15 Amendments of Raffaele FITTO related to 2020/0101(COD)
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Member States have been affected by the crisis due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in an unprecedented manner. The crisis has a negative impact, widening of social divisions and economic inequalities, has caused massive job losses across the European Union, and hampers growth in Member States, which in turn aggravates the serious liquidity shortages due to the sudden and important increase in public investments needed in their health systems and other sectors of their economies. This has created an exceptional situation which needs to be addressed with specific measures.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) An additional exceptional amount of EUR 58 272 800 000 (in current prices) for budgetary commitment from the Structural Funds under the Investment for growth and jobs goal, for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 should be made available to support Member States and regions most impacted in crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or preparing a green, digital, social and resilient recovery of the economy, with a view to deploying resources quickly to the real economy through the existing operational programmes. Resources for 2020 stem from an increase in the resources available for economic, social and territorial cohesion in the multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020 whereas resources for 2021 and 2022 stem from the European Union Recovery Instrument. Part of the additional resources should be allocated to technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission. The Commission should set out the breakdown of the remaining additional resources for each Member State on the basis of an allocation method based on the latest available objective statistical data concerning Member States’ relative prosperity and the extent of the effect of the current crisis on their economies and societies. The allocation method should include a dedicated additional amount for the outermost regions given the specific vulnerability of their economies and societies. In order to reflect the evolving nature of the effects of the crisis, the breakdown should be revised in 2021 on the basis of the same allocation method using the latest statistical data available by 19 October 2021 to distribute the 2022 tranche of the additional resources.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In order to allow maximum flexibility to Member States for tailoring crisis repair actions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or preparing a green, digital, social and resilient recovery of the economy, allocations should be established by the Commission at Member State level. Furthermore, the possibility for using any additional resources to support aid for the most deprived should also be provided for. In addition, it is necessary to establish ceilings concerning the allocation to technical assistance at the initiative of the Member States while allowing maximum flexibility to the Member States as to its allocation within operational programmes supported by the ERDF or the ESF. It should be clarified that there is no need to respect the ESF minimum share for the additional resources. However, the operational strength of the ESF should be maintained. Taking account of the expected quick spending of the additional resources, the commitments linked to those additional resources should only be decommitted at the closure of the operational programmes.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order to complement the actions already available under the scope of support of the ERDF, as extended by Regulations (EU) 2020/460 and (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council5, Member States should continue to be allowed to use the additional resources primarily for investments in products and services for health services, for providing support in the form of working capital or investment support to SMEs, in operations contributing to the transition towards a digital and green economy, infrastructure providing basic services to citizens, including in rural areas, or economic support measures for those regions most dependent on sectors most affected by the crisis. Technical assistance should also be supported. It is appropriate that the additional resources are focused exclusively under the new thematic objective “Fostering crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy”, which should also constitute a single investment priority, to allow for simplified programming and implementation of the additional resources. _________________ 5 Regulation (EU) 2020/460 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 March 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013 and (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to mobilise investments in the healthcare systems of Member States and in other sectors of their economies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak (Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative) (OJ L99, 31.3.2020, p. 5); Regulation (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013 and (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards specific measures to provide exceptional flexibility for the use of the European Structural and Investments Funds in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, (OJ L 130, 23.4.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order to complement the actions already available under the scope of support of the ERDF, as extended by Regulations (EU) 2020/460 and (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council5, Member States should continue to be allowed to use the additional resources primarily for investments in products and services for health services, for providing support in the form of working capital or investment support to SMEs, in operations contributing to the transition towards a digital and green economy, infrastructure providing basic services to citizens or, economic support measures for those regions most dependent on sectors most affected by the caffected by the crisis and sectors of fundamental importance such as culture and tourisism. Technical assistance should also be supported. It is appropriate that the additional resources are focused exclusively under the new thematic objective “Fostering crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy”, which should also constitute a single investment priority, to allow for simplified programming and implementation of the additional resources. _________________ 5 Regulation (EU) 2020/460 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 March 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013 and (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to mobilise investments in the healthcare systems of Member States and in other sectors of their economies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak (Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative) (OJ L99, 31.3.2020, p. 5); Regulation (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013 and (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards specific measures to provide exceptional flexibility for the use of the European Structural and Investments Funds in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, (OJ L 130, 23.4.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) For the ESF, Member States should primarily use the additional resources to support job maintenance, also in rural areas, including through short-time work schemes and support to self-employed, job creation, in particular for people in vulnerable situations, support to youth employment measures, education and training, skills development and to enhance equal access to high-quality services, including healthcare and social services of general interest, including for children, elderly and persons with disabilities. It should be clarified that in the present exceptional circumstances support to short- time work schemes for employees and the self- employed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic can be provided even when that support is not combined with active labour market measures, unless the latter are imposed by national law. Union support to those short-time work schemes should be limited in time.
Amendment 128 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) With a view to allow the targeting of these additional resources to the geographic areas where they are most needed, as an exceptional measure and without prejudice to the general rules for allocating Structural Funds resources, the additional resources allocated to the ERDF and the ESF are not to be broken down per category of region. However, Member States are expected to take into account the different regional needs andindividual regional needs resulting from the various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on local communities and economies, as well as development levels in order to ensure that focus is maintained on less developed regions, in accordance with the objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion set out in Article 173 TFEU. Member States should also involve local and regional authorities, as well as relevant bodies representing civil society, in accordance with the partnership principles.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 (new)
-1 In Article 65, paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following: "2. Expenditure shall be eligible for a contribution from the ESI Funds if it has been incurred by a beneficiary and paid between the date of submission of the programme to the Commission or from 1 January 2014, whichever is earlier, and 31 December 20234. In addition, expenditure shall only be eligible for a contribution from the EAFRD if the relevant aid is actually paid by the paying agency between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2023."
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point -1 b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 65 – paragraph 4
Article 65 – paragraph 4
-1b In Article 65, paragraph 4 shall be replaced by the following: "4. In the case of costs reimbursed pursuant to points (b) and (c) of the first subparagraph of Article 67(1), the actions constituting the basis for reimbursement shall be carried out between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2023.4."
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 92 b – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
Article 92 b – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
7. By way of derogation from Article 81(1) and Article 134(1), the initial pre- financing to be paid following the Commission decision adopting an operational programme or approving the amendment to an operational programme for the allocation of the additional resources shall be 250% of the additional resources allocated to programmes for the year 2020 under the new thematic objective referred to in paragraph 10 of this Article.
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 92 b – paragraph 8 – subparagraph 3
Article 92 b – paragraph 8 – subparagraph 3
For the ERDF, the additional resources shall primarily be used to support investment in products and services for health services, to provide support in the form of working capital or investment support to SMEs, investments contributing to the transition towards a digital and green economy, investments in infrastructure providing basic services to citizens, and economic support measures in the regions which are most dependent on sectors most affected by the cmost affected by the crisis and sectors of fundamental importance such as culture and tourisism.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 92 b – paragraph 8 – subparagraph 4
Article 92 b – paragraph 8 – subparagraph 4
For the ESF, the additional resources shall primarily be used to support job maintenance, also in rural areas, including through short-time work schemes and support to self- employed, even when that support is not combined with active labour market measures, unless the latter are imposed by national law. The additional resources shall also support job creation, in particular for people in vulnerable situations, youth employment measures, educationlifelong education, individualised reskilling and training, skills development, in particular to support the just twin green and digital transitions, and to enhance equal access to high-quality social services of general interest, including for children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 102 – paragraph 6
Article 102 – paragraph 6
Amendment 249 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 136 – paragraph 2
Article 136 – paragraph 2
2b. TIn Article 136, paragraph 2 is replaced with the following: "2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1 of this Article, that part of commitments still open on 31 December 2023 and 31 December 2024 shall be decommitted if any of the documents required under Article 141(1) has not been submitted to the Commission by the deadline set out in Article 141(1)."
Amendment 250 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 c (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 c (new)
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 141 – paragraph 1
Article 141 – paragraph 1
2c. in Article 141, paragraph 1 shall be replaced by the following: "1. In addition to the documents referred to in Article 138, for the final accounting year from 1 July 20234 to 30 June 20245, Member States shall submit a final implementation report for the operational programme or the last annual implementation report for the operational programme supported by the EMFF."