21 Amendments of Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ related to 2020/0103(COD)
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 changed the economic outlook for the years to come in the EU and in the world. In the Union, new priorities have emerged, linked with the crisis, specifically focussing on recovery and resilience and support to the most vulnerable affected by the crisis. They require an urgent and coordinated response from the Union in order to cope with the economic consequences for Member States as well to mitigate the social and economic fallouts. The current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the previous economic and financial crisis have shown that developing sound and resilient economies and, financial and social welfare systems built on strong economic and social structures helps Member States to respond more efficiently to shocks and recover more swiftly from them. Growth enhancing reforms and investments to address structural weaknesses of the economies and strengthen their resiliSocially responsible, smart, sustainable and inclusive reforms, which enhance the potential to strengthen adjustment capacity and social protection systems, boost growth, create quality jobs, foster investment and support the process of upward economic and social convergence will therefore be essential to set the economies and societies back on a sustainable recovery path and overcome the economic, social and territorial divergences in the Union.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination is the framework to identify challenges and national reform priorities and monitor their implementation. Such reforms should be based on solidarity, integration, social justice and a fair distribution of wealth, so as to ensure equality and access to opportunities and social protection, to protect vulnerable groups, and to improve the living standards of all, which are key principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Member States develop their own national multiannual investment strategies in support of those reform priorities. Those strategies areshould be designed based on a wide-ranging and well-documented public consultation process, in cooperation with social partners, and then presented alongside the yearly National Reform Programmes as a way to outline and coordinate priorities to be supported by national and/or Union funding. They should also serve to use Union funding in a coherent manner and to maximise the added value of the financial support to be received notably from the programmes supported by the Union under the structural and cohesion funds, and from other programmes.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Reflecting the European Green Deal as Europe’s growth strategy and the translation of the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the technical support instrument will contribute to mainstreaming climate actions and to the achievement of an overall target of 25% of the EU budget expenditures supporting climate objectives. Relevant actions should be identified during the instrument’s preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes. This should alsoe instrument will also contribute to reforms that ensure the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and tackle broader environmental and social challenges within the Union, including thereducing inequalities, ensuring high quality public services, protection ofng natural capital and the support toing the circular economy and be in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The general objective of the technical support instrument should be to promote the Union’s economic, social and territorial cohesion by supporting Member States efforts to implement socially responsible reforms necessary to achieve economic and social recovery, resilience and upward convergence. To that effect, it should support the strengthening of the administrative capacity of the Member States to implement Union law, in relation to challenges faced by institutions, governance, public administration, and economiclocal authorities and social sectopartners.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The specific objectives of the technical support instrument should be to assist national and local authorities and social partners in their endeavours to design, develop and implement reformssocially responsible and sustainable reforms and strengthen social dialogue, including through exchange of good practices, appropriate processes and methodologies and a more effective and efficient human resources management.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) With a view to helping Member States address reform needs in all the key economic and societal areas, technical support should continue to be provided by the Commission, upon request from a Member State, in a broad range of policy domains, which include areas related to public financial and asset management, institutional and administrative reform, business environment, the financial sector, markets for products, services and labourquality jobs, education and training, sustainable development, public health and social welfare. Specific emphasis should be given to the actions that foster the green and digital transitions and social progress. The instrument should also support actions to stimulate convergence towards accession to the euro area of those Member States whose currency is not the euro.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Technical Support Instrument should be provided on request, in order to support the implementation of reforms undertaken at the initiative ofin the Member States, reforms in the context of economic governance processes or actions related to the implementation of Union law, and reforms in relation to the implementation of economic adjustment programmes. It should also provide technical support for the preparation and implementation of recovery plans to be undertaken under Regulation (EU) No YYY/XX.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) The instrument should also support reforms implemented through local authorities and other stakeholders. Where the European Semester, in particular the country-specific recommendations, identify challenges that require urgent reforms but the Member State concerned makes inadequate use of the allocated funding, or such funding has been suspended by the Commission, regional and local level actions that contribute to addressing those challenges should continue to benefit from the instrument.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) In line with the rules and practice already existing under the previous programme, the SRSP, a light process for the submission of requests for technical support should be established. For this reason, requests by Member States should be submitted by 31 October of a calendar year following adequate consultation with relevant social partners. Respecting the overarching principle of equal treatment, sound financial management and transparency, appropriate criteria for the analysis of the requests submitted by Member States should be laid down. Those criteria should be based on the urgency, the severity and extent of the problems, as well as on the support needs identified in respect of the policy areas where technical support is envisaged.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
The general objective of the instrument shall be to promote the Union’s economic, social and territorial cohesion by supporting Member States efforts to implement reforms necessary to achieve economic and social recovery, resilience and upward economic and social convergence, and to support Member States’ efforts to strengthen their administrative capacity to implement Union law, including the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, in relation to challenges faced by institutions, governance, public administration, and economiclocal authorities and social sectopartners.
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
To achieve the general objective set out in Article 3, the instrument shall have the specific objectives of assisting national authoritiend local authorities and social partners in improving their capacity to design, develop and implement reforms and strengthen social dialogue, including through exchange of good practices, appropriate processes and methodologies and a more effective and efficient human resources management. Those specific objectives shall be pursued in close cooperation with the Member States concerned.
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The specific objectives set out in Article 4 shall refer to policy areas related to cohesion, competitiveness, educsocial welfare systems and quality public services, including health, education and training, labour market participation, productivity, digitalisation, research and innovation, smart, fair, sustainable, and inclusive growth, quality jobs and investment, with specific emphasis to actions that foster thefair green and digital transitions and actions that foster the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and in particular to one or more of the following:
Amendment 103 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) institutional reform and efficient, non-discriminatory and service-oriented functioning of public administration and e- government, including, where appropriate, through the improvement of the accessibility and affordability of public services, simplification of rules, effective rule of law and checks and balances, reform of the justice systems and reinforcement of the fight against fraud, corruption and, money laundering and tax evasion;
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) vocational education and training, inclusive labour market policies, includstrengthening social dialogue, for thecapacity building of social partners, creation of quality jobs, up- and re-skilling, in particular digital skills, media literacy, active citizenship, the fight against poverty and excessive income, reduction of income and wealth inequalityies, gender equality, the promotion of social inclusion, adequate and inclusive social securityprotection and social welfare systems, accessible and affordable public health and healthcare systems, as well as cohesion, asylum, migration and border policies;
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. A Member State wishing to receive technical support under the instrument shall submit a request for technical support to the Commission following adequate public consultation with relevant social partners, identifying the policy areas and the priorities for support within the scope as set out in Article 5. These requests shall be submitted by 31 October of a calendar year. The Commission may provide guidance on the main elements to be included in the request for support.
Amendment 139 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the implementation of reforms byin Member States, undertaken on their own initiative, in particular to support recovery [in line with Regulation (EU) No YYY/XX], achieve sustainable economic growth and, quality job creation, adequate social protection, social inclusion and enhance resilience;
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall transmit, with the consent of the Member State concerned, the cooperation and support plan to the European Parliament and the Council without undue delay. The Member State concerned may refuse to give such consent in the case of sensitive or confidential information, the disclosure of which would jeopardise public interests of the Member State.
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. Grants may be awarded to the national and local authorities of Member States and social partners, the European Investment Bank group, international organisations, public or private bodies and entities legally established in:
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Where the European Semester, in particular country-specific recommendations, identify challenges that require urgent reforms but the Member State concerned makes inadequate use of the allocated funding, or such funding has been suspended by the Commission, regional and local level actions that contribute to addressing those challenges shall continue to benefit from the Programme.
Amendment 163 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. The recipients of Union funding shall acknowledge the origin and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the publicthe public, including through the media on a non- discriminatory basis.