553 Amendments of Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU
Amendment 118 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the Task Force for Greece was set up to strengthen the capacity of the Greek administration to design and implement structural reforms to improve the functioning of the economy and society and create the conditions for sustained recovery and job creation, as well as to speed up the absorption of EU Structural and Cohesion Funds in Greece and to providutilize critical resources to finance investment;
Amendment 146 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the programmes were in the short run primarily meant to avoid a disorderly default and stop speculation on sovereign debt; whereas the medium term aim was to ensure that the money that was lent would be reimbursed, thus avoiding a large financial loss that would rest on the shoulders of the taxpayers of the countries which are providing the assistance and guaranteeing the funds; whereas this also requires the programme to deliver sustainable growth and effective debt reduction in the medium and long term; whereas the programmes were not suited to comprehensively correcting macroeconomic imbalances which had accumulated sometimes over decades; whereas these programmes were being implemented for the first time in the euro area and errors are now coming to light regarding planning and policy mix;
Amendment 150 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas, according to the latest Commission data (source: Eurostat) the government debt to GDP ratio in the euro area stands currently at 93.4%, compared with 80% in 2009, which confirms that high public debt is a European problem that requires a European solution with particular attention to countries which are affected the most;
Amendment 172 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the precise triggers for the crises differed in all four Member States and hence addressing the crisis and achieving recovery requires different approaches and policies in each case;
Amendment 187 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that, prior to the beginning of the EU-IMF assistance programme initiated in the spring of 2010, there was a dual fear associated with the ‘insolvency’ and ’non- sustainability’ of the public finances of Greece as a result of the constantly declining competitiveness of the Greek economy and decades of imprudent fiscal policylong-run fiscal derailment, with the government deficit reaching 152.7% of GDP in 2009 (15.7% according to other estimates), and the debt-to-GDP ratio continuing on an upward trend since 2003 when it stood at 97.4%, reaching 129.7% in 2009 and 156.9% in 2012;
Amendment 200 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the EU institutions and Member States to take into account the relationship between cyclical recession and public debt in their proposals for Greek public debt reduction according to the Eurogroup decision of the 12th of November 2012;
Amendment 264 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the IMF is the global institution tasked with providing states experiencing balance of payment problems with conditional financial assistance; points to the fact that all Member States are members of the IMF and have therefore the right to request its assistance, in cooperation with EU institutions, assessing the interests of the EU and the Member State in question;
Amendment 277 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Deplores the unpreparedness of the EU and international institutions, including the IMF, for a sovereign debt crisis of a large magnitude inside a monetary unithe eurozone;
Amendment 289 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Acknowledges, however, that the immense challenge the Troika faced leading to the crisis was unique as a result of the poor state of regulation of financial services, large macroeconomic imbalances, and the fact that a number of instruments such as external devaluation were not available due to the constraints of monetary union; notes, moreover, that time was running out, legal obstacles had to be cleared, fear of a melt-down of the euro area was palpable, political assessments and agreements had to be reached, the world economy was in a downturn, and a number of countries which were intended to contribute financial support had seen their own public and private debt increase in alarming ways; this is hampering initiatives and developments at national level, necessitating forward planning, solidarity and initiatives in European level;
Amendment 315 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Regrets the lack of transparency in the MoU negotiations; nNotes the necessity to evaluate whether formal documents werehave been clearly communicated in due time to the national parliaments and the European Parliament; further notes the possible negative impact of such practices on citizens’' rights and the political situation within the countries concerned;
Amendment 328 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores that recommendations contained in MoUs mark a departure from the thinking initiated by the Lisbon strategy and hamper the goals of the Europe 2020 strategies); points out however that this can be partly explained, even if not fully justified, by the fact that programmes had to be implemented under considerable time pressure in a difficult political environment; at the same time, a review of MoUs and their adaptation to the EU growth objectives and principles is necessary;
Amendment 346 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that the programmes for Greece, Ireland and Portugal comprise a number of detailed prescriptions for health systems reform and expenditure cuts; regrets that the programmes are not bound by the Charter of Ffundamental Rrights of the European Union and the Treaties, including Art. 168 (7) of TFEU;
Amendment 374 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deplores that since 2008 the income distribution inequality has grown above average in the four countries and that cuts in social benefits and rising unemployment are raising poverty levels; support the revision of tax frameworks to provide incentives aimed at attracting investments, enhancing entrepreneurship and employment in strategic sectors of the economy and reducing social imbalances, with social and political consequences;
Amendment 386 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Demands that any revision of MoUs should also include any conclusions and orientations offered through the evaluation of automatic stabilizers and their role in national economies, since such critical parameters were not fully investigated by the Troika when guidance was provided for the formulation of the adjustment programmes;
Amendment 395 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points to the unacceptable, high level of youth unemployment in the four Member States under assistance programmes; points especially to the sharp increase in youth unemployment in Greece, Cyprus and Portugal and calls for enhanced political and economic focus for addressing this issue;
Amendment 423 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the end of the programme for Ireland and the expected end of the programme for Portugal; regrets the lack of progress in Greece despite unprecedentedNotes the unprecedented fiscal adjustment and the large number of reforms having been undertaken in Greece;
Amendment 437 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Stresses that in Greece a primary surplus and a current account surplus are expected to be achieved thanks to the unprecedented reforms having been undertaken, stable governance as well as the large sacrifices of Greek citizens; underlines the necessity to continue reforms, adjustment policies and growth measures with the aim of Greece regaining, as well, access to the financial markets;
Amendment 444 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines that adequate economic models are necessary in order to produce credible and efficient adjustment programmes; deplores that adequate statistics and information were not always available; points out that in Greece large- scale fraud was happening in this respect in the years preceding the setting up of the programme;
Amendment 455 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20α. Notes in the case of Greece the lack of suitable monitoring mechanisms and clearly defined instruments for calculating the deficit at both European and national level in the years before the programme was drawn up, as well as disagreements between governments regarding methods of calculating financial data;
Amendment 468 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes that financial assistance achieved in the short run the avoidance of a disorderly default on sovereign debt that would have had extremely severe economic and social consequences, as well as spill-over effects for other countries of an incalculable magnitude, and possibly the forced exit of countries from the euro area; further notes that there is no guarantee this will be avoided in the long run; also notes that the financial assistance and adjustment programme in Greece have not prevented an orderly default nor contagion of the crisis to other Member States; deplores the economic and social downturn which became evident when the fiscal and macroeconomic corrections were put into place and calls for taking into account such consequences in revised policies;
Amendment 491 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes that from the onset the Troika published comprehensive documents on the diagnosis, the strategy to overcome the problems, a set of policy measures elaborated together with the national government concerned, and economic forecasts, all of which are updated on a regular basis and should take into account the economy's and the society's actual conditions;
Amendment 498 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Deplores however the sometimes over- optimistic assumptions made by the Troika, especially as far as growth is concerned, but also the insufficient recognition of political resistance to change in some Member States; deplores the fact that this also affected the Troika’s analysis of the interplay between fiscal consolidation and growth; notes that as a result not all fiscal targets could not be fulfilled within the time frame foreseen;
Amendment 509 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Regrets that the reduction of structural deficits in all programme countries since the start of their respective assistance programmes has not yet led to a reduction in the ratios of public debt to GDP; underlines that the ratio of public debt to GDP has instead sharply increased in all programme countries; believes that the accurate estimation of fiscal multipliers is of crucial importance for fiscal adjustment to be successful in reducing the debt to GDP ratio; calls the Commission and the ECB to take into account the larger values of multipliers in times of crisis while designing the adjustment programmes and recommended policies;
Amendment 526 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers that fiscal multipliers are difficult to assess with certainty; recalls in this respect that the IMF admitted to underestimating the fiscal multiplier in its growth forecasts prior to October 2012 but that the Commission stated in November 2012 that forecast errors were not due to the underestimation of fiscal multipliers; points out that this expression of public disagreement between the Commission and the IMF was not followed up and calls for an assessment of this issue and for information to be provided to the European Parliament;
Amendment 533 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Points out that while the IMF’s stated objective in its assistance operations within the frame of the Troika is internal devaluation, the Commission has never clearly endorsed this objective; notes that the objective emphasised by the Commission in all four programme countries under enquiry has rather been fiscal consolidation; calls for cooperation and agreement between the EU and the IMF to conclude the programmes for achieving Greek debt sustainability and for the country to regain access to the financial markets;
Amendment 555 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers that too little attention has been given to alleviating the negative social and political impact of adjustment strategies in the programme countries;
Amendment 588 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that the Troika’s mandate has been perceived as being unclear and lacking transparency and should adjust to the actual economic situation;
Amendment 598 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Stresses that the European Commission, as the executive body of the E.U. and because of its special role regarding Troika, should provide information and be accountable to the European Parliament regarding not only the conclusion but also the implementation of fiscal adjustment programmes as well as the relevant policies. Stresses also that providing information regarding the decisions and conducting reviews of adjustment programmes should be included within the context of Eurogroup's inter- institutional dialogue with the European Parliament;
Amendment 641 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Takes note of the dual role of the Commission in the Troika as both an agent of Member States and an EU institution; warns that conflicts of interests may therefore exist within the Commission between its role in the Troika and its responsibility as a guardian of the Treaties, especially in policies such as competition and state aid as well as the objectives of social cohesion, convergence, respect to the acquis communautaire;
Amendment 649 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Points equally to a possible conflict of interest between the current role of the ECB in the Troika as ‘technical advisor’ and its position as creditor of the four Member States as well as its mandate under the Treaty; hence, welcomes its contribution in addressing the crisis;
Amendment 681 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Points to the generally weak democratic accountability of the Troika in programme countries at national level; notes however that this democratic accountability varies between countries, depending on the will of national executives;
Amendment 692 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes that formal decisions are made by both the Eurogroup and the IMF, with a crucial role now given to the ESM as it is the organisation responsible for deciding on financial assistance, thus putting governments, including those of the Member States directly concerned, at the centre of any decisions taken;
Amendment 702 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Points to the fact that the ESM is intergovernmental by nature, is bound by the unanimity rule, and is subject to political influence exerted by finance ministers, heads of state and government as well as national parliaments; for this reason, a spirit of mutual commitment and solidarity is required;
Amendment 820 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Demands that the Troika take stock of the current debate on fiscal multipliers and consider the revision of MoUs on the basis of the latest empirical results regarding the consequences of fiscal adjustment on the real economy, society and recovery efforts;
Amendment 6 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, according to the same forecast, unemployment in the eurozone rose from 10.2 % at the end of 2011 to 11.4 % at the end of 2012, with major differences being observed between eurozone countries where the unemployment figures vary between 4.3% and 25%, the percentages being even higher in respect of youth unemployment;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas in 2012 the ECB reduced interest rates once, in July (25 basis point), reducing them further to a historic low of 0.50% in May 2013;
Amendment 42 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is deeply concerned at the fact that persistently weak economic conditions are becoming the norm in Europe, creating overwhelming discontent among European citizens and uncertainty regarding investors, therefore jeopardising the whole European project;
Amendment 50 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points out that, in addressing the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs on 8 July 2013, the ECB President announced that key ECB interest rates were expected to remain at current or lower levels for an extended period based on limited medium-term inflation estimates and the need to underpin the real economy;
Amendment 69 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the availability of the ECB to provide further support to the financial and banking system must be properly subject to conditionality, in particular the commitment by institutions benefiting from such support to increase levels of credit to the real economy, to small and medium-sized enterprises and to households, without which such efforts would prove to be ineffective;
Amendment 163 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Invites the ECB to pay more attention to the contractionary effects on GDP, employment and social welfare created by austerity policies carried out by national governments in the framework of Economic Assistance Programmes involving the ECB; asks the ECB to ensure that its contribution to the assessment by the Troika of progress in implementing the fiscal alignment programmes helps strike an optimum balance between growth, fiscal alignment and reform;
Amendment 174 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the ECB’s independence should not justify lack ofbe accompanied by adequate democratic accountability;
Amendment 219 #
2013/2076(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Considers it urgent to approve the establishment of a European Resolution System in ordercluding measures to protect depositors and prevent further banking crises, as well as creating a single banking area;
Amendment 25 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the impact of the crisis can be diminished with a tax policy that is compatible with the aims of the EU 2020 strategy and this should be a priority;
Amendment 32 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the need to restore the credibility of budgetary policy, and reduce the sovereign debt, makes it necessary to reduce budget expenses, introduce structural reforms and, at the same time, to increase some taxeintroduce smart and fair tax reforms, taking care to give priority to growth- oriented fiscal measures and to those taxes that are levied more on consumption than on labour and to effective methods of tax collection;
Amendment 40 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that taxation policy still remains a national competence and that the different tax systems of the Member States have therefore to be respected; notes that any change with regard to taxation policy, especially the transfer of competences from the national to the Union level, requires a change in the Treaty, which requires the unanimous agreement of all Member States; notes, however, that this does not exclude the effective coordination of tax arrangements and growth targets at European level;
Amendment 46 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the optimal design of tax systems depend on numerous factors and differs therefore from country to country, necessitating planning and policy coordination;
Amendment 50 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the improvements acquired in the field of the coordination of tax policies, but points out that EU citizens and enterprises engaged in cross-border activities still face considerable costs and administrative burdens and are thus failing to benefit as they should from the single market;
Amendment 70 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that it is in the interest of enterprises and citizens to have a clear, predictable, stable and transparent tax environment within the Single Market, as a lack of transparency on tax rules is an obstacle to cross-border activities and domestic and foreign investments in the EU;
Amendment 73 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that a reliable tax environment is an important prerequisite for investment, growth and job creation; recommends, therefore, that Member States proceed carefully when introducing new taxes, ensuring that they are growth- friendly and that the business sector has sufficient time and means to prepare itself before the new fiscal measures enter into force;·
Amendment 93 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that reducing taxes on research and development has benefits in the long term and this must be taken into account at European and national level;
Amendment 98 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that tax cuts should be based on a solid and carefully planned fiscal policy, accompanied by measures aimed at increasing competitiveness, growth and employment;
Amendment 106 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that for the functioning of such a system, the framework of the European Semester would be adequate good basis, since – in tandem with other specific macroeconomic measures – it could keep good record of the various tax policies of the different Member States, taking fully into account the basic economic background, fundamentals and future perspectives of the Member States concerned and common European objectives;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph C
Paragraph C
C. whereas women are at greater risk of extreme poverty than men, and whereas there are more women than men employed under precarious conditions, especially in rural areas; notes at the same time that insecurity for women is steadily increasing in urban areas, particularly as a result of the economic and financial crisis;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Member States, in the context of cohesion policy, to develop programmes and actions aimed at promoting equal economic independence for women and men by levelling out participation in the labour market and addressing the persistent issue of the gender pay gap; calls on the Member States and local and regional authorities accordingly to take specific measures to realise the potential of women as an essential step towards economic recovery;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Member States and regional and local authorities to develop innovative measures and programmes with a view to combating the feminisation of poverty and promoting social inclusion, aimed in particular at the most vulnerable groups of women; advocates the collection of data specifically relating to women prior to the launching of programmes and actions, so as to target their specific needs effectively;
Amendment 22 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to assess the impact of cohesion policy in general and Structural Funds in particular on the situation of women, so as to ensure appropriate responses and effective programme implementation for the period 2014 -2020;
Amendment 23 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Member States to use the available EU funds more actively to finance the development of family- friendly, high-quality, affordable and accessible care facilities which allow better reconciliation of work and family life., and other social structures; stresses the importance of reconciling work and family life in the context of equal opportunities and measures to combat unemployment and social exclusion;
Amendment 27 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Urges that particular attention be given to the cultural and creative sectors, contributing to achievement of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy objectives, in particular job creation; stresses the vital contribution of these sectors to the development of regions and cities; calls for sustained measures to promote continuing education for women specifically relating to these sectors in a bid to ensure that their qualifications can be effectively turned to account and new job prospects created;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that, in order to revive the economic growth and competitiveness of its regions, the EU can no longer afford to do without its rich female potential; with that in mind, stresses the importance of encouraging more sustained participation by women in the science and technology sectors, and of ensuring the continued training of women and benefiting from their qualifications both in the research and science sectors and in more traditional industries;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Calls for the most to be made of women's talents within the European cultural and creative industries and for targeted training in this fast developing industrial sector to be promoted effectively; points to the contribution of the cultural and creative industries to the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and in particular to job creation;
Amendment 6 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that gender equality of opportunity and the balanced representation of men and women at all levels and in all sectors of industry has a positive impact on productivity and economic growth and should therefore be recognised as playing a vital role in the reindustrialisation of Europe, promoting a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote andthe optimisation of the available qualified human capital, and female talent in particular, and to facilitate female entrepreneurship by providing appropriate targeted training and mentoring programmes and by facilitating access to technical, scientific, business and support networks, both at the start-up phase and throughout a firm’s business cycle;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to improve, through the EU instruments, SME access to finance, in the form of equity and debt, to provide incentives to borrowingand the Member States to improve and facilitate, through the EU instruments such as the structural funds and the tools made available by the EIB, SME access to traditional and innovative sources of finance, and to facilitate female entrepreneurs’ access to other available sources of funding, such as special grants and venture capital;,
Amendment 16 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take all measures needed to counteract the existing stereotypes that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are male-dominated fields, thereby making the STEM pathway more accessible to women and girls at all stages; highlights the importance of empowering the women who are already present in these fields by offering them opportunities equivalent to those of their male counterparts with a view to building a promising career;
Amendment 17 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to combine education and trainingcontinuing training, particularly in specific sectors such as the cultural and creative industries, with targeted employment policies for young women, with a view to reducing the number of young women leaving school early, and to ensure that the skills acquired are sufficient to meet the current and future needs of the labour market;
Amendment 21 #
2013/2006(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States to support lifelong learning programmes and job retraining opportunities, ensuring equal opportunities for men and women in all sectors and at all levels to participate and taking account of learners’ personal needs, not least the particular need of young womenaspirations of young women; highlights also the need to implement measures to reconcile work and family life with a view to maximising the opportunities for women to pursue sustained and regular careers;
Amendment 68 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) While individual investors may be interested in investing in an ELTIF, the illiquid nature of most investments in long- term projects precludes an ELTIF from offering regular redemptions to its investors. The commitment of the individual investor to an investment in such assets is by its nature made to the full term of the investment. ELTIFs should, consequently, be structured so as not to offer regular redemptions before the end of life of the ELTIF. This does not, however, imply that investors cannot redeem their investments prior to the end of the ELTIF's lifecycle. Many of the successful long-term funds that the Commission's impact assessment found at national level have been structured as listed entities. That allows investors to trade their shares or units in the fund on a secondary market. When the shares of the fund are listed on an exchange, investors are able to buy and sell shares of the fund directly on the exchange like any other listed security. The secondary market can also be operating when the shares or units of the fund are not listed. In that case the investors can exchange directly their holding with another investor. Intermediaries like banks or distributors can play a facilitating role in this secondary market. They can collect the buy and sell orders and can match these orders between their clients. If long-term investing is really supposed to become attractive for smaller-scale investors or the retail community at large, secondary markets will be the principal venue in which you can buy into or leave the long term fund. A report, three years after the adoption of this Regulation, shall investigate whether this rule will have achieved the expected results in terms of ELTIF distribution or whether the introduction, in a limited number of cases, of the possibility, for some individual retail investors, to redeem their units or shares before the end of the ELTIF, may contribute to increase the distribution of ELTIF among the individual retail investors.
Amendment 107 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Where the manager holds a stake in a portfolio undertaking, there is a risk that the manager puts its interests ahead of the interests of investors in the fund. To avoid such conflict of interests, the ELTIF should only invest in assets that are unrelated to the manager to ensure sound corporate governance.
Amendment 112 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31 a (new)
Recital 31 a (new)
(31a) The European Investment Bank, given its expertise in EU infrastructure financing, as well as other similar national institutions should actively cooperate with the ELTIF managers and the investors, particularly retail investors who may lack the relevant experience. Furthermore, the EIB's Project Bonds Initiative and other similar activities, such as the Connecting Europe Facility, should be directly linked to the ELTIF, with the EIB assuming risk and providing guarantees, to reduce risks inherent to this type of investments and encourage investors to trust the ELTIF as a safe investment vehicle.
Amendment 121 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39 a (new)
Recital 39 a (new)
(39a) The provision of tax incentives, at national level, relating to long-term investments via ELTIFs can play an important role in directing the current available resources to the financing of long-term projects in the Union, particularly focusing on projects which are beneficial to society and to the environment. For that reason, it could be assessed whether project bonds should also be considered to be eligible assets, with the aim of ensuring economies of scale and encouraging synergies between Union investment tools. Member States that are facing the consequences of fiscal adjustment are encouraged to provide state guarantees and favourable tax treatments such as tax deductions for investors who participate in ELTIFs. Member States should take all necessary legislative and institutional measures to ensure implementation of this Regulation.
Amendment 197 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
(da) 40% of its capital in assets or projects outside the EU
Amendment 230 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
The ELTIF rules or instruments of incorporation and disclosures to investors shall lay down the procedures for redemption and disposal of assets, establish under which exceptional circumstances the life cycle of the ELTIF may be reduced or extended and state clearly that redemption to investors shall commence on the day following the date defining the end of life of the ELTIF. The rules or instruments of incorporation may also include a provision specifying under which conditions redemption before the end of the life of the ELTIF is permitted only for retail investors, such as possible initial lock-up period, notification requirements, notification periods, the frequency of the exercise of the redemption rights. In such cases, ESMA and the competent authority of the ELTIF shall be notified regarding the specific provisions. If the risk profile of a certain project or enterprise is not appropriate for retail investors, the fund manager may decide to set up an ELTIF with limited or no participation for retail investors. In cases of limited participation the rules of incorporation shall specify this restriction as a percentage of the total capital.
Amendment 249 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
(d a) a cash flow statement;
Amendment 259 #
2013/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point f a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – point f a (new)
(fa) inform investors about the strategy regarding the use of derivatives taking into account specific characteristics and aspects of the project in question;
Amendment 80 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that women have played a vital role in resisting the crisis and that, according to recent publications, they are playing a vital role in the improved competitiveness and performance of business where they are in management, and that involving them in the drawing up and management of recovery plans in order to encourage social cohesion is therefore a matter of urgency;
Amendment 98 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to mainstream the global approach to gender equality in all employment policies, to take the measures needed to assist women in their return to work, not only in low-level, but also in management posts, and to incorporate this approach in the European Union’s employment guidelines;
Amendment 106 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the proposal for a directive on a better gender balance in management posts in businesses and calls on Member States to support and prepare for the implementation thereof;
Amendment 108 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop a strategy for promoting a gender balance for small and medium- sized enterprises not covered by the directive in question;
Amendment 110 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Asks Member States to introduce policies on extensive training for employees to prepare them for job changes and new jobs bearing the specific place of women in mind; calls for training plans to be implemented systematically in businesses to prepare employee retraining, to propose individual job transfers, and to offer training suitable for job seekers and low-skilled workers; calls also for a complete register of labour shortages per sector in order to allow women to prepare and search for jobs in a targeted manner;
Amendment 115 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote vocational- training policies and programmes for women, in order to increase their participation in the various business sectors, envisaging specific support measures so women are able to combine their workload, training and family life; recalls the important role played by the European Social Fund in assisting entry into employment through training policies and suggests the Member States and local authorities promote recourse to this fund for the benefit particularly of women who are more affected by the economic crisis;
Amendment 126 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Member States to promote female entrepreneurship, by encouraging and supporting women who set up companies, by facilitating women’s access to finance, in particular via microcredits, and by promoting new financial and support tools and encouraging the development of female entrepreneurship and sponsorship networks and exchanges of good practices between Member States and economic operators;
Amendment 142 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 α (new)
Paragraph 17 α (new)
17 a. Emphasizes that the European programme ‘Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs’ should particularly support the participation of women so that they acquire the same confidence and knowledge of businesses in the single market and the necessary skills for running and developing a business;
Amendment 3 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the crucial role played by the European Parliament, and in particular its Committee on Regional Development, in ensuring social housing was eligible for funding under past and current European programmes; highlights the need to ensure targeted support to the countries that face alarming increase of unemployment and poverty;
Amendment 9 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Commission's proposals for a regulation laying down common provisions (COM(2012)0496), a regulation on specific provisions concerning the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (COM(2011)0614) and a regulation on the European Social Fund (ESF) (COM(2011)0607 final/2), which make full provision for priority investment in energy-efficiency improvements, the promotion of renewable energy sources, integrated sustainable urban development measures and action to combat exclusion by providing marginalised communities and the most deprived population with access to high-quality housing and social services at affordable prices; stresses, though, that the categories of beneficiaries should include all the new vulnerable population groups that crisis has created, with limited access to housing, while further innovative policies should be explored, notably through Structural Funds, in order to foster synergies and partnerships at national level;
Amendment 17 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the Member States to cooperate with local and regional authorities, in accordance with the principle of multi-level governance, to establish priorities and methods of using – on a joint basis, wherever possible – the ERDF, the ESF, and, in the case of social housing in rural areas and small and medium-sized towns, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD); considers that greater integration of the Structural Funds could encourage the sustainable development of disadvantaged areas, thus avoiding the pernicious effects of segregation and promoting social homogeneity and cohesion; in that respect, stresses the importance of further promoting actions with the aim of dealing with homelessness in urban areas; hopes that technical assistance programmes and specialised funds will be maintained and extended, while becoming more flexible in order to efficiently address the new challenges in the field of social inclusion and stability that could have a significant impact on the existing health and housing inequalities both at national and regional level;
Amendment 30 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that investment in social housing plays a part in more far-reaching policies and has a direct beneficial impact on the local economy in terms of job creation, social inclusion of the most deprived, support for local SMEs, public health and environmental protection; stresses the need to explore and define best practices, and strengthen the capacity of local authorities to implement such projects;
Amendment 39 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that investment in social housing can play a concrete and effective role in improving Europe's economic governance, social and regional cohesion by, in particular, countering property price bubbles and their disruptive effect on society and macroeconomic stability, particularly in this time period facing the social consequences of the economic and financial crisis, the budgetary adjustment and low growth rate in the EU.
Amendment 4 #
2012/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges that ensuring sufficient and timely access to finance for SMEs stimulates and reinforces economic growth, job creation and, labour productivity and social cohesion, which are vital for the prosperity of EU regions; in this regard, calls for special attention to be paid to SMEs in regions suffering from geographical handicaps, such as island regions and outermost regions;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Α a (new)
Recital Α a (new)
Αa. whereas bank loans are the main source of financing for SMEs in the European Union,
Amendment 12 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Α b (new)
Recital Α b (new)
Αb. whereas, according to ECB data, lending rates for SMEs vary greatly between Member States and there are imbalances in access to liquidity with high rejection rates as regards lending for business projects in some countries,
Amendment 13 #
2012/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that cohesion policy, being the main tool of convergence and sustainable development of the EU, is one of the main sources of support for its SMEs and highlights its importance with a view to the recovery of the EU economy and its competitiveness and to the convergence of its regions;
Amendment 20 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas actions supporting SMEs and entrepreneurship are regulated by the 'Small Business Act' which Member States have committed themselves to implementing together with the European Commission,
Amendment 22 #
2012/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the need to further stimulate simplification of administrative procedures at European, national and subnational levels and to endeavour to limit the regulatory complexity which is often an obstacle for the beneficiaries, especially for SMEs, when applying for EU funds or when using existing financial instruments.
Amendment 27 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Agrees with the Commission that Europe’s economic success and social cohesion largely depends on growth and employment based on SMEs;
Amendment 40 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the responsibility of banks to invest wisely in the economy and more specifically in SMEs; notes that, in some Member States, SMEs do not have problems in accessing credit; expresses its concern about the differences between Member States in the cost of borrowing for SMEs resulting in a serious lack of liquidity in the real economy of some countries and the distortion of the financial market; points out that reducing investments to a minimum can lead to a credit crunch;
Amendment 56 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points out that the Commission’s Action Plan rightly places a lot of emphasis on venture capital as a possible mode of growth finance but that this kind of funding is adequate only for a small number of SMEs, given that, according to Commission data, in the EU only 2% of the financial needs of SMEs are met by venture capital compared to a figure of 14% in the U.S.;
Amendment 72 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Considers it necessary to support SMEs at local level in order to develop policies to promote entrepreneurship, improve the situation of SMEs throughout the course of their lifetime and to help them gain access to new markets; believes that recognition and the exchange of good practices are key elements of this policy;
Amendment 77 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that entrepreneurs' lack of knowledge about basic finance limits the quality of business plans and thus also the success of a credit application; therefore calls on the Commission, Member States, the social partners and the Mechamber Statess of commerce to provide professional training support to potential entrepreneurs, while also ensuring equal opportunities for men and women;
Amendment 79 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Believes that female entrepreneurship is an untapped resource for the growth and competitiveness of the EU which should be fostered and strengthened and that all obstacles facing women in the labour market should be removed;
Amendment 85 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that a course of entrepreneurship and an introduction to how the market and the financial system operate should be included in basic education systems; believes that a well- prepared business plan is the first step towards better access to finance and viability; calls on the Commission and the Member States to include financial education in their education programmes without any delay; supports in this connection the 'Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs' programme to promote an entrepreneurial culture and develop the single market and competitiveness;
Amendment 90 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that informing entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs on a regular basis about training initiatives, EU funding and programmes for SMEs is indispensable at national, regional and local level, and we need to take advantage of all the available opportunities and actions such as the European SME Week;
Amendment 93 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Points out that guidance for entrepreneurs who have gone bankrupt is indispensable, as is guidance for the prevention of bankruptcy, given that 15% of businesses that close do so due to bankruptcy; supports the simplification and shortening of bankruptcy procedures and encourages the idea of giving the entrepreneurs in question a second chance;
Amendment 94 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Believes that what is needed is a special strategy for start-ups and financial tools to implement innovative projects and develop the creativity of young entrepreneurs;
Amendment 108 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Member States to reduce the administrative burden at the start-up and during the lifetime of the SME, given the differences between countries in this field that hinder the completion of the single market; underlines that it is important to reduce the number of days required to start up a new business; asks the Commission to study the best practices to be implemented in all Member States; calls on the Commission to assess the possibility of introducing a unique SME identification number, stored in a single European database for SMEs, including all financial data, allowing SMEs to apply more easily for EU and national programmes and funding;
Amendment 111 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the Commission's new funding programmes, which take into account the specific characteristics of SMEs; calls on the Commission to further develop EU funding tailor-made for SMEs, their needs and dynamic in various innovative and competitive sectors; underlines that fragmentation of funding should be avoided and that funding can be effective only when it is able to cover a substantial part of what is needed by the SMEs in question;
Amendment 125 #
2012/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to strengthen and optimise the risk-sharing instruments of the European Investment Bank and the SME funding programmes under the Structural Funds;
Amendment 10 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Α
Recital Α
Α. whereas many women, in particular young women, were very much involved in the ‘Arab Spring’ in North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco), participating, from the outset, in demonstrations and elections, taking an active part in civil society, in the social media and on blogs, among other things, and therefore were, and still are, key players in democratic change in their countries and in strengthening development and cohesion;
Amendment 21 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas women’s representation in politics and in decision-taking positions in all sectors varies from one country to another, but is disappointing – particularly at executive level –as regards the percentages involved when compared with their great involvement of women in the various uprising movements and in the elections that followed and the increased proportion of women scientists;
Amendment 26 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Η
Recital Η
Η. whereas the socio-economic situation, especially the high level of youth unemployment, poverty and the marginalisation of women, who are a vulnerable population group, was one of the leading causes of the upheavals in the region, together with the aspiration for rights and democracy, dignity and justice;
Amendment 40 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the parliamentary dimension of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is one of the best tools for lawmakers to exchange on all these issues; and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean includes a Committee on Women's Rights, which must be properly used;·
Amendment 45 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the authorities of the countries concerned to enshrine in their constitution the principle of equality between men and women and the prohibition of all forms of discrimination against women and to reform all existing laws that discriminate against women, including in the area of marriage, divorce, child custody, parental rights, nationality, inheritance, legal capacity, etc., in line with international and regional instruments; calls also on these authorities to ratify the international conventions on human rights and on various kinds of discrimination;
Amendment 96 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses the importance of specific actions to inform women about their rights and the importance of cooperation with civil society and state agencies in preparing reforms and implementing anti- discrimination laws;
Amendment 97 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that women's active participation in public life, as protesters, voters, candidates and elected representatives, shows their willingness to obtain full citizenship and to fight as active citizens to build democracy; calls, therefore, for the adoption of all the necessary measures, including quotas, to ensure women'sthe strengthening of this movement and women's substantive participation in decision-making at all levels of government (from local to national, from executive to legislative powers);
Amendment 104 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Supports the idea of many women parliamentarians that women’s rights and gender equality and the active participation of women in political, economic and social life by enhancing their skills and combating discrimination could better be implemented in legislation with the establishment of a women’s caucus or a special parliamentary committee, where one does not yet exist, to deal with the issue and ensure gender mainstreaming in parliamentsary work;
Amendment 112 #
2012/2102(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Highlights the important role of education and the media in promoting changes in attitudes across society and adopting the democratic principles of respect for human dignity and comradeship for both sexes;
Amendment 42 #
2012/2028(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes note of the various crisis mitigation and resolution efforts of the European institutions, particularly the establishment of the EFSM, the EFSF, the SMP and the LTRO, and the agreement on the ESM and the fiscal compact and urges the Union and the Member States to step up these efforts by means of innovative instruments and mechanisms, in order to improve policy coordination, make use of economic complementarities in Europe and ensure stability and cohesion;
Amendment 78 #
2012/2028(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that there is an urgent need to further discuss a longer-term vision for the euro area which ensures sound public finances, sustainable growth, social cohesion and high levels of employment, preventing moral hazard and supporting convergence;
Amendment 112 #
2012/2028(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the prospect of common bonds can foster stability and solidarity in the euro area and be an additional element to incentivise growth and compliance with the stability and growth pact; reiterates its position that sequencing is a key issue involving a binding roadmap, included in the annex, similar to the Maastricht criteria for introducing the single currency;
Amendment 120 #
2012/2004(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the need for young entrepreneurs and particularly women to engage in social business and explore new forms of social business; calls, therefore, for better access for young entrepreneurs and women to Community programmes and funding;
Amendment 4 #
2012/0309(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Exemption from the visa requirement for nationals of Dominica, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates and Vanuatu should not come into force until bilateral agreements on visa waiver between the Union and the countries concerned have been concluded in order to ensure full reciprocity.
Amendment 6 #
2012/0309(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 1 – point a
Article 1 – point 1 – point a
(a) in point 1, the references to Dominica, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates and Vanuatu are deleted and a reference to South-Sudan is inserted;
Amendment 7 #
2012/0309(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2 – point a – two last references
Article 1 – point 2 – point a – two last references
"Tuvalu*", "United Arab Emirates*" and "Vanuatu*"
Amendment 59 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The efficient use of human capital is the most important determinant of an economy's competitiveness and is key to addressing the EU's demographic challenges, to competing successfully in a globalised economy and to ensuring a comparative advantage vis-à-vis third countries. The pool of highly trained and qualified women is constantly growing as evidenced by the fact that 60 per cent of university graduates are female. A continued failure to draw on this pool in appointments to economiccompanies' management positions and decision- making positions would amount to a failure to fully exploit skilled human capital.
Amendment 63 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) At company level, it is widely acknowledged that the presence of women on boards improves corporate governance, because team performance and the quality of decision-making are enhanced due to a more diverse and collective mind-set incorporating a wider range of perspectives and therefore reaching more balanced decisions, in view of reaching a better reflection of new societal and consumers' realities. Numerous studies have also shown that there is a positive relationship between gender diversity at top management level and a company's financial performance and profitability. Enhancing female representation on the boards of publicly listed companies in the Union, given their significant economic and social responsibility, can therefore have a positive impact on the performance of companies concerned.
Amendment 68 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Existing evidence also shows that labour market equality can improve economic growth substantially. Enhancing female presence in the boardrooms of listed companies in the Union not only affects the women appointed to boards, but also contributes to attracting female talent to the company and, ensuring a greater presence and recognizing the contribution of women at all levels of management and in the workforce. Therefore, a higher share of women on company boards has a positive impact on closing both the gender employment gap and the gender pay gap. Making full use of the existing female talent pool would constitute a marked improvement in terms of return on education for both individuals and the public sector. Female under- representation in the board rooms of publicly listed companies in the EU is a missed opportunity in terms of achieving long- term sustainable growth for Member States' economies at large.
Amendment 79 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) While this Directive does not aim to harmonise national laws on the selection procedures and qualification criteria for board positions in detail, the introduction of certain minimum standards as regards the requirement for listed companies without balanced gender representation to take appointment decisions for non- executive directors on the basis of an objective comparative assessment of the qualifications of candidates in terms of suitability, competence and professional performance is necessary in order to attain gender balance among non-executives directors. Only an EU-level measure can effectively help to ensure a competitive level-playing field throughout the Union and avoid practical complications in business life and allow executives and directors to make full use of the opportunities the Internal Market has to offer.
Amendment 87 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Union should therefore aim to increase the presence of women on company boards, in order both to boost economic growth and the competitiveness of European companies and to achieve effective gender equality on the labour market. This aim should be pursued through minimum common requirements on positive action in the form of binding measures aiming at attaining a quantitative objective for the gender composition of boards of listed companies, in the view of the fact that Member States and other countries which have chosen this or a similar method have achieved the best results in reducing the under-representation of women in economic decision-making positions.
Amendment 94 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 18
Recital 18
Amendment 101 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Listed companies in the Union should be imposed obligations of means providing for appropriate procedures with a view of meeting specific objectives regarding the gender composition of their boards. Taim to reach the objective of having at least 40 per cent of non-executive directors of the under-represented sex at the latest by 1 January 2020. For the purpose of reaching this objective, those listed companies in whose boards members of the under-represented sex hold less than 40 per cent of non- executive director positions should make thecarry out the pre- selection or selection procedure for appointments to those positions on the basis of a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate, by applying pre-established, clear, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria, in order to attain the said percentage at the latest by 1 January 2020. Therefore, the Directive establishes the objective of at least 40 per cent of non-executive directors of the under-represented sex by that date. This objective in principle only concerns the overall gender diversity among the non-executive directors and does not interfere with the concrete choice of individual directors from a wide pool of male and female candidates in each individual case. In particular, it does not exclude any particular candidates for director positions, nor does it impose any individual directors on companies or shareholders. The decision on the appropriate board members thus remains with the companies and shareholders.
Amendment 103 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22 a (new)
Recital 22 a (new)
(22a) The objective of 40% in principle only concerns the overall gender diversity among the non-executive directors and does not interfere with the concrete choice of individual directors from a wide pool of male and female candidates in each individual case. In particular, it does not exclude any particular candidates for director positions, nor does it impose any individual directors on companies or shareholders. The decision on the appropriate board members thus remains with the companies and shareholders.
Amendment 105 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Listed companies in the Union should be imposed obligations of means providing for appropriate procedures with a view of meeting specific objectives regarding the gender composition of their boards. Those listed companies in whose boards members of the under-represented sex hold less than 40 per cent of non-executive director positions should make the appointments to those positions on the basis of a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate, by applying pre- established, clear, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria, in order to attain the said percentage at the latest by 1 January 2020. Therefore, the Directive establishes the objective of at least 40 per cent of non- executive directors of the under- represented sex by that date. This objective in principle only concerns the overall gender diversity among the non-executive directors and does not interfere with the concrete choice of individual directors from a wide pool of male and female candidates in each individual case. In particular, it does not exclude any particular candidates for director positions, nor does it impose any individual directors on companies or shareholders. The decision on the appropriate board members thus remains with the companies and shareholders. Moreover, this Directive obliges Member States to establish efficient procedures for reaching the goal of enhanced gender-balance in boards;
Amendment 111 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Member States exercise a dominant influence over listed companies which are public undertakings within the meaning of Article 2(b) of Commission Directive 2006/111/EC of 16 November 2006 on the transparency of financial relations between Member States and public undertakings, as well as on financial transparency within certain undertakings. Due to that dominant influence, they have the instruments at their disposal to bring about the necessary change more rapidly. Therefore, in such companies the objective of least 40 per cent of non-executive directors of the under-represented sex should be set at an earlier date, in respect with the adequate mechanisms set by Member States, in line with the Directive.
Amendment 118 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) In line with that case-law, Member States should ensure that the selection of the best qualified candidates for non- executive directors is based on a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate on the basis of pre- established, clear, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria. Examples of types of selection criteria that companies could apply include professional experience in managerial and/or supervisory tasks, knowledge in specific relevant areas such as finance, controlling or human resources management, leadership, international experience and communication skills and networking abilities. Priority should be given to the candidate of the under- represented sex if that candidate is equally qualified as the candidate of the other sex in terms of suitability, competence and professional performance, and if an objective assessment taking account of all criteria specific to the individual candidates does not tilt the balance in favour of a candidate of the other sex.
Amendment 123 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) This Directive aims to improve the gender balance among directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and thus to contribute to the realisation of the principle of equal treatment between men and women, recognised as a fundamental right of the Union. Listed companies should therefore be required to disclose, upon the request of an unsuccessful candidate, not only the qualification criteria upon which the selection was based, but also the objective comparative assessment of those criteria and, where relevant, the considerations tilting the balance in favour of a candidate who is not of the under-represented sex . These limitations to the right to respect for private life with regard to the processing of personal data, recognised by the Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter, and the obligation for listed companies to supply that information, upon request, to the unsuccessful candidate, are necessary and, in conformity with the principle of proportionality, genuinely meet recognised objectives of general interest. They are therefore in line with the requirements for such limitations laid down in Article 52(1) of the Charter and with the relevant case-law of the Court of Justice.
Amendment 133 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) Member States should provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for breaches of this Directive, which. Especially should Member States provide that listed companies who do not establish, apply or respect the foreseen procedures for the appointment or the election of non-executive directors shall be subject to sanctions. These sanctions could include, inter alia, administrative fines and nullity or annulment declared by a judicial body of the appointment or of the election of non- executive directors made contrary to the national provisions adopted pursuant to Article 4(1).
Amendment 138 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31
Recital 31
Amendment 143 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In addition to the measures relating to non-executive directors, and with a view also to improving the gender balance among directors involved in daily management tasks, listed companies should be required to make individual commitments regarding the representation of both sexes among executive directors, to be achieved at the latest by 1 January 2020. These commitments should aim to achieve tangible progress from the individual company's current position towards better gender balance. The Member States are required to ensure that companies pursue their efforts until the objective of 40% is met. To this end, the Directives provides for guarantees in order to efficiently meet the objective of enhanced gender-balance.
Amendment 146 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34
Recital 34
(34) Member States should require listed companies to provide information on the gender composition of their boards as well as information on how they managed to meet the objectives laid down in this Directive, on a yearly basis to the competent national authorities in order to enable them to assess the progress of each listed company towards gender balance among directors. Such information should be published and, where the company in question has not met the objective, it should include a description of the measures that it has taken so far and intends to take in the future in order to meet the objective. Furthermore, companies that failed to comply should provide a justification on the reasons for not implementing the adequate mechanisms, and what concrete measures are to be adopted in order to efficiently guarantee that the objective of enhanced gender-balance is met.
Amendment 155 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that same Article, this Directive is limited to setting common objectives and principles and does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives. Member States are given sufficient freedom to determine how the objectives laid down in this Directive should best be achieved taking national circumstances into account, in particular rules and practices concerning recruitment for board positions. This Directive does not interfere with the possibility for companies to appoint the most qualified board members, and it grants a flexible framework and a sufficiently long period of adaptation for all listed companies.
Amendment 158 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 39
Recital 39
(39) In accordance with the principle of proportionality, the objective to be met by listed companies should be limited in time and remain in force only until sustainable progress has been achieved in the gender composition of boards. For that reason, the Commission should regularly review the application of this Directive and report to the European Parliament and the Council. The Directive is due to expire on 31 December 2028. The Commission should assess, in its review, if there is a need to extend the duration of the Directive beyond that period. Member States should cooperate with social partners and civil society in order to efficiently inform them on the Directive's signification and transposition and implementation.
Amendment 162 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Amendment 164 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3
Article 3
Amendment 182 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The number of non-executive director positions necessary to meet the objective laid down in paragraph 1 shall be the number closest to the proportion of 40 per cent, but not exceeding 4950 per cent.
Amendment 200 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Amendment 203 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that listed companies in whose boardsaim to reach the objective that members of the under-represented sex hold less thanat least 40 per cent of the non-executive director positions make the appointments to those positions on the basis of a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate, by applying pre-established, clear, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria, in order to attain the said percentage at the latest by 1 January 2020 or at the latest by 1 January 2018 in case of listed companies which are public undertakings.
Amendment 206 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Member States shall ensure that in listed companies in whose boards members of the underreprensented sex hold less than 40 per cent of the non- executive director positions the pre- selection or selection procedure for appointments to those positions is carried out on the basis of a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate, by applying pre-established, clear, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria, until the objective set out in paragraph 1 is reached.
Amendment 211 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall require listed companies to provide information to the competent national authorities, once a year as from [two years after adoption], about the gender representation on their boards, distinguishing between non-executive and executive directors and about the measures taken in view of the objectives laid down in Article 4(1) and in paragraph 1 of this Article, and to publish that information in an appropriate and accessible manner on their website. Furthermore, companies that failed to comply should provide a justification on the reasons for not implementing the adequate mechanisms, and what concrete measures are to be adopted in order to efficiently guarantee that the objective of enhanced gender- balance is met.
Amendment 218 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the body or bodies designated in accordance with Article 20 of Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast) are also competent for the promotion, analysis, monitoring and support of gender balance on the boards of listed companies. To this end, Member States shall efficiently collaborate with social partners and civil society.
Amendment 223 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The sanctions must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive and mayshall include the following measures:
Amendment 225 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) nullity or annulment declared by a judicial body of the appointment or of the election of non-executive directors made contrary to the national provisions adopted pursuant to Article 4(1). However, the nullity or annulment of the appointment or of the election of non-executive directors does not affect the decisions taken by the board.
Amendment 226 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) exclusion from public calls for tenders;
Amendment 267 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall lay down rules on sanctions applicable to infringements of the national provisions adopted pursuant togiving effect to Articles 4(1a), 4(3), 4(4), 4(5), 5(1), 5(2) and 5(3) of this Directive and shall take all necessary measures to ensure that they are applied.
Amendment 299 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Without prejudice to Article 4(6) and (7), Member States which before the entry into force of this Directive have already taken measures to ensure a more balanced representation of women and men among the non-executive directors of listed companies may suspend the application of the procedural requirements relating to appointments contained in Article 4(1a), (3), (4) and (5), provided that it can be shown that those measures enable members of the under-represented sex to hold at least 40 per cent of the non-executive director positions of listed companies by at the latest 1 January 2020, or at the latest 1 January 2018 for listed companies which are public undertakings.
Amendment 308 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Member States having suspended pursuant to Article 8(3) the application of the procedural requirements relating to appointments contained in Article 4(1a), (3), (4) and (5) shall include information in the reports mentioned in paragraph 1 demonstrating the concrete results obtained by the national measures referred to in Article 8(3). The Commission shall then issue a specific report ascertaining whether those measures effectively enable members of the under-represented sex to hold at least 40 per cent of the non-executive director positions by 1 January 2018 for listed companies which are public undertakings, and by 1 January 2020 for listed companies which are not public undertakings. The first such report shall be issued by the Commission by 1 July 2017, and subsequent reports shall be issued within six months after notification of the respective national reports under paragraph 1.
Amendment 311 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Member States in question shall ensure that listed companies, which by applying the national measures referred to in Article 8(3) have not appointed or elected members of the under-represented sex for at least 40 per cent of the non-executive director positions of their boards by 1 January 2018, where they are public undertakings, or by 1 January 2020, where they are not public undertakings, apply the procedural requirements relating to appointments contained in Article 4(1a), (3), (4) and (5) with effect respectively from those dates.
Amendment 77 #
2012/0242(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Maintaining and deepening the internal market for banking services is essential in order to foster economic recovery in the Union and adequate funding of the real economy. However this proves increasingly challenging. Evidence shows that the integration of banking markets in the Union is coming to a halt, partly as a result of inequalities regarding access to money markets by Member States and borrowing costs for businesses.
Amendment 125 #
2012/0242(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) A European banking union should therefore be set up, underpinned by a true single rulebook for financial services for the Single Market as a whole and composed of a single supervisory mechanism, and a common European deposit insurance and resolution framework. In view of the close links and interactions between Member States participating in the common currency, the banking union should apply at least to all Euro area Member States. With a view to maintaining and deepening the internal market, and to the extent that this is institutionally possible, the banking union should also be open to the participation of other Member States outside the euro area, striking the appropriate balance between their rights and responsibilities in this framework.
Amendment 152 #
2012/0242(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) As the Euro area’s central bank with extensive expertise in macroeconomic and financial stability issues, the ECB is well placed to carry out supervisory tasks with a focus on protecting the stability and sustainability of Europe’s financial system. Indeed in many Member States Central Banks are already responsible for banking supervision. The ECB should therefore be conferred specific tasks concerning policies relating to the supervision of credit institutions within the Euro area. .
Amendment 254 #
2012/0242(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) The ECB should carry out the tasks conferred on it with a view to ensuring the safety and soundness of credit institutions and the stability and sustainability of the financial system of the Union and the unity and integrity of the Internal Market, thereby ensuring also the protection of depositors and improving the functioning of the Internal Market, in accordance with the single rulebook for financial services in the Union.
Amendment 18 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Those aspects should not remain limited to the statistics produced for the purposes of the fiscal-surveillance system and the excessive-deficit procedure but should apply to all European statistics developed, produced and disseminated by the ESS, including those relating to growth and employment, taking account of and assessing the added value of statistics gathered for attainment of the targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Amendment 19 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Moreover, the adequacy of resources attributed on an annual or a multiannual basis and available to meet statistical needs is a necessary condition for the professional independence of statistical authorities. and to ensure high quality statistical data.
Amendment 21 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) To that effect, the professional independence of statistical authorities should be strengthened and minimum standards should be enforced, in particular as regards the heads of national statistical institutes (NSIs), to whom specific guarantees should be provided in terms of the performance of statistical tasks, organisational management and resource allocation. To this end, national parliaments have a particularly important role to play regarding the legitimacy of the process and in terms of parliamentary control. .
Amendment 25 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) As well as the independence of national statistical institutes (NSIs), it is necessary for the independence of Eurostat to be consolidated and guaranteed by means of effective parliamentary consultation and control.
Amendment 26 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Furthermore, the coordinating role already attributed to the NSIs should be clarified as regards its scope, so as to achieve more efficient coordination of statistical activities at national level, including quality management. At the same time, it is necessary to step up coordination and cooperation national statistical institutes (NSIs) and Eurostat and remedy any shortcomings observed in this respect.
Amendment 30 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) National and European statistical data must be easy to compare and access and must be updated promptly and regularly so as to ensure that EU policies and funding initiatives take full account of developments in Europe, in particular the consequences of the economic crisis.
Amendment 33 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The confidentiality of data obtained from administrative records should be protected under the common principles and guidelines applicable to all confidential data used for the production of European statistics. Quality- and transparency assessment frameworks applicable to these data should also be established.
Amendment 35 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The quality of European statistics could be strengthened and the confidence of users reinforced, by involving national governments in the responsibility of applying the European Statistics Code of Practice. To this end, a ‘Commitment on Confidence in Statistics’ should be established in each Member State and include specific undertakings by its government to implement the Code and national high quality-assurance frameworks, including self-assessments and improvement actions with the participation and supervision of national parliaments.
Amendment 39 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) There is a need for uniform conditions for implementing access to confidential data for scientific purposes without compromising transparency. Implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission with a view to establishing the arrangements, rules and conditions governing such access at Union level, in accordance with the examination procedure laid down in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers.9 .
Amendment 43 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation 223/2009
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The coordinating responsibility of the NSI shall cover all other national authorities responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. The NSI shall, in particular, be responsible at national level for coordinating statistical programming and reporting, quality monitoring, elucidating methodology, data transmission and communication on ESS statistical actions.
Amendment 57 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 4
Article 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. At Union level, the Commission (Eurostat) shall act independently in ensuring the production of European statistics according to established rules and statistical principles, through cooperation and coordination with national statistics institutions (NSIs). In this respect, it shall have the sole responsibility for deciding on processes, statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases.’
Amendment 67 #
2012/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 5
Article 1 – point 5
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
3. Member States shall take all necessary measures to implement the Code of Practice in order to maintain confidence in their statistics. To this effect, each Member State, represented by its government, shall sign and implement a ‘Commitment on Confidence in Statistics’ whereby specific policy commitments are made to implement the Code and to establish a national high quality assurance framework, including self-assessments and improvement actions with the participation ad supervision of the national parliaments. The Commitment shall be counter-signed by the Commission.
Amendment 2 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 a (new)
Citation 32 a (new)
- having regard to the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (2014 - 2020) (COM (2011) 834),
Amendment 3 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 b (new)
Citation 32 b (new)
- having regard to the Parliament's resolution of 19 April 2012 on the proposal for a Council directive on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB),
Amendment 4 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 c (new)
Citation 32 c (new)
- having regard to the Commission's report "Business Dynamics: Start-ups, Business Transfers and Bankruptcy" (January 2011),
Amendment 5 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 d (new)
Citation 32 d (new)
- having regard to the World Bank Report "Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World",
Amendment 6 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 e (new)
Citation 32 e (new)
- having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions "Erasmus for All: the EU Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport" (COM (2011) 787),
Amendment 7 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 f (new)
Citation 32 f (new)
- having regard to the Commission's report "Interim evaluation of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Pilot project / Preparatory action (2011)",
Amendment 8 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 g (new)
Citation 32 g (new)
- having regard to the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on public procurement (COM(2011)0896),
Amendment 11 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas it is necessary to establish a consistent framework of stability within monetary and fiscal and trade policy, in order to facilitate the flow of direct investments in all Member States and EU regions and so contributing to correct the EU's macroeconomic imbalances;
Amendment 12 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the Union should further exploit its strengths, such as the high standard of consumption, education and quality of life, the research and innovation capacity, the high labour efficiency and productivity as well as a friendly and motivational business environment in order to tackle the fiscal crisis and enhance growth and employment;
Amendment 14 #
2011/2288(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that in most European countries, large firms generate a substantive part of the business sector value added, and insists that for geographically targeted support,but at the same time notes the importance of upholding the quality and the viability of small and medium businesses, for the sizake of the enterprise should not matter as the only criterion should be the quality and required sustainability of the projectcreating jobs, strengthening competitiveness and maintaining their contribution to European economic recovery and attraction of investments;
Amendment 27 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas as regards competitiveness and entrepreneurship, the main challenges that Union enterprises continue to face are difficulties in accessing finance for SMEs , weak entrepreneurial spirit (only 45% of European citizens would like to be self- employed compared to 55% e.g. in the United States), a business environment not conducive to start-ups and growth, characterised by persistent regulatory fragmentation and red tape, limited capacity of SMEs to adapt to an energy and resource efficient economy and to expand to markets beyond their home country, both within the Single Market and beyond;
Amendment 28 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
F b. whereas, according to the latest World Bank's "Doing Business" index, EU Member States represent only 40% (and euro area members just 26%) of the top 35 countries in terms of entrepreneurship at a global level;
Amendment 30 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas well-targeted social investments are crucial to securing a high employment level in the long run, stabilising the economy, enhancing human capital and raising competitiveness of the EU;
Amendment 38 #
2011/2288(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that high taxes and public debt are among the key concerns identified by companies investing in Europe; would be particularly concerned by any effort to harmonise corporation tax conditions inevitably giving rise to higher fiscal burden in some Member States, and would deny individual regions to remain fiscally competitive;
Amendment 39 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
N a. whereas, in accordance with the EU Treaties, common commercial policy, including foreign direct investments, falls under the exclusive competence of the EU and that, in this field, the European Parliament and the Council operate on an equal footing, since the ordinary legislative procedure is applied;
Amendment 53 #
2011/2288(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6a (new)
Paragraph 6a (new)
6a. Emphasises the necessity for research and education not only to be disseminated and implemented at the local level, but also to be produced at the local level. To this end it is necessary for there to be full utilisation of the human potential, of researchers and academic foundations at the local level, so as to attract both domestic investment and direct foreign investment. Also to be noted is the importance of the mobility of the human element: teachers, researchers and students.
Amendment 57 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Supports the newly proposed programme "Erasmus for All" that can significantly increase the funds allocated for mobility and development of knowledge, training and skills, in order to boost young people's personal development and job prospects and thus contribute in enhancing the human potential and addressing the problem of high youth unemployment in Europe; supports "Erasmus for Enterprises" and in particular the exchange programme "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs" which will encourage start-ups, cross- border transfers of knowledge, cooperation between small firms, innovation and job creation;
Amendment 58 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Member States promptly to cooperate with the Commission and Eurostat in particular in order to establish a common framework of sub-targets and indicators for measuring progress towardsProposes improvement and broadening of the statistical database for direct investment, in accordance with the international models of the OECD and the World Bank, and the creaadoption of an attractive investment environment, including the supplementary investment targets and indicators at the national level (urban environment and, social infrastructure), with a view to improving the stso as to highlight the progress that istics that measure the impact of direct investment on the real economy and employment being made towards an attractive investment environment, while at the same time evaluating the investment policies and their positive effects on the real economy and employment in the various countries and regions;
Amendment 58 #
2011/2288(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6b (new)
Paragraph 6b (new)
6b. Notes the need for strengthening infrastructures so as to reinforce regional cohesion and the competitiveness of the regions; in this context it emphasises the importance of the Trans-European Transport Networks and the use of supplementary financial instruments such as project bonds and public-private sector partnerships.
Amendment 64 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the EU to negotiate at global level and in the framework of the WTO, G20 and G8, the establishment of common rules that ensure fair competition and a level playing field in the face of international macroeconomic imbalances relating to financial regulation and taxation in order to protect EU competitiveness; calls on the Union to be decisive in negotiating and concluding comprehensive free trade agreements (FTAs) with major partners as a key to opening new markets for goods and services, increasing investment opportunities, facilitating open and fair trade and promoting a more predictable policy environment;
Amendment 65 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Is of the idea that the creation of an ad hoc European Observatory for foreign direct investments, established within the European Commission, could contribute to reinforce the coordination of Member States policies in this field and, at the same time, provide a better monitoring of the policies applied, progress, including their macroeconomic effects, in order to promote Europe as an investment destination;
Amendment 78 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Notes the importance of the Commission's proposals to modernise the European public procurement market; stresses that a dynamic pan-European procurement market can provide important business opportunities for European companies and can significantly contribute to stimulating a competitive European industry, as well as attracting investment and promoting economic growth;
Amendment 82 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Believes that cross border entrepreneurship offers significant benefits both for EU regions by contributing to their economic development and for individual enterprises by offering them opportunities to access new and larger markets and sources of supply, as well as capital, labour and technology;
Amendment 92 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for greater fiscal coordination, on both the revenue and expenditure sides; expresses concern about the heavy administrative burdens and high tax compliance costs that European businesses are facing, which create disincentives for investment in the EU; welcomes the Parliament's legislative resolution on a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) while looking forward to the directive's adoption by the Council; asks the Commission and Member States to cooperate further on their respective tax policies against double taxation, double non-taxation, tax fraud, tax evasion and dumping, and to combat the use of tax havens for illicit purposes;
Amendment 95 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Welcomes the "Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs" (COSME) proposed by the Commission for the period 2014-2020 as a means to encourage an entrepreneurial culture and promote start-ups of SMEs mainly in new sectors such as social media services, green economy and tourism;
Amendment 96 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23 b. Calls for new, efficient bankruptcy laws, including early warning tools, in order to encourage a second-chance policy designed to foster entrepreneurship and business re-starts given that Second Chance is not adequately recognized by national legislations; stresses the importance of increased networking among entrepreneurs and re-starters in order to promote Second Chance as well as the need to address difficulties in financing the re-starter;
Amendment 97 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23 c. Calls on the Union to fully exploit investment opportunities in the EU and beyond that arise from the European Neighbourhood Policy and macro- regional strategies;
Amendment 98 #
2011/2288(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)
Paragraph 23 d (new)
23 d. Calls on the Commission to include all relevant indicators for measuring macroeconomic imbalances in the scoreboard and the effects on the EU regions;
Amendment 21 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Member States are not all in the same situation, so differentiated strategies should be pursued, in line with the country-specific recommendations adopted by the Council and reflecting country-specific fiscal and macro-financial risks as well as economic and social conditions;
Amendment 38 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that budgetary consolidation remains a necessity, given the strong pressure from financial markets; believes, however, that the continued need for intense fiscal adjustment needs to be balanced between strengthening the production process, economic development and social protection;
Amendment 43 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Believes that the efforts towards improved coordination and fiscal consolidation will not bring the expected results if macroeconomic imbalances between Member States are not addressed as well as their consequences on the recovery process;
Amendment 67 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that budgetary consolidation can be implemented effectively, and can bring long-lasting positive effects, provided that the measures backing it are sufficiently explained and debated, that they promote growth and jobs perspectives and that they respect equity among citizens;
Amendment 77 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the key element in the relationship between growth and consolidation is the composition of consolidation; stresses, in that regard, that consolidations based on expenditure rather than on revenue tend to be more lasting and more growth-supporting in the medium-run, and that their possible negative impact in the short run can be mitigated, in particular provided that the consolidation measures taken are credible, lasting and avoid a reduction in public investment in productive sectors of the economy;
Amendment 85 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Encourages the Member States to focus consolidation efforts on the expenditure side while at the same time safeguarding growth-enhancing items such as R&D and education; considers that particular attention should also be paid to maintaining or reinforcing the coverage and effectiveness of employment services and active labour market policies such as training schemes for unemployed people and new entrepreneurs;
Amendment 99 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Encourages the Member States to implement consolidation procedures on the revenue side to avoid outright tax hikes, and to focus on fighting tax evasion, improving tax compliance and its management; considers that, if this is not sufficient, a broadening of the tax base should be considered, also in view of the reduction of economic distortions;
Amendment 109 #
2011/2274(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Invites the Member States to clarify the responsibility and role of different levels of government (national, regional and local) in maintaining sound and sustainable public finance framework;
Amendment 56 #
2011/2271(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that MS with high deficits will have to increase tax revenues through higheeffective and fair taxes, pursue expenditure reductions and increase public savings;:
Amendment 147 #
2011/2271(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 – point 5 a (new)
Paragraph 28 – point 5 a (new)
· provide tax incentives for SMEs, such as tax exemptions and cuts, to encourage entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation;
Amendment 148 #
2011/2271(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 – point 5 b (new)
Paragraph 28 – point 5 b (new)
· promote reforms designed to ensure a more effective and fairer tax system meeting market needs arising from the economic crisis, as well as individual needs and the needs of social cohesion;
Amendment 149 #
2011/2271(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 – point 5 c (new)
Paragraph 28 – point 5 c (new)
· promote reforms to limit the room for tax evasion by establishing efficient revenue- collecting mechanisms that minimize the relation between the taxpayer and the tax authorities and maximize the use of modern technology and focus on e-governance in recording and monitoring economic activity;
Amendment 3 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that the EIB Group1 should continue reporting annually to Parliament on its lending activities within the EU, with regard to the promotion of Union’s objectives and the Europe 2020 Strategy, and outside the EU, with regard to its mandate and the overall policy coherence of the EU’s external action; takes the view that the EIB and the EBRD should also focus on strengthening their cooperation in third countries, in order to enhance their respective comparative advantages and avoid overlaps in their work2, while ensuring more effective use of resources;
Amendment 20 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the EIB to clarify its stance onplay an active part in this dialogue and in the realisation of initiatives such as the so-called Project Bonds, Eurobonds or other innovative financial instruments based on co- financing between the EU and EIB budgets;
Amendment 26 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the EIB to step up its activities in its southern Mediterranean countries of operation to promote investment in economic development and support the democratic process in thosesectors which are essential for economic development, the functioning of the market, competitiveness and job creation and support the democratic process in those countries; welcomes the recent EUR 1 billion increase in the EIB's lending mandate for the southern Mediterranean countries;
Amendment 32 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Asks the EIB to clarify and justify its position regarding the transformation of the FEMIP into a Euro-Mediterranean bank;
Amendment 36 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Stresses the importance of the JASPERS, JESSICA, JEREMIE and JASMINE programmes for both regional convergence and cohesion in Europe and support for small and medium-sized businesses and stresses the need for adequate funding during the new programming period (2014-2020) also; welcomes participation by the EIB in the European Progress Microfinance Facility; stresses the importance for regional convergence of EIB loans in the form of funding for structural projects;
Amendment 37 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Amendment 38 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Notes the reduction in loans to the EIB to EUR 60 billion in 2012 from EUR 75 billion in 2011 under the new Operational Programme for 2012-2014, as indicated in the annual programme adopted by the Board of Directors;
Amendment 39 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Welcomes the assistance provided by the EIB, in cooperation with the EU structural funds for countries facing financial difficulties, including loans to cover part of the national contribution to projects supported by these funds; welcomes the creation of a Guarantee Fund in Greece funded by the NSRF with EIB support and assistance, which is expected to help facilitate the realisation of public investments.
Amendment 1 #
2011/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2011 on women and business leadership1, ___________ 1 P7_TA-PROV(2011)0330.
Amendment 33 #
2011/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on companies to implement transparent and meritocratic methods in the field of human resources and to develop and promote efficiently men's and women's talents and skills; stresses that companies are required to ensure equal treatment of and equal opportunities for men and women at work and to contribute to the work-life balance applying to men and women;
Amendment 34 #
2011/2181(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for an increase in the number ofWelcomes the Commission's intention to propose European legislation in 2012 if companies do not manage to achieve through voluntary measures the targets of 30% women on company boards by means of a system of flexible quotas2015 and 40% by 2020;
Amendment 1 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- Having regard to The Belgrade Declaration approved at the XIV Adriatic Ionian Council on 30 April 2012,
Amendment 7 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Mediterranean has played a major role in European history and wherever the EU has geopolitical and economic importance for the Mediterranean;
Amendment 30 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recommends basing macro-regional strategies on multi-level governance, ensuring the involvement of local- and regional-government involvementauthorities and all other stakeholders such as universities, research centres and representatives of civil society;
Amendment 43 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes the view that the macro-regional strategy does not require further funding, institutional instruments or regulation, but considers funding for the monitoring thereof in the form of technical assistance appropriations justified and the smooth coordination of policies and funds in different areas;
Amendment 47 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that it should be possible to allocate territorial cohesion funding to a macro-regional strategy in two stages: the first — the pre-development phase, lasting around two years – to help it become established, and the second — the implementation phase, lasting longer – to consolidate it;
Amendment 48 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Supports the implementation of a macro-regional strategy for the Mediterranean basin, so as to give structure to this key area for Europe’s future, and calls on the Council and the Commission to facilitate the emergence thereofdevelopment of a strategy accompanied by an action plan by the end of the year;
Amendment 69 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Takes the view that coordination of these three macro-regional strategies – western Mediterranean, Adriatic-Ionian, and eastern Mediterranean – will enable the implementation of an overall policy for the whole Mediterranean basin that is in synergy with the priorities set out by regional and international organisations, and in particular those defined by the Union for the Mediterranean;
Amendment 72 #
2011/2179(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the involved Member States to encourage the cooperative spirit that has emerged during the drafting of the present report, and urges the future Cypriot Presidency of the EU to support this project; highlights moreover the importance of inter-governmental and inter-regional cooperation in the development of a macro-regional strategy;
Amendment 90 #
2011/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Deplores the fact that hesitation in the management of the crisis by the Commission and the Member States, particularly in those lacking reforms, has triggered the ECB’s position against restructuring of Greece’s debtneed to take additional measures;
Amendment 166 #
2011/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses the need for a single European minister of Finance in order to coordinate a basic common fiscal and economic policy that could enhance the effectiveness of the euro and the single market; believes that the democratic legitimacy of such a proposal must adequately be addressed; notes in this sense that in a monetary union, fiscal policy does not only concern the Member States and that the present crisis has shown the limits of 100% decentralised fiscal policies; stresses the importance of an adequate EU budget so that the European Union has the necessary resources to meet current challenges and the conditions that have developed on the markets;
Amendment 174 #
2011/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the need for a single European Treasury to relieve the ECB off its quasi- fiscal role; until that is the case, suggests increasing the resources and flexibility of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) and confining more tasks to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM); regrets that, as it stands, the ESM will not operate under Community rules and did not acquire the right to purchase government bonds on the secondary market as this would have meant a relief for the ECB in the current circumstances;
Amendment 4 #
2011/2116(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the potential of the SCE for promoting gender equality through the implementation of policies and programmes, training and education and decent work at various levels; stresses, further, that some aspects of cooperative work provide flexibility that makes it easier to reconcile family and professional life;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2116(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Regrets the present limited number of SCEs; calls on the Commission to pay more particular attention to the problems encountered in setting up SCEs and calls for a targeted, effective and comprehensive communication and information campaign on the SCE for the various stakeholders, focusing on local, regional, national and European information for women;
Amendment 7 #
2011/2116(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to deliver a study presenting updated, comparable, gender-disaggregated data in order to make available better knowledge of female participation rates in cooperatives in the EU, including managerial positions, and the impact of cooperatives on fostering gender equality on the labour market; calls, further, for contacts to be established between SCEs with a view to setting up networks that will encourage exchanges of good practice with the aim of promoting increased female participation; calls on the Commission, in this connection, to boost communication between the various SCE contact points in the Member States;
Amendment 9 #
2011/2116(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that some Member States still do not comply with Directive 2003/72/EC in terms of promoting gender balance in the method used for electing or appointingto nominate, appoint or elect the members of the special negotiating body (SNB) of the SCE; calls on the Commission to compile comprehensive current data on female representation in SCEs and SNBs and to identify obstacles to the effective promotion of gender balance within SCEs and SNBs;
Amendment 13 #
2011/2116(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to take account of the importance of entrepreneurship in the social economy and the gender perspective when monitoring the correct implementation of the Directive, as well as in the future revision of the SCE regulation; calls on the Commission, further, to adopt guidelines for the promotion and development of women in female cooperatives and special negotiating bodies;
Amendment 9 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that regional policy has a consolidated methodology for an integrated approach and a well-designed guidance system for mobilising investments on the ground which could support economic coordinationthe effectiveness of economic policies in an appropriate manner;
Amendment 16 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that the national goals are not ambitious, that an excessive importance has been given to short-term results and that, in most areas, the EU isEU Member States are still far from attaining the EU key goals agreed by the European Council;
Amendment 18 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the important role played by regional policy in the development of national programmes within the framework of the European Semester, notably by setting targets and determining actions to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 20 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Emphasizes the role of cohesion policy in implementing European development objectives and in ensuring budgetary discipline; supports in this context the multi-level decision-making process, and multi-level responsibility for budgetary discipline;
Amendment 22 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that giving the Europe 2020 strategy more of a territorial dimension – taking into account the particularities and different development levels of European regions – and directly involving regional and local authorities and partners in the planning and implementation of relevant programmes would lead to a greater feeling of responsibility for the goals of the strategy at all levels and would ensure a greater awareness on the ground of its objectives and resultcontribution by local and regional authorities to the effectiveness of national policies;
Amendment 25 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Member States to involve national parliaments, social partners, regional and local authorities and civil society more closely in the formation of national reform, development and cohesion programmes, and to consult them regularly.
Amendment 28 #
2011/2071(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights the important role the Committee of the Regions could play in evaluating and intensifying the European Semester, particularly given its enhanced institutional role under the Lisbon Treaty.
Amendment 109 #
2011/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Points out the important disparities between the key cities and the rest of the country, particularly in the Kurdish minority areas, in the field of education of women as well as participation of women to the economy in general, but also in decision-making bodies; Stresses the need to take these disparities into account and to formulate policies accordingly in order to minimise this gap, by achieving higher levels of economic, social and political participation outside urban areas; Insists on the advantages of adopting relevant legislation and implementing an efficient mentoring system between women of all regions;
Amendment 127 #
2011/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Notes that if Turkey wishes to play a role as a model for the Arab spring countries, it should continue its reforms with determination and guarantee the implementation of the legislation voted; reminds that Turkey should achieve visible and concrete results in the application of the principle of equality and the respect of women’s rights;
Amendment 48 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas, however, a significant threshold effect exists between regions with comparable levels of development but benefiting from very different levels of aid – growth regions exceeding the threshold of 75% of average per capita GDP for the EU in receipt of more financial support than stagnating regions above that threshold – and whereas this represents a real problem in terms of fairness between Europe’s regions,
Amendment 94 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the special needs of regions particularly disadvantaged by virtue of their geographical situation or natural environment; reiterates its call for special forms of preference to continue to apply in respect of those types of region, mentioned in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which are particularly disadvantaged (outermost regions, northernmost regions with very low population density and island, mountain and cross-border regions) through more favourable terms for investments in these regions, either by direct assistance or by tax exemptions;
Amendment 138 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Sees macroregional strategies as affording a major opportunity to harness forms of trans-regional potential and adopt a joint approach to challenges stemming from the natural environment, e.g. in relation to environmental protection and the use of resources and development capacities; considers that better coordination of existing support mechanisms can create scope for more targeted use of the EU Structural Funds;
Amendment 156 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Doubts whether specific operational programmes for functional geographical entities such as metropolitan regions or sea or river basins will yield additional benefits; is particularly aware, in relation to such programmes, of the absence of political bodies (including democratically elected bodies) with a sufficiently wide- ranging remit to implement them; calls instead for closer coordination of macroregional or natural- and economic- environment strategies at inter- governmental levels;
Amendment 184 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises that structural and cohesion policy must not be biased towards specific types of region; calls for urban- rural partnerships to be seen in their broader socio-al, economic and environmental context;
Amendment 189 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 224 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 α (new)
Paragraph 16 α (new)
16 α. Encourages the application of the principle of the Transport Equivalent by means of ERDF resources and also national resources, given the added value of such measures in strengthening regional convergence, territorial cohesion and development activities such as tourism, which are important for remote regions, such as island regions;
Amendment 260 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for a dependable and appropriate phasing-out arrangement for areas formerly eligible for maximum support underthe creation of a new intermediate category for regions with per capita GDP between 75% and 90% of the EU average, in order to resolve political problems (unequal treatment of regions in spite of their similar situations) and practical problems (difficulty of managing degressive funding) linked to the current phasing-out arrangement; considers that the creation of such a category will be made possible by the fact that a large number of regions have passed the threshold of 75% of the EU average per capita GDP and will thus automatically cease to be covered by the convergence objective; stresses that this change to the architecture of the cohesion policy should neither penalise regions currently benefiting from the Cconvergence objective (convergence regions)and the competitiveness objective, nor lead to an increase in the cohesion policy budget; considers that this new category will make it possible to strengthen the justice and solidarity which are the fundamental principles of the cohesion policy;
Amendment 277 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 392 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Incentives, conditionality, a focus on needs and results, co-financing and financing options,
Amendment 414 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a stronger focus on needs and results, to be achieved through the ex-ante establishment of appropriate objectives and indicators; stresses that such indicators must be few in number, that they must all be clearly defined, measurable and related directly to the impact of the funding, and that they should be established by agreement with the regions/Member States;
Amendment 422 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Considers that the indicators determining regional subsidies from the structural funds and the Cohesion Fund must be based on Eurostat’s most recent statistical data, so as to take full account of the impact of the crisis on the regions in economic and social terms;
Amendment 474 #
2011/2035(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46a. Takes the view that cohesion policy must focus on support for small and medium-sized enterprises, giving them greater access to funding, in view of the obvious advantages of job creation in terms of growth; calls on the Commission to take full advantage of the ‘Small Business Act’ initiative;
Amendment 44 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) In order to guarantee the opening up to competition of procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors, provisions should be drawn up coordinating procurement procedures in respect of contracts above a certain value. Such coordination is needed to ensure the effect of the principles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in particular the free movement of goods, the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services as well as the principles deriving therefrom, such as equal treatment, non-discrimination, mutual recognition, proportionality and transparency. In view of the nature of the sectors affected by such coordination, the latter should, while safeguarding the application of those principles, establish a framework for sound commercial practice and should allow maximum flexibility at every level of the public procurement procedure, particularly favouring small and medium-sized enterprises.
Amendment 45 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Public procurement plays a key role in the Europe 2020 strategy as one of the market-based instruments to be used to achieve a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth while ensuring the most efficient use of public funds. For that purpose, the current public procurement rules adopted pursuant to Directive 2004/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts have to be revised and modernised in order to increase the efficiency of public spending, facilitating in particular the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement procedures and to enable procurers to make better use of public procurement in support of common societal goals. There is also a need to clarify basic notions and concepts to ensure transparency, fairness and better legal certainty, and to incorporate certain aspects of related well-established case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Amendment 48 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Research and innovation, including eco-innovation and social innovation, are among the main drivers of future growth and have been put at the centre of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Contracting entities should make the best strategic use of public procurement to spur innovationresearch and innovation, particularly at regional and local level. Buying innovative goods and services plays a key role in improving the efficiency and quality of public services while addressing major societal challenges. It contributes to achieving best value for money as well as wider economic, environmental and societal benefits in terms of generating new ideas, translating them into innovative products and services and thus promoting sustainable economic growth. This directive should contribute to facilitating procurement of innovation and help Member States in achieving the Innovation Union targets. A specific procurement procedure should therefore be provided for which allows contracting entities to establish a long-term innovation partnership for the development and subsequent purchase of a new, innovative product, service or works provided it can be delivered to agreed performance levels and costs. The partnership should be structured in such a way that it can provide the necessary “market-pull” incentivising the development of an innovative solution without foreclosing the market.
Amendment 49 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) Electronic means of information and communication in particular can greatly simplify the publication of contracts and increase the efficiency and transparency of procurement processes by reducing obstructive regulatory complexity. They should become the standard means of communication and information exchange in procurement procedures. The use of electronic means also leads to time savings. As a result, provision should be made for reducing the minimum periods where electronic means are used, subject, however, to the condition that they are compatible with the specific mode of transmission envisaged at Union level. Moreover, electronic means of information and communication including adequate functionalities can enable contracting authorities to prevent, detect and correct errors that occur during procurement procedures.
Amendment 50 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) There is a strong trend emerging across Union public procurement markets towards the aggregation of demand by public purchasers, with a view to obtaining economies of scale, including lower prices and transaction costs, and to improving and professionalising procurement management. This can be achieved by concentrating purchases either by the number of contracting entities involved or by volume and value over time. However, the aggregation and centralisation of purchases should be carefully monitored in order to avoid excessive concentration of purchasing power and collusion, and to preserve transparency and competition, as well as to enhance market access opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises by encouraging greater flexibility and suppleness in public procurement procedures.
Amendment 53 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 43
Recital 43
(43) Contracts should be awarded on the basis of objective criteria that ensure compliance with the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and equal treatment. Those criteria should guarantee that tenders are assessed in conditions of effective competition, also where contracting entities require high-quality works, supplies and services that are optimally suited to their needs. As a result, contracting entities should be allowed to adopt as award criteria either "the most economically advantageous tender" or "the lowest cost", taking into account that in the latter case they are free to set adequate quality standards by using technical specifications or contract performance conditions, in line with the principle of cost-effectiveness and adequate quality.
Amendment 54 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 44
Recital 44
(44) Where contracting entities choose to award a contract to the most economically advantageous tender, they must determine the award criteria on the basis of which they will assess tenders in order to identify which one offers the best value for money. The determination of those criteria depends on the subject-matter of the contract, since they must allow the level of performance offered by each tender to be assessed in the light of the subject-matter of the contract, as defined in the technical specifications, and the value for money of each tender to be measured. Furthermore, the chosen award criteria should not confer an unrestricted freedom of choice on the contracting entity and they should ensure the possibility of effective competition and be accompanied by requirements that allow the information provided by the tenderers to be effectively verified.
Amendment 55 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) Those sector-specific measures must be complemented by an adaptation of the public procurement Directives empowering contracting entities to pursue the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy in their purchasing strategies. It should hence be made clear that contracting entities can determine the most economically advantageous tender and the lowest cost, in line with the principle of cost-effectiveness and adequate quality, using a life-cycle costing approach, provided that the methodology to be used is established in an objective and non- discriminatory manner and accessible to all interested parties. The notion of life-cycle costing includes all costs over the life- cycle of a works, supplies or services, both their internal costs (such as development, production, use, maintenance and end-of- life disposal costs) and their external costs, provided they can be monetised and monitored. Common methodologies should be developed at the level of the Union for the calculation of life-cycle costs for specific categories of supplies or services; whenever such a methodology is developed its use should be made compulsory.
Amendment 57 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 59
Recital 59
(59) Not all contracting entities, and particularly local authorities, may have the internal expertise to deal with economically or technically complex contracts. Against this background, appropriate professional support would be an effective complement to monitoring and control activities. On the one hand, this objective can be achieved by knowledge sharing tools (knowledge centres) offering technical assistance to contracting entauthorities; on the other hand, business, not least SMEs, should benefit from administrative assistance, in particular when participating in procurement procedures on a cross- border basis.
Amendment 59 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 60
Recital 60
(60) Monitoring, oversight and support structures or mechanisms exist already at national level and can of course be used to ensure monitoring, implementation and control of public procurement and to provide the required support at all stages of the public procurement process to contracting entities, and economicparticularly local and regional authorities, and to economic operators, and particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, operators.
Amendment 97 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Without prejudice to national laws, regulations or administrative provisions concerning the remuneration of certain services, the criteriaon on which contracting entauthorities shall base the award of public contracts shall be one of the following:the most economically advantageous tender;
Amendment 99 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Amendment 101 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Amendment 102 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Costs mayshall be assessed, at the choice of by the contracting entity, on the basis of the price only or using a cost-effectiveness approach, such as a life-cycle costing approach, under the conditions set out in Article 77.
Amendment 104 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 76 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The most economically advantageous tender referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1) from the point of view of the contracting entity shall be identified on the basis of criteria linked to the subject-matter of the contract in question. Price shall be the decisive award criterion in the case of highly standardised products and services. Other criteria may include:
Amendment 105 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – introductory part
Article 76 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – introductory part
Amendment 106 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 3
Article 76 – paragraph 3
3. Member States may provide that the award of certain types of contracts shall be based on the most economically advantageous tender referred to in point (a) ofand the principle of cost-effectiveness and adequate quality, in line with the arrangements set out in paragraph 1 and in paragraph 2.
Amendment 107 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 76 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
Article 76 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
In the case referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1, the contracting entity shall specify the relative weighting which it gives to each of the criteria chosen to determine the most economically advantageous tender.
Amendment 131 #
2011/0439(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 96 – paragraph 1
Article 96 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall make available technical support structures in order to provide legal and economic advice, guidance and assistance to contracting entities in preparing and carrying out procurement procedures. Member States shall also ensure that each contracting entity can obtain competent assistance and advice on individual questions. Special attention and increased support should be provided in this respect to local authorities, and particularly to small local authorities.
Amendment 39 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union provides that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, freedom, non-discrimination, freedom of religion, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.
Amendment 48 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Democracy and human rights are inextricably linked, as recalled in the Council Conclusions of 18 November 2009, on democracy support in the EU’s external relations. The fundamental freedoms of expression and associationthought, conscience and religion, expression and information, art and science, assembly and association, profession and trade are the preconditions for political pluralism and, democratic processes and an open society, whereas democratic control and separation of powers are essential to sustain an independent judiciary and the rule of law which in turn are required for effective protection of human rights.
Amendment 57 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The task of building and sustaining a culture of human rights and making democracy work for citizens, though especially urgent and difficult in emerging democracies, is essentially a continuous challenge, belonging first and foremost to the people of the country concerned but without diminishing the commitment of the international community. It also requires a range of institutions, in particular national democratic parliaments and religious authorities that should ensure participation, representation, responsiveness and accountability.
Amendment 65 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Union assistance under this Regulation is designed to complement the various other tools for implementing of Union policies on democracy and human rights, which range from political dialogue and diplomatic demarches to various instruments for financial and technical cooperation, including both geographic and thematic programmes. It will also complement the more crisis-related actions and actions targeted at the groups or minorities affected by crises under the Instrument for Stability.
Amendment 79 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Furthermore, whilst democracy and human rights objectives must be increasingly mainstreamed in all external assistance financing instruments, Union assistance under this Regulation will have a specific complementary and additional role by virtue of its global nature, and its independence of action from the consent of third country governments and other public authorities. This will allow for cooperation with civil society on sensitive human rights and democracy issues possible, providing the flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. It should or crisis situations. It will also provide Union capacity to articulate and support specific objectives and measures at international level which are neither geographically linked nor crisis related and which may require a transnational approach or involve operations both within the Union and in a range of third countries. Moreover, it will provide the necessary framework for operations, such as support for independent European Union election observation missions requiring policy coherence, a unified management system and common operating standards.
Amendment 83 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Union will pay particular attention to countries and urgency situations where human rights and fundamental freedoms are most at risk and where disrespect for these rights and freedoms is particularly pronounced and systematic. In such situations, the political priorities will be to promote respect for the relevant international laws, to provide tangible support and means of action to local or regional civil society and to contribute to its work, carried out in very difficult circumstances. In conflict situations, the Union will promote the compliance of all warring parties with their legal obligations under international humanitarian law, in accordance with the relevant Union guidelines.
Amendment 93 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) enhancing the respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international and regional human rights instruments, and strengthening their protection, promotion and monitoring, through the creation and proper functioning of government structures for this purpose, and mainly through support to relevant civil society organisations, human rights defenders and victims of repression and abuse or violence;
Amendment 97 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) supporting and consolidating democratic reforms in third countries, by adopting appropriate legislation and enhancing participatory and representative democracy, strengthening the overall democratic cycle and the rule of law, and improving the reliability of electoral processes, in particular by means of election observation missions.
Amendment 107 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) promoting freedom of association and assembly, unhindered movement of persons, freedom of opinion and expression, religious belief and practice, including artistic and cultural expression, free press and independent pluralistic media, both traditional and ICT based, internet freedom and measures to combat administrative obstacles to the exercise of these freedoms, including the fight against censorship;·
Amendment 111 #
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 their implementation, and promoting access to justice;
Amendment 132 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b – point v
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b – point v
(v) the rights of indigenous peoples and the rights of persons belonging to minorities and ethnic or religious or other groups;
Amendment 139 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b – point x
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b – point x
(x) education, training targeted at state functions and civil society, and monitoring in the area of human rights and democracy, and in the area covered by point (vii);·
Amendment 141 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
(i) providing support for international and regional instruments concern, in particular civil society initiatives or actions upholding human rights, justice, the rule of law and democracy;
Amendment 164 #
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, migrants and expatriate workers, rights of persons with disabilities, and principles such as empowerment, participation, non- discrimination of vulnerable or minority groups and accountability shall be taken into account whenever relevant for all assistance measures referred to in this Regulation.
Amendment 170 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) Special Measures and Instruments.
Amendment 171 #
2011/0412(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Strategy papers shall set out the priority areas selected for financing by the Union during the period of validity of this Regulation, the specific objectives, the bodies and instruments, the expected results and the performance indicators. They shall also give the indicative financial allocation, both overall and per priority area; this may be given in the form of a range, where appropriate.
Amendment 11 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The Union seeks to promote, develop and consolidate the values of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, principles of equality and diversity, particularly equality between men and women and the rule of law on which it is founded through dialogue and cooperation with third countries.
Amendment 13 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) Women in the partner countries face particular problems and discrimination in both the labour market and the private and public life.
Amendment 14 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Under the European Neighbourhood Policy, the Union offers Neighbourhood countries a privileged relationship, building upon a mutual commitment to and promotion of the values of democracy and, equality between men and women, human rights, the rule of law, good governance and the principles of market economy and sustainable development.
Amendment 19 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) Given the changes that have taken place around the Mediterranean since the Arab Spring, there is a need for an integrated Euro-Mediterranean policy, particularly with a view to encouraging investment, boosting growth and employment and ensuring balanced regional development both north and south of the Mediterranean.
Amendment 19 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Gender equality and anti- discrimination should be a cross-cutting objective in all actions and policies undertaken under this Regulation. The place and the role of women should be also promoted through special measures and programmes.
Amendment 21 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The Union and its Member States should improve the coherence, effectiveness and the complementarity of their respective policies on cooperation with neighbouring countries. To ensure that the Union's cooperation and that of the Member States complement and reinforce each other, particularly in fields such as energy, transport, education and research, it is appropriate to provide for joint programming and financing, which should be implemented whenever possible and relevant.
Amendment 25 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) creating conditions for well managed mobility of people and promotion of people-to-people contacts; in this context, the development of the Euro- Mediterranean University (EMUNI University) should be promoted, and academic and student exchanges should be encouraged. Emphasis should also be placed on the key role of cooperation between municipalities and social-partner bodies in the EU and neighbouring countries, such as that involving the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM);
Amendment 25 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Civil society organisations have a key role to play in improving governance and shaping the future of the good neighbourliness, in collaboration with national parliaments. Women and young people should effectively be involved and contribute to this direction.
Amendment 26 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) promoting human rights and particularly promotion of women's rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, principles of equality, and diversity, the equality between men and women establishing deep and sustainable democracy, promoting good governance and developing a thriving civil society including social partners;
Amendment 28 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) enhancing sub-regional, regional and Neighbourhood -wide collaboration as well as Cross-Border- Cooperation.; it is especially important to develop the Trans- European Networks, transport infrastructure and, in particular, the ‘Motorways of the Sea’, with a view to increasing trade and facilitating mobility between European and neighbouring regions;
Amendment 29 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
(fa) encouraging the establishment of synergies and strengthening coordination among the various Pre-Accession Facility and Neighbourhood Policy funds and programmes.
Amendment 29 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) sustainable and inclusive development in all aspects, poverty reduction, including through private-sector development; promotion of internal economic, social and territorial cohesion, rural development, climate action, equality between men and women and disaster resilience;
Amendment 32 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Gender equality and anti- discrimination is a cross-cutting objective in all actions and policies undertaken under this Regulation. For that reason and to respond to such challenges, the rights and the role of women shall be promoted through special measures and programmes.
Amendment 36 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. In view of the large changes of the Arab Spring in the partner countries of the Southern Mediterranean and the role that women could play to the democratic efforts, special programmes and funding for the promotion of women's participation are needed.
Amendment 40 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17
Article 17
Without prejudice to the provisions on the suspension of aid in partnership and cooperation agreements and association agreements with partner countries and regions, where a partner country fails to observe the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, equality between men and women and fundamental freedoms, the Union shall invite the country concerned to hold consultations in view of finding a solution acceptable to both parties, except in cases of special urgency. Where consultation with the country concerned does not lead to a solution acceptable to both parties, or if consultations are refused or in case of special urgency, the Council may take appropriate measures in accordance with Article 215(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which may include full or partial suspension of Union support.
Amendment 112 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) In view of the changes under way in the southern neighbourhood, an integrated Euro-Mediterranean policy is needed in order to ensure economic and social convergence between the two sides of the Mediterranean.
Amendment 69 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) The aim of this Regulation is to put in place further European mechanisms for the coordination and surveillance of Member States budgetary and economic policies. Nevertheless, prudence should be shown in all steps of the way, and for this reason, no matters related to the Member States debt issuance plans, the renewal of outstanding debt and other relevant operations should be made public, and they should be used for internal coordination only. This arises from the potential risk that a Member State may be subject to by making its financial needs known in advance to the financial markets.
Amendment 74 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) The common budgetary plan timeline must be, at its most, coherent with the Member States budgetary timeframe. If not a Commission opinion regarding the draft budgetary plans has the potential risk of lacking democratic legitimacy in the national parliaments.
Amendment 98 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) In the context of better coordination and ex ante discussion among Member States of any major economic and fiscal policy reform plans with potential spill- over effects, the Commission should put forward a report, and if necessary a proposal, to the European Parliament and the to Council, with a detailed plan of how will such coordination operate, in what format will the discussions take place, which are the policies contemplated, and what will be the political consequences to the Member States and national parliaments of decisions that may come out of such coordination and ex ante discussion; such Commission opinion shall, at least, incorporate this coordination with the European Semester framework.
Amendment 115 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) This Regulation will be followed by a proposal from the Commission to set in place a European redemption fund such as that proposed by the German council of economic experts or other proposals that follow the same line as well as a roadmap to joint management of sovereign debt issuance.
Amendment 173 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. The draft budgetary plan guidelines, to be adopted by delegated act, shall not create an excessive extra burden to Member States governments; their content and rules shall be designed in a simple and easy way to comply with.
Amendment 191 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
All related issues with the annual debt issuance plan of the Member States, such as financial needs, renewal of outstanding debt or others, shall not be made public and be used only for coordination within the euro area.
Amendment 283 #
2011/0386(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 a (new)
Article 11 a (new)
Article 11a Commission report Three months upon entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission shall put forward a report, and if necessary a proposal, to the European Parliament and to the Council, with a detailed plan of how coordination and ex ante discussion among Member States of any major economic and fiscal policy reform plans with potential spill-over effects operate, in what format will the discussions take place, which are the policies contemplated, and what will be the political consequences to the Member States and national parliaments of decisions that may come out of such coordination and ex ante discussion.
Amendment 570 #
2011/0371(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – point c – point ii a (new)
Article 10 – point c – point ii a (new)
(iia) the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI University).
Amendment 30 #
2011/0302(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) On 28 March 2011, the Commission adopted the White Paper ''A Roadmap to a Single Transport Area ― Towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport system''. The White Paper aims at reducing by at least 60% the greenhouse gas emissions (''GHG'') of the transport sector by 2050 with respect to 1990. As far as infrastructure is concerned, the White Paper aims at establishing a fully functional and Union-wide multimodal TEN-T ‘core network’ by 2030. The White Paper also aims at optimising the performance of multimodal logistic chains, including by making greater use of more energy-efficient modes. Therefore, it sets the following relevant targets for TEN-T policy: 30% of road freight over 300 km should shift to other modes by 2030, and more than 50% by 2050; the length of the existing high-speed rail network should triple by 2030 and by 2050 the majority of medium-distance passenger transport should go by rail; by 2050, all core network airports should be connected to the rail network; all seaports, including those in outlying areas, to the rail freight and, where possible, to the inland waterway system., particularly in the light of the increase in trade and ease of mobility between regions;
Amendment 58 #
2011/0302(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) a)contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by developing modern and high performing trans-European networks, thus bringing forward benefits for the entire European Union in terms of competitiveness and economic, social and territorial cohesion within the Single Market and creating an environment more conducive to private and public investment through a combination of financial instruments and Union direct support and by exploiting synergies across the sectors. The achievement of this objective will be measured by the volume of public and private investment in projects of common interest, and in particular the volume of public and private investments in projects of common interest realised through the financial instruments under this Regulation and in conjunction with other financial resources.
Amendment 62 #
2011/0302(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) removing bottlenecks and bridging missing links, particularly in order to cover mountainous and island regions and regions with low population density, to be measured by the number of new and improved cross-border connections and removed bottlenecks on transport routes which have benefited from the CEF;
Amendment 73 #
2011/0302(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
(i) accelerating the deployment of fast and ultrafast broadband networks in and between all regions of the EU and their uptake, including by small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs), to be measured by the level of broadband and ultrafast broadband coverage and the number of households having subscribed for broadband connections for above 100 Mbps;
Amendment 104 #
2011/0302(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b – point ii
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b – point ii
(ii) inland transport connections to ports and airports, actions to reduce rail freight noise by retrofitting of existing rolling stock, as well as development of ports in all regions and multi-modal platforms: the amount of Union financial aid shall not exceed 20% of the eligible cost.
Amendment 125 #
2011/0302(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – point b – point iii
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – point b – point iii
(iii) inland transport connections to ports and airports, development of multi-modal platforms and of ports; in all regions of the EU;
Amendment 15 #
2011/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) Union financing is required to encourage approved operator organisations to draw up work programmes for the purpose of improving the production quality of olive oil and table olives, particularly in respect of those regions in countries in the southern part of the EU which specialise in olive production. In that context, this Regulation should provide for Union support to be allocated in accordance with the priorities given to the activities undertaken within the respective work programmes. However, the activities concerned should be limited to the most useful and co-financing should be introduced in order to improve the quality of such programmes.
Amendment 16 #
2011/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 37
Recital 37
(37) In regions where the organisation of production in the fruit and vegetables sector is weak, and particularly in mountainous areas, islands or regions in countries in the southern part of the EU, which are particularly affected by climatic hazards such as droughts, granting of additional national financial contributions should be allowed. In case of Member States which are at a particular disadvantage with regard to structures and affected by the current social and economic crisis, such contributions should be reimbursed by the Union.
Amendment 17 #
2011/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 44
Recital 44
(44) Beekeeping is characterised by the diversity of production conditions and yields and the dispersion and variety of economic operators, both at the production and marketing stages. Moreover, in view of the spread of varroasis in several Member States in recent years and the problems which that disease causes to honey production, action by the Union continues to be necessary as varroasis cannot be completely eradicated and is to be treated with approved products. Given such circumstances and in order to improve the production and marketing of apiculture products in the Union, national programmes for the sector should be drawn up every three years with a view to improving the general conditions for the production and marketing of apiculture products. Those national programmes shouldmust be partly financed by the Union.
Amendment 33 #
2011/0281(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 160, where necessary in order to provide for market transparency to lay down the conditions under which it may decide to grant private storage aid for the products listed in Article 16, taking into account average recorded Union market prices and the reference prices for the products concerned or the need to respond to a particularly difficult and restrictive market situation, or to economic developments in the sectorand situations significantly affecting production and marketing in the sector in EU regions, in one or more Member States.
Amendment 39 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 57
Recital 57
(57) It is necessary to fix the limits of those resources for the 'Investment for growth and jobs' goal and to adopt objective criteria for their allocation to regions and Member States. In order to encourage the necessary acceleration of development of infrastructure in transport and energy as well as information and communication technologies across the Union, a Connecting Europe Facility should be created. The allocation of the annual appropriations from the Funds and the amounts transferred from the Cohesion Fund to the Connecting Europe Facility to a Member State should be limited to a ceiling that would be fixed taking into account the capacity of that particular Member State to absorb these appropriations. In addition, in line with the headline target on poverty reduction, it is necessary to reorient the scheme for food support for the most deprived persons by social group and gender to promote social inclusion and the harmonious development of the Union. A mechanism is envisaged which transfers resources to this instrument and ensures that these will be constituted from ESF allocations through an implicit corresponding decrease of the minimum percentage of the Structural Funds to be allocated to the ESF in each country.
Amendment 50 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
The Member States and the Commission shall ensure that equality between men and women and the integration of gender perspective is promoted in the preparation and implementation of programmes and in evaluating and reporting on them.
Amendment 55 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
The Member States and the Commission shall take appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation during the preparation and implementation of programmes. All data must be analysed by gender wherever possible.
Amendment 58 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point 8
8) promoting employment and supporting labour mobility and combating discrimination;
Amendment 62 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point 9
9) promoting social inclusion and combating poverty, social inequalities and discrimination based on gender
Amendment 71 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1
1. Each programme shall set out a strategy for the programme's contribution to the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth consistent with the Common Strategic Framework and Partnership Contract. Each programme shall include the arrangements to ensure effective, efficient and coordinated implementation of the CSF Funds and actions to achieve a reduction of administrative burden for beneficiaries. All data must be analysed by gender wherever possible.
Amendment 72 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 3 – point (c) (a)(new)
Article 24 – paragraph 3 – point (c) (a)(new)
(c)(a) indicators related to the gender dimension with regard to participation in the programmes and the impact of the Structural Funds.
Amendment 76 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 30 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Member States shall define the respective roles of the local action group and the authorities responsible for the implementation of the relevant programmes, for all implementation tasks relating to the strategy. Particular attention must be given to the balanced participation of men and women in local action groups and related procedures.
Amendment 78 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 2
Article 32 – paragraph 2
2. Final recipients supported by financial instruments may also receive grants or other assistance from a programme or from another instrument supported by the budget of the Union. In this case, separate records must be maintained for each source of financing. Particular financial care and technical assistance must be given to actions carried out by women.
Amendment 81 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The monitoring committee of a programme under the European territorial cooperation goal shall also include representatives of any third country participating in that programme. In deciding on the composition of the monitoring committee, account shall be taken of the principle of equality between men and women.
Amendment 83 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 44 – paragraph 2
Article 44 – paragraph 2
2. Annual implementation reports shall set out information on implementation of the programme and its priorities by reference to the financial data, common and programme-specific indicators which should take into account the gender dimension, and quantified target values, including changes in result indicators, and the milestones defined in the performance framework. The data transmitted shall relate to values for indicators for fully implemented operations and also for selected operations. They shall also set out actions taken to fulfil the ex ante conditionalities and any issues which affect the performance of the programme, and the corrective measures taken.
Amendment 84 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 51 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point f
Article 51 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point f
f) actions to disseminate information, support networking, carry out communication activities, raise awareness and promote cooperation and exchange of experience, including with third countries. To bring about greater efficiency in communication to the public at large and stronger synergies between the communication activities undertaken at the initiative of the Commission, the resources allocated to communication actions under this Regulation shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the European Union as far as they are related to the general objectives of this Regulation; Since, according to research, women have less access to information than men, particular emphasis shall be given to women's access to information at national and European level;
Amendment 93 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 107 – paragraph 4
Article 107 – paragraph 4
4. Union networks comprising the members designated by the Member States and the managing authorities shall be set up by the Commission to ensure exchange on the results of the implementation of the communication strategies, the exchange of experience in implementing the information and communication measures, and the exchange of good practices. It is important in the Union networks to ensure the balanced participation of men and women.
Amendment 173 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Article 174 of the Treaty provides that, in order to strengthen its economic, social and territorial cohesion, the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions or islands, particular. Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as island regions. Article 175 of the Treaty requires that the Union would support the achievement of these objectives by action it takes through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section, the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the European Investment Bank and other instruments.
Amendment 237 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
Amendment 1199 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Part 3 – article 82 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Part 3 – article 82 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
The three categories of regions are determined on the basis of how their GDP per capita, measured in purchasing power parities and calculated on the basis of Union figures for the period 2006 to 2008, relates to the average GDP of the EU-27 for the same reference period. Then, a reassessment of the list of eligible regions in the different categories above must be carried out in order to take account of the reduction in average GDP per capita in these regions following the economic and financial crisis. The regions whose average GDP per capita was most affected by the recession will benefit from an additional fund responding to their new situation.
Amendment 1205 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Part 3 – article 82 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Part 3 – article 82 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
The Cohesion Fund shall support those Member States whose gross national income (GNI) per capita, measured in purchasing power parities and calculated on the basis of Union figures for the period 2007 to 20109, is less than 90 % of the average GNI per capita of the EU-27 for the same reference period.
Amendment 1271 #
2011/0276(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Part 3 – article 84 – paragraph 2 – point c bis (new)
Part 3 – article 84 – paragraph 2 – point c bis (new)
(c)a extent of regions with severe and permanent natural, geographical or demographic handicaps as mentioned in Article 174 of the Treaty
Amendment 127 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
The ERDF shall contribute to the financing of support which aims to reinforce economic, social and territorial cohesion by redressing the main regional imbalances through support for the development and structural adjustment of regional economies, including the conversion of declining industrial regions and regions lagging behind and by taking account of the particular features of regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, outermost, cross-border and mountain regions.
Amendment 159 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) investments in the development of social housing as well as in social, health and educational infrastructure accessible to as many people as possible;
Amendment 461 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c
(c) supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy use in public infrastructures and in the public and private housing sector;
Amendment 593 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point d a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point d a (new)
(da) developing transport systems to provide better access to islands and an equivalent transport system for island regions and the outermost regions to guarantee sustainable and affordable means of transport and mobility;
Amendment 630 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 9 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 9 – point a
(a) investing in health and social infrastructure which contribute to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, and transition from institutional to community- based services in the interest of all categories of society;
Amendment 642 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 9 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point 9 – point b
(b) support for physical and economic regeneration of deprived urban and rural communities, in particular with regard to the social inclusion of the most deprived;
Amendment 675 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. The ERDF shall support, within operational programmes, sustainable and inclusive urban development through strategies setting out integrated actions to tackle the economic, environmental, climateic and social challenges affecting urban areas, particularly in the context of the economic crisis.
Amendment 688 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Each Member State shall establish in its Partnership Contract a list of cities where integrated actions for sustainable and inclusive urban development are to be implemented and an indicative annual allocation for these actions at national level.
Amendment 731 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
(b) the existence of a strategy for integrated actions involving both representatives of civil society and local authorities, to tackle the economic, environmental, climate and social challenges affecting urban areas.
Amendment 732 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b a (new)
(b b) the promotion of specific and innovative actions involving all key players, such as local authority representatives and non-governmental organisations, with the aim of dealing with homelessness in urban areas;
Amendment 739 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. At the initiative of the Commission, the ERDF may support innovative actions in the field of sustainable and inclusive urban development, subject to a ceiling of 0,2.2 % of the total annual ERDF allocation. They shall include studies and pilot projects to identify or test new solutions to issues relating to sustainable urban development which are of relevance at Union level.
Amendment 750 #
2011/0275(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF covering areas with severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions, referred to in Article 111(4) of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR] shall pay particular attention to addressing the specific difficulties of those areas.
Amendment 61 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Cross-border cooperation should aim to tackle common challenges identified jointly in the border regions (such as poor accessibility, particularly for island regions and the lack of effective transport networks, inappropriate business environment, lack of networks among local and regional administrations, research and innovation and take-up of information and communication technologies, environmental pollution, risk prevention, negative attitudes towards neighbouring country citizens) and exploit the untapped potentials in the border area (development of cross-border research and innovation facilities and clusters, cross-border labour market integration, cooperation among universities or health centres), while enhancing the cooperation process for the purpose of the overall harmonious development of the Union. In the case of any cross-border programme between Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland in support of peace and reconciliation, the ERDF shall also contribute to promoting social and economic stability in the regions concerned, notably by actions to promote cohesion between communities.
Amendment 77 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) It is necessary to fix the resources allocated to each of the different components of the European territorial cooperation goal, while maintaining a significant concentration on cross-border cooperation and securing sufficient funding levels for island regions’ and outermost regions' cooperation.
Amendment 101 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
2) transnational cooperation over larger transnational territories, involving national, regional and local authorities and also covering maritime cross-border cooperation in cases not covered by cross- border cooperation, with a view to achieving a higher degree of territorial integrat ion of those territories, thus contributing to territorial cohesion across the Union; to this end, special attention must be given to island regions.
Amendment 115 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
For cross-border cooperation, the regions to be supported shall be the NUTS level 3 regions of the Union along all internal and external land borders other than those covered by programmes under the external financial instruments of the Union, and all NUTS level 3 regions of the Union along maritime borders separated by a maximum of 150 km, without prejudice to potential adjustments needed to ensure the coherence and continuity of cooperation programme areas established for the 2007- 2013 programming period.
Amendment 269 #
2011/0273(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c – point ii
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c – point ii
ii) where appropriate, a planned inte grated approach to the territorial development of urban, rural, coastal areas and areas with particular territorial features, such as those areas suffering from natural, geographical and demographic handicaps, in particular the implementation arrangements for Articles 28 and 29 of Regulation (EU) No./2012 [CPR];
Amendment 25 #
2011/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion and the Innovation Union flagship initiatives identify social innovation as a powerful tool – particularly at this time of economic crisis in the EU as a whole and in individual regions – for addressing the social challenges arising from population ageing, poverty, unemployment, new work patterns and life styles, and citizens' expectations regarding social justice, education and health care. The Programme should support action to step up social innovation in policy areas falling within its scope in the public, private and third sectors, taking due account of the role of regional and local authorities. In particular, it should help identify, evaluate and scale up innovative solutions and practice through social experimentation to assist the Member States more effectively in reforming their labour markets and social protection policies, so as, in particular, to boost growth and balanced development in EU regions. It should also act as a catalyst for transnational partnerships and networking between public, private and third-sector actors as well as supporting their involvement in designing and implementing new approaches to tackling pressing social needs and challenges.
Amendment 32 #
2011/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) Action should also be taken to promote investment in healthcare and social facilities with a view to not merely reducing inequalities and discrimination but also fostering growth, wellbeing and development at national, regional and local level;
Amendment 33 #
2011/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) Promote equality between women and men and combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. In order to efficiently tackle poverty within the Union and specifically among the most vulnerable, such as women, and particularly specific categories of women, integrated actions should be promoted. To this end, the phenomenon of poverty should be challenged by promoting inventive measures at all levels, investment in social infrastructures and enhanced exchange of good practices;
Amendment 34 #
2011/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Civil society organisations active at various levels can play an important role in meeting the objectives of the Programme, by participating in the policy-making process and contributing to social innovation. In this connection, ongoing dialogue should be promoted between national, regional and local authorities, civil society representatives and social partners with a view to ensuring the effective introduction of integrated actions.
Amendment 101 #
2011/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7
Article 7
Actions eligible under the Programme may be implemented jointly with other Union instruments, in particular financial instruments, provided that such actions meet the objectives of both the Programme and the other instruments concerned. In this connection, due account shall be taken of synergies with the EU Structural Funds, with specific reference to the complementarity between the Programme and the European Social Fund, in particular with a view to achieving the goal of inclusive growth and eradicating poverty.
Amendment 42 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The European Union is confronted with structural challenges arising from economic globalisation, technological change and an increasingly ageing workforce and growing skills and labour shortages in some sectors and regions. They have been compounded by the recent economic and financial crisis, which has resulted in increased levels of unemployment, hitting in particular young people and other vulnerable groups, such as women and migrants. The ESF should aim to promote employment and support labour mobility, invest in education, research, skills and life-long learning, promote social inclusion and combat poverty and homelessness. In promoting the better functioning of labour markets by enhancing the transnational geographical mobility of workers, the ESF should, in particular, support European Employment Services (EURES activities) in relation to recruitment and the related information, advice and guidance services at national and cross-border level.
Amendment 44 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In addition to these priorities, in the less developed regions and Member States, and with a view to increasing economic growth and employment opportunities,notably island, cross-border and mountainous regions, with a view to improving the efficiency of public administration should be improved andand reinforcing the institutional capacity of stakeholders deliveringimplementing social, health, employment, and education and social policies should be strengthenedto increase sustainable development, economic growth and job opportunities.
Amendment 57 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7)The ESF should contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy, ensuring greater concentration of support on the priorities of the European Union. The ESF should in particular increase its support for the fight against social exclusion and poverty, through a minimum ring-fenced allocation, such as affordable housing in urban areas. According to the level of development of the supported regions, the choice and number of investment priorities for ESF support should also be limited.
Amendment 75 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The Member States and regions should be encouraged to leverage the ESF through financial instruments in order to support for example students, job creation, mobility of workers, social inclusion of the most underprivileged and social entrepreneurship.
Amendment 83 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
1. The ESF shall promote high levels of employment and job quality, support the geographical and occupational mobility of workers, facilitate their adaptation to change, encourage a high level of education and training, promote gender equality, equal opportunities and non- discrimination, enhance social inclusion and combat poverty, and homelessness thereby contributing to the priorities of the European Union as regards strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 93 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3
Article 2 – paragraph 3
3. The ESF shall benefit people, including disadvantaged groups such as the long- term unemployed, homeless people, people with disabilities, migrants, ethnic minorities, marginalised communities and people facing social exclusion. The ESF shall also provide support to enterprises, systems and structures with a view to facilitating their adaptation to new challenges and promoting good governance and the implementation of reforms, in particular in the fields of employment, education and social policies.
Amendment 103 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
(ii) Sustainable and inclusive integration of young people not in employment, education or training into the labour market;
Amendment 110 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a – point iv a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a – point iv a (new)
(iv a) access to affordable housing through special social services and the increase of availability of social housing;
Amendment 141 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
(ii) Integration of marginalised communities such as the Roma or other migrant categories and the most underprivileged social categories;
Amendment 230 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
The Member States and the Commission shall promote equal opportunities for all, including accessibility for disabled persons through mainstreaming the principle of non-discrimination, as referred to in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No […], and through specific actions within the investment priorities as defined in Article 3, and in particular Article 3(1)(c)(iii). Such actions shall target people at risk of discrimination and people with disabilities, with a view to increasing their labour market participation, guaranteeing them affordable housing, enhancing their social inclusion, reducing inequalities in terms of educational attainment and health status and facilitating the transition from institutional to community-based care.
Amendment 264 #
2011/0268(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Complementing ERDF interventions as referred to in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No [ERDF], the ESF may support sustainable urban development through strategies setting out integrated actions to tackle the economic, environmental and social challenges affecting urban areas of cities which are listed in the partnership contract, and in particular homelessness.
Amendment 31 #
2011/0261(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) In order to prevent distortions through measures taken unilaterally by Member States, bearing in mind the extremely high mobility of most of the relevant financial transactions, and thus to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market, it is important that the basic features of a FTT in the Member States are harmonised at Union level. Incentives for tax arbitrage in the Union and allocation distortions between financial markets in the Union, as well as possibilities for double or non taxation should thereby be avoided. To this end, it would be reasonable to reach agreement on an FTT at global level so as to promote international cooperation and transparency and defend the competitiveness of the EU economy.
Amendment 42 #
2011/0261(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Transactions with national central banks, just as those with the European Central Bank should not be subject to FTT so as to avoid any negative impact on the refinancing possibilities of financial institutions or on monetary and growth policies in general.
Amendment 62 #
2011/0261(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17α) It is necessary to address immediately the management of revenue from the FTT and its utilisation as a Union own resource to underpin solidarity and financial reform in the Member States, promote development projects and policies and step up international development aid.
Amendment 23 #
2010/2278(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the proposals aimed at introducing a common consolidated corporate tax base, reviewing the VAT system and revising the Energy Tax Directive1,2, provided that the tax burden does not fall on vulnerable consumers; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal on banking taxation which encompasses all the levies contributed and the taxes currently under consideration;
Amendment 29 #
2010/2278(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Asks the Commission to investigate the case of Eurobonds as a measure aimed at safeguarding financial stability in addition to promoting better balanced development;
Amendment 30 #
2010/2278(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Urges the strategic and appropriate use of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund's resources, as well as the expansion of Trans-European Networks for the development of the single market;
Amendment 10 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes the fact that the single market for patents remains incomplete; encourages, in that respect, the promotion of a Community patent which can enhance innovation, growth and competitiveness and hence give European companies the chance to reap the full benefits of the EU Single Market.
Amendment 15 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to investigate the impact of state aid and other structural measures on competition while facing the economic and financial crisis;
Amendment 19 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to integrate competition policy and tools in its single market strategy and study the case of countries that face inherent competition deficiencies in particular sectors, such as the energy sector;
Amendment 44 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Emphasizes the role of Trans- European Networks in promoting the single market, economic growth and the creation of employment; welcomes, in that respect, the Commission's proposal to adopt in 2011 a revision of the Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network as well as a proposal on a global framework for the funding of transport infrastructure;
Amendment 55 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the proposed creation of a European Foundation Statute and notes the Commission's commitment to present a regulation by the end of 2011; calls for the creation of a European Association Statute in order to facilitate cross-border citizens‘ initiatives and to contribute to the development of EU citizenship beyond frontiers;
Amendment 62 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Appreciates the Commission's multilevel governance approach, which is necessary in order to ensure genuine participation by regional and local political and economic actors in decision making;
Amendment 64 #
2010/2277(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Asks the Commission further to involve the Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament, and to work with them closely in order continuously to monitor the potential and actual consequences for regions of the deepening of the single market; welcomes, therefore, the idea of a single market forum.
Amendment 22 #
2010/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that, given the limited presence of the European Union in the Gulf region, as part of the new EU external relations apparatus, a policy of integrated communication should contribute to the development of targeted and effective information on the European Union in the Gulf countries;
Amendment 63 #
2010/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes that, in view of the strategic, economic, political and cultural ties between the Gulf countries and the countries of the southern shores of the Mediterranean, but also the growing influence of the Gulf countries on Mediterranean countries, a stronger, structured partnership between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Union for the Mediterranean could be envisaged and that the European Union should actively engage in promoting such a project which will benefit all parties;
Amendment 44 #
2010/2211(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – indent 3 – point v a (new)
Paragraph 5 – indent 3 – point v a (new)
v α) particular care to address the structural problems of island, mountainous and remote regions
Amendment 77 #
2010/2211(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Insists that, in future, expenditure control should be more result-oriented than it is today;
Amendment 87 #
2010/2211(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that cofinancing and the n+2 and n+3 rules should be maintained, possibly combined with greater flexibility to cover exceptional situations which might be expected to arise within the next programming period; insists that unspent funds should be made available for other regions and not returned to the Member States, after taking into account the difficulties in taking up EU funds because of financial difficulties in the Member States;
Amendment 25 #
2010/2206(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that social, economic and environmental sustainability are a prerequisite for developing and maintaining all tourism activity; urges the Commission to develop a ‘European label’ in order to create a profile for products and services of excellence and at the same time enhance Europe's image worldwide; particularly calls on the Commission to study the merits of setting up a European hotel classification system to ensure comparability, clarity, authoritativeness, European identity, transparency and continuous assessment;
Amendment 65 #
2010/2206(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers it necessary to counterbalance the effectsfor local businesses not only to depend ofn seasonal tourism byut diversifying tourism, including via support for new forms of tourism such as health tourism, especially spa tourism, and socially-responsible tourism, in particular when aimed at people with reduced mobility, young people and the elderly, who constitute a market with huge growth potential;
Amendment 82 #
2010/2206(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Member States to make optimum use of the European financial instruments available for the current financial programming period, in order to develop the competitiveness of the tourism sector and of tourist destinations; hopes that, as part of the cohesion policy review, the role of tourism as a means of redressing the social, economic and territorial balance will be upgraded; hopstresses that every form of funding the EU provides for tourism will be tied to the provision of services of excellent standard and qualityshould be related to the high standard and quality of the services provided.
Amendment 53 #
2010/2156(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote a coherent cultural industry policy which will provide opportunities for and give added value to local initiatives and productions;
Amendment 8 #
2010/2155(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas citizens must be placed at the centre of the priorities of territorial cooperation, together with economic growth and competitiveness,
Amendment 17 #
2010/2155(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that territorial cooperation has proved its effectiveness and that its potential as a source of competitiveness has so far been insufficiently tapped as a result of the inadequate resources allocated to it; calls for the budget for the ‘territorial cooperation’ objective to beincrease from 2.5% in the current programming period to at least 5% of the overall cohesion policy budget for the next programming period;
Amendment 23 #
2010/2155(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that a distinction should continue to be made between the cross- border component, which meets the local needs of cross-border population catchment areas, and the transnational component, which facilitates cooperation over wider areas of strategic areasnd economic importance;
Amendment 46 #
2010/2155(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for funds for territorial cooperation no longer to be allocated by Member State, but at EU level and on a programme-by- programme basis, on the basis of the criteria laid down in Annex 2, paragraph 5 of the basic regulation so as to provide a strategic, integrated response to the needs of each territory or area involved; invites the Commission to consider other relevant, strategic and measurable criteria that could reflect the needs of territories and reduce the emphasis on the most important criterion: demography, namely insularity or difficult natural and topographical conditions;
Amendment 47 #
2010/2155(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses once again the importance of interregional cooperation, but deplores the lack of funds allocated to it; calls for a reduction from 75% to 60% in the Community cofinancing rate of this programme for participants from the regions covered by the ‘competitiveness and employment’ objective, encourages regions to make better use of the scope for interregional cooperation offered by Article 37(6)(b) of the basic regulation; advocates, therefore, that the ‘interregional’ component of Objective 3 should also be used to facilitate the coordination and running of such projects, to pool know-how and to exchange good practices, on the basis of ever closer cooperation with, and the support of, INTERACT;
Amendment 67 #
2010/2155(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to promote the coordination of policies in cross-border regions in sectors such as fiscal policy relating to natural persons and enterprises, and the labour market, so as to ensure that issues of distortion of competition do not arise within the framework of economic and territorial integration;
Amendment 48 #
2010/2139(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 α (new)
Paragraph 10 α (new)
10α.Stresses that, in the context of the global financial and economic crisis and the current economic slowdown, EU regional policy is a key delivery instrument, making a decisive contribution to the European Economic Recovery Plan, constituting the largest Community source of investment in the real economy and providing notable support for public investment, including at regional and local level; notes that it is essential to ensure a successful exit from the crisis in order to achieve long-term sustainable development by strengthening competitiveness, employment and the attractiveness of European regions;
Amendment 49 #
2010/2139(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 β (new)
Paragraph 10 β (new)
10b. Notes that the Structural Funds are powerful instruments, designed for helping the regions in their economic and social restructuring and in promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity, as well as for implementation of the European Economic Recovery Plan and, in particular, development of competitiveness and job creation; for this reason supports their systematic and effective use;
Amendment 58 #
2010/2139(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 α (new)
Paragraph 13 α (new)
13. Emphasises that, in order to tackle the crisis, investment is needed in research and development, innovation, education and technologies that use resources efficiently, which will also benefit traditional sectors, rural areas and service economies in acquiring high levels of skills and competitiveness and will therefore strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion; notes that it is necessary to provide for an affordable, accessible funding mechanism in which the structural funds play a key role;
Amendment 61 #
2010/2139(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Shares the view of the Council expressed in the Council Conclusions on the Strategic Report 2010 on the real added value generated by one strategic approach and common implementation rules for the ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund; stresses, as well, the need in the post-crisis era to consolidate public budgets and increase synergies and the impact of all available funding sources (EU, national, EIB instruments) through effective coordination; in order to support entrepreneurship and SMEs and bodies working for a social, inclusive economy, with a view to increasing their competitiveness and thus the potential for greater employment, and facilitating their access to financial engineering instruments (Jaspers, Jeremie, Jessica, Jasmine);
Amendment 90 #
2010/2139(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 α (new)
Paragraph 22 α (new)
22α Calls on the Commission to evaluate the Small Business Act action plan/initiative for legislative proposals after a year of implementation (December 2008), primarily as regards results in strengthening small businesses’ competitiveness and access to financing and operating capital, as well as promoting innovative start-ups, reducing administrative burdens, etc.;
Amendment 36 #
2010/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the initiatives of Member States such as France, Spain and the Netherlands in setting thresholds, which companies have to achieve, for women’s representation on management bodies, and is following the debate about women’s representation in other Member States such as Germany and Italy; notes that voicing a political will is the only way of getting bindinghastening the adoption of measures adopted to help ensure meaningfulgreater representation of women in corporate management bodies;
Amendment 47 #
2010/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Insists that positions on corporate management bodies must not be given to women solely on an honorary basis, or to women brought in from outside the company, in order to achieve set thresholds and targets, but must instead go primarily to women who have proved themselvesdeveloped their career within the companies in question;
Amendment 50 #
2010/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 53 #
2010/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines the problem of pay differentials within companies and, in particular, differences between the salaries of women in management positions and those received by their male counterparts; calls on Member States and the Commission to take measures to tackle the lingering pay inequality connected with traditional stereotypes which affect career development and are partly responsible for women’s under- representation on corporate management bodies;
Amendment 88 #
2010/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Encourages senior corporate managers to raise their staff's awareness of the career patterns of men and women and to become personally involved in career monitoring and support programmes for female executives in their companies;
Amendment 8 #
2010/2088(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. The European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs noteApplauds the Commission's initiative to launch a fruitful and serious dialogue on improving gross domestic product (GDP) as an indicator forestablishing indicators in addition to GDP so as better to assessing economic activity and progress.;
Amendment 14 #
2010/2088(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 27 #
2010/2088(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2g. Believes that GDP is not sufficient to record the complex socio-economic reality of the regions and regional challenges. The incorporation of new indicators is directly linked to the pursuit of the ambitious objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy;
Amendment 37 #
2010/2088(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 53 #
2010/2088(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 l (new)
Paragraph 4 l (new)
4l. Notes, however, that questioning GDP as the sole statistical indicator and introducing supplementary indicators will lead to economic policies at national and European level in new directions and introduce new aspects relating to the quality of development and the prosperity of citizens;
Amendment 40 #
2010/2041(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 m (new)
Paragraph 5 m (new)
5m. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to evaluate the implementation of national codes of conduct relating to the media and new information and communication technologies; calls on the Member States to assess the effectiveness of national self- regulatory bodies;
Amendment 16 #
2010/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas speculation in the Greek Bond CDS’s has intensified the debt crisis in Greece and has worsened the budgetary position of Greece,
Amendment 24 #
2010/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas in the OTC transactions the identity of the involved actors/parties and the size of their exposure are not clarified,
Amendment 80 #
2010/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative for better regulation of derivatives, and in particular OTC derivatives and Credit Default Swaps, and backs the calls for standardisation of contracts, the establishment of trade repositories, the strengthening of central clearing houses and the extensive use of organised trading venues;
Amendment 253 #
2010/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls for acceleration of this resolution as soon as possible.
Amendment 77 #
2010/0280(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The coordination of the economic policies of the Member States within the Union, as provided by the Treaty, should entail compliance with the guiding principles of stable prices, sound public finances and monetary conditions and a sustainable balance of payments so as to achieve growth.
Amendment 97 #
2010/0280(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The content of the stability and convergence programmes as well as the criteria for their examination should further be adapted in the light of the experience gained with the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, as well as euro area objectives.
Amendment 168 #
2010/0280(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) A temporary departure from prudent fiscal policy-making should be allowed in case of severe economic downturn of a general nature or exceptional circumstances arising in a Member State, in order to facilitate economic recovery.
Amendment 286 #
2010/0280(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 4
Article 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 1466/97
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The Council, when assessing the adjustment path toward the medium-term budgetary objective, shall examine if the Member State concerned pursues an appropriate annual improvement of its cyclically-adjusted budget balance, net of one-off and other temporary measures, required to meet its medium-term budgetary objective, with 0.5% of GDP as a benchmark. For Member States with a high level of debt or excessive macroeconomic imbalances or both, the Council shall examine whether the annual improvement of the cyclically-adjusted budget balance, net of one-off and other temporary measures is higher than 0.5% of GDP. The Council shall take into account whether a higher adjustment effort is made in economic good times, whereas the effort may be more limited in economic bad times or in response to highly exceptional circumstances in a Member State. .
Amendment 346 #
2010/0280(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 4
Article 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 1466/97
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 7
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 7
Special attention shall be paid to pension reforms introducing a multi-pillar system that includes a mandatory, fully funded pillar. Member States implementing such reforms shall be allowed to deviate from the adjustment path to their medium-term budgetary objective or from the objective itself, with the deviation reflecting the net cost of the reform to the publicly managed pillar, under the condition that the deviation remains temporary and that an appropriate safety margin with respect to the deficit reference value is preserved.
Amendment 400 #
2010/0280(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 5
Article 1 – point 5
Regulation (EC) No 1466/97
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4
The deviation may be equally not considered in case of severe economic downturn of a general nature or highly exceptional circumstances in a Member State.
Amendment 53 #
2010/0279(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The coordination of the economic policies of the Member States within the Union, as provided for by the Treaty, should entail compliance with the guiding principles of growth, stable prices, sound public finances and monetary conditions and a sustainable balance of payments.
Amendment 141 #
2010/0279(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The collected fines should be distributed between Member States whose currency is the euro which are neither the subject of an excessive imbalance procedure nor have an excessive deficiallocated to the Community budget.
Amendment 239 #
2010/0279(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4
Article 4
Fines collected in accordance with Article 3 of this Regulation shall constitute other revenue, as referred to in Article 311 of the Treaty, and shall be distributed, in proportion to their share in the total gross national income (GNI) of the eligible Member States, between Member States whose currency is the euro and which are not the subject of an excessive imbalance procedure within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No […/…] and do not have an excessive deficit as determined in accordance with Article 126(6) of the Treatybe allocated to the Community budget.
Amendment 101 #
2010/0278(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) AdditionalThe proposed sanctions are necessaryintended to make the enforcement of budgetary surveillance more effective in the euro area. Those sanctions should, as well as enhanceing the credibility and effectiveness of the fiscal surveillance framework of the Union.
Amendment 131 #
2010/0278(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Sanctions for Member States whose currency is the euro in the preventive part of the Stability and Growth Pact shouldare intended to provide incentives for prudent fiscal policy-making. Such policy-making should ensure that the growth rate of government expenditure does not normally exceed a prudent medium-term growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP), unless the excess is matched by increases in government revenues or discretionary revenue reductions are compensated by reductions in expenditure.
Amendment 169 #
2010/0278(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The non-interest-bearing deposit should be released upon correction of the excessive deficit while the interest on such deposits and the fines collected should be distributed among Member States whose currency is the euro which do not have an excessive deficit and which are not the subject of an excessive imbalance procedure eitherentered in the Community budget.
Amendment 296 #
2010/0278(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
The interest earned by the Commission on deposits lodged in accordance with Article 4 and the fines collected in accordance with Article 5 shall constitute other revenue referred to in Article 311 of the Treaty, and shall be distributed, in proportion to their shabe entered in the gross national income of the eligible Member States, among Member States whose currency is the euro which do not have an excessive deficit as determined in accordance with Article 126(6) of the Treaty and which are not the subject of an excessive imbalance procedure within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No […/…]Community budget.
Amendment 59 #
2010/0276(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The coordination of the economic policies of the Member States within the Union, as provided by the Treaty, should entail compliance with the guiding principles of stable prices, sound public finances and monetary conditions and a sustainable balance of payments so as to achieve growth.
Amendment 149 #
2010/0276(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In assessing the case for an extension of the deadline for correcting the excessive deficit, special consideration should be given to severe economic or social downturns of a general naturr exceptional circumstances arising in a Member State.
Amendment 176 #
2010/0276(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 2 – point b
Article 1 – point 2 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 1467/97
Article 2 – paragraph 1a
Article 2 – paragraph 1a
1a. When it exceeds the reference value, the ratio of the government debt to gross domestic product (GDP) is to be considered sufficiently diminishing and approaching the reference value at a satisfactory pace in accordance with Article 126 (2) (b) of the Treaty if the differential with respect to the reference value has reduced over the previous three years at a rate of the order of one-twentieth peras an average over the last three years. For a period of 3 years from [date of entering into force of this Regulation - to be inserted], account shall be taken of the backward-looking nature of this indicator in its application.
Amendment 302 #
2010/0276(CNS)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 14
Article 1 – point 14
Regulation (EC) No 1467/97
Article 16
Article 16
Fines referred to in Article 12 of this Regulation shall constitute other revenue referred to in Article 311 of the Treaty and shall be distributed among participating Member States which do not have excessive deficit as determined in accordance with Article 126(6) of the Treaty and which are not the subject of an excessive imbalance procedure within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No […/…], in proportion to their share in the total gross national income (GNI) of the eligible Member Statesbe credited to the Community budget.
Amendment 81 #
2009/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Considers that territorial cohesion, included as a new objective in the Lisbon Treaty, must be an integral part of the strategy, as a pre-requisite for the achievement of its goals; calls for particular attention to be paid to regions characterised by natural or demographic handicaps of a serious and permanent nature, such as island, crossborder and mountain regions;
Amendment 4 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. stressing the fact that, based on the National Strategic Reports for 2009, the Member States appear to have made rather different uses of the instruments, means and methods for facilitating cohesion policy proposed by the Commission to combat the crisis and increase actual expenditure (such as use of 100% financingthe option to use the community contribution/100% compensation in the context of the ESF, changes to the strategic guidelines and the axes and financing for the operational programmes and the response to the simplification of implementing procedures);
Amendment 22 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes with concern the negative social consequences that have been brought about by the crisis in the regions of Objective 2 with an increase in unemployment, poverty and social exclusion and harming the most vulnerable social groups (the unemployed, women, the elderly) and calls on the Commission to take initiatives to support SMEs in securing viability of existing jobs and creation, where possible, of more new jobs;
Amendment 24 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges the significant problem posed by the reduction in the contribution of national co-financing to programmes, which affects Objective 2, due to the major financial problems of many Member States, and supports Commission policy regarding a the use of the Community contribution /‘100% compensation’ option, following a request by Member States concerning their public expenditure share in co-financed projects for 2009- 2010 within the context of the ESF when aiming at viability of existing jobs and the creation of new ones;
Amendment 32 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that, out of a total of 117 operational programmes financed by the ESF, 123 were reoriamentded (for Austria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and, 2 for the United Kingdom, as well as two for Spain) with the aim of tackling specific needs resulting from the crisis, and calls on the Commission to assist the Member States to use this available flexibility to reorient their operational programmes with a view to providing short-term assistance to specific at-risk groups and categories;
Amendment 52 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to utilise and promote all synergies of tools for political cohesion and competitiveness at a regional, national, cross-border and European level;
Amendment 55 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes that urban regions and urban centres present, by their very nature, particular and significant social problems (high unemployment, marginalisation, social exclusion etc) which have increased due to the impact of the crisis and which must be studied carefully in order to take appropriate action and both short- and long-term measures;
Amendment 56 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Supports the assistance policy for large projects for the regions (financingplanned total cost of EUR 50 million and above) introduced by the Commission in 2009, and calls for a further increase beyond 25% in the financing provided through JASPERS (Joint Assistance in Supporting Projects in European Regions) with a view to preparation and very rapid implementation of large projectsthat relate specifically to the regions in Objective 2, with a view to encouraging their full preparation and very rapid implementation which, at the present stage, remain few in number;
Amendment 66 #
2009/2234(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the Small Business Act action plan/initiative for legislative proposals after a year of implementation (December 2008), primarily as regards results in strengthening their competitiveness and access to financing and operating capital, as well as promoting innovative start-ups, reducing administrative burdens, etc.;
Amendment 202 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Underlines the primary role that the UfM has assigned to EMUNI with the aim to enhance the rapprochement between the north and the south of the Mediterranean through culture and education, as well as the cooperation in higher education, research, training and exchanges of the university community on both sides; welcomes the commitment of EMPA to that end by creating the Working Group on EMUNI, which will follow its activities and will enable it to fulfil the objective of creating a Euro- Mediterranean Higher Education, Science and Research Area;
Amendment 7 #
2009/2002(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3α. Calls for more financial resources to be made available to combat all forms of discrimination against women, in particular inequalities regarding pay;
Amendment 4 #
2009/0105(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) With the view to enhance the economic and social cohesion of the Community, it is necessary to support limited interventions for the renovation of existing buildings serving housing purposes in Member States that acceded to the European Union on or after 1 May 2004. Those interventions can take place under the conditions set out in Article 7 (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the European Regional Development Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999.
Amendment 6 #
2009/0105(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In theseveral Member States to which Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 applies, a large number of marginalised communities live also outside urban areas. Therefore, it is necessary to extend the eligibility of expenditures on housing interventions in favour of these communities living in rural areas.
Amendment 12 #
2009/0105(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1
Article 1
Regulation (EC) N°1080/2006
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
2. Expenditure on housing, except for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy as set out in paragraph 1a, shall be eligible only for those Member States that acceded to the European Union on or after 1 May 2004, where the following conditions are met: (a) expenditure shall be programmed within one of the following frameworks: (i) the framework of an integrated urban development approach for areas experiencing or threatened by physical deterioration and social exclusion; (ii) the framework of an integrated approach for marginalised communities. (aa) Expenditure under point (a)(i) shall be eligible only for those Member States that acceded to the European Union on or after 1 May 2004; expenditure under point (a)(ii) shall be eligible for all EU Member States. (b) The allocation to housing expenditure shall be either a maximum of 3 % of the ERDF allocation to the operational programmes concerned or 2 % of the total ERDF allocation.
Amendment 1 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. having regard to the low proportion of female Members in top positions within the institutional organs of the European Parliament (chair, executive members of committees or delegations, etc.),
Amendment 2 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas women are under-represented in Parliament’s Directorates-General for Internal Policies and External Policies, where they account for 8.1% and 3.4% of staff respectively; noting however the major progress achieved over the last few years in the Directorate-General for Internal Policies, as evidenced by the '2007 Equality - Good Practices Award for the creation of a working environment conducive to equality and integration, together with a major increase in the percentage of women in senior administrative posts (for example, in 2005 the percentage of female heads of unit – chefs d' unité – rose from 5% to 30%),
Amendment 3 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the majority of parliamentary committees generally attach importance to gender mainstreaming (for example in the context of its legislative activity, its institutional relations with the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, the drawing up of a programme of action for equality etc.), although a minority of committees rarely or never take an interest in the matter,
Amendment 4 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas in practice the network for gender mainstreaming in committees among MEPs and staff has not yet had the desired results,
Amendment 5 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the high-level group on gender equality and diversity proposed the creation of a similar network within the interparliamentary delegations also for the purpose of gender mainstreaming in the context of EU external relations,
Amendment 8 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the importance of the task of the high-level group on gender equality and diversity and calls on it to continue to encourage and promote this process throughout Parliament, in its relations with the Commission, Council and other institutions and in cooperation with them;
Amendment 9 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for the strengthening of the gender mainstreaming network with regard to interparliamentary delegations also;
Amendment 11 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Continues to encourage networking amongst those officials working in parliamentary committee and interparliamentary delegation secretariats and the directorates-general for internal and external policies who have received gender mainstreaming training to ensure regular exchanges of best practice;
Amendment 14 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses the importance of effective and coordinated cooperation by the high- level group on gender equality and diversity with the gender mainstreaming network within the committees and interparliamentary delegations and with the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality;
Amendment 15 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Calls on the Secretariat to ensure the further implementation of the integrated strategy for combining life in the family and at the workplace and to facilitate the career development of female employees;
Amendment 16 #
2008/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Urges the political groups to take account of gender equality objectives in selecting staff to fill senior posts;
Amendment 18 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for new and broader means of funding to be identified for projects, including from the private sector; reiterates its support for the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Investment Bank and coordinating with international investors;
Amendment 25 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes the view that the institutional arrangements proposed for the BP:UfM, and especially the co-presidency, biennial summit, joint permanent committee, senior officials’ meetings and creation of a joint secretariat, help to even out responsibilities within the partnership; looks forward, in thishopes that Parliament will be regularly updated on the stage reached in projects; welcomes in that respect, to the decisions of the first meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of the BP:UfM member countries, scheduled for 3 November 2008 adopted by the Ministerial Conference of 3 November 2008, which duly took note of the EMPA recommendation adopted in Jordan on 13 October 2008; supports the decision to bring a strong parliamentary dimension to the UfM, thereby reinforcing its democratic legitimacy, by building on the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), which should be further consolidated and its work better articulated with that of the other institutions of the Partnership;
Amendment 26 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes the view that the institutional arrangements proposed for the BP:UfM, and especially the co-presidency, biennial summit, joint permanent committee, senior officials’ meetings and creation of a joint secretariat, help to even out responsibilities within the partnership; looks forward, in this respect, to the decishopes that it will be duly consulted on the creations of the first meeting of the foreign affairs ministersUfM’s permanent bodies and regularly updated ofn the BP:UfM member countries, scheduled for 3 November 2008stage reached in projects;
Amendment 27 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 31 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the recognition of EMPA as the legitimate parliamentary expression of the BP:UfM; calls for EMPA’s role to be strengthened by entitling igranting it legal personality and the right to propose and assess economic and regional integration strategies and projects, and allowing it to make recommendations to the meetings of foreign affairs ministers;
Amendment 39 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights the fact that some of the countries participating in the BP:UfM are not part of the Barcelona Process; calls on the Council, the Commission and all the States participating in the BP:UfM to maintain, in this connection, a cohesive framework of relations in which it is clear that the Union for the Mediterranean is an expression of that partnership process and that its purpose is economic and regional integration between all Member States and all the countries of the Mediterranean basin;
Amendment 42 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Takes the view that the BP:UfM should step up existing forms of cooperation under EuroMed in order to provide all partner countries with the chance of participating in the Union’s regional programmes and corresponding policies on the basis of priorities and objectives set by mutual agreement, pointing to the importance of extending and intensifying the scope of Community programmes to include participation by partner countries, not least in the fields of education, research and professional training (student exchanges, etc.);
Amendment 58 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates the importance of promoting human rights and the rule of law; calls for an assessment of what has been achieved so far and for adjustment of the instruments implemented under the partnership, including as regards other international organisations such as the Council of Europe; emphasises that the instruments for promoting human rights available under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) must be exploited to the full, guaranteeing greater political cohesion between the European institutions and adapting appropriate incentive measures based on the principle of differentiation in ENP bilateral action plans;
Amendment 63 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses its concern at the prevailing tendency among Member State governments to adopt a ‘security-first’ approach in Mediterranean poPoints out that the management of migratory flows requires partnership and genuine cooperation with third countries in the service of development; considers that immigration issues must focus on the possibilicties, and especially in the management for legal migration, the combating of illegal migratory flows and smoother integration of immigrationnt groups;
Amendment 75 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the widening economic, political and cultural gap between the two sides of the Mediterranean is liable to set back the objective ofwidening and those disparities need to be rectified in order eventually to creatinge an area of peace, security and shared prosperity,
Amendment 92 #
2008/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. emphasising the importance of the role played by EMPA, which is the only parliamentary assembly enabling dialogue and cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean area to bring together the 27 EU Member States and all the parties connected with the Middle East peace process,
Amendment 1 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19
Citation 19
- having regard to the visit of a fact-finding delegation of the Committee on Budgetary Control to Kosovo1 from 22 to 25 June 2008, and to the relevant mission report,
Amendment 2 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 6 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas, further to Parliament’s request, the Commission has undertaken to carry out already in 2009 a mid-term review of the package of external aid instruments, including the IPA,
Amendment 8 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the main focus for the candidate countries lies in the implementation of European standards, namely statistical, environmental and fiscal standards, which is coherent with the EU’s enlargement policy; points out however that the importance of the political criteria, notably democratic governance, respect for human rights, freedom of religion, women’s andrights, minorities’ rights, and the rule of law, should not be undermined, since their nonfulfilment can lead to complications and delay in negotiations; considers that there should be a better balance between projects earmarked for meeting the political criteria and projects earmarked for the implementation of the acquis;
Amendment 9 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. ETakes note of the fact that the Commission was in a position to give accreditation for decentralised management to Croatia for Components I to IV and to Turkey for Components I and II towards the end of 2008; encourages the Commission to continue to work intensively with candidate and potential candidate countries so that these countries become able in the near future to manage funds in a decentralised manner and thus get full access to all IPA components; points out however that the conferral of management powers is conditional and subject to their effective exercise;
Amendment 13 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the need, as a matter of utmost importance and urgency, to use the IPA to strengthen in all beneficiary countries the fight against corruption and organised crime, with a special focus on money laundering, illegal migration and human trafficking ; notes that, although all 2008 progress reports identified corruption as a serious problem and a key priority, not all 2007 IPA programmes take corruption sufficiently into account; suggests that funds should be earmarked for this purpose, as in the cases of Croatia2 and Montenegro and calls on the Commission to develop a more coherent strategy in this context, building upon the lessons learnt from the last enlargement rounds;
Amendment 14 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the beneficiary countries should be more actively involved in the development and initiation of projects; points out that future IPA programmes should tackle the systematic donor dependency of the CSOs, so as to avoid the existence of CSOs "on demand", and should also address the development of some of the CSOs along ethno-political conflict lines, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo1; expects the new 1 Under UNSCR 1244/1999. Civil Society Facility to tackle many of the problems with regard to the diversity, complexity, and fragmentation of EU programmes;
Amendment 16 #
2008/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is concerned that the total 2007 IPA allocations for Component II was only 38.8 million EUR out of a total IPA of 497.2 million EUR (that is, less than 8%), and in Kosovo no funds at all were allocated to Component II; points out that this contradicts the Commission’s assertion that cross-border cooperation helps reconciliation and good neighbourly relations and is particularly relevant in a region with a recent history of conflict; calls on the beneficiary countries and the Commission to pursue further programming under this componentregrets that effective cooperation has been difficult to establish, in practice, for a number of reasons, including mismatches of structures and procedures between some partners, as well as political difficulties; calls on the beneficiary countries and the Commission, under this component, to pursue further existing cooperation and to develop new cooperation, in line with the objective of fostering good neighbourly relations and promoting economic integration, especially in the fields of environment, natural and cultural heritage and the fight against corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 1 #
2008/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points out that whilst gender mainstreaming in the field of external relations has both a quantitative and a qualitative dimension, which requires looking beyond staff numbers and check-lists and also focusing on how a gender perspective can actively contribute to the effectiveness and success of EU policies and missions;
Amendment 5 #
2008/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 7 #
2008/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes that women currently hold only two out of the 16 positions of EU Representatives and Envoys appointed by the SG/HR Javier Solana; recalls the Council’s commitment to improve the gender balance in ESDP operations, including at the senior management level, and calls on the Member States to nominate more female candidates for upcoming CFSP/ESDP assignments, especially for the posts of EU Special Representative and Head of Mission;
Amendment 8 #
2008/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Highlights the importance of lessons learned from EU missions, namely that the gender perspective needs to be integrated into the operations already at the fact-finding phase and to be presented in a clear, concrete and practical way; that gender training should be established prior to the staff deployment and that gender focal points should be selected and appointed as early as possible on the basis of specific criteria; further highlights the importance of periodical reporting on gender issues, so as to control the progress of the missions on integrating a gender perspective and assess the gender situation in the area of operations;
Amendment 18 #
2008/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points out that effective gender mainstreaming requires enhanced coordination between donors and actors, accountability mechanisms and increased ownership of the development process by national governments; highlights in this regard the added value of the EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace, and of Gender Responsive Budgeting Initiatives; welcomes the setting-up of a Task Force on women, peace and security foreseen in the comprehensive approach to the EU implementation of UNSCRs 1325 and 1820;
Amendment 72 #
2008/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Regards as unacceptableDeplores the existence of problems, detected once again by the ECA, in implementing the Integrated Administration and Control System in Greece and supports the Commission's intention, as stated to the parliamentary committee responsible, to apply current legislation on suspension of payments rigorously if the Greek Government does not remedy the existing problems within the stated time limits; calls for payments to be suspended if the Greek authorities are unable to prove that the problems have been resolved by the date on which this resolution is adopted;
Amendment 96 #
2008/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
Amendment 97 #
2008/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
Amendment 99 #
2008/2186(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
Amendment 1 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that gender equality and women's rights are recognised as vital issues, both in the Afghan Government's National Development Strategy and in the Country Strategy Paper (2007-2013), which establishes that the gender dimension will be an integral part of planning in all three focal areas;
Amendment 2 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Points out, however, with regard to the focal area on health, that between 30% and 90% of Afghan women have no access whatsoever to healthcare, while Afghanistan continues to rank second in the world as far as maternal mortality is concerned; notes, however, the encouraging fact that the percentage of primary healthcare centres with at least one woman doctor, nurse or midwife has increased from 26% in 2004 to 81% in 2007;
Amendment 3 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Afghan Government to ensure that the National Action Plan for gender equality (NAPWA) which was recently adopted will receive satisfactory funding and be implemented in cooperation with civil society and women's organisations; calls also on the Commission to ensure that its gender equality actions are transparent and harmonised with other such actions by the other donors in Afghanistan;
Amendment 4 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Draws attention to the observation made in the National Indicative Programme for Afghanistan that women suffer discrimination, particularly in rural areas, and constitute a large part of the seasonal workforce employed in harvesting opium poppies; reminds the Commission in this connection of the need systematically to take into account the gender dimension in all the rural development programmes it is financing in Afghanistan;
Amendment 5 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the gender dimension in planning in the focal area on Governance, especially in the judiciary and public administration, through the increased participation of women and gender issue training for government officials both male and female; calls attention also to the fact that recent reports have drawn attention to the inability of judiciary to protect the rights of women who are frequently the victims of domestic violence and forced marriages, and are subject to practices contrary to international human rights law and the Afghan Constitution notes, in this connection, that the percentage of women judges, public prosecutors and lawyers in Afghanistan is less than 7%;
Amendment 6 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Commission, given the key horizontal dimension of gender issues in Afghanistan's National Strategy, to submit an evaluation report examining to what extent account has so far been taken of the gender dimension in planning and ascertaining the measurable benefits for the women of Afghanistan from the overall financial aid provided by the EU;
Amendment 7 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Urges the Afghan government to honour its commitment contained in the 'Afghanistan Compact’ to increase the participation of women in all government institutions, including elected and appointed offices, and in public administration overall;
Amendment 8 #
2008/2152(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on the Commission and the Afghan government, in view of the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections due to take place in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, respectively, to continue to encourage and provide adequate funding for actions to promote the political emancipation of women, especially in the regions, given that in the last Council provincial elections, there were not enough women candidates to occupy the 124 seats designated for women in the councils;
Amendment 1 #
2008/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
Amendment 4 #
2008/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aα. whereas, in regions where short, intense tourist seasons alternate with economically inactive periods, levels of employment in the sector concerned and in the transport sector are subject to strong fluctuations, which often makes it difficult to provide services on a stable basis and with a suitable level of quality,
Amendment 14 #
2008/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take more active measures to meet the needs of small coastal municipalities, in particular, by promoting examples of best practice in relation to the planning, development and management of specific projects and initiatives and exchanges of information about the relevant European rulstrategies and funds that support sustainable tourism;
Amendment 31 #
2008/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Member States and regional authorities to make efforts with a view to the provision of more viable and stable services; calls on the Commission to study ways of countering the insufficient development of labour, capital and services resulting from the seasonal nature of employment in the tourism sector of coastal regions and in the associated transport sector;
Amendment 36 #
2008/2132(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Member States and regional authorities to promote the upgrading of ports and airports in coastal and island regions in order to meet the needs of tourism, taking due account of the existing environmental possibilities and respect for aesthetic considerations and the natural surroundings;
Amendment 4 #
2008/2063(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the fact that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is given the same legal value as the Treaties (Article 6 of the TEU), which will enable the Union to maintain or adopt measures providing for specific advantages in favour of the under- represented sex and better maternity protection, particularly at work (Articles 23, 33 and 34 of the charter);
Amendment 224 #
2008/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Collective responsibility (soft law) 9a. Proposes, within the context of developing the new grassroots urban mobility culture, together with greater awareness of ecological challenges and measures to promote best practices in response to them, the establishment of an Ecological Capital of Europe with the objective of recognising and rewarding effective urban environmental and ecological strategies·
Amendment 29 #
2008/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – introductory part
Paragraph 9 – introductory part
9. Calls emphatically on the Commission to Commission to be more ambitious be more ambitious in combating sulphur in combating sulphur and NOx and NOx emissions, as well as emissions of emissions, as well as emissions of solids from ships; in this connection, solids from ships; in this reiterates the need for closer cooperation connection, repeats its calls for: with the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) and, in particular, its calls for:
Amendment 32 #
2008/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 3
Paragraph 9 – indent 3
• the lowering of the maximum permitted sulphur content in marine fuels used in SECAs, on a world scale, by passenger vessels, regardless of flag, from 1.5 % to 0.5 %;
Amendment 34 #
2008/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 4
Paragraph 9 – indent 4
• the introduction of fiscal measures, such as taxes or charges on SO2 and NOx emissions from ships and the identification of ways of imposing such measures and charges on all ships, regardless of flag, putting into Community ports or sailing within the waters of EU Member States;
Amendment 3 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas a European ports policy at Community level, exploiting their comparative geopolitical advantages, is appropriate for this sector because of its 1 COM(2001)0035 and COM(2004)0654. international dimension,
Amendment 4 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Da (new)
Recital Da (new)
Da. whereas, in view of its objectives of boosting the competitiveness of maritime transport and providing high-quality modern services, European ports policy should promote the following four principles: safety - swift service - low cost - respect for the environment,
Amendment 7 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. having regard to the importance to ports of modern infrastructure and hintereffective hinterland and island connections,
Amendment 17 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to publish guidelines on the application of Community environment legislation to port development and their infrastructure, the main objective being to protect the marine environment and the areas surrounding the ports;
Amendment 22 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7a (new)
Paragraph 7a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission systematically to monitor the development of the new technologies and management methods used internationally at ports and ship service, freight, passenger and land transport terminals with the aim of promoting policies and initiatives to develop Community ports and enhance their efficiency and productivity for the benefit of themselves and users;
Amendment 38 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13a (new)
Paragraph 13a (new)
13a. Stresses the need to develop cooperation with third countries in order to prepare and submit programmes for the development, coordination and transfer of know-how among neighbouring ports;
Amendment 60 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21.Calls on the Commission to undertake a study of the funds provided by public authorities to European commercial ports so as to identify possible distortions of competition, but considers that aid given to port authorities to develop their port infrastructures, curb congestion and reduce road freight should not be seen as state aid, particularly when it is considered to be essential to ensure economic, social and territorial cohesion (e.g. islands);
Amendment 75 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges the Commission to promote the exchange of good practice in the port sector in general and with regard to innovation and the training of workers in particular in order improve the quality of services, competitiveness and the attraction of investment;
Amendment 77 #
2008/2007(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Believes that it is of the utmost importance to maintain a balance between the freedom to provide services and the specific requirements of ports; , while stressing the need for cooperation between the public and private sector in order to modernise them;
Amendment 29 #
2007/2290(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 30 #
2007/2290(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 1 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Citation (new)
Citation (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 13 February 20071 on women's role in social, economic and political life in Turkey,
Amendment 4 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes with concern the Commission's statement1 that access to reliable data on the incidence of violence against women and of honour killings continues to be a problem; calls on the Turkish Government to provide specific and reliable data on these issues, as well as on the illiteracy rate among women, on equal access for women to education, and on problems related to the participation of women in the labour force;
Amendment 13 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is alarmed by the fact that the number of children not registered at birth remains high, especially in the East of the country, and that the majority of those children are girls; considers that this hampers the fight against forced marriage and honour crimes, since the victims have no official identity; urges again the Turkish authorities to continue taking all necessary measures to ensure that all Turkish children are registered at birth;
Amendment 22 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes with satisfaction that the implementation of the ministerial circular to combat honour killings and domestic violence against women is underway; underlines the need for judicial proceedings of victims to be dealt with rapidly, confidentially and in a humane manner; is concerned, however, by the fact that domestic violence against women continues to be widespread and that honour killings, early and forced marriages still occur;
Amendment 24 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. CommendNotes the Turkish government on it's support for successful cooperation projects between EU and Turkish partners that are successful, such as the twinning project which is preparing for an independent gender equality body and which is training 750 officials on gender mainstreaming, expect; stresses that such an effective and independent gender equality body willshould be created without delay;
Amendment 29 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Is alarmed by the number of 'honour suicides' committed especially in the regions of the East and the South-East; notes that the rise in these suicides appears to be linked to the tightening of laws against honour crimes; urges again the Turkish authorities to protect women from this kind of pressure exerted upon them by their families and to submit specific and reliable data on suicide among women;
Amendment 30 #
2007/2269(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 3 #
2007/2061(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
Amendment 4 #
2007/2061(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
Amendment 6 #
2007/2061(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital W
Recital W
Amendment 59 #
2007/2061(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76
Paragraph 76
76. Is aware of an evaluation of the Agency carried out on behalf of the Commission in 2007 by external evaluators which concluded that: firmed the validity of the original principles of policy which led to the establishment of the Agency and its original objectives, a view shared by all the main interested parties; is also aware of the more specific conclusions of the evaluation set out below, which were not drawn until the Agency had been in operation for one year: • the Agency's achievements were insufficient to produce the added value and impact initially hoped for; • the size of the management board and its extensive powers over the Agency make for difficult governance; • operational staff was below the critical mass needed to be effective;·
Amendment 4 #
2007/2046(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
Amendment 6 #
2007/2046(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
Amendment 8 #
2007/2046(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
Amendment 11 #
2007/2046(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Y
Recital Y
Amendment 23 #
2007/2038(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
58 a. Calls on the administration to apply the rules on member's allowances correctly and consistently and to identify promptly and immediately any irregularities and omissions.
Amendment 25 #
2007/2038(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Encourages the Bureau's working group on the Members' statute to present its conclusions with a view to rapid and appropriate action on the internal auditor's remarks in his report on the PAAs; confirms, in he light of that working group's report and in the context of the establishment of new rules by the competent political bodies(deletion), that the administration is responsible for ensuring that the PAAs are granted in line with the principles of sound financial management, legality and regularity; is aware of the problems and difficulties arising with regard to bringing the PAAS into line with the social and fiscal legislation of each of the 27 Member States; calls for an immediate start to the negotiations with the Member States and the Belgian government; stresses that this operation, complex though it is, must not create obstacles to the parallel introduction of new rules for the PAAs;
Amendment 27 #
2007/2038(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61 a (new)
Paragraph 61 a (new)
61 a. Points out that assistance to members calls for flexibility and mobility and that it is a matter for members to state their requirements and needs and to decide on the system of assistance for them;
Amendment 34 #
2007/2038(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Welcomes the Secretary-General's willingness, as stated by him at the hearing of 21 January 2008, to submit concrete proposals to the Bureau working group with a view to establishing a new parliamentary assistance regime at European level by June 2009; remains convinced that, in this context and at the same time, the rules governing Members' expenditure and allowances must also be adaptdiscussed; considers that in both cases account must be taken by the political bodies and the administration of the remarks of the internal auditor;
Amendment 49 #
2007/2038(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Draws the Bureau's attention to paragraph 84 of its above-mentioned resolution of 24 April 2007, which states that it has been decidede view that, following the entry into force of the Statute for MEPs, the voluntary pension fund should be confined to honouring existing rights (those acquired as at June 2009), from which it follows that neither present MEPs nor other members could go on 1 contributing to the fund; OJ C 306 E, 15.12.2006, p. 145, paragraph 88.
Amendment 18 #
2007/2037(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. In the field of Structural funds: This part will beWelcomes the Action Plan to strengthen the Commission’s supervisory role for structural actions (COM(2008)0097) presented by the Commission and approves the Commission's stated position that all established irregularities should be duly fiollowed after the hearing in 25/02/2008up by corrective measures, including the suspension of payments and the recovery of unjustified or incorrectly made payments and that reports on these actions will be submitted to Parliament at least twice a year;
Amendment 44 #
2007/2037(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. In the field of external actions: This part will be filled after the evaluation of Welcomes the Commission's commitment to further inform Parliament of beneficiaries of funds, as stated in Article 30 of the Financial Regulation, as well as to further information received and/or expected from the Commissioncrease the political steering, visibility and control over these funds, in particular over funds managed via international trust funds;
Amendment 7 #
2007/0219(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
10a. Member States should take and enforce specific measures to prevent and penalise fraudulent practices associated with certificates of competency as well as pursue their efforts within the IMO to achieve strict and enforceable agreements on the worldwide combating of such practices.
Amendment 8 #
2007/0219(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
17a. The European Maritime Safety Agency should assist the Commission in verifying that Member States comply with the requirements laid down in this Directive.
Amendment 9 #
2007/0219(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
Amendment 10 #
2007/0219(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 27 – paragraph 2
Article 27 – paragraph 2