts, the amounts of contributions recognised per member category (EU and private members) differ significantly among each other, because EU cash contributions are validated and recognised when paid to the JU at the beginning of the project implementation, but members’ in-kind contributions are only recognised after validation of the costs incurred and declared for project implementation; is concerned that the gap between the recognised amount of cash contributions on the one hand and in-kind contributions on the other hand, was addressed in a suboptimal waynot sufficiently addressed in the JU’s 2022 annual accounts by notand could be improved in future years by providing information when available on the JU members’ legal commitments at year end, in terms of signed grant agreements and contracts;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is concernedNotes that, moreover, that in its 2022 annual accounts, the JU did not disclosed important information regarding members’ contributions at programme level, that was available relevant for the complete communication of the JU’s achievements at the year-end; notes, in particular, that the JU did not compare the contributions received from each member category up to the year-end under each programme with the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme;
Amendment 18 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 20 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that, at the end of 2022, the JU fully committed the maximum EU operational contribution of EUR 526 million for signed grant agreements and contracts under the Horizon 2020 and CEF 1 programmes; takes note with concern that, of this, around EUR 266.3 million (or 50.6 %) remains to be paid in the coming years for projects yet to be completed;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that, according to the new EuroHPC founding Regulation8 , the JU will have to implement projects amounting to EUR 7 billion, of which EUR 3 billion should be leveraged from the Participating States and EUR 900 million from private members, in the form of cash and in-kind contributions; welcomes this significant increase, compared to the previous MFF programme, of around EUR 1.4 billion; regrets, however, that as the Joint Undertaking’s financing arrangements remain the same for the 2021-2027 MFF, there is a high risk that the JU will not achieve the private members' contribution targets under the new founding Regulation; Calls on the Commission to re-assess the feasibility of the current contribution targets from the private members in the new founding Regulation; _________________ 8 The new founding regulation repealed the obligation for Participating States and private members to contribute to the administrative costs. Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 establishing the European High Performance Computing JU and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/1488.
Amendment 22 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is concerned that the JU’s lengthy processrigorous process, which must be in line with the EU Financial Regulations, for the acquisition of supercomputers significantly affected the implementation of the 2022 operational budget;
Amendment 24 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes with concern that, by the end of 2022, the JU had only recruited eight staff members and 20 by mid-2023, and therefore did not meet its 2022 recruitment target10 ; notes that the Court considers that this situation negatively impacted the implementation of the 2022 administrative budget; welcomes however the gender distribution of the staff in the JU in 2022; _________________ 10 According to the Consolidated Annual Activity Report 2022 - 24 full time employees including the Executive Director as of 31 December 2022.
Amendment 26 #
2023/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Regrets that the JU’s internal control systemCommission has not yet foreseen specific ex-post audits for CEF co-financed expenditure for the acquisition of supercomputers; notes, in addition, that for the Horizon Europe programme, ex-post audits have yet to be carried out, as the first interim payments are only expected in 2024; welcomes that at the end of 2022 an internal control officer was finally recruited;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2176(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Interim Executive Director of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Interim Executive Director of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve transparency;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2176(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Notes that from the Consolidated Annual Activity Report of the Rail Joint Undertaking, improvements are still expected regarding gender balance, at management board as well as in all other Joint Undertaking levels; notes that, EU Rail had in 2022 for the management board, 28 (58%) men and 21 (42%) women; notes that the gender ratio at the level of Agency’s management was 78% men and 22% women and the whole staff was made up of 65% men and 35% women ; welcomes that the Management Board has appointed a second female Head of Unit position to the Management Team of the Joint Undertaking; suggests the Joint Undertaking to continue to improve gender balance and strive for a balanced geographical balance in this respect;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2175(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Interim Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Interim Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2175(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve the transparency;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2174(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Interim Executive Director of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Interim Executive Director of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve the transparency;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Notes from the Consolidated Annual Activity Report that 2022 was a transition year from BBI JU to CBE JU ; notes that, by the end of 2022, the JU Programme Office comprised 26 staff members (22 in 2021), almost reaching its full staff establishment plan12 under its new mandate; welcomes the fact that eight new colleagues have joined under the new mandate of this Joint Undertaking; _________________ 12 The full Staff Establishment Plan is 29 people for the organisation, which CBE should reach in early 2024 following the appointment of the new Executive Director.
Amendment 1 #
2023/2173(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2022;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2173(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, to increase transparency, the Joint Undertaking should disclose in its annual accounts, relevant information regarding members’ contributions at programme level; whereas, for each programme under which they operate, the Joint Undertaking should present per member category up to the year-end, all relevant information including the legal contribution targets set for the respective programme, the volume of contributions received, and the volume of legal commitments; suggests that the Joint Undertaking continues to improve transparency;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that the current situation implies that Parliament can only check the reports of the Court and of the Ombudsman as well as the publicly available information on the Council’s website, something that makes it impossible for Parliament to carry out its duties properly and make an informed decision on granting discharge;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Council to resume negotiations with Parliament at the highest level as soon as possible, involving the Secretary-Generals and the Presidents of both institutions, in order to break the deadlock and find a solution while respecting the respective roles of Parliament and the Council in the discharge procedure and ensuring transparency and proper democratic control of budget implementation;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Points out the serious gender imbalance in the Court, where, at the end of 2022, there were only 9 female members compared to 17 male members; understandnotes the difficulties in achieving gender balance in the Court because of the current nomination procedure; reiterates its call on the Council to reconsider the nomination procedure with the aim of tackling this problem with concrete actions, such as making it compulsory for Member States to nominate at least two candidates of different genders for each vacancy;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas trust in Parliament’s integrity and the rule of law is paramount for the functioning of European democracy; whereas citizens’ rights are fully respected;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. The political groups receive assistance and advice from Parliament when they request; notes that in 2022 the financial departments of the political groups intensified their signatures with national delegations in order to ensure the sound management of the appropriations in line 400;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Stresses that transparency, accountability, and integrity are essential ethics principles within the Union institutions and particularly Parliament as the house of European democracy; notes that Parliament reconfirms trust in the Union’s decision-making process by improving transparency, ethics and good conduct in the most representative European institution through its actions;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Notes the complexity of activities of the DG COMM; notes the need to increase the visibility of the work of the European Parliament and to increase citizens’ trust in institution of the Parliament, which would require an increase in the budget for DG COMM;
Amendment 70 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Highlights that ensuring a fair geographical balance is an important part of creating a truly European public service, remarks that over the years, Parliament has taken a number of measures in that respect; notes that there is still room for improvement; notes that the Bureau has created the legal framework for the organisation of nationality-specific competitions and decided to organise the first of such competitions; highlights that competitions should always be based on meritprofessional training of the person, regardless of age, gender, faith;
Amendment 80 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Acknowledges that the work of APAs is an integral part of the work of Members and therefore of Parliament; notes that following the adoption of the APA statute in 2009, their status over the years has been recognised; notes the efforts made by Parliament to create a framework for providing support to APAs; calls for due adherence to the rules in place; notes, that since then, APAs participate in official missions to Parliament’s three places of work; the complexity of the agenda in official missions in third countries would require authorisation for accredited assistants to participate;
Amendment 136 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 a (new)
Paragraph 84 a (new)
84a. Stresses that, under Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, Members have the right to speak in the official language of their choice, which reflects European cultural and linguistic diversity and also makes the Union institutions more accessible and transparent to all Union citizens; welcomes the exceptional work done by interpreters in 2022, ensuring, as far as possible, that public debates are interpreted in all official EU languages;
Amendment 139 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 a (new)
Paragraph 85 a (new)
85a. Appreciates the need for interpreters for the Head of Delegation to participate in official missions to third countries;
Amendment 172 #
2023/2130(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 114 a (new)
Paragraph 114 a (new)
114a. Considers that harassment of the parliamentary assistant by other parliamentary assistants or Parliament officials should also be taken into account;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
– Having regard to the opinion "The future of Cohesion Policy post-2027" of the European Committee of the Regions adopted on 29 November 2023,
Amendment 17 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the outcomes of the 2014- 2020 programming period prove the indispensable role of cohesion policy as the only regional development instrument that is geared to regional and local needs; whereas because of cohesion policy’s positive regional and local impact, no other EU investment policy could replace it;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. Whereas it is at territorial level, where the challenges facing European regions are identified and managed;
Amendment 24 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas cohesion policy remains and ought to remain the main investment policy for the EU’s regions and cities and has not been intended to consistently serve as a first choice for financial assistance to face unforeseen events that shake our socio-economy;
Amendment 28 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas the Territorial Agenda is the guiding instrument for the European Union’s territorial policy
Amendment 31 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. Whereas the European Urban Agenda, through the Leipzig Charter, supports the objectives of the Territorial Agenda 2030;
Amendment 90 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Insists that due to its regional focus, placed-based approach, strategic planning and effective implementation model , cohesion policy should remain the EU’s main investment instrument for reducing disparities and stimulating regional growth and continue to be a key contributor to supporting recovery from symmetric and asymmetric shocks; calls for a clear demarcation between cohesion policy and other instruments in order to avoid overlaps and competition between EU instruments; believes that there must be an increase in real terms of the overall cohesion budget and in the MFF’s share of the policy compared to the 2021-2027 programming period;
Amendment 102 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that cohesion investments should remain under shared management for programming and implementation in order to cater for local needs ofbe able to respond to the needs of Member States, regions, urban, rural and remote areas; acknowledges that co-programming, co- financing, co-responsibility and co- ownership are the most effective methods for successful implementation of any EU investment policy and any EU-financed project;
Amendment 113 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underscores that the cohesion policy budget should not be usedbe primarily used for cohesion policy goals and not for new non-cohesion policy instruments and programmes, either within or outside the MFF; stresses that flexibility in the repurposing of cohesion funding should be a bottom-up driven process, initiated either by a Member State or by its regional or local levelby the managing authorities of the programmes;
Amendment 117 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. - Stresses the need for the "do no harm to cohesion" principle to apply to all EU policies so that they support the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion, as referred to in Article 3 of the TFEU and Article 174 TFEU; insists that promoting cohesion should also be seen as a way to foster solidarity and mutual support among Member States and their regions, which is essential for strengthening the resilience of all of its actors, such as municipalities and regions and for maintaining peace, stability and security in Europe;
Amendment 120 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Emphasises that cohesion policy must better adapt to challenges posed by the green, digital and industrial transitions in order to remain relevant in the future and achieve the objectives set out in the Treaties. To achieve this, it is important to learn from the outgoing funding period, but also from other instruments such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF);
Amendment 125 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Is convinced that the principles underpinning the idea of a just transition should guide the next programming period of cohesion policy funds; points out in that respect that the Just Transition Fund should be extended in the programming period post-2027 and endowed with additional financial means in order to support regions that are highly dependent on sectors which are undergoing a deep transformation due to the green and digital transition; takes the view that this extension of the JTF should be focused on the appropriate nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) level, take into account regional specificities, have a wider scope than the present JTF, be designed in such a way as to allow for prompt responses to newly arising challenges across various sectors and industries and be fully integrated in the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR);
Amendment 127 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Stresses that all EU regions should remain eligible for funding in the future; points out that, in the event of the future EU enlargement, average GDP per capita may fall in the EU, as a consequence of the “statistical effect”; asks therefore the European Commission to carry out a detailed assessment before proposing a new regulation for the post-2027 cohesion policy so that it is equipped to continue to support all regions and so that any unfavourable consequence on the regions, caused by a "statistical effect" on cohesion policy eligibility, can be duly addressed;
Amendment 131 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Regrets that delays in the multiannual financial framework (MFF) negotiations led to considerable delays in the current programming period 2021- 2027, impacting beneficiaries and especially management authorities that face an enormous burden having to deal with both the finalisation of the outgoing funding period and the start of the current funding period; calls on the Commission, therefore, to assess the legal possibility of creating two distinct parts within the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), namely the content-related part (political) and the MFF-related part (financial resources), for the programming period post-2027; believes that the content- related part should be negotiated and concluded before the MFF-related part, to allow for management authorities to start preparing in a timely manner, in order to ensure a genuine partnership principle and an efficient use of cohesion policy instruments;
Amendment 135 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Is convinced, considering the structural changes linked to the twin - green and digital - transition and its uneven economic and social impact on EU regions, that the principle of just transition, with no territory and no one left behind should guide the next programming period of the Cohesion policy;
Amendment 141 #
Amendment 154 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for disaster prevention and preparedness investments to be guaranteed either through a dedicated policy objective, thematic concentration orand a specific enabling condition to ensure investments in local and regional infrastructure and risk management in less developed urban and rural areas, including border regions; believes that targeted financing should focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation by tackling the side effects of climate change locally (slow onset events as well as extreme weather eventconditions), including wildfires, floods, landslides, heatwaves, coastal erosion and other eventnatural disasters;
Amendment 159 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls for the rules for re-orienting funds should be made more flexible, for instance by considering the creation of a dedicated axis in order for local and regional authorities to address emerging priorities; stresses that this will not erode the multi-annual orientation of the policy but will help best adapt to the fast- changing nature of our times;
Amendment 165 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
In this regard, calls for an amount of the cohesion policy funds to be earmarked to develop territorial approaches in rural areas or in urban-rural territorial approaches through ITI, CLLD or other mechanism for non-agricultural rural development to complement actions supported under the LEADER approach under the CAP; this will also be a fundamental way to address the geography of discontent;
Amendment 173 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for cohesion policy to include a stronger urban dimensiona stronger urban dimension to be included within the cohesion policy through designated investments in urban areas as well as stronger links between urban and rural projects and investments; calls for the proportion of national ERDF allocations for urban development to be increased from 8 % to 12 %; call; asks management authorities for this funding to be co-programmed with local and regional authorities and for serving to their benefit of the local communities and the region; underlines in this context that administrative capacity is essential for ensuring that managing bodies and local, regional authorities acquire technical knowledge on climate change which they can use for urban planning and urban management; is convinced that this will lead to better design and evaluation of project proposals, more effective allocation of resources and satisfactory budgetary implementation without significant risk of decommitments; acknowledges that integrated territorial investments have a fundamental role in quality implementation and absorption of resources;
Amendment 176 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Considers TA2030 to be a real and proper instrument that ensures the EU’s cohesion through the management of each of its regions and their particularities; calls on the EC to consider modifying the role of the Territorial Agenda beyond that of a territorial management guide; calls on the Member States to develop their territorial agendas in line with the TA2030 as a basis for programming their territorial strategies, taking into account the specificities of each of its regions and serving as an incentive, and in order to stimulate the decision-making process and the design of territorial and urban policies;
Amendment 181 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls forIs of the opinion that the use of cohesion decommitments for thematic concentration on local infrastructure and for reserve margins within cohesion policy that willwould help, inter alia, to absorb future inflationary hikes or supply chain shocks; believes that the mechanismis use should operate on a rolling basis based on necessity and following the multiannual and annual decommitment cycles;
Amendment 188 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the reduction of thematic concentration requirements in order to allow for more flexibility to cater for local and regional needs, following the principle of place- based policy in the EU’s territorial investments; underscores that thematic concentrations should be adapted to the way regions and cities openot only be in line with EU policies, but also embratce in practical termthe real needs of local authorities and the regions, from programming and reprogramming to implementation and closure; is certain that the key principle should be a tailor-made investment approach geared to specific needs on the ground;
Amendment 193 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls foron the Commission to assess the initial allocations and co- financing rates to be assessed on the basis of NUTS 3 (nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) in order for funding to be directed to where it is most needed and to avoid pockets of underdevelopment from arising ; underlines that such a shifthe assessment should take into account possible negative effects on EU financing for larger urban areas;, stresses that this is necessary in order not to stall the development trajectory of metropolitan areas that were previously supported more intensively by cohesion policyuch as metropolitan areas, in the case of such an approach;
Amendment 213 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the creation of local and regional cohesion boards in the managing authorities and monitoring committees, which should have decision-making powers, includingincluding the representatives of on co- programming and co-reprogramming with local authorities; reiterates that these boards should include representatives of urban and rural administrations, including mayors responsible for co-programming and co- reprogramming;
Amendment 218 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is convinced that promoting an increased sense of local and regional ownership in the long term, the durability of EU projects and higher co-financing leverage can be achieved through more fiscal decentralisation towards municipalitiebudgetary involvement of local authorities and regions; acknowledges that such a path improves regional and municipal borrowing capacity linked to financial instruments provided by the EU budget; underlines that local budgets need more fiscal space to compensate for inflation shocks and crises;
Amendment 222 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for paths for the decentralisation of cohesion policy management to be explored in order to bring management closer to the local level; sStresses that preparatory work should ensure that adequate capacity and institutional backing is available in order to ensure effectiveness of the policy, reduce the number of irregularities as well as no additional administrative burden for contractors and for final beneficiaries;
Amendment 228 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Encourages multi-city projects and collaboration agreements in order to harness pooled capacities and economies of scale in EU investments in infrastructure, climate change and the greenCalls for the increase of the budget for European Territorial Cooperation programmes, which provide a unique framework for interregional, cross- border, and transination; believes that this process should lead to a greater sense of ownership of projects and the consolidation of investal cooperation and help address common challenges, fostering partnerships and promoting economic developments, instead of fragmentation and lack of synergiessocial cohesion and environmental sustainability;
Amendment 234 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for the further involvement of the EIB Group in cohesion policy investments, especially in less developed regions through the provision of support to sustainable cities, sustainable energy and loc, local and regional innovation projects; calls for the expansion of the local and regional project assistance and financial instruments that complement and leverage EU grants;
Amendment 240 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Insists on a critical review of Commission’s ad hoc initiatives in this field and the thorough screening of new initiatives by the EP; demands that this process is managed jointly and in partnership, with guaranteed representation of the local level, both of cities and rural areas, as well as of regions; calls for limiting the number of Commission ad hoc initiatives, some of which prove to be of less use to the local and regional level and might undermine the effectiveness of the overall cohesion appropriations planned in advance by scattering them; insists that every new Commission initiative must be accompanied by a corresponding budgetary top-up;
Amendment 252 #
2023/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls foron the creation of a mechanism for the early detection of red tape and actions in breach of or notCommission, Member States, regions and local authorities to rigorously and effectively applying the multi- level governance principle; callasks for the inclusion of the partnership principle in the European Semester; icalls convinced that the Commission and the ECA should have the right toto scrupulously conduct follow-ups, perform checks and make corrective recommendations;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that under the new EU cohesion policy for 2021-2027, the EIB Group’s contribution to economic, social and territorial cohesion will continues to help countries and regions across the EU where development is uneven; observesdraws attention that, in the asymmetric impact of the pandemic highlights the need to keep a focus on cohesion andcontext of the crises EU countries are going through, the economic consequences have deepened the differences between Member States and their regions, which makes it even more important to ensure that the most affected regions and countries can adjust to the new circumstances so that no one is left behind; notes in this context that the EIB Cohesion Orientation paper for 2021- 2027 increases the EIB Group’s cohesion- related financing to approximately 40 % of intra- EU financing for 2022 (rising to 45 % by 2025), of which 20 % should be allocated to less developed regions (rising to 23 % by 2025);
Amendment 32 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that innovation is a driver of competitiveness, climate-change mitigation and economic development and that a significant structural gap persists in EU innovation and digitalisation investment; calls on the Bank to foster Europe’s autonomy in key technologies and to back the technological transformation of European companies that will have a big effect on jobs while accelerating digitalisation;
Amendment 58 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Underlines that all investments that address the energy crisis, together with green and digital transition investments, should be implemented in an efficient and transparent way;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Reiterates its regret that the EIB still does not fully disclose the details of the beneficial ownership of its clients; reiterates its calls for enhanced transparency regarding the EIB’s operations through financial intermediaries such as commercial banks and investment funds, within the relevant legislative framework, including the General Data Protection Regulation, and for the definition of standard reporting obligations that can provide an adequate level of data and information; calls on EIB to include contractual clauses concerning mandatory disclosures from financial intermediaries on lending activity;
Amendment 83 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36b. Calls on EIB to check into the Early-detection and exclusion system (EDES) and take into consideration decisions on exclusion with regards to the person or entity applying for, selected or receiving Union funds when it approves investments covered by financing coming from the Union budget;
Amendment 85 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the updated codes of conduct of the Management Committee and the EIB Board of Directors of August 2021; welcomes the introduction of a longer cooling-off period for the members of the Management Committee (24 months instead of 12) and for the members of the Board of Directors (12 months instead of six); reiterates its call for addressing in the next revision of the Management Committee's code of conduct the remaining shortcomings regarding avoidance of conflict of interests;
Amendment 86 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)
Paragraph 36 c (new)
36c. Call on the EIB to ensure that the complaints mechanism is accessible, effective and independent in order to detect and redress any possible human rights violations in EIB-related projects;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that, in order to face various demographic challenges, reduce disparities, impede brain drain, increase birth rate and their ever-closer consequences, the Union needs to step up its efforts to address persisting cross-border legal and administrative obstacles in the broader context of cohesion through a far more efficient cooperation of border region authorities as well as a new effective instrument;
Amendment 68 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 1
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 1
(1) The third paragraph of Article 175 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides for specific actions to be adopted outside the Funds which are the subject of the first paragraph of that Article, in order to achieve the objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion set out in the TFEU. The harmonious development of the entire Union territory and greater economic, social and territorial cohesion imply the strengthening of territorial cooperation. To this end, it is appropriate to adopt the measures necessary to improve the implementation conditions for actions of territorial cooperation.
Amendment 69 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 1 a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 1 a (new)
(1a) To this end, measures shall be taken to improve the implementation conditions for actions of territorial cooperation, including: (a) Enhancing the exchange of best practices and knowledge-sharing among Member States, regions, and local authorities involved in territorial cooperation initiatives; (b) Facilitating and promoting cross- border, transnational, and interregional cooperation projects that contribute to the harmonious development of the Union territory; (c) Providing financial support and technical assistance to territorial cooperation initiatives, ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to support their implementation; (d) Strengthening the coordination mechanisms and governance structures for territorial cooperation, including the involvement of relevant stakeholders at all levels; (e) Promoting the integration of territorial cooperation objectives into relevant EU policies and strategies, such as regional development, transport, environment, and employment.
Amendment 70 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 1 b (new)
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 1 b (new)
(1b) The European Union institutions, Member States, and regional and local authorities shall work together to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of actions of territorial cooperation, with a view to achieving a more cohesive and integrated Union territory.' The same level of cooperation shall be done, on voluntary basis, between EU Member States and candidate states neighbouring the MS frontier.
Amendment 71 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 4
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 4
(4) The Commission also highlighted that numerous legal barriers still exist in border regions, especially those related to health services, cross-border health crisis, labour regulation, taxes, business development, and barriers linked to differences in administrative cultures and national legal frameworks. Neither European Territorial Cooperation funding nor the institutional support to cooperation by the European groupings of territorial cooperation (EGTCs) is sufficient on its own to address the resolution of those barriers which constitute real obstacles to effective cooperation.
Amendment 76 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 15 a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 8 – point 15 a (new)
(15a) To improve the life of citizens in cross-border regions between the Member States and candidate countries and to strengthen cooperation, a Member States may on a voluntary basis apply this Regulation and its provisions to resolve legal and administrative obstacles to border regions of the Union with candidate countries, while respecting Union law;
Amendment 88 #
2022/2194(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Article 1 – point 4 a (new)
Article 1 – point 4 a (new)
4a. Member States may on a voluntary basis apply this Regulation and its provisions to resolve legal and administrative obstacles to border regions of the Union with candidate countries, while respecting Union law;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21
Citation 21
— having regard to the EIB Group Transparency Policy, published on 18 November 2021, and to its whistleblowing policy, published on 24 November 2021,
Amendment 2 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
— having regard to the new EIB Cohesion Orientation 2021-2027, published on 13 October 2021,
Amendment 3 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EIB Group consists of the EIB and the EIF, is the biggest multilateral financial institution in the world and one of the largest providers of climate finance; whereas the EIB focus on the following priority areas: climate and environment, development, innovation and skills, small and medium-sized businesses, infrastructure and cohesion, European Investment Fund (EIF) supports small and medium-sized enterprises with financing with financing for entrepreneurship, growth, innovation, research and development employment and regional development;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2153(INI)
C. whereas sustainability and support for cohesion are at the heart of the EIB’s activity – sustainability is required to be integrated into any lending, borrowing and advisory activities because the EIB’s remit is to foster sustainable growth within the European Union and abroad, and support for cohesion is enshrined in its Statute; whereas tackling unemployment, poverty and social exclusion should be the core focus and targets of the EIB investments aiming to contribute to the balanced and steady development of the internal market;
Amendment 8 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the Guarantee Agreement with the EIB Group (EIB and EIF) under InvestEU was negotiated in 2021 and at the beginning of 2022, and was signed on 7 March 2022;
Amendment 9 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas EU Member States may entrust to the EIB the implementation of financial instruments used by them to invest RRF funds into eligible projects; whereas the EIB may offer further financing and dedicated advisory support to the Member States for investing their RRF funds;
Amendment 24 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Asks EIB to respect the EU priorities supported by the InvestEU and to ensure strong protection of the EU financial interests; expects EIB to report to Parliament about its activities and investments related to InvestEU programme in 2022;
Amendment 40 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Amendment 47 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Takes note of the EIB Audit Committee observations and recommendations to the Bank for 2021; calls on EIB to implement these recommendations and to complete the implementation of those pending from the previous years;
Amendment 52 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. WelcomesTakes note of the updated codes of conduct of the Management Committee and the EIB Board of Directors of August 2021; welcomes the introduction of a longer cooling-off period for members of the Management Committee (24 months instead of 12) and for members of the Board of Directors (12 months instead of 6); regrets, however, that there is no provision excluding vice-presidents from overseeing and taking decisions on operations in their countries of origin;
Amendment 53 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Trusts that project assessments relevant to grant financing decisions are drawn up in compliance with objective technical, financial and economic indicators, and that project quality is the decisive factor in them; believes that the ‘governance package’ adopted by the Board of Governors in August 2021 and which includes new codes of conduct for the Board of Directors, the Management Committee and the Audit Committee, together with the revised Operating Rules of the Ethics and Compliance Committee, strengthens the EIB’s ethical framework, as it includes more stringent rules on conflict of interest and post-employment activitiepost- employment activities; reitirates its call for addressing in the next revision of the Management Commitee's code of conduct the remaining shortcomings regarding avoidance of conflict of interests;
Amendment 57 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43 a. Invites EIB to better implement its transparency policy and to implement the Ombudsman recommendations from the three decisions published on 21 April 2022 calling on the EIB to adopt a more ambitious approach to its disclosure practice in line with EU transparency legislation and to take several transparency steps to enable the public to more easily see the potential environmental impact of the projects financed by the Bank;
Amendment 39 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 44 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Believes that the budgets for election observation missions, human rights and civil society organisations should be strengthened in order to effectively advocate democracy, human rights and the needs of the most vulnerable groups where needed, thereby promoting the Union values at global level;
Amendment 46 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Asks for the full incorporation of all off-budget instruments, including the trust funds, within the EU budget, which should be strengthened accordingly, with the objective of allowing the European Parliament to efficiently implement its right of scrutiny with regard to the implementation of EU foreign policy programmes.
Amendment 1 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU’s Common Transport Policy was established to create a common transport area across Europe; whereas its priority operational objective since 2013 has been to build a ‘core network’ by 2030, and a ‘comprehensive network’ by 2050; whereas the networks include all modes of transport including maritime, rail, road and air;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that the Union’s transport policy aims to ensure the smooth, efficient, safe and free movement of people and goods throughout the EU by means of integrated networks using all modes of transport, aiming to provide efficient, interoperable, safe and environmentally friendly mobility solutions within the EU and to create the conditions for a competitive industry generating growth and jobs;
Amendment 3 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Higlights that the Transeuropean Transport Network (TEN-T) policy is key to the good functioning of the internal market, to the connectivity and accessibility of all regions in the UE, as well as to the socioeconomic and territorial cohesion of the EU and to the European Green Deal objectives; recalls that large infrastructure projects play a crucial role in the delivery of the TEN-T policy as they are instrumental in removing bottlenecks and eliminating missing links, and are often located on cross-border sections;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that Member States’ transport networks cannot be looked at in isolation; stresses that the proper connectivity within and between European regions is crucial, especially with regard to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the critical need to establish alternative logistics routes using various transport modes; is concerned that the current social and political post-pandemic outlook, combined with the consequences of the war, is posing a further threat to the timely completion and development of large projects; highlights, therefore that the extension of the European transport network corridors to neighbouring non-EU countries (such as Ukraine, Moldova, North Macedonia, Albania, etc.) would significantly improve the seamless functioning of the TEN-T network; Underlines that success of the large transport infrastructure projects in the EU will depend to a large extent on how well it succeeds in connecting the infrastructure of the Eastern Member States to that of the Western European Union;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that Member States’ transport networks cannot be looked at in isolation since a Europe-wide transport network has been clearly acknowledged as vision whose benefits go beyond isolated national action; stresses that the proper connectivity within and between European regions is crucial, especially with regard to and has been proven especially with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis as well as with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the critical need to establish alternative logistics routes using various transport modes; is concerned that the current social and political post-pandemic outlook, combined with the consequences of the war, is posing a further threat to the timely completion and development of large projects; highlights, therefore that the extension of the European transport network corridors to neighbouring non-EU countries (such as Ukraine, Moldova, North Macedonia, Albania, etc.) would significantly improve the seamless functioning of the TEN-T network;
Amendment 7 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Underlines that any extension of the TEN-T network- maritime, river or road should be done with the agreement of the countries concerned and respecting the International Agreements in force;
Amendment 10 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights, that the EU is currently experiencing an unprecedented situation whereby numerous sources of funding must be absorbed simultaneously and that Member States often do not have theshould have proper administrative capacity to handle all the funding available from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) through the national recovery and resilience plans while trying to absorb EUR 392 billion of cohesion policy funding before the end of 2027; is concerned by the clear competition betweeNotes that within the 2021-2027 cohesion funds and NextGenerationEU (NGEU), as Member States have to prioritise funding instruments by their eligibility deadline; calls for synergies between cohesion funding and the RRF (the largest instrument in the NGEU package), with coherence, convergence and coordination between the two, in order to increase the impact of investments on the ground and avoid double funding;
Amendment 11 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights, further, that FAST (Flexible Assistance for Territories) - CARE is providing the possibility to phase in delayed projects from the 2014-2020 period to the 2021-2027 period; draws attention, nevertheless, to the fact that the possible net reduction of the respective allocations in the current period is putting at risk the EU budget and its implementation;
Amendment 13 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that in the EU, the competence to implement projects lies with the Member States; further recalls that Member States should ensure a coherence between their national transport and investments plans with the EU transport objectives in order to accelerate the implementation of large infrastructure transport projects and the finalisation of the TEN-T; highlights that the Commission has for this purpose appointed European coordinators to facilitate the implementation of all infrastructure projects along each of the nine core transport network corridors set out in the TEN-T Regulation; is concerned about the risk of misalignment between the EU’s and Member States’ strategic priorities and call for a subsequent reinforcement of the role of European Coordinators in order to facilitate the deployment of infrastructure projects along the TEN-T corridors;
Amendment 14 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned by the limited CommissionStresses that the Commission should have a more prominent role in the oversight of project planning and implementation along transport network corridors, as Member States’ priorities are often mainly determined in the national context and may thus neglect cross-border sections where EU co-funded large infrastructure projects are located; highlights the risk of decreased utility derived from the use of EU funds if adequate performance is not achieved; believes that in order to address this issue, the coherence between national transport plans and investments and EU priorities should be strengthened, as should the conditionality of EU funding on engagement with EU priorities in terms of transport infrastructure deployment;
Amendment 16 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Acknowledges that according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA), large transport projects require significant implementation time; notes that according to the European Court of Auditors,ECA the average expected construction time for the audited EU co-funded large transport projects up to 2020 was 15 years, due in part to significant delays (of up to 11 years) compared with the initial schedules and that the average delay was 11 years and that such delays put the efficiency of EU co-funding at risk; highlights that this timeframe excludes the planning period, when projects can also receive EU co- funding for actions such as studies; notes that as the EU co-funding is organised around the seven-year multiannual financial framework period, large transport projects are often co-funded via several subsequent grants, each requiring a new project proposal and selection process; is concerned that this leads to duplication of effort for the project promoters and public authorities, increasing the administrative burden; notes with concern that such delays put the efficiency of EU co-funding at risk; urges Member States to implement Directive 2021/1187 on streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the TEN-T in order to enable simplified and harmonised permitting procedures and prevent delays in the projects;
Amendment 17 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses, moreover, that many EU co-funded projects are subject to cost overruns compared to initial estimates at the project planning stage; highlights that this will become even more problematic in the post-COVID-19 environment and in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; points especially to the rising inflation rates and the increasing costs of construction and raw materials, and their impact on project budgets; draws attention to the fact that inflation represents an enormous risk to current and future infrastructure projects, which may be stalled due to the highly inflated prices of building and raw materials; calls for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) budget to be increased to meet the additional costs stemming from inflation, as well as other geopolitical and transition needs and challenges that affect the implementation of the TEN-T;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the significant delays in the adoption of partnership agreements (PAs) and programmes in the context of cohesion policy implementation in the current programming period 2021-2027; remarks that the programmes should have been operational since January 2021; is concerned about the slow pace of implementation; acknowledges, however, that we have entered a new phase of implementation and that the Commission has so far approved 25 PAs; acknowledgwelcomes that at least 142 programmes have been submitted in the context of cohesion policy as of 25 October 2022, and that this also constitutes a considerable step forward7 ; _________________ 7 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/2021- 2027_en#inline-nav-12; https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/in- your-country/programmes_en.
Amendment 21 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Highlights that the project monitoring performed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) is mainly oriented towards financial aspects and outputs and does not focus on projects’ broader results and impacts; regrets that, consequently, there is only limited monitoring data that is suitable for the subsequent evaluation of these projeccalls on the Commission and CINEA to make use of more results-oriented goals and indicators to improve the potential for synergies between different funding programmes as well as to redesign the performance framework to better monitor project results;
Amendment 23 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that while the Union produces systematic ex post evaluations of programmes, the Commission has not performed in a systematic method, nor has it required project promoters to perform, systematic ex post assessments of individual EU co- funded large transport projects; notes that there is currently no legal obligation for them to do so; highlights that these ex post assessments could increase transparency on the effectiveness of the projects and allow deriving lessons-learnt for future large infrastructure projects;
Amendment 33 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for complete alignment between the EU’s and Member States’ strategic priorities; regrets the Commission’s limited oversight over the planning and implementation of projects along transport network corridorcalls for a greater oversight of the Commission over the planning and implementation of projects along transport network corridors; notes that in many Member States, priority treatment is given to certain project categories based on their strategic importance, characterised by shorter timelines, simultaneous and/or simplified procedures; considers that when such a framework exists within a national legal framework, it should automatically apply to projects on the TEN-T; calls for Member States whose national legal frameworks lack such priority treatment to establish one for transport projects; concludes that this could have a positive impact in accelerating large transport infrastructure projects;
Amendment 38 #
2022/2021(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Is concerned that long waiting times at internal EU borders negatively affect EU-funded infrastructure and decrease its overall usability, with impacts on cities and citizens, air quality and noise pollution, as well as an increased risk of road accidents, while compromising working conditions for drivers; calls, therefore, for one minute to be set as thethe establishment of a minimum EU-wide standard time for the processing of heavy-duty vehicles at EU borders, in order to help facilitate optimal usage of transport infrastructure and networks;
Amendment 70 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Underlines that the Board of Directors is made up of Member States’ representatives and that vice-presidents are nominated by Member States; notes that the EIB President calls on the Member States to ensure diversity when selecting new members and urges the EIB to encourage the Members States also to consider gender balance when putting forward nominees; call on Member States to evaluate the situation of gender balance in the Board of EIB and nominate more women in this important body for vice- presidencies;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2156(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Notes that, in the 2020 Annual Activity Report of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking regarding gender balance on the indicators for monitoring H2020 for that year the Joint Undertaking had the same percentage of women on the Governing Board as last year, namely 16 % , while they made up 33 % of the S2R Representatives and 33 % of the Scientific Committee; Regrets that the figures for women are the same compared to the previous year 2019;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for employees, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the Joint Undertaking to focus on employee wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance; asks management to ensure that appropriate support structures are in place to ensure the psychological wellbeing of staff;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2155(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Interim Executive Director of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Interim Executive Director of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Notes that in the Joint Undertaking Consolidated Annual Activity Report 2020, the key performance indicators on gender balance increased in comparison to previous years but nevertheless remained low, with only 24 % of women participants in Horizon 2020 projects; notes that the percentage of women in EC advisory groups, experts groups, evaluation panels, individual experts appears in the Joint Undertaking Consolidated Annual Activity Report 2020. Suggests that the Joint Undertaking needs to continue to improve its gender balance;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for employees, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the Joint Undertaking to focus on employee wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance; asks management to ensure that appropriate support structures are in place to ensure the psychological well- being of staff;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2154(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on granting the Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that out of the EUR 1 425 000 000 of in-kind and cash contributions to be made by industry members to the operational activities of the IMI2 Joint Undertaking, in-kind contributions of EUR 317 206 000 and cash contributions of EUR 20 717 000 were reported and validated, and that additionally, EUR 7 064 000 in cash and EUR 34 972 000 of in-kind contributions by associated members were reported and validated; notes that, consequently, at the end of 2020, the total contributions of industry members and associated partners to the Horizon 2020 activities of the IMI2 Joint Undertaking amounted to 379 959 000, compared to the Union’s total cash contribution of EUR 643 180 000; acknowledges that pre- financing rules are set by the Financial Regulation and the model grant agreement and expects that industry contributions will match Union input at programme level by the end of the IMI2 Joint Undertaking; notes that, regarding the 2020 budget available for Horizon 2020 projects, the implementation rates for commitment and payment appropriations were 100 % and 99,7 % respectively; notes that during 2020, 92 projects were running under the IMI2 Joint Undertaking, of which 6 ended by 31 December 2020; notes that the increase of commitments in 2020 of EUR 200 400 000 (Union funding) and EUR 182 300 000 (the industry and Associated Partner commitment), results from the conclusions of 19 new signed grant agreements for the IMI2 Joint Undertaking, including 8 projects for the emergency call for proposals on coronavirus treatments and diagnostics;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes from the Court’s report that the IMI2 Joint Undertaking’s practice of reactivating unused payment appropriations from previous years to the extent of open administrative commitments, results in an accumulation of unused payment appropriations and that, aggravated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it resulted in a low budget implementation rate for the IMI2 Joint Undertaking’s Title 2 administrative budget of 51 %; acknowledges that the unspent amount of Title 2 payment appropriations was EUR 3,2 million, against the amount of EUR 234,5 million of the grand total budgeted payment appropriations; notes the IMI2 Joint Undertaking’s reply that rigid budget planning and the amendment mechanism did not allow appropriate adjustments to be made to the fast changing and uncertain global pandemic-driven crisis situation, and that for 2021 it is planning to carry over a lower amount of administrative payment appropriations than the amount of commitments carried forward to 2021 under Title 2 Infrastructure expenditure, and that it plans to pay the difference out of the current year budget;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2154(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Notes that the annual activity report 2020 highlighted that for the evaluation experts, IMI2 Joint Undertaking used 235 experts from 29 countries. Among this population of experts, 105 were female and 130 male; welcomes that the IMI2 Joint Undertaking continues to improve gender balance in this respect;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2154(DEC)
16. Notes that during the lockdown period, the IMI2 Joint Undertaking staff switched to full time teleworking, with staff able to access all the files, tools and resources they needed from day one, the switch to working from home was also facilitated by the fact that the IMI2 Joint Undertaking had adopted a number of the Commission’s standard tools, such as ARES, SYSPER and the full set of Horizon 2020 programme management IT tools; notes, moreover, that the IMI2 Joint Undertaking and the other joint undertakings who work in the same building agreed on a single set of rules for staff who exceptionally have to work at the office, to ensure staff safety and wellbeing, and also outlined a phased return to the office; notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for staff, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the IMI2 Joint Undertaking to focus on staff wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance; asks management to ensure there is appropriate support structures in place to ensure the psychological well- being of staff;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2153(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Notes that at the end of 2020, in the Annual Activity Report FCH2 had 27 members of staff (respectively 24 temporary agents, 3 contract agents) and 2 seconded national experts from 10 Member States and is pleased to note that there is gender balance among staff (56% men and 44% women); welcomes this very good initiative and encourages the FCH2 to continue to maintain this gender balance;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. Notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for employees, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the FCH2 to focus on employee wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance; asks FCH2's management to ensure there are appropriate support structures in place to ensure the psychological well-being of staff;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern from the Court’s report the emphasis of matter drawing attention to the estimate of the total cost for completing its delivery obligations for the ITER project in 2042, assessed by the Joint Undertaking at EUR 17 968 050 000 (in 2020 values) and to the fact that changes in key assumptions concerning the estimate and the risk exposure could lead to significant costs increases and/or to further delays in the implementation of the ITER project; notes that among the key assumptions the ITER baseline approved in November 2016 by the Council of ITER Organization leading to First Plasma in December 2025, and the start of the Deuterium-Tritium phase in December 2035 is maintained; notes in contrast that the 2010 baseline estimated the achievement of the construction phase in 2020, and that the current ITER baseline approved in 2016 is considered to be the earliest possible technically achievable date; calls on the Joint Undertaking to report to the discharge authority of any development in that regard; notes that the Court’s report refers to in particular changes in nuclear safety requirements that are under the ultimate authority of the French Nuclear Safety Authority, the cost estimate for the Hot Cell Complex which has not been revised, as well as requirement changes;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Suggests that the Joint Undertaking control better the costs of the project and communicate more transparently on all the expenses related to the overall operation;
Amendment 19 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes from the Court’s report that the Joint Undertaking assessed that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been serious but not significant and that by April 2021, the pandemic had caused delays of up to four months for some deliveries, with a resulting increase in costs of around EUR 47 000 000 (in 2008 values) for the overall ITER project, and that further repercussions are possible should the pandemic worsen in 2021; calls on the Joint Undertaking to keep the discharge authority informed of any additional delays and cost increases associated with the pandemic;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes with concern from the Court’s report that the Joint Undertaking's recruitment procedures made in 2020 lacked transparency in drawing up the final shortlist of candidates to be invited for the next assessment phase (interviews and written tests), and that it is not clear how the selection committee took account of the advantageous criteria for shortlisting candidates; notes the Joint Undertaking’s reply that in 2021 it started to include fully quantitative assessments of applications; calls on the Joint Undertaking to continue to improve processes in this regard, particularly with regards to transparency and to report to the discharge authority any development in that regard;
Amendment 33 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Recalls that the 2019 discharge report noted several problems and risks at senior management and corporate culture level; which, if unresolved, could negatively affect the performance of the Joint Undertaking’s staff; notes that several measures have been adopted in an attempt to address these issues, including the appointment of a new head of administration, the introduction of a coaching programme and an agreement with three unions; remains however, seriously concerned that the working environment and the staff well-being have not been sufficiently improved;
Amendment 34 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Notes that, the Joint Undertaking has adopted a Diversity Strategy to support and seek gender balance and geographical representation of staff; Notes that, F4E has in 2020, for the Senior Managers, 14% of Female Senior Managers and 86% of Male Senior Managers. Regarding the Middle Managers, it has 16% of Female Middle Managers and 84% of Male Middle Managers. Welcomes that F4E has appointed a female head of administration position; urges the Joint Undertaking to continue to improve gender and strive for a balanced geographical balance in this respect;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that the Joint Undertaking launched its first survey on the impact of Covid-19 in June 2020 and that following its result the Human Resources decided to focus on psychosocial preventive actions in the area of emotional wellbeing and stress management; is concerned that a recent psychosocial risk assessment found 54.2 percent of staff were worried about their workload;
Amendment 36 #
2021/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Notes that F4E recognises the need for further improvement with regards to ‘resources, values, trust and culture’ and has launched actions to meet its Corporate objective “F4E being a Greater Place to Work”; requests that the JU report back to the discharge authority without delay on these actions;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the maximum Union financial contribution to the Joint Undertaking (including EFTA appropriations) under Regulation (EU) 2018/1488 is EUR 486 000 000, comprising a maximum of EUR 386 000 000 from Horizon 2020 (including at least EUR 10 000 000 for administrative costs), and a maximum of EUR 100 000 000 from the Connecting Europe Facility; whereas the Participating States shall make a contribution to the administrative costs of the Joint Undertaking of at least EUR 10 000 000 and in addition shall make a contribution to the operational costs of the Joint Undertaking that is commensurate to the Union's financial contribution (EUR 486 000 000), the amount of at least EUR 476 000 000 is envisaged; whereas the Private Members of the Joint Undertaking shall make or arrange for their constituent entities and affiliated entities to make contributions for at least EUR 422 000 000 to the Joint Undertaking, including EUR 2 000 000 for administrative costs; whereas under the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020, a contribution to the administrative costs by the Union can be front loaded to cover the running costs only up to 2023; whereas the Participating States and the Private Members of the Joint Undertaking shall fully cover the administrative costs of the Joint Undertaking as of 2024;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes, furthermore, from the Court’s report that the Court considers the Joint Undertaking to be currently understaffed considering its current workload of administrative and operational processes and its first important activities, and that during the 2020 organisational setup, the Joint Undertaking mainly concentrated on ensuring the main operational processes and tasks, but neglected the need forcould not, under the agreed Establishment plan, recruit administrative key staff, in particular, the head of administration and finance and the internal control and audit coordination manager; notes from the Joint Undertaking’s Annual Activity Report that the Budget and Accounting Officer, Legal Officer and HR Officeras soon as the Joint Undertaking was autonomous, recruitment for the Budget and Accounting Officer, Legal Officer and HR Officer began at the end of 2020 and the three concerned staff members took up their functions in 2021;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for employees, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the Joint Undertaking to focus on employee wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance; asks the Joint Undertaking's management to ensure there are appropriate support structures in place to ensure the psychological well-being of staff;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the Joint Undertaking was formally notified that a participantvendor has appealed to the European Court of Justice for the annulment of the decision of the Joint Undertaking of 29 September 2020, concerning a procedure for the acquisition, delivery, installation and hardware and software maintenance of Precursors to Exascale Supercomputers; calls on the Joint Undertaking to report to the discharge authority any development in that regard;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes that, the Annual Activity Report 2020 highlighted that for a total number of 37 experts, the Joint Undertaking used 43% of female and 57% of male experts from 23 different nationalities; welcomes this very good initiative and encourages the Joint Undertaking to continue to maintain this gender balance;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2151(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that in 2020 only some general Horizon 2020 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as the final KPIs of the Joint Undertaking are being defined by the Governing Boardppear in the Annual Activity Report 2020 and that the final KPIs of the Joint Undertaking for Horizon Europe will be updated in line with the revised Joint Undertaking Regulation adopted in August 2021; calls on the Joint Undertaking to report to the discharge authority on that regard;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2150(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Notes that, regarding gender balance in the Joint Undertaking's projects, the 2020 Annual Activity Report indicates the total number of women and men engaged in projects and that the women involved in projects from 2014-2018 calls amounted to 19%, of which 66% are involved in research activities and 34% in non-research activities, and that of the remaining 81% men, 80% are involved in research while 20% are involved in non- research activities;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for the staff of the Joint Undertaking, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the Joint Undertaking to focus on the wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance of its staff; asks management of the Joint Undertaking to ensure there are appropriate support structures in place to ensure the psychological well-being of staff;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2149(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2149(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that the eleventh call for proposals (CfP11) was launched in January 2020 comprising 35 topics, of which four thematic topics, and involved 128 participations from 17 different countries, 188 eligible proposals were submitted and 36 were retained of which 25 proposals for thematic topics, and that it was successfully processed entirely remotely; notes that the Joint Undertaking’s global portfolio over its lifetime comprises eleven calls for proposals engaging more than 726 partners from 28 different countries with a strong small and medium enterprises’ involvement in terms of participation and grants awarded, and a total of 610 projects; notes, moreover that the Joint Undertaking completed the implementation of the tenth call for proposals (CfP10) in April 2020; notes the evaluation of the last call of the Programme was completed in 2020, namely the CFP11, and that the Joint Undertaking reported that it was continuing its efforts to improve the gender balance of the group of experts; regrets that, despite those efforts, the percentage of female experts was just 20 %;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2149(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes from the Court’s report that although the Joint Undertaking’s statutory staff remained static at 42 from 2017 to 2020, during the same period, the Joint Undertaking significantly increased its use of interim staff from three to ten full-time equivalents, that is, from 8 % to 24 % of the Joint Undertaking’s statutory staff, that the tasks performed by the interim staff are however, not of a one-off or temporary nature, arising from an exceptional increase in workload or the performance of a one-off activity, but rather are permanent in nature (e.g. legal service assistant, secretarial support, communication assistant, and project officer assistant), and the Joint Undertaking’s practice creates de- facto permanent posts, in excess of those; is concerned that short term contracts cause uncertainty for staff and can lead to high staff turnover; notes the Joint Undertaking’s reply that it has been obliged to constantly enlarge the use of interim staff during the past years due to the limitations of the rigid staff establishment plan under the condition of increasing tasks and workload, and regrets that this trend is expected to continue with the two programmes – the Clean Sky 2 and the new Clean Aviation programme running in parallel, and, moreover, welcomes that the Joint Undertaking has put in place mitigation measures (such as appropriate supervision mechanisms, limiting tasks for interims to non-core tasks and ensuring appropriate training and mentoring support), and that however, this situation is not optimal on a medium and long-term perspective and that the Joint Undertaking considers that the solution would be to provide more flexibility with regard to number of contract agents posts in the staff establishment plan;
Amendment 9 #
2021/2149(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Notes with concern the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for employees, especially taking into account different living situations, lack of access to office space and possible effects of isolation; asks the Joint Undertaking to focus on employee wellbeing, stress management and work life balance; Asks management to ensure that appropriate support structures are in place to ensure the psychological wellbeing of staff;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2148(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Executive Director of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking discharge in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020 / Postpones its decision on discharge to the Executive Director of the Circular Bio- based Europe Joint Undertaking in respect of the implementation of the Joint Undertaking’s budget for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concern that the Court’s report on the Joint Undertaking’s accounts calls the attention to the fact that the industry members total in-kind contributions to additional activities only achieved 53 % of the minimum amount of EUR 1 755 000 000, established in Regulation (EU) No 560/2014; notes, in addition, that at the end of 2020, the industry members reported approximately EUR 95 700 000 of in-kind contributions to operational activities out of the EUR 433 000 000 committed after all Horizon 2020 calls had been launched; notes, therefore, that this situation indicates a high risk that, by the end of the Horizon 2020 programme, the Joint Undertaking will not achieve the expected targets for its industry members’ in-kind contributions as established in Regulation (EU) No 560/2014 and adopted annual work plans; notes the Joint Undertaking’s reply that in its opinion, this gap will be significantly reduced in the coming years given that the declaration and certification of in-kind contributions will significantly increase in line with the closure of the Joint Undertaking’s projects and that, moreover, the industry members committed for additional investment targets for 2021 and beyond in their financial perspective presented to the Joint Undertaking’s Governing Board; calls on the Joint Undertaking to report to the discharge authority of any development in that regard;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Welcomes the Joint Undertaking's survey initiative which made it possible to detect the impact of COVID-19 on employees and revealed that global fatigue is present due to isolation, family irritation, restrictions on movement outside home, insomnia, lack of social interaction and communication with colleagues; suggests to draw attention to wellbeing, stress management and work and life balance; regrets that there is no support structure in place to ensure the psychological well-being of staff in the Joint Undertaking;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Notes that, by the end of 2020, in the Annual Activity Report the Joint Undertaking had 23 staff members from 10 Member States (26% men and 74% women);
Amendment 3 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with satisfaction that, the estimated level of error in spending on ‘Economic, social and territorial cohesion’ decreased from 4,4% in 2019 to 3,5% in 2020; welcomes the continuous improvement of cohesion policy investments, but is disappointed that it has not proven possible to decrease the error rate below 2%; underlines in this regard the different types of irregularities and that an error rate is not identical with fraud;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note that the EU will be able to spend significantly more than in the previous programming period, with an overall allocation of EUR 1 8242.017,8 billion from NextGenerationEU and the MFF(806,9 bn) and the MFF (1.210,9 bn) in current prices; urges the Commission to limit the risk of delayed start to the implementation of shared managed funds and ensure the sound financial management in the use of funds, including the respect for the rule of law and the fundamental rights.
Amendment 31 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes the positive trend in cohesion policy investments of further attention towards taxonomy and highlights in this respect the ecological minimum standards (“do not significant harm” or “ecological taxonomy” for climate, biodiversity and circular economy) as well as the further promotion of social minimum standards (“social taxonomy”) and the impact on discharge procedures;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
— having regard to the Committee on Regional Development’s study “Islands of the European Union: State of play and future challenges” (March 2021),
Amendment 5 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
— having regard to the Committee on Regional Development’s study “Cohesion Policy and Climate Change” (March 2021),
Amendment 10 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas three Member States of the European Union are islands;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas islands often suffer from a combination of multiple and permanent structural handicaps, such as small size, lowchallenges related to population density, small market, double insularity (island and archipelago), difficult topography very similar to mountainous regions, a dependence on maritime and air transport or a dependence on a small number of products;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the specific characteristics of islands are recognised by Article 174 TFEU and whereas they, whereas the European Union still misses a concrete application of this article with specific regard to its insular territories and whereas the specific characteristics of islands should be taken into account in EU policies, in particular by drawing up a dedicated strategy and a European action plan;
Amendment 21 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the long-term social, economic, environmental and cultural consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on the island territories of the Union are of particular concern, and whereas Europe’s recovery must not create further regional disparitieseveral European islands are home to communities with their linguistic heritage, culture and traditions; whereas this diversity should be further promoted and valorised, including in educational settings;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas, in many islands, inland areas lag behind coastal regions in terms of economic development and service accessibility;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms, storms as well as other risks such as floods, desertification and drought, which can have negative effects on agriculture and food supply;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Recognises insularity as a permanent structural handicap;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that Articles 174 and 349 TFEU recognise insularity as a permanent structural handicap and TFEU stipulates that the Union must pay particular attention to these region, among others, European islands;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that Article 349 TFEU includes insularity among the conditions restraining the development of the outermost regions;
Amendment 42 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Underlines that European islands, while facing common challenges, have various geographical features and institutional setups,which make it crucial to adopt flexible solutions that take into account these specificities;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; highlights that these structural issues leave islands’ citizens and businesses more exposed to rising prices; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double insularity;
Amendment 52 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water is a central issue in people’s lives, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity; stresses the importance of spatial planning focusing on effective and efficient land utilisation;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that isolation owing to insularity means a dependence on the mainland’s and continental areas’ markets and increases the cost of certain services, such as waste management as well as of certain goods, especially with reference to small islands highly dependent on imports;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes with concern the long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisispandemic, which is exacerbating an already precarious situation for EU islands in many areas;
Amendment 74 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Environment and, energy autonomy, research and innovation
Amendment 78 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that many islands have a fragile environment and endemic marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and that the development of tourism, in particular on certain Mediterranean islands, is further increasing the anthropic pressure; calls for a strengthening of biodiversity protection capacities, the promotion of sustainable tourism, sustainable fisheries and seabed research; calls on the Commission to assess the impact of climate change on islands;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls that islands are on the front line of climate change, particularly with rising water levels and the warming of seas and oceans; notes with concern the risks associated with overfishing and marine and coastal pollution; calls, in the context of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, including the Climate Law, for specific support for islands to combat and adapt to climate change;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Considers that islands can represent a formidable laboratory for sustainability practices in sectors such as clean energy, circular economy, smart mobility, waste management and blue economy;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to adopt a common water management policy for islands; recalls also the challenges connected with waste management in island territories ands well as the strategic role of the circular economy and its potential in reducing marine litter;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Underlines the necessity and opportunities arising from the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package; is however of the opinion that the concrete implementation of these legislative measures should go hand in hand with the promotion of the economic, social and territorial cohesion; since islands solely rely on the aviation and maritime transport;
Amendment 94 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for specific rules and financial support to help islands achieve climate neutrality goals, taking into account the additional costs linvolved andked to sectors such as energy and transport as well as the impact of mobile technologies on their energy systems; calls for these costs to be taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package;
Amendment 96 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls for concrete compensatory measures that offset any possible negative consequence on islands’ economic, social and territorial cohesion in the process to transit to a cleaner economy and society, due to their dependence on the aviation and the maritime sector;
Amendment 99 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers the use of renewable energy to be a priority and believes it could bring substantial benefits to islands and the strengthening of their energy autonomy; calls, therefore, for the development of a wide range of renewable energy sources to be supported according to their geographical features; welcomes the green hydrogen programmes which islands have launched;
Amendment 104 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for renewables-based energy autonomy to be established as a target for all European islands; calls for additional research to make offshore renewables more affordable and fit for the geographical features of the different sea basins;
Amendment 107 #
2021/2079(INI)
15 a. Recalls that a successful environmental transition for islands also depends on robust research and innovation policies at the local level; encourages the collaboration among local authorities, research institutions and enterprises such as the initiatives within the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs); promotes a wider uptake of research facilities in insular territories;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Amendment 118 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for urgent measures to counteract the depopulation of islands as well as brain and skill drain and to improve quality of life, support local businesses and protect jobs and address ageing population; calls also for the development of professional training and employment establishments for island inhabitants to be promoted;
Amendment 125 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls for actions aiming at bridging the economic gap between inland areas and coastal regions, that very often persists in insular territories;
Amendment 141 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Is of the opinion that fully unleashing the potential of the green and blue sector will also help to enhance islands' positioning as sustainable destinations; calls for additional support measures to unleash such potential; calls specifically for action on sustainable tourism through EU funds and programmes;
Amendment 143 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Believes that culture and development of the cultural sector in islands are fundamental; considers that islands’ cultural and linguistic identities should be protected and promoted, including in educational settings, as they contribute to their enhancement on many levels;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2079(INI)
Access to public services, entrepreneurship and digitalisation
Amendment 156 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for the development of sustainable transport in island countries and regions to be fostered, and for support for the modernisation and greening of port infrastructure while ensuring a socially just transition;
Amendment 160 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the need to ensure the territorial continuity of all islands through maritime and air transport and to ensure the safety and suitability of land bridges and road links; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2021-2023 work programme of the Connecting Europe Facility contributes to the territorial accessibility of islands and the development of sustainable transport;
Amendment 166 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisispandemic, the importance of improving the public health infrastructure on European islands and the access to medicines;
Amendment 167 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Considers digitalisation a crucial instrument to contribute to overcoming the geographical disadvantage of insularity; welcomes the Commission initiatives on the Digital Decade;
Amendment 169 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for priority to be afforded to equipping islands with digital technologies,Underlines that digital connectivity for islands is an utmost priority in particular so as to enhance the provision of education and training services as well as e-health and other essential government services for citizens and businesses;
Amendment 173 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Is of the opinion that the uptake of ICT in European islands can also be beneficial to the digitalisation of small and medium enterprises, with positive effects on their business strategy as well as on their operations;
Amendment 175 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Believes that, especially in small islands, it is difficult for SMEs to easily access all the information referring to the promotion of entrepreneurship, to skills development and EU-funded opportunities; calls for stronger financial support in this regard as well as the provision of enhanced information sessions, advisory services and tailor- made training;
Amendment 180 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that the lack of statistical data on islands, including gender- disaggregated data, is hindering the development of targeted policies; calls on the Commission to set up a European Institute for Disadvantaged Territories to collect data at all administrative levels;
Amendment 184 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls on the Commission to take note of the studies already produced by island regions concerning the additional costs associated with insularity, and to establish interdisciplinary analyses covering the demographic, geographical and economic characteristics of island territories so as to ensure that these regions will not suffer from any competitive disadvantage linked to their geographical condition;
Amendment 188 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Amendment 191 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27 b. Supports the partnerships among European islands as an effective way to share best practices, cope with common challenges and implement solutions that are beneficial for citizens and businesses; calls on the European Commission to further facilitate these partnerships;
Amendment 192 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 8
Subheading 8
Re-assessment of State aid schemes and measures to reduce the development deficit
Amendment 194 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission to produce an analysis of the volume of state aid granted to undertakings based in island regions; considers it imperative, despite the efforts made by the EU and the Member States, to determine whether and to what extent undertakings located in island territories have benefited from such measures and to re-assess state rules accordingly;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for any future revision of the legislative framework on state aid to be subject to impact assessments based on specific indicators to assess the lagging competitiveness of island region economies, also vis-à-vis the consequences of the Fit for 55 Package on these territories, and to design a specific degressive scheme for island territories when the extraordinary measures provided for under the State Aid Temporary Framework end after 31 December 2021;
Amendment 203 #
2021/2079(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission to undertake a dynamic assessment of Article 174 TFEU and to build on that article to create a European strategy for islands, based on this report, that takes into account the specific features of each of the EU’s sea basins; calls on the Commission to carry out a study on the diverse situations of island territories and to consider a strategy for islands with tangible proposals;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU has experienced severe under investment since the financial crisis while facing an urgent investment demand to cope with the required green and digital transformation of the economy; priorities reflected also in the Recovery and Resilience Facility, where 37% of funds should be allocated to green project while 20% will support the digital transition.
Amendment 9 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. Whereas from 2014 to 2019, the Bank provided more than EUR 100 billion of financing in cohesion regions;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that in 2019 the EIB’s Complaint Mechanism has registered 84 new cases, handled 173 cases and closed 113 cases; invites the EIB to continue its effort to enable the civil society to report cases of concern that will be dealt with in an effective and independent manner; stresses the importance of monitoring how the Complaint Mechanism’s recommendation are implemented; calls on the EIB to address the findings of the Complaint Mechanism with concrete actions;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes EIB Group Update on COVID-19 in the EIB Financial Report 2019, shedding light on the emergency response package adopted in 2020 to support the Small and Medium Size Enterprise SME and mid-cap sectors in the Union, encompassing liquidity lines and guarantee schemes for banks and asset- backed securities purchase programs and considering the creation of a European Guarantee Fund (EGF) focused on financing support to SMEs; urges the EIB to require companies supported by the European Guarantee Fund or other funding programmes put in place to tackle the COVID-19 crisis to comply with binding social and environmental conditions, including the adoption of decarbonisation plans, as to increase their resilience, and to refrain to pay out dividends, bonuses and share buy backs for at least the next 2 years after benefiting from support; in this light, Welcomes EIB’s Board of Directors decision approving a multi-beneficiary program loan of up to EUR 5 billion covering all EU Member States and creating the pan European guarantee fund up to EUR 25 billion, mainly in the form of guarantees, to respond to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; notes with appreciation that, the EIB Group has extended its contribution outside of the EU, with a focus on investments in the health and private sectors;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Calls the EIB to help the EU Member States to implement Recovery and resilience facility plan to address the existing health inequalities throughout the Union, while guaranteeing equal protection with specific attention to the most vulnerable in the society.
Amendment 31 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recalls the Gender Action Plan, endorsed with the intention to guide the implementation of the EIB Gender Strategy and to integrate the promotion of gender equality into the EIB business model; calls on the EIB to report on the progress achieved in the first phase of the Action Plan, on objectives such as revising the due diligence framework to address impacts and risks of EIB investments on the rights of women, ensuring equal access to benefits generated by EIB investment, or investing in women’s participation in the economy and the labour market;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Amendment 67 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes that the financing provided within the Union in 2019 for transport was higher than in 2018 (EUR 9 325 million against EUR 8 237 million in 2018) and that contraction of financing for road and motorways was offset by increases in financing of railways and air transport; stresses the importance of aligning the Transport Lending Policy and the EIB’s transport portfolio with the Climate Bank Roadmap, in particular the decarbonisation of the transport sector by 2050; regrets the EIB’s support in 2019 to airport expansions in several Member States; welcomes the EIB’s commitment to pull back from financing airport capacity expansion; calls for the upcoming revision of the Transport Lending Policy to explicitly exclude financing of projects locking-in carbon intensive, in particular the expansion of airports and infrastructure for Liquefied Natural Gas, to limit the financing of motorways; calls for the Policy to increase support for modal shifts towards zero- carbon mobility both for freight and passengers at urban and inter- urban level, such as rail, safe cycling and clean public transport, in particular for underserved communities and localities, and for renewables-based electrification infrastructure;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Welcomes the support of the EIB provided throughout 2019 in the formulation of the Just Transition Mechanism, which helps territories and regions most affected by the transition to a climate-neutral economy, especially those with the least capacity to deal with the cost of the transition; highlights the importance of the EIB for implementing the Mechanism in the next years, ensuring that no regions are left behind;
Amendment 82 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Reiterates the importance of ethics, integrity, transparency, communication and accountability of the EIB Group in all its operations and policies;
Amendment 90 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Regrets that EIB still does not fully disclose the details of the beneficial ownership of its clients; observStresses that in some cases the data of the involved economic operators are not communicated by the promoters or financial intermediaries; stresses that the disclosure of beneficiaries and their beneficial ownership is in line with the existing legal framework; asks the EIB to use the available tools and to implement the standards promoted by the 5th AML Directive to make accessible such data; invites to explore which measures could be taken in case of unjustified refusal by some jurisdiction to provide such information; reiterates the need that EIF Compliance and EIB OCCO work together to bring consistency to the design and implementation of the EIB Group policies in the sectors of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing;
Amendment 96 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Reiterates the importance of the involvement of local stakeholders when assessing impact of investments; including through transparent communication, as well as the importance of assessing the needs and expectations of the people impacted by the project; emphasises that consultations must be inclusive of all the interested communities, accessible to vulnerable groups, tailored on peculiarities of the stakeholders and continuous throughout the project lifecycle; calls for respecting the principle of compliance with the principle of free, prior, and informed consent from all the affected communities (besides the indigenous population) in case of land and natural resource-based investments, asks the EIB to report on the implementation of the above principles;
Amendment 111 #
2020/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Amendment 3 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that mfore than half of EU expenditure in 2019 may be considered as high-risk, including reimbursement-based payments for investments in the areas of cohesion and rural development; notes thate Court of Auditors the revenue for 2019 was legal and regular, and the increase in the estimated rate of material error from 4,5 % in 2018 to 4,9 % in 2019 can result in auditors giving an adverse opinion on EU expenditure;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. NotWelcomes the decrease in the estimated level of error in spending on ‘Economic, social and territorial cohesion’ from 5 % in 2018 to 4,4 % in 2019; welcomes this year- on-year improvement, but is disappointed that it has not proved possible to decrease the error rate to the 3 % level recorded in 2017, so efforts should be made in this regard during the next programming period;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the main reasons for this error rate are project ineligibility, infringement of internal market rules, and ineligible expenditure; recalls that these areas have high inherent risk of error and that checks by managing authorities are not always effective; underlines that a financial error, in most of the cases, does not constitute fraud;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes efforts to simplify requirements to be made of project managers and management authorities in the Member States under the 2021-2027 programming period of the Common Provisions Regulation and the MFF related funds;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes with concern that, at the end of the sixth year of implementation, absorption rates for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF) are 6,6% lower than at the same stage in the previous programming period; and draws attention to the risk that, as the eligibility period draws to an end and given the circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis, Member States may prioritise spending overshould pay special attention to absorption rates in the next programming period without causing any prejudice to performance and regularity.
Amendment 2 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas setting up trust funds and going beyond the EU’s budgetary rules undermines the principle of a single budget and creates a number of issues in terms of sound financial management, transparency and accountability; whereas it increases the complexity of existing financial structures, which may lead to operational inefficiencies;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT) differs from the other EU trust funds, mainly because it remains embedded within the budget of the EU;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that Union trust funds are set up to react swiftly to challenging circumstances and to increase the flexibility of funding; Reiterates however that these should be considered exceptional or emergency-led instruments whose added value and effects on the ground should be well justified and monitored; stresses the need to ensure that Union trust funds bring clear political visibility for the Union and that the objectives of Union trust funds are aligned with the objectives of the Union.
Amendment 15 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls the Special Report of the European Court of Auditors 27/2018 on ‘the Facility for Refugees in Turkey: helpful support, but improvements needed to deliver more value for money’; notes that according to the Court, the audited projects provided helpful support to refugees and that most of them achieved their outputs, but half of them had not yet achieved their expected outcomes; notes the Court’s finding that monitoring of the cash-assistance projects under the Facility was limited because the Commission and its UN implementing partners did not have access to primary beneficiary data; welcomes that some of the recommendations of this report have been considered in designing the programming of the second tranche of the FRT; invites the Commission to report further on the implementation of the Court’s recommendations in the context of the discharge procedure;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Insists on the need to ensure that the objectives of the FRT areimplementation of the FRT and Union trust funds is consistent with the EU’s general principles, policies and objectives, including democracy, the rule of law and human rights;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls the Commission to monitor continuously whether the Facility is being implemented according to the principles of good financial management, transparency, proportionality, non- discriminatory and equal treatment in full accordance with the right of the European Parliament, to exercise scrutiny and control over the EU funding.
Amendment 29 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to better address refugees’ needs for municipal infrastructure and socio-economic support, as well as to ensure access to education, health, protection and other basic needs in order to improve the streamlining and complementarity of the assistance provided to them;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes the success of the first tranche of the FRT, highlighting specifically the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN), the biggest humanitarian project managed by the Commission; welcomes the progress of the second tranche, allowing for a gradual shift from humanitarian to development assistance;
Amendment 33 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to address the need to improve the operating environment for civil society organisations and the Turkish authoritieStresses the challenging working environment that non-governmental organisations face in the course of the implementation of the FRT; Invites the Commission to address the need to improve the operating environment for civil society organisations, including through continuing the dialogue with the Turkish authorities on issues involving registration and permits;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the monitoring reports provided through the Facility Results Framework; Underlines the need to make sure strict monitoring exercises and audits are carried out based on clear procedures to ensure compliance with the Financial Regulation; invites the Commission to scale up reporting on the FRT and provide all information necessary for the European Parliament to exercise its right of scrutiny and control; asks it to ensure that these funds specifically target refugeeintended projects and are not used for any other purposes; in this context recalls the importance of accessibility of primary data on beneficiaries and traceability of EU funding and invites the Commission to present the planned strategic mid-term evaluation of the FRT;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes with concern that the Covid- 19 crisis led to a significant slowdown in progress on individual Actions and the FRT as a whole, leading to an estimated implementation delay of 3 to 12 months as of June 2020; underlines that, according to the Monitoring Report from November 2021, the most vulnerable refugees working in the informal sector were most impacted; regrets that the suspension of in-person activities such as those in the area of social cohesion, language teaching and psycho-social support disproportionately affected women refugees;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2045(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with appreciation the efforts and measures taken by the EU and its Member States to support refugees in Turkey; regrets, however, the general public’s lack of knowledge about these actionsCalls on the Commission to improve its communication strategy and intensify its contact with the general public to communicate the efforts made by EU to support refugees and host communities in Turkey.
Amendment 11 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to the 2002 ‘Barcelona targets’,
Amendment 12 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
- having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the 'Demographic Change: Proposals on Measuring and Tackling its Negative Effects in the EU Regions' of 12-14 October 2020,
Amendment 13 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
- having regard to the Territorial Impact Assessment Report of the Committee of the Regions on Demographic Change of 30 January 2020,
Amendment 14 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 c (new)
Citation 16 c (new)
- - having regard to the Commission Long-TermVision for Rural Areas, which is currently under preparation,
Amendment 15 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 d (new)
Citation 16 d (new)
- having regard to the Committee of the Regions opinion 'EU Strategy for Rural Revival' from 8-10 December 2020;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the natural demographic balance in the European Union has been negative for the last years and it is due to the migration from non-EU citizens that the EU has not reduced its population;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the effects caused by demographic trends and the depopulation phenomenon are unequal between Member states and its regions, and these need to be addressed by targeted measures;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the European Union has numerous instruments to face demographic challenges, and cohesion policy plays a crucial role in this regard;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas climate change enhances drastic changes in demographic trends;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas the Union has increased its efforts in order to integrate the principles of sustainability, greening and digitalisation in the overall EU policy making;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
Af. whereas the Commission is currently working on its Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas;
Amendment 36 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, although the EU population has seen substantial growth in previous decades, the growth rate is now falling and the population is expected to decrease in the longer term; whedecreas Europe will account for less thaning from 6% to 4 % of the world’s population by 2070, and long- term demographic trends in European regions indicate lower birth rates and ageing societies;
Amendment 47 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the current trend of ageing in EU population has important economic and social consequences, such as higher dependency ratios, pressures on fiscal and social security sustainability, and increased stress on healthcare and social services;
Amendment 66 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Observes that GDP per capita, income level, employment rate, fertility rate and population ageing are among the most important factors with a direct impact on demographics; notes that the current employment dynamics in particular are generating demographic flows within European regions leading to socio-spatial disparities and challenges that post-2020 cohesion policy will need to address; underlines that internal migration patterns from eastern, southeastern and central regions to northern and northwestern regions mostly involve young, educated and skilled workers; notes that migration from non- EU citizens has allowed EU to avoid population loss in the recent years;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that Europe is manifestly experiencing population ageing, affecting the dependency ratio and having negative effects on workforce growth, which is far behind the previous decade; warns of a visible decline of the labour force in eastern, southern and central European regions; highlights that population ageing also affects housing and transport planning, infrastructure and services needs, as well as fiscal and social security sustainability;
Amendment 73 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that, in that regard, active ageing policies are needed in order to reduce its negative dimension in rural and remote areas, ensuring an adequate level of quality of life for all inhabitants;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Underlines that fertility rates in the EU are considerably below replacement level; considers that cohesion policy can contribute to address this issue by promoting better conditions for families to raise their children, namely through favourable conditions in the job market, work life balance, affordable housing and access to social services of general interest, particularly those targeted to young families, such as affordable childcare;
Amendment 78 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes that the attractiveness of rural areas can be enhanced through the availability of high-quality public services; investments in those may require economies of scale that are difficult to implement in low-density areas, so local and regional communities should identify adequate provisions of services, in the most efficient way possible. In this sense, the role of cohesion policy is fundamental and should allow for these high quality public services;
Amendment 82 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights that rural development policies should have as one of their main objectives the creation of innovation ecosystems to support knowledge creation and technological diffusion; with this objective in mind, it is key to stimulate common virtual and physical environments that bring together firms, entrepreneurs and research institutes contributing to the transformation of rural areas into real innovation hubs. An environment that enables rural innovation can also be supported by investments in skills and ICT infrastructure, facilitating access to capital for entrepreneurs and SMEs, and supporting local supply chain development linked with diverse industries;
Amendment 85 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Notes that the concept of “rural proofing” should be mainstreamed throughout all steps of the EU policymaking; this idea, which aims at understanding the impact of policy intervention in rural areas, has the objective of ensuring a fair and equitable policy outcome for them. Rural proofing contributes at understanding the specific necessities of rural and remote areas with a specific focus on policy implementation, overcoming undesirable policy externalities by designing and delivering adequate solutions;
Amendment 86 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Amendment 87 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 a (new)
Subheading 4 a (new)
Highlights that demographic challenge, although affecting EU’s regions indifferent way, is an important issue for all the EU and has to be understood and tackled in an holistic way; underlines that the EU as a whole has registered a negative natural demographic balance for the last years; stresses that it was due to the migration from non-EU citizens that EU did not face population loss in the last years;
Amendment 88 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 b (new)
Subheading 4 b (new)
Amendment 111 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Expresses concern over a "geography of discontent" that is taking place in many EU regions where people feel left behind and which is closely associated to demographic change; the "geography of discontent" leads to radical political movements and denial of the EU integration, endangering the EU cohesion;
Amendment 117 #
Amendment 120 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 126 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that economic migration has a direct impact on the inclusiveness of cities, requiring tailored policy responses in different territorial contexts; highlights, in this regard, the need to strengthen inclusion policies;
Amendment 128 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7
Subheading 7
Amendment 129 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 a (new)
Subheading 7 a (new)
Calls for a greater coordination of EU instruments, in particular the ESI Funds and the Next Generation EU, so as to ensure a more comprehensive approach to the demographic challenges; suggests that, given that the mechanisms employed so far have not held back the advance of demographic imbalances, a review of existing policies is required;
Amendment 130 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 b (new)
Subheading 7 b (new)
Calls on the EU incorporating demographic challenges throughout the policy spectrum, including in its budget headings, in order to enable the development of adequate policies; considers that the impact of public policies in demography should be taken into account and subject to impact assessments;
Amendment 131 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 c (new)
Subheading 7 c (new)
Calls on the Commission once more to propose a strategy on demographic change which prioritises the following fields: decent employment, work-life balance, the territorial aspect of policies promoting economic activity and employment, the adequate provision of social services of general interest in all territories, local public transport, adequate care for dependent persons and long-term care, and good-quality labour conditions, paying special attention to new forms of work and their social impact;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 d (new)
Subheading 7 d (new)
Highlights the importance of having family friendly labour legislation that enables satisfactory work life-balance; underlines, in this respect, the role of social partners and the importance of collective bargaining;
Amendment 133 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 e (new)
Subheading 7 e (new)
Stresses that cohesion policy should promote the employability and inclusion of women, especially mothers who struggle with finding employment; stresses the importance of helping young mothers to return to work, namely by providing affordable childcare facilities for children of all ages and promoting policies of shared responsibility;
Amendment 134 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 f (new)
Subheading 7 f (new)
Highlights the need to support young families, improving the conditions for them to have children; notes that, according to the 2018 assessment, the Barcelona target of having 90% of the children from 3 to mandatory school age in formal childcare or attending preschool was not reached; stresses the importance of having access to affordable childcare facilities for young families to decide to have children;
Amendment 135 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 g (new)
Subheading 7 g (new)
Considers that that the EU should support migration and inclusion policies in the Member states, in respect for the rights and competencies of those Member States, as well as the subsidiarity principle, in order to minimise negative demographic trends; considers that local and regional bodies should be incentivized to implement successfully integration policies on the ground; takes the view that local and regional authorities should be active participants in measures taken to address demographic challenges;
Amendment 136 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 h (new)
Subheading 7 h (new)
Underlines the importance of existing initiatives such as the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, Ambient Assisted Living and the EIT Digital and Health Knowledge Innovation Communities; calls on the Commission to take into account the solutions already developed by these initiatives for accommodating the demographic shift and when addressing the demographic challenges faced by European regions; stresses the importance of the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning as a way of supporting education and training in areas at risk of depopulation;
Amendment 143 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that local and regional authorities should play a decisive role in developing territorial strategies, taking into consideration the development needs and the potential of the areas concerned, including the economic, social and demographic trends; points out that Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and community-led local development strategies are a useful tool that can be used to create jobs and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 154 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need for strategies aimed at reversing labour migration; calls on local and regional authorities to tackle the brain drain in ‘sending’ regions through prevention, mitigation and appropriate responses; using the means provided by cohesion policies; underlines in this context that there are already several initiatives in various Member States, such as incentives for workers with highly specialised skills, aimed at turning the brain drain into a brain gain for the regions in question;
Amendment 157 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Supports the development of dedicated incentive schemes to attract young people to rural and semi-urban areas; furthermore, encourages measures that to improve labour participation, especially for women and people with disabilities and the promotion of training tailored to the needs, potential and strengths of each individual region;
Amendment 158 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Considers that the transport network can play a decisive role in answering to demographic change, by reinforcing rural-urban connectivity and combating territorial fragmentation, providing for inclusive and sustainable growth through targeted investments as well as facilitating access to high-quality public services that consolidate population; highlights, in this regard, the importance of improving transport infrastructure, supporting the transition to sustainable and smart transport networks, strengthening interoperability in transport systems, and guaranteeing better local and public transports to incorporate demographic changes and their impact in mobility policy;
Amendment 159 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Encourages policy makers at local regional and national level to promote the concept of the "economy of well-being", contributing to a virtuous economic cycle, helping sustain long-term investments into wellbeing; additionally, encourages the promotion of healthy and active ageing which, combined with the economy of wellbeing and measures targeted at improving the quality of life and combat loneliness, can boost growth in regions with a predominantly ageing population;
Amendment 164 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the COVID-19 health crisis has affected all Member States and regions to different extents, and is likely to lead to new trends as regards demographic flows; recalls in this context that the additional resources provided through REACT-EU in order to ensure a sound and robust recovery of the EU’s economy from the crisis could significantly help to keep people in employment, including through support for small and medium-size enterprises and for short-time work schemes and the self-employed, although this is only a temporary instrument;
Amendment 173 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the Recovery and Resilience Facility will provide large-scale financial support to make Member States’ economies more resilient and better prepared for the future, and insists that Member States should propose measures for addressing demographic change; investing in the most vulnerable areas; highlights the importance of the instruments for a transition to sustainability such as the Just Transition Fund and its implementation mechanism, which aim to support the communities affected by the energy transition and avoid the risk of depopulation;
Amendment 177 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates the need for further simplification of cohesion policy instrumentplace-based and integrated approaches of cohesion policy, Common Agricultural Policy national strategic plans, and national recovery strategic plans in order to allow for an easier, but at the same time sound management of financial resources and for maximising synergies among the various EU funds and integrated tools; emphasises the need to reduce red tape and ensure coherent legislation throughout the project implementation process;
Amendment 188 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Recalls that the European Parliament, in its own position on the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund (27 March 2020) states that the objectives of the ERDF CF include that of supporting urban and rural areas with geographical or demographic handicaps. It also includes that Member states shall allocate provisions of EU financial support for projects that promote environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic development in the regions concerned;
Amendment 195 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Maintains the EP stand that particular support should be given to NUTS level 3 areas or clusters of local administrative units with a population density of below 12.5 inhabitants per km2 for sparsely populated areas, or with an average population decrease of more than1% between 2007 and 2017, which should be subject to specific regional and national plans to enhance attractiveness, increase business investment and boost the accessibility of digital and public services, including a fund in the Structural Fund cooperation agreement;
Amendment 196 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Welcomes the ERDF CF Regulation new article 8 a) which call for national plans to support regional and local areas facing continuous demographic decline, including financial allocations to increase attractiveness, boost business investment and improve accessibility of digital and public services; these national plans should be aligned with the European Commission report on the impact of the demographic change in the EU and the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas;
Amendment 229 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers it appropriate to involve regional and local authorities in long-term cooperative governance and planning initiatives at various levels; asks the Commission and the Member States to disseminate good practices on the use and benefits of this type of governance and of planning tools to support polycentric developmentuse the instrument of territorial impact assessment (TIA) to further design EU and national policies that are affecting demographic change;
Amendment 236 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Encourages policymakers at regional and national level to investuse the new Recovery and Resilience Facility to invest in the broadband extension in order to foster in the knowledge economy, as well as in providing high quality public services and incentives, tohat maintain high- skilled workers and to develop research centres in the different regionpromote the triple helix to ensure the attractiveness of the depopulated areas;
Amendment 243 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recommends developing the so- called ‘oasis strategies’ focusing on the most successful, vibrant and growing sectors, by exploiting the local potential for development of the region; calls on the local and regional authorities to invest the Youth Guarantee Initiative focused on attracting young, trained and talented workers, encouraging entrepreneurship, using local, national and EU incentives; underlines the role of the ‘silver economy’ as a policy shift for rural areas, turning the issue of population ageing into an opportunity for the development of rural areas;
Amendment 246 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the need for a wider territorial perspective in line with the new 'Leipzig Charter: The Transformative Power of Cities for the Common Good' and the 'Territorial Agenda 2030' to reinforce urban networks of second-tier cities and smaller towns, in order to harness their significant potential to buttress territorial, economic and social cohesion beyond their immediate boundaries, through greater urban-rural linkages, functional areas, and regional cooperation;
Amendment 248 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Asks the European Commission Statistic Office to provide data on the situation of quality of life indicators at NUTS 3 and LAU level to monitor the impact of demographic challenge on the territories; highlights the possibility for Member states to use the Recovery and Resilient Facility to modernise the capacity of data collection at those levels to ensure that national investment policies and European data reflect the real situation in these territories;
Amendment 252 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Insists that investments should be focused on information and communication technology, since this has the potential to reduce the distance between the users and to attract high- skilled workers in order to avoid the digital divide and ensure digital cohesion; stresses the importance of funding the infrastructures, the development and uptake of these technologies among companies and schools in rural and isolated regions and regions in industrial transition;
Amendment 276 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the initiative on the long-term vision for rural areas includes practical solution and means of support to address demographic changes; invites the Commission, in agreement with the Member States, to propose a ‘new deal’ on demographics in the EU as a multi-level policy approach which materialises in a European Strategy on Demographic Trends; The future Conference of the Future of Europe should propose a definition of the areas which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps mentioned in the article 174 (TFEU)in order to ensure a long-term support of the EU key policies from a place-based approach;
Amendment 282 #
2020/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Notes that diversity of administrative competences within each Member states results in the impossibility of a one-size-fits-all type of solution to address demographic challenges; suggests the creation of an independent body involved in the economic and social development of demographically fragile areas. This body should enjoy a high degree of organisational autonomy;
Amendment 4 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that, in the proposed revised ceiling for the new heading 3 of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, the major categories of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) spending are likely to be cut in 2021, namely direct payments, market measures and rural development; recalls Parliament’s previous resolutions asking for the CAP funding to be maintained, in real terms, at least at current levels;
Amendment 11 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes note of the EUR 55 182 million in commitments and EUR 54 879,9 million in payments for agriculture; is concerned over the severe decrease of -7,4 % in European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) appropriations (EUR -3 231 million in commitments and EUR -3 215 million in payments ) compared to the budget for the financial year 2020; notes that the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) appropriations are increased to EUR 15 002,9 million in commitments (+2,1 %) and EUR 14 715 million (+12,2 %) in payments compared to the budget for the financial year 2020; takes note of the net transfer of EUR -753,9 million from the EAGF to the EAFRD;
Amendment 12 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points out that the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has emphasised the strategic role that agriculture plays in avoiding a food crisis, by providing safe and high-quality food at affordable prices; insists that food chain security, sustainability and resilience requires further investments to farmers, cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas;
Amendment 14 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Recalls also that the Commission evaluation deemed the CAP to be the appropriate framework for developing the targets in the European Green Deal; notes, therefore, that increased sustainability requirements demand adequate funding;
Amendment 18 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges, therefore, the Council to allow the Union to meet its commitments in providing sufficient funding for a safe, high-quality food supply, climate action, environmental protection and for the Just Transition Mechanism and the Just Transition Fund, which the agriculture sector needs to benefit significantly from in order to reach the targets of the European Green Deal; notstresses that increased sustainability requirements demand adequate funding; draws attention to the fact that the COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of Union food production and supply; recalls that food security and food chain sustainability require investments and support to farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areasthe support from Next Generation EU to meet those targets in the scope of rural development needs to be made available as soon as possible, from 2021;
Amendment 34 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. AsksStresses that the Commission to commit, when revising the draft budget via the amending letter, needs to adjusting its figures upwards in order to address the market crisis in certain key sectors negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis;
Amendment 41 #
2020/1998(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls the importance of the Union budget, through rural development and Horizon Europe programmes in supporting research, development and innovation in the agri- food sector and bioeconomy, which is essential in the transition to a zero-carbon economy by replacing fossil-based products.;
Amendment 68 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Following tThe end of the transition period, has generated barriers to trade and to cross- border exchanges between the Union and the United Kingdom will be present. Bth broad and far- reaching consequences for businesses, workers, citizens and public administrations are expected. Those consequences are unavoidable and stakeholders need to make sure that they are ready for them.
Amendment 76 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The Union is committed to mitigating the economic, social and territorial impact of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union and to show solidarity with all Member States and regions, especially the most affected ones in such exceptional circumstances.
Amendment 86 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) For the purposes of contributing to economic, social and territorial cohesion, it is appropriate that Member States, when designing support measures, focus in particular on the regions, areas and local communities, including those dependent on fishing activities in the United Kingdom waters, that are likely to be most negatively impacted by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom. Member States may have to take specific measures notably to support businesses and economic sectors adversely affected by the withdrawal. It is therefore appropriate to provide a non-exhaustive list of the type of measures that are most likely to achieve this objective. Relevant regional and local authorities, economic and social partners and civil society of the territories concerned shall be involved in the process of identification of the support measures in accordance with the partnership principle laid down in Article 6 of Regulation (EU) .../… [new CPR].
Amendment 94 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) For the purpose of contributing to the Union’s social and environmental targets, the Reserve should be implemented in accordance with the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Amendment 97 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 b (new)
Recital 5 b (new)
(5b) In the context of its effort to increase economic, social and territorial cohesion, the Reserve should also contribute to eliminating inequalities and promoting gender equality and gender mainstreaming as well as combatting discrimination as set out in Article 2 TEU, Article 10 TFUE and Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. All stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Reserve shall commit to promote gender equality and ensure that the impact of the measures on women is taken into account.
Amendment 100 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) At the same time, it is important to clearly specify any exclusions from support provided by the Reserve. The Reserve should exclude from support the value added tax as it constitutes a Member State revenue, which offsets the related cost for the Member State budget. In order to concentrate the use of limited resources in the most efficient way, technical assistance used by the bodies responsible for the implementation of the Reserve should not be eligible for support from the Reserve. In line with the general approach for cohesion policy, expenditure linked to relocations or contrary to any applicable Union or national law should not be supported.
Amendment 110 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In order to take into account the immediate impact of the adverse consequences ofexpenses incurred in anticipating the withdrawal agreement of the United Kingdom from the Union on the Member States and their economies, the immediate impact of the adverse consequences of the withdrawal and the need to adopt mitigating measures, as appropriate, prior to the expiry of the transition period, the eligibility period for implementing such measures should start as from 1 Julanuary 202019 and be concentrated over a limited period of 30 monthslast until 31 December 2023.
Amendment 119 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Horizontal financial rules adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on the basis of Article 322 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) apply to this Regulation. These rules are laid down in the Financial Regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget, and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors. Rules adopted on the basis of Article 322 TFEU also concern the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law and the respect for fundamental rights in the Member States, which are essential preconditions for sound financial management and effective EU funding.
Amendment 124 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to enable Member States to deploy the additional resources and to ensure sufficient financial means to swiftly implement measures under the Reserve, a substantial amount thereof should be disbursed in 2021 as pre-financing. The distribution method should take into account the importance of trade with the United Kingdom and the importance of fisheries in the United Kingdom exclusive economic zone, based on reliable and official statistics. Financial services should be excluded from the calculation of the distribution method considering the positive impact expected due to the relocalisation of several activities in the Union following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom. Given the unique nature of the event that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union constitutes and the uncertainty that has surrounded key aspects of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Union after the expiry of the transition period, it is difficult to anticipate the appropriate measures Member States will have to take rapidly to counter the effects of the withdrawal. It is therefore necessary to grant Member States flexibility and in particular to allow the Commission to adopt the financing decision providing the pre-financing without the obligation pursuant to Article 110(2) of the Financial Regulation to provide a description of the concrete actions to be financed.
Amendment 138 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) To ensure equal treatment of all Member States and consistency in the evaluation of the applications, the Commission should assess the applications in a package. It should look in particular into the eligibility and the accuracy of the expenditure declared, the direct link of the expenditure with measures taken to address the consequences of the withdrawal and the measures put in place by the Member State concerned to avoid double funding. Upon assessment of the applications for a financial contribution from the Reserve, the Commission should clear the pre- financing paid, and recover the unused amount. In order to concentrate the support on Member States most affected by the withdrawal, where the expenditure in the Member State concerned, accepted as eligible by the Commission, exceeds the amount paid asa further allocation from the Reserve to Member States within the limits of the financial resources available. In order to ensure consistency with the pre- financing and 0.06% of the nominal Gross National Income (GNI) for 2021 of the Member State concerned, it should be possible to allow for a further allocation from the Reserve to that Member Stat, the distribution method of the additional amount should also take into account the importance of trade within the limits ofUnited Kingdom in the financial resources availableternal market, based on reliable and official statistics. Given the extent of the expected economic shock, the possibility to use the amounts recovered from the pre-financing for the reimbursement of additional expenditure by Member States should be provided for.
Amendment 143 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) In order to ensure the proper functioning of shared management, Member States should establish a management and control system, designate and notify the Commission of the bodies responsible at national, regional and local level for the management of the Reserve as well as a separate independent audit body. For simplification reasons, Member States may make use of existing bodies designated and systems set up for the purpose of the management and control of cohesion policy funding or the European Union Solidarity Fund. It is necessary to specify the responsibilities of the Member States and lay down the specific requirements for the bodies designated. Member States will ensure that the local and regional authorities concerned are involved in the monitoring bodies, if they are not already part of them.
Amendment 148 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) In accordance with the Financial Regulation, Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/9514 , Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/9615 and Council Regulation (EU) 2017/193916 and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2020/2092 on a general regime of Rule of Law conditionality for the protection of the Union budget, the financial interests of the Union are to be protected through proportionate measures, including the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities and fraud, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, the imposition of administrative sanctions. In particular, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council17 and Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) may carry out administrative investigations, including on- the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union. In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) may investigate and prosecute fraud and other criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the Union as provided for in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council18 . In accordance with the Financial Regulation, any person or entity receiving Union funds is to fully cooperate in the protection of the Union’s financial interests, to grant the necessary rights and access to the Commission, OLAF, the EPPO and the European Court of Auditors and to ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds grant equivalent rights. _________________ 14 Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests (OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1). 15Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities' financial interests against fraud and other irregularities (OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2). 16Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (‘the EPPO’) (OJ L 283, 31.10.2017, p. 1). 17Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1). 18 Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2017 on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests by means of criminal law (OJ L 198, 28.7.2017, p. 29).
Amendment 154 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) In order to enhance transparency on the use of the Union contribution, the Commission should provide a final report to the European Parliament and the Council and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation of the Reserve.
Amendment 157 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘reference period’ means the reference period referred to in Article 63(5), point (a), of the Financial Regulation, which shall be from 1 Julanuary 202019 to 31 December 20223;
Amendment 181 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) additional amounts of EUR 1 126 162 000 shall be made available in 20245 in accordance with Article 11.
Amendment 187 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The financial contribution from the Reserve shall only support the public expenditure directly linked to measures specifically taken by Member States' regional and local authorities to contribute to the objectives referred to in Article 3, and may cover, in particular the following:
Amendment 198 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) measures to support businesses and local communities dependent on fishing activities in the United Kingdom waters, including measures to support fishers and operators for the permanent cessation of fishing activities as defined in [Regulation (EU) No XX/20XX (EMFAF Regulation)] and compensation for operators in the fishery and aquaculture sectors, including the processing of fishery and aquaculture products, for their income foregone or additional costs due to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union and the decreasing access to United Kingdom waters;
Amendment 208 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) measures to support employment, job protection and creation, including through short-time work schemes, up- skilling, re-skilling and training in affected sectors;
Amendment 218 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) measures to mitigate disruptions caused by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from cooperation and exchange programmes;
Amendment 223 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(gb) technical assistance for the management, monitoring, information and communication, complaint resolution, and control and auditing of the Reserve;
Amendment 226 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. Expenditure shall be eligible if it is incurred and paid during the reference period for measures carried out in the Member State concerned or for the benefitmost affected regions of the Member State concerned.
Amendment 233 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. The measures referred to in paragraph 1 shall comply with applicable law, subject to the exceptions referred to in Article [new Article 6] .
Amendment 238 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5a State aid 1. The Commission may declare that payments made by Member States under the present Regulation are compatible with the internal market and are not subject to the notification requirements of Article 108(3) TFEU. 2. In line with the provisions of [Regulation (EU) No XX/20XX (EMFAF Regulation)], Articles 107, 108 and 109 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union shall not apply to payments made by Member States, under the present Regulation, to undertakings in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, falling within the scope of Article 42 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Amendment 239 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
Amendment 244 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) beneficiaries whose registered office is in a third country.
Amendment 247 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. The financial contribution from the Reserve to a Member State shall be implemented together with the relevant regional and local authorities of the territories concerned, in accordance with the partnership principle laid down in Article 6 of Regulation (EU) .../… [new CPR] and within the framework of shared management in accordance with Article 63 of the Financial Regulation.
Amendment 250 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. Member States, in cooperation with regional and local authorities in the areas most heavily affected, shall use the contribution from the Reserve to implement the measures referred to in Article 5 to provide non-repayable forms of support. The Union contribution shall take the form of reimbursement of eligible costs actually incurred and paid by Member States in implementing the measures.
Amendment 257 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 5
Article 7 – paragraph 5
5. By derogation from Article 12 of the Financial Regulation, unused commitment and payment appropriations under this Regulation shall be automatically carried over and may be used until 31 December 20256. The appropriations carried over shall be consumed first in the following financial year.
Amendment 268 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Member States shall, after consulting the regions concerned, submit an application to the Commission for a financial contribution from the Reserve by 30 September 20234. The Commission shall assess this application and establish whether additional amounts are due to Member States or any amounts should be recovered from the Member States in accordance with Article 11.
Amendment 274 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. Where a Member State does not submit an application for a financial contribution from the Reserve by 30 September 20234, the Commission shall recover the total amount paid as pre- financing to that Member State.
Amendment 283 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) in accordance with article 7 (1 and 2), a description of the consultations held with the regions and sectors most affected;
Amendment 285 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) a description of the contribution of the measures to climate change mitigation and adaptation, the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the promotion of gender equality, the implementation of gender mainstreaming and the reduction of the digital divide .
Amendment 299 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. Where the accepted amount exceeds both the amount of pre-financing and 0.06% of the nominal GNI of 2021 of the Member State concerned, an additional amount shall be due to that Member State from the allocation referred to in Article 4(3), point (b), and any amounts carried over pursuant to Article 8(4). The allocation criteria for the additional amounts to be paid by the Commission to the Member States are set out in Annex Ia.
Amendment 305 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
In such a case, the Commission shall pay the amount exceeding the pre-financing paid to the Member State concerned or 0.06% of the nominal GNI of 2021, whichever is higher.
Amendment 307 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 319 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) designating, at the appropriate level of governance, one or more bodyies responsible for the management of the financial contribution from the Reserve and an independent audit body in accordance with Article 63(3) of the Financial Regulation, and supervising such bodies;
Amendment 323 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 13 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The body or bodies responsible for managing the financial contribution from the Reserve shall:
Amendment 330 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. By 30 June 20268, the Commission shall carry out an evaluation to examine the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value of the Reserve. The Commission mayshall make use of all relevant information already available in accordance with Article 128 of the Financial Regulation.
Amendment 333 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. By 30 June 20278, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council, to the Council and to the Committee of the Regions a report on the implementation of the Reserve.
Amendment 345 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Amendment 354 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point a
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point a
a) each Member State’s trade with the UK is expressed as share of the EU trade with the UK (trade is the sum of the imports and the exports of good and services, excluding financial services);
Amendment 356 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point b
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point b
b) to assess the relative importance of these trade flows for each Member State, the sum of trade flows with the UK are expressed as a percentage of the Member State’s GDPoverall trade flows with the whole EU-28 and subsequently expressed as an index of the EU average (index of dependency);
Amendment 362 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point f
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point f
f) the resulting shares are rescaled to ensure the sum of shares equals 100%, whereby it is ensured that no Member State can have a share higher than 25% of the EU totalfull amount of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. The resources deducted due to this capping are redistributed to the other Member States, proportionally to their non- capped shares;
Amendment 365 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point h a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point h a (new)
ha) to provide a minimum level of access to the funds from the Reserve, no Member State can receive less than EUR 5 million in 2018 prices. The resources needed to ensure this minimum amount are deducted from the other Member States' envelopes, proportionally to their shares not limited by this minimum threshold;
Amendment 374 #
2020/0380(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I a (new)
Annex I a (new)
Amendment 42 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Facility’s general objective should be the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion. For that purpose, it should contribute to improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions aimed at achieving a climate neutral Europe by 2050, thereby restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union in the aftermath of the crisis, fostering employment creation and to promoting sustainable growth. The Facility should also contribute to the achievement of gender equality.
Amendment 43 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Facility’s general objective should be the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion. For that purpose, it should contribute to improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions aimed at achieving a climate neutral Europe by 2050, thereby restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union in the aftermath of the crisis, fostering employment creation and to, especially for youth and women, strengthening of social rights, as well as promoting sustainable growth.
Amendment 52 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) To ensure its contribution to the objectives of the Facility, the recovery and resilience plan should comprise measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment projects through a coherent recovery and resilience plan. The recovery and resilience plan should be consistent with the relevant country- specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester, with the national reform programmes, the national energy and climate plans, the just transition plans, and the partnership agreements and operational programmes adopted under the Union funds. To boost actions that fall within the priorities of the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, the plan should also set out measures that are relevant for the green and digital transitions. The measures should enable a swift deliver of targets, objectives and contributions set out in national energy and climate plans and updates thereof. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities, as well as social, economic and territorial cohesion of the Union.
Amendment 68 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to ensure the national ownership and a focus on relevant reforms and investments, Member States wishing to receive support should submit to the Commission a recovery and resilience plan that is duly reasoned and substantiated. The recovery and resilience plan should set out the detailed set of measures for its implementation, including targets and milestones, and the expected impact of the recovery and resilience plan on growth potential, job creation and, especially for youth and women, strengthening of social rights, as well as enhancing economic and social resilience; it should also include measures that are relevant for the green and the digital transitions; it should also include an explanation of the consistency of the proposed recovery and resilience plan with the relevant country-specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester. Close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States should be sought and achieved throughout the process.
Amendment 80 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) To ensure that the financial support is frontloaded in the initial years after the crisis, and to ensure compatibility with the available funding for this instrument, the allocation of funds to the Member States should be made available until 31 December 20245. To this effect, at least 60 percent of the amount available for non- repayable support should be legally committed by 31 December 20224. The remaining amount should be legally committed by 31 December 20245.
Amendment 82 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The request for a loan should be justified by the financial needs linked to additional reforms and investments included in the recovery and resilience plan, notably relevant for the green and digital transitions, and by therefore, by a higher cost of the plan than the maximum financial contribution (to be) allocated via the non-repayable contribution. It should be possible to submit the request for a loan together with the submission of the plan. In case the request for loan is made at a different moment in time, it should be accompanied by a revised plan with additional milestones and targets. To ensure frontloading of resources, Member States should request a loan support at the latest by 31 August 20245. For the purposes of sound financial management, the total amount of all the loans granted under this Regulation should be capped. In addition, the maximum volume of the loan for each Member State should not exceed 4.7% of its Gross National Income. An increase of the capped amount should be possible in exceptional circumstances subject to available resources. For the same reasons of sound financial management, it should be possible to pay the loan in instalments against the fulfilment of results.
Amendment 111 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The amounts referred to in paragraph 1(a) may also cover expenses pertaining to preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, which are required for the management of each instrument and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, information and communication actions, including corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, in so far as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, corporate information technology tools, and all other technical and administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of each instrument. Expenses may also cover the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and monitoring of projects on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of reforms and investmentsand administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of each instrument.
Amendment 115 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6
Article 6
Amendment 121 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Support under the Recovery and Resilience Facility shall be additional to the support provided under other Union funds and programmes, however, any overlap should be avoid. Reform and investment projects may receive support from other Union programmes and instruments provided that such support does not cover the same cost.
Amendment 123 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9
Article 9
Amendment 125 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Amendment 127 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Amendment 128 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 132 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. For a period until 31 December 20224, the Commission shall make available for allocation EUR 334 950 000 000, referred to in point (a) of Article 5(1). Each Member State may submit requests up to their maximum financial contribution, referred to in Article 10, to implement their recovery and resilience plans.
Amendment 133 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. By way of Revision of the regulation through delegated act , and based on a reasoned request of a Member State, the additional resources may also be made available for budgetary commitment in 2023 and 2024.
Amendment 134 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Amendment 136 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1
1. Until 31 December 20245, upon request from a Member State, the Commission may grant to the Member State concerned a loan support for the implementation of its recovery and resilience plans.
Amendment 137 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. A Member State may request a loan at the same time of the submission of a recovery and resilience plan referred to in Article 15, or at a different moment in time until 31 August 20245. In the latter case, the request shall be accompanied by a revised plan, including additional milestones and targets.
Amendment 161 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) an explanation of how the plan strengthens the growth potential, job creation and economic and social resilience of the Member State concerned, mitigates the economic and social impact of the crisis, and its contribution to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion and convergence as well as its contribution to gender equality;
Amendment 164 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) an explanation of how the plan strengthens the growth potential, job creation including for youth and women, and economic and social resilience of the Member State concerned, mitigates the economic and social impact of the crisis, and its contribution to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion and convergence;
Amendment 180 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. When assessing the recovery and resilience plan, after consulting the European Parliament, the Commission shall act in close cooperation with the Member State concerned. The Commission may make observations or seek additional information. The Member State concerned shall provide the requested additional information and may revise the plan if needed, prior to its official submission.
Amendment 199 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. TAfter consulting the European Parliament, the Commission shall adopt a decision within four months of the official submission of the recovery and resilience plan by the Member State, by means of an implementing act. In the event that the Commission gives a positive assessment to a recovery and resilience plan, that decision shall set out the reforms and investment projects to be implemented by the Member State, including the milestones and targets, and the financial contribution allocated in accordance with Article 11.
Amendment 221 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – title
Article 21 – title
Information tovolvement of the European Parliament and the Council and communication on the Member States’ recovery and resilience plans
Amendment 225 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 22 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The Commission and the Member States concerned shall, in a measure commensurate to their respective responsibilitiesorder to avoid any overlap, foster synergies and ensure effective coordination between the instruments established by this Regulation and other Union programmes and instruments, and in particular with measures financed by the Union funds. For that purpose, they shall:
Amendment 245 #
2020/0104(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 2 – paragraph 3 – point 2.4 – introductory part
Annex II – point 2 – paragraph 3 – point 2.4 – introductory part
2.4 The recovery and resilience plan is expected to effectively contribute to strengthen the growth potential, job creation, including jobs for youth and women, and economic and social resilience of the Member State, mitigate the economic and social impact of the crisis, and contribute to enhance economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas de jure the Member States and the Commission have shared responsibility for implementing 74 % of the Union’s budget for 2018; whereas de facto, however, Member States spend those resources and the Commission is responsible for their supervision through its control mechanismsthe Commission in cooperation with the Member States implements the Union’s budget, of which 74 % were implemented under shared management in 2018;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the Commission should fulfil its respective responsibilities under shared management for supervision, control and audit;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas according to the Article 63 of the Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom2018/1046), when executing tasks relating to budget implementation Member States should take all necessary measures to prevent, detect and correct irregularities and fraud;
Amendment 4 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas in order to protect the financial interests of the Union the Member States should carry out ex-ante and ex post controls, should recover unduly paid funds and bring legal proceeding in that regard where necessary;
Amendment 5 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas sound public spendingfinancial management and the protection of the EU’s financial interests should be key elements of EU policy in orderare key principles of EU budget implementation policy aiming to increase the confidence of citizens by ensuring that their moneyEU budget is used properly and effectively executed;
Amendment 8 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas achieving good performance with simplification processes involvesEU budget supports shared objectives and helps to tackle common challenges and whereas good performance is a precondition for achieving results and priorities, simplification regularly assessingment inputs, outputs, outcomes and impacts through performance audits are essential elements for the performance based budgeting;
Amendment 10 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas according to Article 83 of the TFEU corruption is one of the particularly serious crimes with a cross- border dimension which has its negative effect on the EU financial interests;
Amendment 11 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas fraud involving EU funds is one of the means by which criminal organisations penetrate the economy and undermine economic freedom and free competition;
Amendment 12 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the diversity of legal and administrative systems in the Member States needs to be adequately addressed in order to overcomeallow for a more coordinated EU action for prevention of irregularities and combating fraud; whereas the Commission should furtherefore step up strengthen its efforts to ensure that the fight against fraud isand to continue implementeding them effectively andin order to produces even more tangible and more satisfactory results;
Amendment 13 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. Whereas corruption represents a serious threat to the financial interests of the union, but also on democracy and the trust on public administration;
Amendment 16 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Amendment 17 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Welcomes the 30th Annual report on the protection of the EU’s financial interests and the fight against fraud, as well as the progress achieved during the past three decades in setting and developing the legislative foundations and institutional framework (OLAF and EPPO) of the fight against fraud and irregularities at EU level, in establishing cooperation between Member States and between them and the Commission, and in reaching results of protection of the EU budget which would not be possible without the joint efforts of both the EU institutions and national authorities;
Amendment 18 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Observes with great concern the permanent modification of fraud methods and new patterns of fraud, with a strong transnational dimension and with cross- border fraud schemes (i.e. fraud in the promotion of agricultural products; shell companies; evasion of custom duties through the undervaluation of textiles and footwear entering the Union and going through customs clearance in several Member States; e-commerce; and counterfeiting), which negatively affect the revenue side of the EU budget and which require new coordinated response at EU and national level;
Amendment 21 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the number of fraudulent irregularities and the associated amounts are not a direct indicator of the level of fraud affecting the EU budget; notes that fraudulent irregularities affected 0,71% of 2018 payments and 0,65% of gross amount of TOR collected for 2018; notes further that non- fraudulent irregularities affected 0,58% of 2018 payments and 1,78% of gross amount of TOR collected for 2018;
Amendment 24 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls furthermore on the Commission to carry comprehensive checks to ensure the full transparency and quality of data reported by the Member States in the Irregularity Management System (IMS);
Amendment 25 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the number of fraudulent irregularities reported in 2018 (1 152 cases) remained stable as compared with 2017; regrets that the financial, however, that the amounts involved increased by a significant 183 %, mostly related to cohesion policy expenditur; This increase is due, to a large extent, to two fraudulent irregularities concerning cohesion policy expenditure; Stresses the need to recuperate these high amounts as soon as possible;
Amendment 27 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes into considerationNotes that the fact that the number of non-fraudulent irregularities registered in 2018 showed a fall of 27 % (10 487 cases), while the financial amounts involved decreased by 37 % to EUR 1.3 billion;
Amendment 29 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers it advisable foralls on Member States to cooperate more closely as regards exchanges of information, in order both to improve their data collection and enhance the effectiveness of their controls; recalls the role of the Commission in coordinating the cooperation between Member States;
Amendment 33 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Finds worrisome weaknesses revealed in the verification of beneficiaries’ registered offices; regretnotes that to reduce the administrative burden on Member State authorities, EU law obligesthe Common Provisions Regulation 1303/2013 requires from them only to report fraudulent or non- fraudulent irregularities involving more than EUR 10 000 in EU money-contributionfrom ESIF ; recalls that for agriculture and the European Social Fund there are a large number of payments below the EUR 10 000 threshold, which are disbursed as entitlement payments (based on meeting certain conditions), and, as a consequence, potentially fraudulent payments below the reporting threshold which are not reported, notes, however, the Court of Auditors’ observation in its Annual Reports for 2017 and 2018 that entitlement payments are less prone to errors than cost reimbursement, which is the disbursement methods for projects above EUR 10 000;
Amendment 36 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Strongly condemns the large-scale misuse of European structural and investment funds by high-level government officials in the Czech Republic, and other public actors in Hungary, Greece, Poland, Romania and Italy; notes that such fraud is at the expense of small family businesses who need the subsidies the most;
Amendment 41 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses that the European Commission currently does not take sufficient action to tackle this type of fraud; urges the Commission to conduct effective controls in combination with binding measures; notes that the EPPO should play a major role in conducting cross-border research, detecting and reporting cases of fraud, and bringing fraudsters to justice;
Amendment 42 #
Amendment 43 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. RegretNotes the rise of 1 % in the number of fraudulent registered cases for the TOR collected (to 473 in 2018), as well and regrets the rise of 116 % in the financial amounts involved;
Amendment 44 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Notes that the number of irregularities reported as non-fraudulent for 2018 was 10% lower than the average for years 2014-2018, but regrets that the affected amount is 17% higher;
Amendment 45 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Expresses itsIs deeply concerned that according to the Commission’s ‘fast estimates’ statistics, the VAT gap in 2018 amounted to approximately EUR 130 billion, which represents approximately 10 % of total expected VAT revenue, and that the Commission estimates that intra- Community VAT fraud cases cost around EUR 50 billion annually; regrets the loss of 5 billion EUR yearly coming from supplies of low-value goods from third countries;
Amendment 49 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes into considerationHighlights OLAF’s important role in investigation VAT matters; welcomes the modification of Council Regulation 904/2010 on administrative cooperation and the fight against fraud in the field of value added tax17, resulting in from 2018 introducing measures for strengthening thed capacity of national tax administrations to check cross-border supplies, and to address the most damaging VAT fraud schemes and diminish the VAT gap; _________________ 17 OJ L268, 12.10.2010, p. 1.
Amendment 51 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for measures to fully ensureNotes furthermore the measures introduced with the modified Council Regulation 904/2010 to maximise the new Transaction Network Analysis (TNA) software potential to identify fraudulent networks across the whole EU; calls the data protection of economic operators under investigation listed in the new Transaction Network Analysis (TNA) software to be fully ensured;
Amendment 52 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the sharing ofintroduction of measures for the sharing relevant data as from 2020 on customs ‘procedure 42/63 data’ and ‘procedure/63’ between national tax authorities, allowing cross-checking of VAT numbers, value of the imported goods, type of commodities, etc. by the Member State of import and the customer’s Member State;
Amendment 53 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the dominant importance of prioritising the development of National Anti-Fraud Strategies (NAFSs) by theall Member States over the supranational approach imposed at EU level;
Amendment 54 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the seriousness of the current situation concerning fraud involving failure to payfraud concerning VAT, in particular the so-called ‘carousel fraud’ which results in the non-payment of VAT to the relevant tax authorities by the missing trader, even if it has been deducted from the customer;
Amendment 55 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Takes into considerationNotes that solar panels were the goods most affected by fraud and irregularities in monetary terms in 2018, as was also the case in 2017 and 2016; welcomes the on-the-spot inspections carried out by the Commission and underlines the importance of OLAF’s investigations and OLAF’s coordination role in this field;
Amendment 56 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Welcomes the fact that several Member States have rolled out new IT tools, risk-based approaches and initiatives to counter challenges in the area of traditional own resources collection; encourages Member States to further cooperate in making joint use of these tools, approaches and initiatives, to further exchange good practices and to enhance cooperation under the Eurofisc framework;
Amendment 57 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Finds it worrisome that the undervaluation of textiles and shoes importedIs concerned that revenue fraud through the undervaluation of goods imported into the EU from Cthina occurs as a major instance of fraudrd countries remains a threat for the EU financial interests; recognises the cross- border e- commerce trade of goods as a considerable source of tax fraud in the EU, especially in the case of smaller goods; calls on Member States to address the issues linked to cross-border e-commerce, particularly for the potential abuse of low- value consignments reliefs by fully implementing the Commission’s recommendations in this sense;
Amendment 58 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Notes that non-fraudulent irregularities were primarily detected by means of post-release controls, but underlines the importance of the custom controls before or at the time of release of goods, as well as of voluntary admissions for detection of irregularities;
Amendment 59 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Finds it worrisome that some Member States regularly do not report a single case of fraud; invites the Commission to investigate the situation, as it considers the likelihood that no fraudulent activities exist in those Member States to be rather low; calls on the Commission to run random spot checks in these countries;
Amendment 60 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes with dismay that the average recovery rate for cases reported as fraudulent over the years 1989-2018 was around 37 %41%; notes as well that the recovery rate for fraudulent cases reported and detected in 2018 was 70% which is significantly above the average rate; reiterates its call on the Commission to develop a strategy for improving the recovery rate in these cases;
Amendment 62 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that the overall recovery rate for non-fraudulent cases reported over the years 1989-2018 was 72%;
Amendment 63 #
Amendment 65 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the decrease of 3 % in the number of cases (679) reported as fraudulent irregularities in 2018) reported as fraudulentaffecting expenditure; regrets, however, the opposite trend occurring in the financial amounts involved (EUR 1.032 million), resulting in an increase of 198 %;
Amendment 67 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. NotWelcomes the decrease of 4 % in registered non-fraudulent irregularities, as well as thate reduction of 48 % in the financial amounts involved (EUR 844.9 million);
Amendment 68 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Amendment 70 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 72 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that, with regard to two of the policies most affected by fraudulent irregularities, 249 fraudulent irregularities were registered in 2018 (-6 %) forrelated to the common agricultural policy, involvingfor a total of EUR 63.3 million (+10 %), and 363, again in 2018 (+5 %), for cohesion policy, thefor a total amount involved beingof EUR 959.6 million (+199 %); Notes, regarding cohesion policy, that this increase was mainly due to two irregularities involving very high sums by one MS and that this fluctuation should be seen and understood in this context;
Amendment 73 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. RegretNotes that for the CAP the ‘fraud frequency level’ (FFL) stands at 10 %, whilefor the reporting years 2014-2018 the ‘fraud frequency level’ (FFL) representing the percentage of cases qualified as suspected fraud and established fraud in relation to the total number of reported irregularities stands at 10 %, theat ‘fraud amounts level’ is about 23 %; notes with dismay that the ‘fraud detection rate’ (FDR) is only 0.11 %, while the ‘irregularity detection rate’ of the total financial amount affected by irregularities; notes further that the ‘fraud detection rate’ (FDR) representing the percentage of total financial amount affected by suspected and established fraud in relation to the total expenditure is only 0.11 %, while the ‘irregularity detection rate’ representing the percentage of total financial amount affected by irregularities in relation to the total expenditure is 0.37 %;
Amendment 76 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Similarly regretnotes that the ‘fraud detection rate’ for cohesion policy is 0.86 % while the ‘irregularity detection rate’ is about 0.34 %;
Amendment 77 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Reiterates the importance of transparency on the expenditures, requesting for full access to the information in case of European financing;
Amendment 78 #
Amendment 79 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Amendment 80 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Takes note of the expansion of the role of the anti-fraud coordination services (AFCOS) in fostering the effectiveness of the various channels for cross-border cooperation between national authorities, in particular for tackling customs fraud, but also for cooperation with OLAF;
Amendment 81 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. NotWelcomes the implementation of the 2019adoption, in April 2019, of the Commission Anti-Fraud Strategy (CAFS), adjusted to two significant additions to EU anti-fraud legislation adopted in 2017, i.e. the PIF Directive, which sets stricter common standards for Member States’ criminal legislation to protect the EU’s financial interests, and the regulation establishing the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO);
Amendment 83 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Draws attention to the vital role played by OLAF and the need to strengthen it further and ensure effective coordination with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 84 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. NoteRegrets that only twelve Member States have implemented the new PIF directive for the time being, another eight having implemented it partially and the others not at all yet; notes that the deadline for implementation of the new PIF directive has expired on 6July 2019 already; calls on the Commission to publish, as soon as possible, a list of all Member States which have failed to transpose the directive by the deadline; calls on all remaining Member States to take all necessary measures and ensure the full and correct transposition of the Directive within the shortest time possible; calls on the Commission to closely monitor the transposition process in all Member States, as well as to make use of its prerogatives for launching infringement procedures, where Member States fail to comply with the transposition process;
Amendment 89 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Notes that that the EU Anti-Fraud Programme and its new priorities need sufficient funding on order to achieve results; is therefore concerned about the proposal of the president of the European Council to decrease the budget of EU Anti-Fraud Programme from 156 million Euro for the period 2014-2020 to 111 million Euro for the period 2021-2027;
Amendment 90 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Reiterates the need to include in national anti-fraud strategies proactive anti-fraud methods which ensure not only that fraud is detected, but that it is also effectively prevented;
Amendment 91 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
Amendment 94 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. RecallWelcomes the fact that in 2018 the Netherlands and Malta decided to join the EPPO; notes that by the end of October 2019 five Member States had not joined the EPPO; recalls, however, that under recital 9 of Regulation 2017/1939 they can join at any time this cross-border cooperation; encourages all remaining Member States to join the EPPO as soon as possible; calls on the Commission to actively promote and incentivise EPPO membership among so-far reluctant Member States, in order to ensure effective and efficient cross-border functioning across the EU;
Amendment 95 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Stresses that the selection procedure of the European Chief Public Prosecutor, initiated in 2018, registered delays, in view of a disagreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the preferred candidate was finalised in 2019;
Amendment 98 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Stresses that after the creation of the EPPO, OLAF will remain the sole office responsible for protecting EU financial interests in the Member States that decided not to join the EPPO; highlights that according to opinion 8/2018of the European Court of Auditors, the Commission proposal amending the OLAF regulation does not resolve the issue of low effectiveness of OLAF’s administrative investigations; underlines the importance of ensuring that OLAF remains a strong and fully functioning partner to the EPPO;
Amendment 100 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
Amendment 103 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Points out two areas for improvement: firstly, to improve fraud risk assessment and fraud risk management, the Commission needs a more comprehensiveand Member States should strengthen their analytical capabilcity so that it can scanorder to better identify data on fraud patterns, fraudsters’ profiles and vulnerabilities in EU internal control systems; secondly, to ensure consistency and to optimise efficiency and effectiveness, decentralisedthe assessment and management of fraud risks need to be strongly coordinated and monitored by a strong review system;
Amendment 106 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Highlights that the connection between corruption and fraud in EU spendingmay have a negative impact on the EU budget; regrets that the Commission no longer deems it necessary to publish the anti- corruption report;
Amendment 109 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Reiterates that the ‘revolving door’ effect can be detrimental to relations between the institutions and interest representatives; calls for the EU institutions to develop a systematic approach to this challenge;
Amendment 114 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Is concerned about the risk of undervaluation of supplies of e-commerce goods from third countries; welcomes the steps taken by OLAF to solve the problem of e- commerce VAT fraud;
Amendment 115 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Recalls that the Commission does not have access to the information exchanged between Member States with a view to preventing and combating Missing Trader Intra Community (MTIC) fraud, commonly called carousel fraud; is of the opinion that the Commission should have access to Eurofisc, in order to better control, assess and improve the exchange of data among Member States; calls on all Member States to participate in all of Eurofisc’s fields of activity so as to facilitate and accelerate information exchange with judicial and law enforcement authorities such as Europol and OLAF, as recommended by the European Court of Auditors; calls on the Member States and the Council to grant the Commission access to these data in order to foster cooperation, strengthen data reliability and fight cross-border crime;
Amendment 116 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. AcknowledgeHighlights the need to address certain shortcomings of the current EU anti-fraud enforcement system, in particular with regard to the collection of accurate data on fraudulent and non- fraudulent irregularities;
Amendment 117 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Finds it astonishing that the Commission does not havUrges the Commission and Member States to utilise and improve, where possible, common reporting methods in order to provide comprehensive and comparable information on the detected fraud level in EU spending;
Amendment 119 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Reminds the Member States that it is in their own interest to cooperate fully with the Commissionworking in cooperation with the Commission is necessary in order to ensure effective spending and evaluate results;
Amendment 120 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Notes that, in the area of shared management, the Commission does not have the power to initiate the exclusion of unreliable economic operators from receiving EU funding when Member State authorities do not do so; calls on the Member States to promptly report fraudulent irregularities in the IMS and to make the best use of the Early Detection and Exclusion System;
Amendment 121 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Insists that Member States make effective use of the fraud prevention tool offered by the ARACHNE database, by submitting timely data and exploiting the opportunities that big data offers to prevent the fraudulent and irregular use of EU funds; calls on the Commission to consider making the use of ARACHNE mandatory;
Amendment 122 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Highlights the role and responsibility of the Member States in the implementation of administrative cooperation agreements, the effectiveness of controls, the enforcement of data collection, and the monitoring of traders’ compliance with the regulatory framework;
Amendment 132 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
54a. Strongly encourages the Commission, OLAF and all the other institutions and bodies of the Union entrusted with the protection of the financial interests of the Union to actively engage and collaborate with partner authorities in candidate, potential candidate and EaP countries, promoting measures to effectively address possible fraud cases; calls on the Commission to develop specific and regular mechanisms to effectively prevent and combat fraud with EU funds in these states;
Amendment 133 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
Amendment 135 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
Amendment 136 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Urges the EU agencies, in particular Europol, Eurojust and OLAF, to cooperate ever more closely with national authorities in order to detect fraud more effectively;
Amendment 138 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Is of the opinion that investigative journalism plays a key role in fostering the necessary level of transparency in the EU and the Member States, and that it must be encouraged and supported by legal means both by the Member States and within the EU; calls on the Commission to develop comprehensive measures for the protection of investigative journalism, including a rapid response mechanism for journalists in distress and effective anti-SLAPP legislation;
Amendment 139 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58a. Highlights the central role that transparency plays in the prevention and early detection of fraud and conflict of interest cases; calls on all Member States to step up their efforts in order to increase budgetary transparency, by ensuring that relevant data concerning public procurement procedures and the attribution of publicly funded contracts is available and easily accessible to the general public;
Amendment 141 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Anticipates thatWelcomes the adoption of the ‘omnibus regulation’ will drasticaand expects that it willy reduce the fraud rates for the agriculture and cohesion policies;
Amendment 142 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 a (new)
Paragraph 59 a (new)
59a. Calls on the Member States to step up their exchange of information about possible fraudulent companies and transactions through the Eurofisc network; points out that exchange of, and access to, information by judicial and investigating authorities, while respecting the protection of personal data, is essential in combating fraud and organised crime;
Amendment 143 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 a (new)
Paragraph 59 a (new)
59a. Invites the Member States to increase their exchange of information about possible fraudulent companies and transactions through the Eurofisc network;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Welcomes theReiterates its position for the need of a clear legal basis enabling OLAF to access bank account information through the assistance of national competent authorities, following and to deal with VAT fraud, expressed with regard to the revision of Regulation No 883/2013;
Amendment 151 #
2019/2128(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and, the OLAF Supervisory Committee and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
Amendment 1 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17
Citation 17
— having regard to the to the Court of Auditors special report on EFSI inuropean Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) of January 20195 ), No 03/2019, _________________ 5 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/DocIt em.aspx?did=49051
Amendment 3 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas public policy goals such as social cohesion, sustainable development and environmental goal should be at the core focus and targets of the Bank;
Amendment 4 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the EIB Group provided more than 64,19 billion euros of financing in 2018 and that 854 projects were signed,
Amendment 5 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the EIB’s two over-arching policy goals related to EU social and economic cohesion and to climate action plus the four primary public policy goals of innovation, SMEs and Mid-cap financing, infrastructure and environment; stresses that these primary public policy goals should be fully aligned with the recent update of the EU’s policy priorities to reflect the transition towards a new sustainable economic model that respects planetary boundaries, social fairness and shared prosperity;
Amendment 11 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note that Council agreed to sustain the bank’s capital base by replacing the UK contribution to the EIB’s paid-in capital by the Bank’s reserves and callable capital by proportional increases of contingent liabilities; takes note that Council agreed to an asymmetric capital increase leading to increases of the capital shares of Poland and Romania; calls for further increases of the EIB’s capitalisation to allow for more investment and more risk-taking to finance the necessary projects for the sustainable and digital transformation of the economy as well as to projects that contribute at the same time to social and territorial cohesion within the EU while preserving the EIB’s triple A rating;
Amendment 14 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that the EIB’s mission is to invest in viable projects that deliver on the EU’s policy objectives according to article 309 of the TFUE; stresses that prioritisation within the EIB’s lending activities should rest on sustainable projects with clear deliverables, added value and broader positive impacts including measures for developing less- developed regions;
Amendment 18 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses its firm believe that there is a political momentum around turning an ever growing share of EIB’s funding for climate and environmental sustainability or so called ‘European climate bank’; calls on this opportunity to be seized by civil society, Commission, Parliament and shareholders of the bank; stresses that there is a genuine risk of greenwashing and continuing business as usual if urgent action is not undertaken in 2020 to fully align EIB’s operations with Paris Agreement; Stresses furthermore that under the new developments, the EIB has to continue to support the regional development and EU social and economic cohesion objectives as provided in Protocol 28 to the TFEU.
Amendment 23 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates its cCalls on the EIB to take into account and follow up onthe opinions, positions and suggestions from local stakeholders including civil society on the impact of investments on the local environment in order to limit avoid or address potentially harmful impacts of projects financed by the EIB;
Amendment 28 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is of the opinion that the EIB should systematically report on mid and long-term economic, social and environmental impacts when defining the rationale of its investment, as well as to report on the results achieved based on its investment especially within the EU;
Amendment 36 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses that the EIB’s ambition to be a key financial pillar in the Green Deal means the bank needs to step up its efforts to become a genuine “Climate Bank”; calls on the bank for a detailed roadmap to be drawn up in 2020 following a public consultation process to fully align with the Paris Agreement; further calls on the bank that such a roadmap defines specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time- defined targets which take into consideration the potential risk of increase in the differences between EU regions and Member States; Underlines the necessity of EIB’s activities to align the support of economic and social cohesion with the climate targets;
Amendment 41 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses that it is of utmost importance that all EIB investments and sectoral portfolios are aligned with Paris Agreement - including the 50% of the EIB’s financing which won’t be focusing on climate and environmental sustainability as such, especially in the economic and financial appraisal of EIB projects;
Amendment 43 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. DeplorNotes that the EIB in 2018 approved financing for large gas infrastructure projects including gas pipelines to the EU from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan (Trans Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline) and from Greece to Italy via Albania and the Adriatic Sea (Trans- Adriatic Pipeline); stresses that these investments will exacerbate the EU’s large excess of gas import capacities, contain a high risk of assets to become stranded and are inconsistent with the emission reductions required by the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 47 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Considers the new EIB Energy Lending Policy a major improvement, in particular the decision to stop lending to fossil-fuel energy projects by the end of 2021 and the example it sets for other banks; regrets that gas projects can benefit from EIB financing until the end of 2021 and that support for gas projects planned for the transport of low-carbon gases is set to continue; calls on the EIB to avoid that the provisions on low-carbon gases lead to any approval of lending to projects with carbon intensive lock-in effects using loopholes and calls on the EIB to refrain from signing contracts for new gas projects before the fossil fuels ban enters into force; calls for the Energy Lending Policy to be reviewed at the start of 2022 to remove existing exemptions to the fossil-fuel ban and fully align it to the Paris Agreement
Amendment 56 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to supplement the framework on sustainable investment with criteria for economic activities with a significant negative environmental impact which could be applied by the EIB; Acknowledges the EIB efforts to contribute to sustainable development goals
Amendment 70 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Reiterates that poverty eradication, domestic resource mobilisation and human rights are core topics within the EU development finance architecture with an increased visibility of the actions funded; Believes that Implementation of the SDGs should be on the focus of the EU in the next years.
Amendment 82 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. NoteRecalls that the EFSI is not a separate legal entity from the EIB but it has a distinct governance structure than the EIB and its investment operations take place within two thematic areas i.e. the Infrastructure and Innovation Window managed by the EIB and the SME Window managed by the EIF;
Amendment 83 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48 a. Notes with concern the Court's observations that the reported estimate of investment mobilised does not take account of the fact that some EFSI operations replaced other EIB operations and EU financial instruments and the fact that a part of the EFSI support went to projects that could have been financed from other sources of public or private finance under different conditions;
Amendment 92 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. RecallBelieves with regards to the review of the responsibilities of the EIB governance bodies that Members of the Management Committee should not be allowed to oversee lending or projects’ implementation in their home countries in order to avoid possible conflict of interests; believes that this should be reflected in the Code of Conduct of the ManagementCommittee and the Board of Directors be reviewedavoid possible conflict of interests in any circumstances;
Amendment 98 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Recalls that public participation in the policy-making of the EIB is a way to improved accountability; believes that public/stakeholders participation should be strengthened, in particular effort should concern the involvement of local communities and citizens affected by EIB operations to guarantee their meaningful consultation;
Amendment 108 #
2019/2127(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Takes note of the agreement between the EIB and Volkswagen with the consequences to exclude Volkswagen from participating in any EIB project during 18 months and with the Volkswagen’s commitment to contribute to sustainability initiative including environmental protection; calls on the EIB to make an even longer period of exclusion from participating in any of EIB projects a standard practice for beneficiaries or financial intermediaries tainted by corruption as the EIB should also impose in cases like Passante di Mestre and MOSE infrastructure projects in Italy or Sostanj coal power plant in Slovenia;
Amendment 5 #
Amendment 10 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its call to have a separate budget line for the Daphne-specific objective, which is part of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, in order to show the commitment of the Union which is aimed at combating violence against women and girls; calls for increased resources in this budget line and to reverse the decrease of funds dedicated to Daphne objective during the 2014-2020 period; suggests that in the next MFF the budget for the new Justice, Rights and Values Fund which will include as well the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme to be increased; calls on an steady effort to raise the awareness of the grants included in the Daphne-specific objective along with measures to make its related administrative procedures more user friendly;
Amendment 22 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Recalls the importance of granting adequate resources and staffing to OLAF, Europol and Eurojust, in order to ensure their ability to cooperate effectively with the EPPO and fulfil the common mission of protecting the EU financial interests. In this regard, expresses concerns about the decrease in staff reported by OLAF in its Annual Report 2018, while the workload of the Office has structurally increased.
Amendment 1 #
2013/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission Staff Working Document on the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women´s Empowerment in Development 2010-2015 (SEC (2010) 265) and to the Council Conclusions of 14 June 2010 on the Millennium Development Goals in which the respective EU Plan of Action is endorsed,
Amendment 13 #
2013/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points out that data and statistics, broken down by gender and reflecting women’s roles and concerns, shall be collected in all areas of the statistical system and that effective use of the gender statistics shall be made in development policy processes;
Amendment 23 #
2013/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the need for PCD to ensure the active participation of civil society, including women’s groups, empowerment of women in decision-making processes as well as full involvement of gender experts;
Amendment 30 #
2013/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Considers it important to include a strong gender component in all EU policies and practices in its relations with developing countries taking into account that this cross-cutting approach to gender issues needs to be incorporated in every development project;
Amendment 31 #
2013/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Notes with great concern that women continue to undergo gender-based violence and discrimination, including such severe forms of it as gendercide and female-genital mutilation, as well as women continue to be victims of violence during conflicts; stresses the need to prioritise combatting gender based violence in the development assistance policies;
Amendment 32 #
2013/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Points out that women in many developing countries still lack the ability to own land or inherit property and continue to be more vulnerable to poverty than men due to persistent gender inequalities in their control over property or earned income; emphasises the need to actively promote female entrepreneurship and property rights for women in PCD;
Amendment 30 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas global challenges remain – hunger, lack of proper and safe sanitation, insufficient levels of primary education, high unemployment and gender inequality;
Amendment 56 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the situation in middle-income countries (MICs), where 75% of the world's poor people live, should not be overlooked when reviewing the MDGs;
Amendment 59 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas Africa exports substantially more capital to the world in comparison to what it receives in terms of international aid and remittances1; __________________ 1 http://www.ecdpm- talkingpoints.org/african-consultations- post2015-development-agenda.
Amendment 62 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the global landscape has dramatically changed over the last decade, as has the nature of poverty, with inequalityan increased gap and inequality between and within countries becoming a major issue in the context of its eradication;
Amendment 74 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the EU to show leadership and responsibility in the process and to adopt a common and effective position on the principles and goals that should be part of the new post- 2015 development framework; points out, at the same time, that this framework must be universal and global in nature, promoting prosperity and well-being for all and signifying the direct and active involvement of developingall countries in its construction;
Amendment 87 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for a renewed approach to poverty eradication which takes into consideration the importance of inclusive growth, redistribution of wealth, environmental sustainability, fighting inequalities, human rights and good governance;
Amendment 90 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls for the integration of gender mainstreaming into a growth-oriented approach to end poverty and for the inclusion of gender equality into all EU programmes, policies and strategies;
Amendment 102 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Stresses the importance of reducing gender gaps in education for raising the average quality of human capital and in health for better progress in improving maternal health and reducing child mortality rates;
Amendment 104 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 106 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Insists that the post-2015 framework must include targets on accessibility, affordability, quality health care and also concrete work towards the establishment of basic health care systems that ensure prevention, treatment, care and support for all people, including the most marginalised and vulnerable groups such as minorities, prisoners, migrants, undocumented people, sex workers, and drug users;
Amendment 113 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that universal health coverage (UHC) and high quality education for all should be considered to be major goals of the post- 2015 agenda;
Amendment 135 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the international community to pay special attention to creating an enabling and participatory environment enablingfor civil society organisations (CSOs) as independent development actors at local, national and regional level, national parliaments local authorities to play a proper role in the post-2015 framework;
Amendment 216 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Points out that a new set of indicators other than GDP is necessary in order to overcome new challenges, and should therefore include the human development index, the poverty headcount ratio, the poverty gap index and the Gini coefficient, the Gender Development Index, the Gini coefficient, the Vulnerability Index and other multidimensional poverty indexes;
Amendment 223 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on developing countries to establish a genuine business regulatory framework focusing on a business code of conduct, promotion of full and productive employment and decent work, respect for human rights, and social and environmental protectionstandards;
Amendment 254 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 – point a
Paragraph 39 – point a
a. the architecture of the post-2015 development agenda should reflect new global and nation, regional, national and local realities;
Amendment 260 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 – point b
Paragraph 39 – point b
b. the future agenda should be ambitious, universal, global in nature, multidimensional and flexible, with targets tailored to each developing country which are simple, concise, action-oriented and, easy to communicate, and adapted to local, national and regional contexts with a limited number of concrete targets and measurable goals;
Amendment 263 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 – point c
Paragraph 39 – point c
c. it is essential to respect the principles of mutual responsibility, accountability, transparency, democracy, human rights, ownership, good governance, the rule of law, equity and justice, and gender equality;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU has a strong political commitment to promoting an enabling environment for civil society organisations (CSOs) at national level and whereas the importance and diversity of CSOs as independent developms well as regional and international levels and whereas the EU recognises that an empowered civil society, in all its diversity, is important in its own right and represents and humanitarian actors has been recognised; crucial and integral component of any democracy.
Amendment 4 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the EU has a strong political commitment to implementing a Human Rights based Approach (HRBA) in development and whereas the UN statement of common understanding of the Human Rights Based Approach to Development Cooperation establishes that "all programmes of development co- operation, policies and technical assistance should further the realisation of human rights as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments";
Amendment 5 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. Whereas a legitimate Post-2015 framework requires civil society and individuals - particularly the most marginalised- to be able to participate fully in decision-making processes and in monitoring and reporting on progress made.
Amendment 6 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas strong, transparent and needs- oriented CSOs and LAs and inclusive local governance actions are essential core issues of democracy and the peace-building process;
Amendment 9 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas equitable and long-term partnerships between EU CSOs and their counterparts in developing countries have proven to be an important tool for the development of strong independent and diversified CSOs and CS initiatives at different scales and levels from the local to the international;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the EC and EEAS to develop guidance and implementation plans for a HRBA in EU's development cooperation in dialogue with CSOs and to further the implementation of the European Union Guidelines on Human rights Defenders;
Amendment 14 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that creating accountable, human rights-based, and inclusive relations among governments, LAs, CSOs, private sector and citizens offers a unique opportunity for the EU to establish sustainable partnerships with developing countries;
Amendment 17 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to mainstream the promotion of an enabling environment for CSOs and LAs and to consider it a priority for the EU's position in the ongoing negotiations on the post-2015 development framework; stresses the importance of defining a monitoring system which permits the evaluation of progress in the creation of an enabling environment at national level in terms of policy and regulatory provisions, in line with international human rights standards, as well as multiple stakeholder and multilevel dialogues;
Amendment 20 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Encourages the EU to promote institutionalised mechanisms for multilevel and multiple stakeholder dialogue among CSOs, LAs and partner governments in decent work agendas, and sustainable and inclusive growth and on the issue of enabling environment for both CSOs and LAs ;
Amendment 23 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Encourages the EU to systematically involve women's organisations and networks in the preparation and possibly in the implementation of policy dialogue, in line with the commitments taken under the EU Gender Action Plan for Development;
Amendment 24 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses appreciation for the Policy Forum on Development, which aims to create a space for dialogue with CSOs and LAs in policy discussions and supports its continuationencourages all stakeholders involved to make it a strategic space for guiding and influencing policy making at EU and international level on development issues including Policy Coherence for Development; ;
Amendment 25 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to support the inclusion of LA representatives in the Steering Committee on Global partnership for effective development cooperation;
Amendment 30 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to promote a balanced approach between the principle of harmonisation and the right of initiative of CSOs and LAs; reminds the Commission that simplification and harmonisation of donor administrative procedures should be done in dialogue with CSOs and LAs;
Amendment 36 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to establish a more ambitious policy dialogue with and within partner countries to promote TAD and a comprehensive approach to decentralisation, and to give priority in the future programming period to strengthening the capacity of LAs and CSOs to influence and monitor decentralisation reform processes;
Amendment 38 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that an effective decentralisation process requires public sector reforms, such as the transfer of power, functions, and resources, as well as the active participation of citizens and CSOs in participatory planning and budgeting; calls on the Commission to includetake due account of decentralisation and TAD in its support to public sector-wide reforms and to make them a cross-cutting priority in all geographic programmes;
Amendment 39 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls that TAD is contributing to development effectiveness through strengthening ownership, multi- stakeholders and multi-actors dialogues and programmes and policy coordination at the sub-national level; calls on the Commission to launch pilot initiatives to support TAD through geographic and thematic programmes;
Amendment 40 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the importance of strengthening EU staff expertise and commitment, in particular at delegation level, on decentralisation and, on the role of LAs in development;CSOs and LAs in sustainable development and encourages the participation of civil society organisations, including women's organisations, to provide a gender perspective to those processes.
Amendment 45 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Recalls that local elected representatives regularly act as mediators between antagonistic parties and in that regard assume an important role in conflict prevention and resolution;
Amendment 46 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the EC and EEAS to establish guidelines for EU delegations on how to deal with CSOs and LAs in situations of crisis and fragility, using a human rights-based and gender-sensitive approach.
Amendment 47 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Stresses that in contexts where public authorities, local and regional authorities included, are not in the capacity to provide basic services and where circumstances allow it, the Commission should support multi-actor partnerships to develop LAs capacities so that they are able to provide services;
Amendment 48 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Expresses deep concern about the Commission's proposal to limit financial support in service delivery only to CSOs working in LDCs and fragile states; recalls that the key added value of CSOs in all countries, whatever their level of development, is their capacity to interpret the needs of vulnerableand rights of poor and marginalised groups and to give innovative solutions to provide for these needsm while raising awareness and political support for addressing the root causes of poverty, inequality and exclusion;
Amendment 49 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to develop an overarching DEAR strategy and, to increase the financial resources which will be allocated in the future programming period to DEAR and to develop in close consultation with CSOs and LAs active on DEAR flexible funding modalities that respect their right of initiative and allow the participation of a wide and diversified range of actors;
Amendment 51 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the Commission's engagement to systematically introduce political economy analysis at country level and recommends that it includes an analysis of the political and legal situation of CSOs and LAs;
Amendment 53 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to improve the coordination and complementarity between thematic and geographic programmes and instruments; recalls that CSOs and LAs should be considered a key implementing partner in particular in the Global Public Good programme and should be consulted at an early stage on the programming of both geographic and thematic programmes;
Amendment 58 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Encourages the Commission to maintain a mix offurther develop a mix of more flexible, transparent and predictable funding modalities to reach the broadest possible range of civil society actors; asks the Commission to identify and develop these modalities through an inclusive dialogue with CSOs and LA associations building on the Structured Dialogue;
Amendment 59 #
2012/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Commission to promote the participation of CSOs and LAs in the ongoing discussion on blending mechanisms in the framework of the EU Platform for Blending in External Cooperation; asks the Commission to draft binding guidelines and create inclusive monitoring mechanismsimpact assessment and monitoring mechanisms to ensure consultation and participation of concerned populations at all stages of the project cycle and to ensure that blending contributes to poverty eradication;
Amendment 10 #
2012/2102(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to developto adopt a gender mainstreaming approach in drafting the country roadmaps for engaging with civil society organisations in North African countries, as a key instrument for improving the strategies pursued by such organisations for promoting gender equalityin order to reduce gender inequities and create the conditions for the equitable participation of women and women rights;in decision making processes.
Amendment 47 #
2012/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes that 2013 will mark the passing of a decade since the adoption of the European Security Strategy and, consequently, underlines the need to update and consolidate this framework document in accordance with the current international environment;
Amendment 101 #
2012/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Welcomes the discussions on having a substantive EU human rights Strategy, confirming that human rights and fundamental values are a priority for European external action. Reiterates that human rights and democracy should be a unitary concept and calls for the EU to have a single voice when talking with third countries on this issue;
Amendment 114 #
2012/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Reiterates its support for improving the accession process of the Western Balkans by making it more benchmark-driven, transparent and mutually accountable; calls on the EU to continue to prioritise in its enlargement policy conditions such as constructive political dialogue, consolidation of the rule of law, including ensuring the freedom of expression and respect for rights of persons belonging to national minorities, the effective fight against corruption and organised crime, enhancing the effectiveness and independence of the judiciary, improving administrative capacities and track records in enforcing acquis-related legislation, tackling inter- ethnic and inter-religious tensions, and addressing of the situation of refugees and displaced persons as well as resolution of open bilateral issues;
Amendment 175 #
2012/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls for greater efforts towards achieving the objectives of the Eastern Partnership, as stated in the Prague Declaration and the Warsaw Summit Conclusions, particularly by pursuing the negotiations on, and conclusions of, Association Agreements with the Eastern Partners, by promoting mobility through mobility partnerships and visa dialogues, by ensuring continued progress in adoption and implementation of reforms, in close association with the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly and it calls for better addressing these issues within the Partnership for Modernization;
Amendment 181 #
2012/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Welcome the multidimensional efforts of the R. of Moldova in getting closer to the EU, by taking forward the domestic political reforms and by taking substantive and positive steps in the "5+2" negotiation format on the Transnistrian conflict;
Amendment 222 #
2012/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. Notes the significant progress made in the framework of the Eastern Partnership to strengthen the European Union's relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Calls for further steps to deepen the relations between the EU and the three South Caucasus countries;
Amendment 6 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 7 July 2011 on EU external policies in favour of democratisation1, __________________ 1 Texts adopted, P7_TA- PROV(2011)0334.
Amendment 7 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 c (new)
Citation 9 c (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 11 May 2011 on the EU as a global actor: its role in the multilateral organisations1, __________________ 1 Texts adopted, P7_TA- PROV(2011)0229.
Amendment 8 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
Amendment 24 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to put across unified positions by delivering one single message when possible and to strengthen the coherence and visibility of the EU as a global actor at the UN; to meet the expectations of UN members regarding the ability of the EU to act and deliver in a timely fashion on substance;
Amendment 31 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) to work with EU Member States towards improving coordination, transparency and exchange of information in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the defence of the positions and interests of the EU in the UNSC by the Member States which are members of that body, or, alternatively, by an EU representative upon invitation of the Chair; to reinforce the EU's impact on UNSC decisions and to raise the profile of the EU at the UN on crucial UNSC matters;
Amendment 36 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) to advance effective multilateralism as the overriding strategic concern of the EU, by enhancing the representativeness, transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness of the UN, with the aim of improving its delivery on the ground; to recall the need to strike a new institutional balance between the emerging role of the G-20, the UN and its agencies as well as the International Financial Institutions (IFIs); in this regard, to enhance global governance and to seek solutions to further improve coordination between the G-formations and the UN system, whereby the economic dimension could usefully be covered by these groups, provided that the UN maintains its central role and remains the legitimate body for global action;
Amendment 40 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) to emphasise the need for a comprehensive reform of the UNSC in order to strengthen its legitimacy, regional representation and effectiveness; to recall that an EU seat in an enlarged UNSC remains a central, long-term goal of the European Union; to take the initiative, by the Vice-President/High Representative (VP/HR), to develop a common position of the Member States to that end; in order to achieve that goal in the future, to work on prior coordination of positions in the Council of the EU on the introduction of new members of the UNSC and on the reform of the UNSC's decision-making towards the possible use of super qualified majority;
Amendment 47 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) to reconfirm its commitment to ensuring that UN financial resources are managed efficiently and effectively, according to the principles of budgetary discipline and coherence and in conformity with the highest international standards; to explicitly support gender mainstreaming by coordinating Member States' voluntary contributions to UN Women;
Amendment 60 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) to focus on the need to emainsutre the participation of women at all stages of peace processes and to systematically engage them in preventive diplomacy, early warning and security monitoring; am gender perspectives with regard to conflict prevention, peace negotiations and agreements, peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance, post-conflict reconstruction and DDR1 initiatives as stated in the UNSCR 1325/2000 on Women Peace and Security; to engage them in preventive diplomacy, early warning and security monitoring; __________________ 1 Disarmament, demobilization, reinsertion and reintegration.
Amendment 73 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) to contribute to the discussion concerning the concept on "Responsibility while Protecting" and to propose initiatives in this regard;
Amendment 76 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 6
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 6
Mediation and Preventive Diplomacy
Amendment 80 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) to cooperate closely with the UN and other actors in mediation; to strive for synergies in mediation activities with the UN Department for Political Affairs (DPA); to advance partnerships and cooperation of international, regional and subregional organisations with the UN, with each other and with civil society, for example, an EU-UN joint partnership on mediation capacities; to improve information-sharing, cooperation and coordination in order to ensure the coherence and complementarity of the efforts of actors involved in specific mediation; to encourage the contributions of civil society actors active in mediation, and to help strengthen local infrastructures for peace and establish domestic capacities for dialogue and constructive negotiation;
Amendment 88 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
(v a) to support the decision by African Heads of State at the AU Summit in July 2011 and the recommendation of the Commission on the Status of Women of 8 March 2012 that the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM) should be taken up for consideration by the UNGA; to call on the VP/HR and the Commission to give the utmost priority and to undertake all necessary actions to ensure the success of the process currently underway aimed at the adoption in 2012 by the UNGA of a resolution banning FGM worldwide;
Amendment 102 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
(ab a) to assure that the mandates of peacekeeping missions reflect the need to support electoral observation missions and to provide them with the necessary means to ensure the security of the observers on the ground;
Amendment 107 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ac a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ac a (new)
(ac a) to recognize institutionalized democratic participation of citizens through elected representatives in the UN system as an important aspect to enhance the effectiveness and credibility of democracy promotion at the international and national levels;
Amendment 108 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 9 a (new)
Climate change and sustainable development
Amendment 110 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad
Paragraph 1 – point ad
(ad) to contribute to enhancing policy coherence in development and to improving the effectiveness of development and aid, as it was agreed in the Busan final declaration, since these remain key issues for achieving the MDGs;
Amendment 111 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
(ad a) to influence the debate on the future of global development cooperation in the post-2015 scenario, bearing in mind that the EU and the international community must remain committed to end poverty;
Amendment 112 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad b (new)
(ad b) to speed up the progress in order to achieve the MDGs, with only three years remaining; to lead the final effort in the UN, pursuing the goals on which lack of progress remains severe;
Amendment 119 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
(ae a) to continue working towards putting people at the centre of the development process; to follow up the UN declaration on the right to development, focusing in practical steps towards its implementation;
Amendment 124 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
(ae a) to take the lead in the area of global climate governance and international cooperation on climate change;
Amendment 125 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae b (new)
(ae b) to focus on strong political commitments with third countries and to further develop a dialogue with other key actors, such as the United States, the BRICS countries as well as developing countries, given that climate change has become a key element of international relations and a major threat to the achievement of the MDGs; to contribute to an institutional architecture that is inclusive, transparent, equitable and provides for balanced representation of both developed and developing countries on relevant governing bodies;
Amendment 129 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae c (new)
(ae c) to cooperate strategically and to be more responsive to the needs of third countries while further developing the EEAS's capacities to build up a climate diplomacy policy;
Amendment 130 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae d (new)
(ae d) to support the active participation of the Commission in the ongoing debate on Protection Gaps and Responses launched by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the framework of the 2010 High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges, which aims to improve the existing international protection framework for forcibly displaced and stateless people; to participate actively in the debate on the term 'climate refugee' - intended to describe people who are forced to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad as a consequence of climate change - including a possible legal definition of this term, which is not yet recognised in international law or in any legally binding international agreement;
Amendment 135 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af
Paragraph 1 – point af
(af) to promote interaction on global issues between governments and parliaments and foster debate on the global role of parliaments; to strengthen the democratic nature, accoun and on the estability and transparency of global governance and allow for greater public and parliamentary participation in the activities of the UNshment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA);
Amendment 136 #
2012/2036(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
(af a) to advocate the establishment of a UNPA in order to strengthen the democratic nature, accountability and transparency of the UN system and global governance and allow for greater public and parliamentary participation in the activities of the UN;
Amendment 101 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that an active civil society is the best guarantee – in the countries of the North and of the South – of good democratic governance, protection of vulnerable groups - in particular disabled people and minorities - private sector responsibility and an improved capacity to distribute the benefits of economic growth;
Amendment 104 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Regrets that the Commission does not put enough emphasis on the gender dimension of poverty; the EU must invest in the specific needs of women and design social protection packages that address the challenges faced by women; emphasizes that gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) are essential to the attainment of international development goals; highlights the fact that the economic and political empowerment of women is not only a driving force for gender equality but it is also fundamental to achieve overall economic growth in developing countries and reduce poverty; urges the Commission to ensure that gender equality and the empowerment of women will be mainstreamed in all EU development policies and programmes through its 2010 Gender Action Plan;
Amendment 105 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Would like the Agenda for Change to specify the important and independent role of civil society and regional and local authorities, not only in implementing development programmes and projects, but also as fundamental players in the process of developing development policies; highlights the importance of improving cooperation with them and calls for regular dialogue and consultations with them in policy-making; in this regard, underlines the importance of establishing dialogue between the EU and civil society organisations, regional and local authorities;
Amendment 108 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls for increasing awareness in the new Member States regarding the importance of development aid;
Amendment 58 #
2012/0245(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The actions of the EU Aid Volunteers shall respond to the need of local communities and hosting organisations and should contribute to the professionalization of the provision of humanitarian aid. Special attention shall be given to the cooperation of the volunteers with women in third countries taking into consideration women's multi-dimensional role in disaster management as mentioned also in the Rio+20 Outcome Document.
Amendment 60 #
2012/0245(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – indent 4
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – indent 4
– Establishment of a training programme and support for training and apprenticeship placements in partnership with local organisations with practical experience on the field;
Amendment 61 #
2012/0245(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – indent 8
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – indent 8
– Establishment and management of an EU Aid Volunteers' Network and encouraging the exchange of good practices both during and after the volunteering period;
Amendment 62 #
2012/0245(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 5
Article 12 – paragraph 5
5. The training programme shall include an assessment of the candidate volunteers' readiness to be deployed in humanitarian aid operations and to meet the local needs.
Amendment 32 #
2011/2308(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that, in hosting companies investing in extractive activities, the EU has a responsibility to influence their behaviour as regards more sustainable practices, i.e. by strengthening corporate governance standards and regulations applied to the banks and funds that finance them; and to create a legislative framework in order to have quality guarantees of the technology used, to prevent possible negative side effects;
Amendment 39 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that it is important to maintain the 20 % target for education and health programmes and insists on the need to integrate gender equality into the labour market and into society in general;
Amendment 1 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges the EEAS to appoint a special envoy for the protection of women in conflict zones, with the task to see to it that all efforts of the EU’s external action are coherent with this essential objective of respecting the rights of women; insists that this special envoy should additionally address gender identity and non- discrimination;
Amendment 2 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for specific provisions providing additional protection to women against rape, forced prostitution and any other form of indecent assault, particular care for expectant mothers and mothers of young children with regard to the provision of food, clothing, evacuation and transportation and medical facilities in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases as priority areas under the Development Financing Instrument for the period 2014-2020;
Amendment 5 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for special attention to the gender mainstreaming in the Country Strategy Papers;
Amendment 14 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Asks the EEAS to pay a particular attention to the growing number of corrective rapes on LGBT women taking place in pre-conflict, conflict and post- conflict situations;
Amendment 16 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a new
Paragraph 6 a new
6a. Condemns the hostage taking and calls for a stronger punishment of the use of human shields during conflicts;
Amendment 18 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls for separately housing of women prisoners from men in particular to avoid sexual abuse;
Amendment 20 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Underlines the importance of the right to know the fate of their missing relatives and calls on the parties to armed conflicts to take all feasible measures to account for persons reported missing;
Amendment 21 #
2011/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Suggests the appointment of a Standing Rapporteur in the European Parliament on gender equality and women’s rights in the EU’s external relations; also responsible for gender identity and non-discrimination issues;
Amendment 1 #
2011/2185(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the special relevance assigned to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the Communication on Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change1 , and stresses that democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, good governance, peace and security, security and equal access to public services such as education and healthcare, are prerequisites for development and achievement of the MDGs;.
Amendment 4 #
2011/2185(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the EU to undertake additional efforts, mainstream more effectively human rights and democracy across development cooperation andCalls on the European Commission to define joint EU political human rights agendas towards third countries and to ensure their constant integration in partnership, association agreements and action plans in order to ensure that EU development programmes contribute to the fulfilment by partner countries of their international human rights obligations; 1 2Or. en COM(2011)0637. COM(2011)0637.
Amendment 12 #
2011/2185(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly recommends that within the future development instruments a special focus be put on thematic programmes, as they especially address human rights issues in order to promote mutually reinforcing bridges between development and human rights;
Amendment 14 #
2011/2185(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the EU to focus its development assistance on strengthening institution- building and civil society development of recipient countries, as those elements are crucial for good governance,; calls for strengthening of the human rights clauses and conditionality in EU-supported programmes as well as for ensuring accountability and ownership of development processes;
Amendment 48 #
2011/2180(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls for a strengthening at EU level of support for the Bologna Process, in particular as regards the recognition of academic qualifications, and the promotion of mobility and employability; calls on the EU to reinforce the system of financing for this in order to achieve the growth targets set in the Europe 2020 Strategy;
Amendment 105 #
2011/2180(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EU, the Member States and universities to improve information for students, academics and staff in order to foster structured mobility flows and to extend areas of action and partnerships between teaching establishments; calls for a strengthening of the services of Erasmus through better funding, improved credit recognition and greater flexibility of the time frame allowed;
Amendment 135 #
2011/2180(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Asks for further support for national and European measures to guarantee equitable inclusion and fair access for students from under-represented groups and for those experiencing financial difficulties;
Amendment 179 #
2011/2180(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to increase significantly the funds devoted to European education and training programmes; calls on the Commission to devote a significant proportion of these funds to supporting the modernisation of higher education in accordance with the objectives of the Bologna Process and the EU modernisation agenda; encourages the Commission to find solutions that enable access to these programmes also for students experiencing financial difficulties;
Amendment 181 #
2011/2180(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Proposes that the recognition of study credits should be a compulsory element in allcredits obtained under the Erasmus Programme by partner universities should be a compulsory element for all institutions participating in student exchanges supported by EU funding;
Amendment 193 #
2011/2180(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Invites the European Commission, within the new education and training programme, to encourage cooperation, including through financial incentives, on transnational curricula, joint degrees and mutual recognition; advocates increasing the number of ERASMUS placement partnerships in practice;
Amendment 3 #
2011/2157(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. PHighlights the need of continuing funding the European Neighbourhood Policy despite the actual economic crisis but however points out that under no circumstances can the EU's development aid and humanitarian aid budgets be reallocated to finance the European Neighbourhood Policy, which is financed through a specific instrument;.
Amendment 6 #
2011/2157(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that, taking advantage of the winds of freedom blowing across the southern shore of the Mediterranean during the Arab Spring, local civil societies sought to free themselves from the excessive control exercised by those in power; pushes for a tighter sub-regional cooperation and supports this desire for freedom, provided it is accompanied by real democratic progress which enables common values (democracy and the de- bureaucratisation of institutions, human rights, particularly women'’s rights, justice and the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, conscience, religion, association and the media, security, democratic stability, prosperity, a fair distribution of income, wealth and opportunities, good governance and the fight against corruption) to be upheld;
Amendment 24 #
2011/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that HLF-4 will be a success if it results in a strong commitment to aid effectiveness, reflected in clear and measureable objectives with a precise timetable for their realisation, a differentiation between dissimilar types of aid and mechanisms for evaluating the outcome;
Amendment 44 #
2011/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the donors and partner countries to place the emphasis on greater recognition of participation by parliaments, local authorities and civil society, more transparent use of national systems, and on adjusting the Paris Declaration indicators to reflect the need for more democratic ownership of aid, particularly in areas such as health and basic education;
Amendment 48 #
2011/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the partner governments to value and step up efforts towards decentralisation (political, administrative and fiscal), respect for human dignity, liberty, equality, rule of law and human rights and to enhance coordination between local and national development planning processes, with due regard for local autonomy;
Amendment 50 #
2011/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the donor countries to coordinate and harmonise their efforts more effectively and to streamline their procedures and to enhance a closer cooperation with the private donors;
Amendment 17 #
2011/2111(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to define specific areas of cooperation with BRICS in the field of development policy, e.g. cooperation in the fight against corruption, poverty, urban-rural disparities and AIDS, which is not only important within China and other BRICS countries themselves but also a focus of their development cooperation;
Amendment 23 #
2011/2111(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the BRICS countries to take on a role in international development policy that is proportionate to their share in global GDP;
Amendment 15 #
2011/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the right to freedom of expression is a universal human right and is essential to the realisation of other rights that citizens around the world strive to obtain, such as development, dignity and fulfilment of every human being;
Amendment 54 #
2011/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deplores the fact that journalists are frequently murdered throughout the world, often with impunity; believes the EU should have a tougher stance on countries that constantly allow such acts to go unpunished;
Amendment 63 #
2011/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores the fact that criminalisation of expression is on the rise; recalls that journalists are frequently imprisoned worldwide because of their work; is aware that defamation, blasphemy and libel laws are used to imprison or censor journalists and block free expression; regrets that censorship fosters self-censorship; believes that the EU should continue pushing for the immediate release of wrongfully imprisoned journalists and bloggers.
Amendment 96 #
2011/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Is concerned about mass surveillance, mass censoring, and blocking and filtering tendencies affecting not only the media and the work of journalists and bloggers but it also hinders the work of civil societies in bringing important political, economical and social transformations;
Amendment 111 #
2011/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that, in order for the EU to be considered as a community of values the promotion, a more active promotion of events such as a the annual World Press Freedom Day and protection of global press and media freedom are essential;
Amendment 3 #
2011/2073(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Asks for the EU budget to support actions designed to anticipate disasters, prepare for them, avert them and react more quickly to them, as well as those enabling greater flexibility in launching development measures as a means of emerging from crisis situations; finds it regrettable that concrete progress on the link between emergency aid, rehabilitation and development remains limited despite the many political commitments made in recent years; calls therefore for more resources to be deployed to guarantee continuity of aid in the transition phase between emergency and development, and for thought to be given to achieving greater flexibility and complementarity of the existing financial mechanisms, including the resources of the European Development Fund (EDF); calls for particular care for children but also expectant mothers and mothers of young children with regard to the provision of food, clothing, evacuation and transportation as well as medical facilities in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, as priority areas under the existing financial mechanisms;
Amendment 19 #
2011/2051(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the post-2013 CAP to eliminate all export subsidies and to decouple direct payments from production, so as to create a level playing field between EU and developing countries' agricultural products in order to stimulate trade and growth ; asks the Commission to finance transitional schemes for crops affected by this decoupling, aimed at promoting organic and sustainable farming practices;
Amendment 23 #
2011/2051(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2a
Paragraph 2a
2 a Notes that factors such as poverty, health, political stability, infrastructure and natural disasters affect food security in developing countries;
Amendment 1 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission Staff Working Document on the EU Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Development 2010-2015 (SEC (2010) 265) and to the Council Conclusions of 14 June 2010 on the Millennium Development Goals in which the respective EU Plan of Action is endorsed,
Amendment 8 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas gender equality, women’s political and economic empowerment and women’s enjoyment of human rights are essential for poverty reduction and sustainable development,
Amendment 36 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Insists that access to basic social services, in particular to health and education, which are crucial sectors for reaching the MDGs and for facilitating sustainable growth, must remain a cornerstone for EU aid;
Amendment 41 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Underlines that tackling inequality – including gender – reinforces the human rights based approach championed in the European Consensus on Development and leads to faster poverty reduction;
Amendment 45 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is crucial to the implementation of a high-impact development policy and to the achievement of the MDGs; calls on the Commission to define clearly responsibilities and leadership from the highest levels for enforcing the Treaty obligation of PCD, and calls for sufficient resources to be set aside for this purpose in the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU delegations;
Amendment 69 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Reiterates that the EU should channel its aid into the LDCs with special attention to the situation of women, children and people with disabilities;
Amendment 101 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that the provision of basic social services is crucial to pro-poor growth; calls for 20% of all EU assistance to be earmarked for basic social services, as defined by the OECD, with a special focus on free and universal access to primary health care and basic education;
Amendment 106 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Recalls that investing in children and youth is a long-term investment in sustainable human development;
Amendment 108 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the UN initiative for a Social Protection Floor; calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance support for national social protection programmes in developing countries and to develop a comprehensive policy framework including gender equality and women’s empowerment aspects, on this issue;
Amendment 121 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Acknowledges that the development of the private sector in developing countries is crucial to creating employment opportunities, delivering services and enhancing wealth creation; stresses that, in keeping with the pro-poor agenda, EU development aid should focus on encouraging recipient countries to create an environment conducive to the development of small, medium-sized and micro- enterprises and on the removal of barriers to formalisation, access to capital and affordable credit and that services and capacity-building should be targeted in particular on poorer entrepreneurs;
Amendment 126 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that investment projects involving the private sector which are financed by the EU in developing countries should meet internationally agreed environmental, human rights, social and transparency standards and be consistent with beneficiary countries’ development plans; objects to any kind of cooperation with private entities which would contribute directly or indirectly to any form of tax evasion;
Amendment 136 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Emphasises that support for the private sector must go hand in hand with assistance to the public authorities and parliaments in beneficiary countries to enable them to regulate markets effectively, to promote transparency, to implement equitable tax policies and good governance and to fight corruption;
Amendment 137 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Emphasises that support for the private sector must go hand in hand with assistance to the public authorities and parliaments in beneficiary countries to enable them to regulate markets effectively, to promote transparency and, good governance and a fair taxation policy and to fight corruption;
Amendment 20 #
2011/2032(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes that empowering individuals and civil society, including through education, training and awareness-raising and enabling effective advocacy for all rights are essential in promoting democracy
Amendment 29 #
2011/2032(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Emphasises that the ability of the civil society to draw on an impartial legal system plays a fundamental role in holding governments accountable
Amendment 8 #
2011/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes the view that their poor record in governance and regional cooperation are important reasons for the bleak political, social and economic situation and for the limited achievements of development cooperation in the Central Asian states; therefore invites these states to improve their levels of governance and to enhance their regional cooperation and calls on the Commission to constantly monitor this evolving process;
Amendment 24 #
2011/0413(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point c
Annex I – point c
(c) support for the development of democratic, pluralistic state institutions, including measures to enhance the role of women in such institutions and their involvement in providing psychological assistance and medical care, effective civilian administration and related legal frameworks at national and local level, an independent judiciary, good governance and law and order, including non-military technical cooperation to strengthen overall civilian control, and oversight over the security system and measures to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and judicial authorities involved in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and all forms of illicit trafficking;
Amendment 25 #
2011/0413(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point e
Annex I – point e
(e) support for measuresthe necessary to start themeasures to rehabilitatione and reconstruction of the key infrastructure, housing, public buildings and economic assets, as well as for the essential productive capacity, as well as other measuresnd for the re-starting of economic activity and, for the generation of employment and the establishment of the minimum conditions necessary for sustainable social development and also for maintaining an accessible healthcare and education system;
Amendment 26 #
2011/0413(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point j
Annex I – point j
(j) support for measures to ensure that the specific needs of women and children in crisis and conflict situations, including their exposure to gender-based violence, are immediately and adequately met;
Amendment 110 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
(ii) strengthening the rule of law, promoting the independence of the judiciary, encouraging and evaluating legal and institutional reforms, and promoting equal access to justice;
Amendment 118 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point vi
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point vi
(vi) promoting the equal participation of men and women in social, economic and political life, and by supporting equality of opportunity, and the participation andwomen's access to media, to education, to the creation of unions and to the health system, equal rights of property and ensuring women's involvement in drafting legislation as well as their political representation of women;
Amendment 162 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
2. The promotion and protection of gender equality, the rights of the child, rights of indigenous peoples, rights of persons with disabilities, and principles such as empowerment, participation, non- discrimination of vulnerable groups and accountability shall be taken into account whenever relevant for all assistance measures referred to in this Regulation and also the implementation of these measures will be monitored by competent authorities.
Amendment 21 #
2011/0366(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b – introductory part
(b) to support legal migration to the Union in line with the economic and social needs of Member States and promote the effective integration of third-country nationals and to strengthen the respect of human rights of migrants, including of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection;
Amendment 24 #
2011/0366(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d – introductory part
(d) to enhance the solidarity and responsibility sharing between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum flows and to support a constant dialogue with civil society organisations for the development of national programmes.
Amendment 41 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides and to encourage the Chinese authorities to orientate the commercial growth and gains towards the civil society;
Amendment 53 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to treat China as a partner, with respect for its cultural traditions and values; considers that such an approach will help to overcome current tensions, intensify further exchanges and increase mutual investment leading both partners towards a ‘win-win’ situation;
Amendment 58 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Warns against the creation of a protectionist climate, as this would be harmful, not only to the bilateral political relations, but also to the EU and Chinese economies in the long run and would go against EU development goals as defined in the EU 2020 strategy;
Amendment 1 #
2010/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its concern that there are currently 34 fragile states worldwide in which 600 million people are affected; Notes the fact that fragile states are the most vulnerable to internal and external shocks both political and economic and that state instability contributes to the migration process; calls on the Commission to adopt a more proactive approach allowing migration from fragile states, and a strategy for medium- and long-term job creation in countries of origin;
Amendment 13 #
2010/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the stepping-up of efforts aimed at reducing the negative effects of the brain drain which affects particularly key sectors such as health and education ; emphasises the importance of promoting circular migration, regulating recruitment practices and supporting capacity-building;
Amendment 39 #
2010/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Amendment 4 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas youth unemployment, the rate of which is twice as high as the general rate of unemployment at EU level, is one of the most pressing challenges in Europe and whereas one goal being pursued is to reduce the school drop-out rate below 10%,
Amendment 15 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the young generation, suffering a disproportionate impact from the economic crisis, are at risk of social exclusion, given a situation where more than 5.5 million young Europeans without work face poverty and hardship after leaving school, and many young people are forced to accept precarious jobs, with low salaries and reduced social insurance cover, which affects their health and safety in the workplace,
Amendment 22 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Warns that young Europeans may become a lost generation in the absence of practical support to find a job and continue their studies, at a time when worsening poverty is leading to a rise in school absenteeism;
Amendment 23 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. WelcomesCalls on the Commission measures aimed at breaking down barriers, increasing transparency, and making for ease of comparisoto become more involved in economic revitalisation and job creation in for the purposes of recognition within and between education systemsder to combat clandestine employment and the exploitation of young people;
Amendment 27 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Member States to ensure that vocational education and training are geared more closely to the needs of the labour market, adapting the education system to avoid producing a conveyor belt of unemployed people;
Amendment 36 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for more attention to be paid to the higher level of vulnerability affecting young people in rural areas where, in some Member States, poverty, unemployment, starting work at an early age and dropping out of school are ruining the futures of countless children and young people;
Amendment 93 #
2010/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Asks the Member States, as far as vocational education and training are concerned, to allow especially for the individual needs of low-skilled workers, migrant learners, the unemployed, and people with disabilities; recommends that particular attention be paid to the Roma minority, since attending school and integration at work are key elements in facilitating the social integration of Roma;
Amendment 5 #
2010/2205(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that measures to guarantee the social rights of the greatest number, in particular women and vulnerable individuals, should be one of the principal objectives of development cooperation and trade relations between the EU and the ACP countries;
Amendment 10 #
2010/2205(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deplores the fact that FTAs contain few references to social standards; urges the EU to incorporate a social clause into all EU external trade agreements, including those coming within the ambit of the WTO; urges first and foremost that the EPAs currently being negotiated by the Commission contain such social clauses and for the development pillar of these agreements to be given a central position thereby adding a strong social dimension to globalisation;
Amendment 12 #
2010/2205(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support initiatives aimed at promoting productive employment, investment in human resources, redistribution mechanisms, social protection, gender equality, social dialogue and effective application of rights at work;
Amendment 28 #
2010/2205(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage good governance in the financial, tax and judicial areas, as a way to enhance the social dimension of globalisation.
Amendment 32 #
2010/2205(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the heterogeneity of the conceptimplementation of CSR praises the issue of comparabilitctices can rebuild trust in business, which is vital for Europe's social market economy; urges the EU to move CSR away from a purely voluntary approach and to identify clear legal obligations on corporations as regards human rights and CLS, along with effective ways to hold them accountable in the event of breaches.
Amendment 34 #
2010/2205(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Asks the Commission and the Member States for the development of a proactive approach to address the social consequences of adjustments and restructuring related to globalisation,
Amendment 1 #
2010/2203(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is convinced that investment can have a positive impact on growth and jobs, not only in the EU but also in developing countries; supports, therefore, an EU investment policy that promotes, and helps to foster the necessary conditions for, liberalisation of foreign direct investment; Recognizes that foreign investment can be used to promote development in developing countries only if investments results in transfer of technology , create spillovers to the local economy and create decent jobs;
Amendment 5 #
2010/2203(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1a (new)
Paragraph 1a (new)
1a. Expresses its concern that foreign direct investment to least developed countries are extremely limited and usually concentrated in natural resources;
Amendment 17 #
2010/2203(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5a (new)
Paragraph 5a (new)
5a. Notes that there is a balance to be found between the objective of promoting EU competitiveness through market access and investment protection and allowing developing countries' right to regulate to pursue their own development agendas;
Amendment 16 #
2010/2162(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 1
Paragraph 1 – point 1
1. Points out that, as a consequence of the economic crisis, unemployment and social hardship are still increasing in a number of Member States, and therefore calls on the European Union to reinforce its commitment to eradicating poverty and social exclusion, particularly child poverty, and unemployment, which is affecting a dramatic proportion of both young people and older workers, as extreme poverty and social exclusion constitute a violation of human rights and at least one in six European citizens are affected by the phenomenon;
Amendment 37 #
2010/2162(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 3
Paragraph 1 – point 3
3. Calls on the Commission and Council to implement as a matter of urgency a strategy to halve child poverty by 2012, and emphasises in consequence the need to mainstream individual children’s rights in all EU policies and measures to monitor and evaluate measures undertaken to end child poverty, to identify and develop priority actions, to enhance data collection and to further develop common indicators at EU level; believes that in this context it is essential to facilitate mothers' entry into and return to the labour market, as well as welfare arrangements for single-parent families in the light of the problems faced by them, while also ensuring concrete support for large families;
Amendment 44 #
2010/2162(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 4
Paragraph 1 – point 4
4. Takes note of the Council’s decision of 17 June 2010 to leave it up to Member States to set their national targets for reducing the number of people at risk of poverty and exclusion on the basis of one or several of the three indicator agreed upon by the Council; considers that Member States using only the ‘jobless household’ indicator may systematically neglect problems such as in-work poverty, energy poverty, child poverty and social exclusion; draws attention to the problems faced by millions of European pensioners whose pensions are inadequate in making ends meet and covering the particular needs associated with age, thanks especially to the high cost of medicines and medical treatment;
Amendment 5 #
2010/2152(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. In that sense, underlines the extreme importance of designing a trade policy which leads to the fulfilment of MDG 8 (Develop a Global Partnership for Development)the MDGs;
Amendment 6 #
2010/2152(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges the Commission to review its communication ‘Trade, Growth and World Affairs Trade Policy as a core component of the EU’s 2020 strategy’, in order to make of international trade a tool for job creation, poverty eradication and sustainable development worldwide;
Amendment 2 #
2010/2138(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that in countries where equal treatment of men and women in the employment market has been achieved, it has had positive repercussions on economic and social development, and therefore equality policies should not be abandoned in times of crisis; and that despite the stated intention of the Member States and the Commission, consistently equal conditions have not yet been achieved; stresses that the recession has worsened what has been a constant trend over the last decade, namely the reduction of women to poverty, unemployment or insecure employment, in far greater numbers than men, thus intensifying the feminisation of poverty in the EU;
Amendment 8 #
2010/2138(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that extending child care and professionalising home help for the elderly represent an important step towards making it possible to combine work and family life; is concerned at the budget austerity measures being imposed by the governments of some Member States, which are affecting the duration of maternity leave and the level of child benefit, with repercussions for the living conditions of mothers and children;
Amendment 28 #
2010/2138(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the fact that almost everywhere, women are now obtaining a higher level of educational qualifications than men; regrets, however, that this has not led to a narrowing of the gender-related pay gap that is a factor in women being at higher risk of poverty; draws attention to the fact that women in the EU still earn on average 15% less than men (or up to 25% less in the private sector);
Amendment 37 #
2010/2138(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Member States to increase their efforts to interest boys and girls at school in the whole spectrum of possible occupations, to prevent segregation of job markets by gender and counter the trend for women often to work in worse-paid occupations; is deeply concerned at the unfair situation where, after more than half a century in which the Community treaties have included the principle of equal pay for equal work, a citizen of the female gender in the EU has on average to work 418 calendar days to earn what a man earns in a calendar year;
Amendment 46 #
2010/2138(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to support the Member States in increasing the employment prospects of female immigrants and thus increasing their chance of leading an independent life, by improving their access to education and vocational training; draws attention to the multiple discrimination affecting immigrant women on grounds of their gender, ethnic or racial origin and, in many cases, age;
Amendment 26 #
2010/2105(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that an estimated EUR 800 billion is lost annually from developing countries through illicit means, the reduction and prevention of which could prove decisive in achieving MDGsis essential for achieving MDGs; insists that the EU take firmer action against corruption and the squandering of funds and calls for greater involvement of the authorities of the recipient countries in combating the embezzlement of funds intended for development;
Amendment 36 #
2010/2105(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that developing countries are the least well equipped to deal with climate change; urges implementation of the EU financial pledge under the Copenhagen Accord and the Global Climate Change Alliance. , and are, generally speaking, likely to be the principal victims of this phenomenon, which is caused by specific geo-climatic conditions; urges implementation of the EU financial pledge under the Copenhagen Accord and the Global Climate Change Alliance; urges the EU to assume a pivotal role regarding joint initiatives by the industrialised countries in making a larger and more specific contribution to supporting development in the third world, to which they have a historic responsibility, not least because of their colonial past.
Amendment 14 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that women have the right to exercise full control over matters relating to their reproductive health, as regards procreation, contraception, abortion or sexually transmitted diseases; points to the fact that they are still subject to genital mutilation and extreme violence, while rape remains a weapon of war; therefore pleads for women’ right to access health care in these matters ensured through horizontal approach and ask for diagonal approach to support with priority this health area.
Amendment 56 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 c (new)
Paragraph 33 c (new)
33c. Calls on the Commission to encompass actions delivered under humanitarian aid for health care to the strengthening of the horizontal health care system, considering the LRRD approach.
Amendment 53 #
2010/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas one in five under-25s in the EU are unemployed, while workers aged over 55 are the European citizens most affected by unemployment and also have to face the specific and grave problem of the decreasing likelihood of obtaining a job as they become older,
Amendment 55 #
2010/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
Na. having regard to the painful social effects of the economic crisis, which has put over 6 million European citizens out of work in the last two years,
Amendment 86 #
2010/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Considers that job creation must be a priority for the Commission and the Member State governments, as a first step towards reducing poverty;
Amendment 185 #
2010/2039(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8a (new)
Paragraph 8a (new)
8a. Urges the Member States and the Commission to take measures for the integration of younger and older people into the labour market, since these are vulnerable groups that are severely affected by the lack of jobs in the present recession;
Amendment 48 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on all Member States to support UN initiatives and take measures to increase lender and borrower responsibility in sovereign debt transactions and to establish a fair, transparent and independent debt resolution mechanism;
Amendment 72 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on EU and Member States, parties to the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Espoo Convention, to fully comply to the Protocol's provisions when assisting in developing programmes and public projects in developing countries;
Amendment 98 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on the IMF to direct a higher proportion of its loans to LDCincrease low income countries' access levels to its concessional facilities and increase Special Drawing Rights allocations for LICs on the basis of their needs;
Amendment 107 #
2010/2027(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Emphasises that youth unemployment is one of our most pressing problems because it leads to denial of opportunities, exclusion, rising social costs and a waste of valuable human resources;, all these consisting as a major social reason to birth rate decline and feeding the spiral of lack of justice between generations; .
Amendment 224 #
2010/2027(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls attention to the fact that elder people have a natural lower social mobility and adaptability to new environment, although higher integration skills.
Amendment 20 #
2010/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas gender equality is an objective of the Lisbon Treaty; whereas women are underrepresented in the construction industry and research, for example, and can therefore not pro and one of the Millennium Development Goals; whereas women are underrepresented in some fields, such as research, where they could benefit from the increase in jobs in the green economy to the same extent,
Amendment 21 #
2010/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas unemployment is rising among older workers, who face a particularly acute problem of social exclusion after the age of 55, and despite the progress made in the past decade only a little more than a third of women between the ages of 55 and 64 had a job in 2008, while 55% of men in that age group were in work,
Amendment 61 #
2010/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Considers it essential to attract young people to the new type of green jobs, both as a way of combating high unemployment among citizens under 25 years of age and in order to capitalise on the young generation's skills in using new technologies;
Amendment 92 #
2010/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Member States to combat discrimination on grounds of age and adapt the training offer and lifelong learning strategies to the requirements of older employees, in order to ensure high participation rates for workers over 55 years of age as well, including women over 55;
Amendment 119 #
2010/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Call onUrges the EU and the Member States to take care to avoid social sacrifices in moving to a sustainable economy and create framework conditions for a socially fair transformation which minimises the risks of change and optimises gains for all employees;
Amendment 123 #
2010/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls that creating the necessary conditions for workers to undertake further training and adapt to new green technologies, in order to prevent job losses, and the promotion of and support for collective agreements to anticipate change and avoid layoffs and redundancies, together with the strengthening of social security, income support systems and proactive sectoral training initiatives, are crucial prevention measures;
Amendment 6 #
2010/0355(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 - point c
Paragraph 2 - point c
(c) the accountability of the local government should be reinforced and the local government must also guarantee the improvement of living conditions for local fishermen and compliance with environmental standards;
Amendment 36 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Successive European Councils have recognised the need to tackle the effect of ageing populations on European social models. A key response to this rapid change in the age structure consists in promoting active ageing and thus ensuring that the baby boom cohortsthe creation of a sustainable culture of lifelong active ageing and thus ensuring that the rapidly-growing population currently in their late 50s and above, who are, on the whole, healthier and better educated than any such cohort before themprevious generations, have good opportunities for employment and activewho participation in societye actively in society and family life.
Amendment 44 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The growing proportion of older people in Europe makes it more important than ever to promote healthy ageing. Healthy ageing can for all and, in particular, for older persons, supporting their vitality and dignity. Healthy ageing is the process of optimising opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent life of good quality . Healthy ageing can also help raise labour market participation of older people, enable them to be active in society for longer, improve their individual quality of life and curb the strains on health and social care systems.
Amendment 64 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) The European Parliament adopted, on 11 November 2010, a resolution ‘on the demographic challenge and solidarity between generations’, calling on the Member States to make active ageing one of the priorities for the coming years and stressing that the European Year 2012 should, in particular, highlight the contribution that older people make to society and afford opportunities to foster solidarity and cooperation between generations.
Amendment 67 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11 b (new)
Recital 11 b (new)
(11b) The Commission reported in its Second Biennial Report on social services of general interest that while there is an increasing demand for social and health services, many countries experience a shortage of workers in the care sector due in part to the ageing of the care workforce and that there is a high turnover of staff. Because of the key role of staff in care services, tackling these shortages is necessary in order to ensure that social and health care services of sufficient quality are accessible to support active ageing.
Amendment 73 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Commission is implementing the European Disability Action plan that contains relevant actions for older persons given the frequent correlation between disability and ageing. In particular actions on accessibility following Design for all approaches would be relevant. Actions to support independent living and inclusion in the community are relevant, including those directed at older persons with disabilities, in need of a high level of support and with complex needs, who are particularly vulnerable and prone to social exclusion. Furthermore the EU and all Member States have signed the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities that contains inter alia relevant provisions for older persons. The Recommendation of the Council of Europe on ageing and disability in the 21st century adopted in 2009 aims to promote autonomy and an independent life for ageing people with disabilities, enhancing the quality of services and ensuring equal access to them. It calls on Member States to adopt innovative approaches.
Amendment 102 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The overall purpose of the European Year shall be to encourage and support the efforts of Member States, their regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society to promote active ageing and to do more to mobilise the potential of the rapidly growing population in their late 50s and above, thereby preserving solidarity between generationsfacilitate the creation of a sustainable active ageing culture in Europe based on a vision for a society for all ages and on solidarity between generations. In this framework, the European Year shall encourage and support the efforts of Member States, their regional and local authorities, social partners, the business sector and civil society, including associations active in combating poverty and social exclusion, to promote active ageing and to do more to mobilise the potential of the rapidly growing population in their late 50s and above, thereby maintaining the vitality of older people, enhancing their social participation, thus creating a sustainable society for all ages and fostering solidarity and cooperation between generations. The European Year shall also promote concrete measures likely to ensure a better inclusion of older people in the labour market as well as education and training opportunities for all in order to reduce unemployment and prevent long term social exclusion. Active ageing means creating better opportunities and working conditions to enable older workers to play their part in the labour market, combating social exclusion by fosteringage discrimination and social exclusion, supporting the role of older people in family life and voluntary activities and their active participation in society, and encouraging healthy ageing, facilitating it through preventive measures and access to quality social and health services. On this basis, the objectives shall be:
Amendment 115 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) to stimulate debate and develop mutual learning between Member States and stakeholders at all levels in order to promote active ageing policies and to build a sustainable and safe public pension system in the Union, to identify and disseminate good practice and to encourage cooperation and synergies;
Amendment 123 #
2010/0242(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) to offer a framework for commitments and concrete actions to enable the European Union, Member States and stakeholders at all levels, with the strong involvement of civil society and the business sector, to develop policies through specific activities and to commit to specific objectives related to active ageing and to combat the unfair social distribution of the costs of the crisis, because, in some Member States, elderly people are most affected by anti-recession measures, by pension cuts and by the poor quality of health and social care services.
Amendment 5 #
2010/0171(COD)
Proposal for a regulation– amending act
Article 1 – point 1 a (new)
Article 1 – point 1 a (new)
Regulation (EC) No 732/2008
Article 1 - paragraph 2a (new)
Article 1 - paragraph 2a (new)
(1a) A new paragraph is added after Article 1(2) “(2a) The EU must take into consideration the objectives of development cooperation in the implementation of policies that are likely to affect developing countries, in order to support the GSP scheme in contributing to the EU's development objectives, including attainment of the MDGs.”
Amendment 16 #
2010/0101(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Moreover generally, EIB financing operations should contribute to the general principles guiding the EU's external action, as referred to in Article 21 of the Treaty on the European Union, of promoting and consolidating democracy and the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to the implementation of international environmental agreements to which the EU is a party. In relation to developing countries9 in particular, an underlying objective for EIB financing operations should be the reduction of poverty through fostering: sustainable economic, social and environmental development of these countries, particularly in the most disadvantaged amongst them; their smooth and gradual integration into the world economy; the campaign against poverty; as well as compliance with objectives approved by the EU in the context of the United Nations and other competent international organisations. The EIB should gradually build up appropriate means to adequately meet these requirementsin order to guarantee equal access to financial services, in particular for disadvantaged groups such as minorities, farmers and women. In order to adequately meet these requirements the Council shall guarantee an increase in EIB resources and staff.
Amendment 73 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recalls on the need to shape country specific indicators converging into the general indicators measuring PCD to objectively assess the real needs and achievements of the countries;
Amendment 79 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the Commission to commit through all the measures it complete, that while Sugar Protocol is ending and EU reform of the sugar regime is coming in place, it will safeguard the concerned Partners against any temporarily markets’ convulsions;
Amendment 82 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Amendment 97 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the mechanisms to enhance PCD within the Commission, namely the inter-service consultation system, the Impact Assessment process, the Sustainability Impact Assessment and the Interservice Quality Support Group, and where appropriate the Strategic Environmental Assessment; asks, however, which criteria DG Development used when deciding to overturn incoherent policy initiatives and asks for greater transparency as regards the outcome of inter-service consultations; demands, furthermore, that the European Parliament and developing countries should be more closely involved in these mechanisms;
Amendment 13 #
2009/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Strongly supports a bottom-up approach to the development assistance scheme which aims to improve the population's self confidence when dealing with corrupt institutions, leading to an increase in both living standards and access to decision making;
Amendment 5 #
2009/2213(INI)
Draft opinion
Article 1
Article 1
1. Asks the European Union and the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to redirectplace greater emphasis in their cooperation towardson human rights protection and consequently seek to employ it as a solution to the crisis, including the three categories of fundamental rights: political, environmental and cultural rights;
Amendment 6 #
2009/2213(INI)
Draft opinion
Article 1 a (new)
Article 1 a (new)
1a. Recommends a strategic approach based on institutional strengthening in the emerging countries, focusing on containment of social polarisation through the development of self- sustaining capacities, and sound regional development;
Amendment 5 #
2009/2165(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty is changing the institutional architecture on the part of the EU and its own balance in terms of decision making,
Amendment 41 #
2009/2165(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Expresses its deep concern at the limited number of existing facilities which may offer specialised medical care, despite the increasing numbers of both emergencies and chronic disease affected people; emphasises that medical infrastructure and public health systems need a boost through development strategies;
Amendment 42 #
2009/2165(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Amendment 27 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recognises that the deregulation of financial and labour markets, together with the privatisation of public services and social programmes, due to conditionalities imposed on developing countries by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs), proved ineffective in preventing the crisis, amplifying instead its negative effects; underlines that, contrary to what happened in developed countries, such impositions (deleted) have has sharply reduced the capacity of developing countries to react to the economic slowdown through the adoption of fiscal stimulus measures;
Amendment 54 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Supports the creation of joint public- private initiatives for development, based on a public lead with private donors'’ support and in line with partner countries'’ priorities, as a means to increase direct investment in developing countries and facilitate technology transfer through additional funding sources for development;
Amendment 56 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Expresses its great concern that gender imbalance in the labour market will deepen as the crisis develops and that the use of children as cheap labour will increase;
Amendment 65 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recommends that the rule of law conditionality be emphasised through trade agreements;
Amendment 68 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Expresses its concern about the menacing effect of the crisis, with the long-term strategic approach compromised in order to resolve shorter- term challenges through an excessive shift of focus onto immediate results;
Amendment 69 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that it will meet its long-term development objectives while preparing for sustained humanitarian aid for the peak period of the crisis, when developing countries will be especially burdened;
Amendment 17 #
2009/0107(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 5 a (new)
Article 1 – point 5 a (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006
Article 55 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 55 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
(5a) In Article 55(2), subparagraph 3 is replaced by the following: ‘In the calculation, the managing authority shall take account of the reference period appropriate to the category of investment concerned, the category of project, the profitability normally expected of the category of investment concerned, the application of the polluter-pays principle, and, wherever appropriate, considerations of equity linked to the relative prosperity of the Member State concerned.’
Amendment 18 #
2009/0107(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 6
Article 1 – point 6
Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006
Article 55 – paragraph 3
Article 55 – paragraph 3
3. Where it is objectively not possible or technically reliable to estimate the revenue in advance, the net revenue generated within five years of the completion of an operation shall be deducted from the expenditure declared to the Commission.
Amendment 61 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas the present moment is characterised by social fractures and tensions in numerous Member States arising from rising unemployment, budget cuts and the impoverishment of the population, in a climate of recession,
Amendment 63 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls upon the Council and the Commission, given the economic recession, to reaffirm the importance of a strong social Europe, incorporating sustainable, effective and efficient social and employment policies, with the accent on social solidarity measures and particular stress on finding urgent and coordinated responses to the social challenges;
Amendment 101 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need to improve education in Europe, with a view to raising quality standards and dynamising the process of integration of the Member States' educational systems;
Amendment 113 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses the vital need to support mothers, by means of family allowances during infancy and the creation of a suitable framework for their return to the labour market, paying particular attention to single mothers in view of the vulnerability of this group;
Amendment 138 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Draws attention to the negative impact (possible brain drain) that immigration may have in the countries of origin, affecting key areas such as health, education and research, with adverse repercussions on those countries' progress vis-à-vis more developed countries and, indirectly, on global equilibrium;
Amendment 149 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Notes the priority being given to eliminating internal barriers in order to stimulate professional mobility within the EU, with the freedom of movement of workers from Member States being considered as more important than concerns relating to immigration from third countries;
Amendment 162 #
2008/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for particular attention to be given to the regions that are most affected by globalisation as well as to regions in the new Member States that are in the process of social convergence, where it is necessary to support business initiatives, the retraining of workers and the diversification of sources of revenue, with a view to ameliorating poverty and lack of opportunities and preventing potential social tensions;
Amendment 5 #
2008/2305(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that during the waiting periods authorities should take into consideration the different needs of asylum seekers in a more fragile situation, such as children, people with disabilities and women, and provide the necessary infrastructure;
Amendment 7 #
2008/2305(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Shares the Commission’s views on asylum as an integral part of development cooperation with third countries rather than a crisis management tool; reiterates also that development cooperation, particularly crisis prevention, human rights monitoring, conflict transformation and peace-building, could serve as a preventive instrument of displacement; stresses therefore that CEAS should be closely connected with European development and humanitarian policies;
Amendment 19 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas in these countries income disparities, which had been kept small during the period of State socialism, have grown at an explosive rate, creating major discrepancies between the various social categories; whereas in the new Member States industrial sectors have collapsed, regions have seen their prospects of development decline and as a result the Roma in particular have beextreme poverty in which many citizens forced to the margins of society through the rapid escalation of povertyind themselves has worsened, and the scourge of poverty also - and in certain situations particularly - affects the Roma,
Amendment 33 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas regional disparities and ghettoisation are increasing and whereas some settlements are surrounded by a ring of settlements whose fate is similar, from which it is impossible to break out because of poor public transport connections, the lack of public administrative bodies and institutions, includingexacerbated by scarce and low-quality public transport infrastructure, the lack of efficiency affecting the activities of competent public institutions, particularly the educational and health provision, and the departure of businesses, so that the more mobile young people are compelled to move elsewhere, further aggravating thesystems, and the growing exodus of human resources from theseor economic regiasons,
Amendment 151 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Recognises that some traditional Roma occupations, such as arts and crafts, can help both to preserve this community's specific characteristics and improve its material situation and level of social integration, and considers it desirable to support some specific professional activities;
Amendment 154 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Highlights the importance of conserving and affirming the specific cultural characteristics of Roma in order to protect their own identity and reduce prejudices against this minority, and therefore considers it necessary for the Member States and the Commission to play a more active part in supporting the spiritual life of the Roma minority;
Amendment 160 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Points out that Roma womchildren's tendency to leave school early not only damages their own opportunities on the labour market butpersonal education, social integration and opportunities on the labour market, whilst in the case of Roma women, dropping out of school also affects the health status and schooling of their children;
Amendment 175 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Recommends that the Commission take the initiative in identifying the most efficient ways of supporting the social, economic and cultural integration of the largest minority in the European Union, and stresses the need for cooperation between the Commission and the Member State governments in order to take specific action aimed at resolving the complex transnational problems of the Roma;
Amendment 179 #
2008/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Draws the Member States' attention to the risk that adopting excessive measures vis-à-vis Roma communities could lead to a worsening of this minority's already dramatic situation and jeopardise their changes of integration;
Amendment 2 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4a (new)
Paragraph 4a (new)
Amendment 4 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Insists that, in order to ensure Policy Coherence for Development, there is a continued need for a specific directorate general for development at administrative level, responsible for policy setting, policy advice and policy management of EU development cooperation;
Amendment 6 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the need to ensure consistency and integrate development and humanitarian programming for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, Asia and Latin America;
Amendment 7 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the Commission to correct the existing inconsistencies in the structure and the competences of its Directorates General, both in terms of policies and budget; calls for the Directorate General for Development to be made responsible for all EU development cooperation, including cooperation with non-ACP developing countries, and for the integration of EuropeAid into the Directorate General for Development;
Amendment 8 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the extension of the ordinary legislative procedure (co- decision), and stresses that this must mean that Parliament will enjoy a real and effective right of democratic scrutiny over all aspects of EU development cooperation policy;
Amendment 9 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the fact that the Lisbon Treaty introduces binding provisions for the protection of children's rights in the internal and external objectives of the EU;
Amendment 10 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Welcomes the deletion by the Lisbon Treaty of Article 179(3) of the Treaty establishing the European Community, which excludes the European Development Fund (EDF) from the scope of that Treaty; notes that this opens the way for the inclusion of the EDF in the budget of the Union without the need to revise that Treaty; calls on the Council and the Commission to include the EDF in the budget of the EU at the 2008/2009 Mid-term Review, which will enhance the democratic legitimacy of an important part of EU development policy and its budget;
Amendment 11 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Stresses that only if a high priority is given to Policy Coherence for Development will the Union be able to meet both the development objectives and the values of the EU as stated in the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 12 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 d (new)
Paragraph 8 d (new)
8d. Welcomes the prospect of a more streamlined institutional architecture at EU level to coordinate Europe’s external relations policies, but warns that to be truly effective, development policy must be based on partnership and ownership with recipient countries;
Amendment 47 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point da (new)
Paragraph 2 – point da (new)
(da) Real support for the Member States with a view to bridging the social and economic divide between them, and promotion of more effective policies for supporting those Member States suffering from high poverty rates well in excess of the EU average, so that this situation, humiliating for the Union as a whole, can be overcome;
Amendment 63 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that poverty in employment must be properly addressed; recallsaffecting those who are already employed does not reflect natural or equitable working conditions, and calls for efforts to be concentrated on remedying this state of affairs in such a way that remuneration in general and especially minimum wages – regardless whether they are of a statutory nature or collectively agreed – must prevent income poverty in any eventcan ensure a decent standard of living;
Amendment 69 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. ConsiderRecommends that schemes providing for minimum wages must be complemented by a package of supportive measures to facilitate social inclusion; such a package should include facilities for social inclusion, e.g. oin housing, education, training, re-training and lifelong learning and income suppas well as support for education, training and professional re-training, in such a way as to ensure the satisfaction of living needs and lifelong education needs, both fort schemes, to cover the costs to individuals and householdingle persons and families, with the stress on aiding single-parent families in view of their problems and responsibilities;
Amendment 77 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the need to ensure a decent invalidity and retirement pension levels, so that they guarantee living standards, while also taking account of people's special needs, in the first place for medicines, establishing affordable price levels for less-favoured social groups;
Amendment 79 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights the importance of an holistic approach on child well- holistic approach to the material security being based on a child rights and wellbeing of children, based on the centred perspective framed by the UNRC, so that families can benefit from UNCRC supporting adequate sufficient income levels to give their incomes for families, adequate children adequate housing and diet, as housing for children and families, well as access to decent health and accessibility of high quality health education services, with a view to their and social services and education; harmonious development in both physical and personality terms;
Amendment 91 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point da (new)
Paragraph 10 – point da (new)
(da) granting financial aids to numerous families with a view to helping arrest population decline, as well as aid for single parents raising one child or more, together with measures to facilitate their entry into or return to the labour market, recalling that this situation is more and more widespread and that the difficulties facing a parent in such circumstances are far greater than those of two-parent families;
Amendment 154 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17a (new)
Paragraph 17a (new)
17a. Recommends that the Member States take account of the fact that the key elements of social integration include participation in working life; in this connection, calls on the Member States to take measures to eliminate the obstacles to people entering or returning to the labour market, with particular attention to single-parent families;
Amendment 155 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17b (new)
Paragraph 17b (new)
17b. Calls on the Member States to reduce fiscal pressure not only on lower incomes but also on average incomes, so as to avoid workers being caught in a low- wage trap and deter recourse to black labour;
Amendment 156 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Draws attention to the social changes in Europe, which are altering the social make-up of households; calls for these changes to be taken into account with a view to eliminating barriers to the labour market for non-working partners where an unmarried couple live together;
Amendment 166 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. ; Urges the Member States to provide provide for social default tariffs for for social default tariffs for people vulnerable groups (e.g. in the fields in material difficulties (especially of energy and public transport) in in the fields of energy and public order to promote active inclusion; transport), as well as free healthcare and education;
Amendment 201 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22a (new)
Paragraph 22a (new)
22a. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to draw up a set of urgent measures to combat black labour, forced child labour and the abusive exploitation of workers;
Amendment 202 #
2008/2034(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22b (new)
Paragraph 22b (new)
22b. Stresses the need for a uniform series of measures at European level with a view to preventing and penalising abuses of whatever kind against minorities, persons with disabilities and senior citizens, in the context of concrete actions for across-the-board reduction of the vulnerability of those social groups, including in material terms;
Amendment 5 #
2008/2031(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3a (new)
Paragraph 3a (new)
Amendment 8 #
2008/2031(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Council and the Commission to define, in close consultation with Parliament, a coherent policy strategy on sanctions; believes that that strategy must also establish principles and procedures which ensure that the positions of civil society and democratic opposition within the countries concerned are taken into account ; underlines that, based on that strategy, each individual case must be analysed with regard to the context and likely effectiveness before action is taken; notes that sanctions are more effective if they are reacting to concrete, sudden incidents and aim at concrete and identifiable measures to be taken by the target country;
Amendment 22 #
2008/0070(COD)
Proposal for a recommendation
Recommendation 2
Recommendation 2
2. use ECVET from 2012, in particular by adopting measuresby which time the measures necessary for its gradual application to vocational education and training qualifications should already have been adopted and implemented, in accordance with national legislation and practice, for the purpose of transfer, recognition and accumulation of individuals' learning outcomes achieved in formal, non-formal and informal contexts;
Amendment 27 #
2008/0070(COD)
4. monitor and follow up the action taken, in particular by updating the guidance material and guaranteeing access to it for all interested citizens and, after the assessment and evaluation of this action carried out in cooperation with the Member States, report, fourtwo years after the adoption of this Recommendation, to the European Parliament and the Council on the experience gained and implications for the future, including, if necessary, a possible review and adaptation of this Recommendation, so that 2012 will be the date on which the system enters into force.
Amendment 78 #
2008/0014(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
In addition,‘greenhouse gas emissions’ means the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) from sources, expressed in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent, as determined pursuant to Directive 2003/87/ECthe methodologies for estimating the emissions by sources and removals by sinks regulated by the Kyoto Protocol.
Amendment 123 #
2008/0014(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) and Emission Reduction Units (ERUs) issued in respect of emission reductions until 31 December 2012 from project types which were accepted by all Member States pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC during the period 2008 to 2012approved in accordance with procedures provided for under the Kyoto Protocol and any subsequent international agreement.
Amendment 129 #
2008/0014(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) CERs issued in respect of emission reductions from 1 January 2013 from projects which were registered during the period 2008 to 2012 of which the project type was accepted by all Member States pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC during the period 2008 to 2012approved in accordance with procedures provided for under the Kyoto Protocol and any subsequent international agreement.
Amendment 135 #
2008/0014(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) CERs issued in respect of emission reductions achieved from projects implemented in Least Developed Countries of which the project type was accepted by all Member States pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC during the period 2008 to 2012approved in accordance with procedures provided for under the Kyoto Protocol and any subsequent international agreement, until those countries have ratified an agreement with the Community or until 2020, whichever is the earlier.
Amendment 143 #
2008/0014(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Amendment 165 #
2008/0014(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 4 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4a (new)
Recital 4a (new)
(4a) In order to better assist Member States in developing their immigration strategies and policies, as well as aiding migrants to better comprehend and follow the migration process, a common immigration policy should be devised and implemented at European level.
Amendment 5 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) To achieve the objectives of the Lisbon Process it is also important to foster the mobility within the Union of highly qualified workers who are EU citizens, and in particular from the Member States which acceded in 2004 and 2007. In implementing this Directive, Member States are bound to respect the principle of Community preference as expressed in particular in the relevant provisions of the Acts of Accession of 16 April 2003 and 25 April 2005.
Amendment 6 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) This Directive is intended to sustain the Community's competitiveness and economic growth. In reaching these goals it should however not make a distinction between the various levels of qualifications among workers.
Amendment 9 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) In implementing this Directive, Member States should refrain from pursuing active recruitment in developing countries in sectors suffering from lack of human resources, especially the health and education sectors. Ethical recruitment policies and principles applicable to public and private sector employers should be developed in particular in the health sector, as underlined in the Council and Member States' conclusions of 14 May 2007 on the European Programme for Action to tackle the critical shortage of health workers in developing countries (2007-2013). These should be strengthened by the development of mechanisms, guidelines and other tools to facilitate circular and temporary migration, as well as other measures that would minimise negative and maximise positive impacts of highly skilled immigration on developing countries. Any such intervention must be taken along the lines of the Council conclusions of 15 May 2007 on a European Programme for Action to tackle the critical shortage of health workers in developing countries (2007-2013), the Commission Communication entitled "Policy Coherence for Development - Accelerating progress towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals", the new EU-Africa Strategic Partnership initiated at the EU-Africa Summit of December 2007 in Lisbon and the Joint Africa-EU Declaration on Migration and Development agreed in Tripoli on 22 and 23 November 2006 and with a view of establishing a comprehensive migration policy as called for by the European Council of 14 and 15 December 2006.
Amendment 11 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20 a (new)
Recital 20 a (new)
(20a) Commission should evaluate the impact of this Directive on the partnership on migration, mobility and employment included in the new Africa-EU Strategic Partnership signed at the EU-Africa Summit held in Lisbon in December 2007.
Amendment 17 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21a) The Commission should take into account the potential impact of this Directive on the development of the health and education sectors in developing countries and, since those sectors are essential to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) number 2,4,5 and 6, a coherence between the Directive and the MDGs is therefore needed.
Amendment 18 #
2007/0228(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26 a (new)
Recital 26 a (new)
(26a) Since it is important to involve immigrants in the development of their countries of origin, the Union should propose to governments of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and governments of other countries of origin to consider together with the Union the implementation and application of policies aimed at maximising the positive impact of remittances by ensuring that they pass through official transfer systems, thereby making them more substantial, swifter, less expensive to carry out and better channelled.