14 Amendments of João FERREIRA related to 2015/2074(BUD)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the 2016 budget should focus on initiatives that contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the creation of high-quality and durable employment across the Union and that programmes contributing directly to these objectives should be given priority when budgetary decisions are made;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses, therefore, that for 2016 the resources of these programmes should at least be maintained at the levels of the previous EU budgetbe increased;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Draws attention to the threats affecting numerous forest ecosystems, including dispersal of invasive exotic species, diseases (e.g. pine nematode) and forest fires; considers that suitable financial resources need to be channelled, via Union programmes and support measures, into the evaluation of ecological and plant health conditions in forests and rehabilitation measures, including reforestation;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Points out that, over the years, the Member States have faced a significant shortage of financial resources for the management of areas included in the Natura 2000 network (which in some cases represent a significant proportion of national territory), and this has compromised the instrument’s effectiveness and overall coherence;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls for the Union to take more responsibility for the protection of natural resources in the Natura 2000 network, especially in terms of its financing; notes the difficulties experienced by several Member States in the management of areas included in the Natura 2000 network, due to the lack of a specific financial instrument geared to the management of areas included in the Natura 2000 network, which would complement the inclusion of biodiversity concerns in sectoral policies;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Draws attention to the need for funding under the Horizon 2020 framework programme to be shared out in a more even-handed way among the Member States and to the fact that several cohesion countries are net contributors to the framework programme; points out that the ‘Innovation Union’ initiative has to involve all countries and regions and that there must be no ‘innovation divide’ between more innovative countries and regions and the rest;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the considerable impact of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) on the 2016 budget; believes that the objectives of the EFSI can only be achieved ifBelieves that the level of financing for Horizon 2020 and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) ismust be fully maintained;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Considers it to be essential, given that they make up 99 % of the Union's corporate fabric and account for 80 % of jobs in the Union, to provide greater support to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in order to boost their productivity within a stable business environment, minimise the effect of dominant market positions occupied by large companies and conglomerates, and help MSMEs and worker cooperatives to be set up and to grow;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the commitments agreed in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 should be met in full; expresses concern at the growing number of unpaid invoices; notes that interest on late payments in 2014 has risen more than sevenfold since 2012; calls for immediate action to reduce the backlog of outstanding payment claims; draws attention to the scantiness of the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework and to the need for it to be revised as soon as possible with a view to substantial expansion;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that funding for research should be focused on areas in which the greatest added value can be achieved and that improving energy efficiency should therefore be one of the priorities for European research; draws attention to the inequalities among Member States;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes with disquiet that, because of the budget cuts being imposed on Member States, investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) will be reduced still further, with highly damaging results;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Points to the crucial role of structural and investment funds in promoting STI investment; believes that the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund have a central role to play in, respectively, training and skills development for workers in the area of innovation and the funding of regional innovation strategies that could bring benefits in terms of territorial policy, improving living conditions, promoting social justice and well-being, and preserving the environment; points to the importance of strengthening cohesion policy and the related objectives by supporting innovation and other fields and, to that end, revising the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that greater priority must be given to parts of the budget earmarked for increasing Europe's security of supply by building a network of interconnectors to ensure a free flow of energy between Member States; stresses the importance of enlarging the concept of security so as to include and address the problem of energy poverty;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9