24 Amendments of Jens GEIER related to 2020/0104(COD)
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 changed the economic outlook for the years to come in the Union and in the world, calling for an urgent and coordinated response from the Union in order to cope with the enormous economic and social consequences for all Member. The challenges linked to the demographic context, social inclusion and social cohesion have been amplified by COVID-19. The current COVID-19 pandemic as well as the previous economic and financial crisis have shown that developing sound and resilient economies and financial systems built on strong economic and social structures helps Member States to respond more efficiently to shocks and recover more swiftly from them. Moreover, they have shown that cuts in public spending on education, culture and healthcare are counterproductive to a swift recovery and to build resilient economies and societies. The medium and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis will critically depend on how quickly Member States’ economies will recover from the crisis, which in turn depends on the fiscal space Member States have available to take measures to mitigate the social and economic impact of the crisis, and on the resilience of their economies and public services of general interest. Reforms and investments to address structural weaknesses of the economies and public services of general interest and strengthen their resilience will therefore be essential to set the economies and social life back on a sustainable recovery path and avoid further widening of the divergences in the Union.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate its effects on the economies have had disastrous consequences for the social life in all Member States. Education, cultural activities, tourism and recreation came almost to a standstill. The Union and its Member States should therefore also invest in the recovery and resilience of these sectors and policy areas.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 b (new)
Recital 4 b (new)
(4b) Considering that the cultural and creative sectors have been hit particularly hard by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic due to, amongst other things, the closure of cinemas, theatres and other cultural venues, the sudden stop of ticket sales and low advertisement sales, the Union and its Member States should earmark at least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for the support of these sectors, which are of utmost importance for the economies, social cohesion, tourism and recreation.
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 c (new)
Recital 4 c (new)
(4c) The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore that our educational systems are not as resilient as they should be. The pandemic has probably caused the most severe disruption to the world’s education and training systems in history, with many pupils and students in the Union having no or little access to remote learning due to a lack of digital equipment, infrastructure and competences, but also due to their vulnerable social status. This situation is threatening a loss of learning for an entire generation of pupils and students, likely to decrease future income levels of the affected generation and to negatively impact labour productivity, growth and competitiveness levels for the Union as a whole. The Union and its Member States should therefore allocate 10% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for investments in quality and inclusive education and training, educational infrastructure, online and offline, skills and competences.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The implementation of reforms contributing to promote social cohesion and to achieve a high degree of resilience of domestic economies, strengthening adjustment capacity and unlocking growth potential are among the Union’s policy priorities. They are therefore crucial to set the recovery on a sustainable path and support the process of upward economic and social convergence. This is even more necessary in the aftermath of the pandemic crisis to pave the way for a swift recovery.
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Past experiences have shown that investment is often drastically cut during crises. However, it is essential to support investment, public and private, in this particular situation to speed up the recovery, mitigate the effects of the pandemic on social inclusion and cohesion and strengthen long- term growth potential. Investing in green and digital technologies, capacities and processes aimed at assisting clean energy transition, boosting energy efficiency in housing and other key sectors of the economic are important to achieve sustainable growth and help create jobs. It will also help make the Union more resilient and less dependent by diversifying key supply chains. However, it is equally important to invest in education, culture and other public services of general interest in order to promote social inclusion and social cohesion, to prepare the citizens for the future needs of our labour markets, to equip them with the necessary skills and competences and to give them new opportunities.
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Currently, no instrument foresees direct financial support linked to the achievement of results and to implementation of reforms and public investments of the Member States in response to challenges identified in the European Semester, and with a view to having a lasting impact on the productivity and resilience of the economy and public services of the Member States.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to implement these overall objectives, relevant actions will be identified during the Facility’s preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes. Also, due attention should be paid to the impact of the national plans submitted under this Regulation on fostering not only the green transition, but also the digital transformation, including the promotion of digital education, skills and competences. They will both play a priority role in relaunching and modernising our economy.
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Facility’s general objective should be the promotion of economic, social and territorial cohesion. For that purpose, it should contribute to improving the resilience and adjustment capacity of the Member States, mitigating the social and economic impact of the crisis, and supporting the green and digital transitions aimed at achieving a climate neutral Europe by 2050, thereby restoring the growth potential of the economies of the Union in the aftermath of the crisis, fostering public services, employment creation and to promoting sustainable growth.
Amendment 344 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) To ensure its contribution to the objectives of the Facility, the recovery and resilience plan should comprise measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment projects through a coherent recovery and resilience plan. The recovery and resilience plan should be consistent with the relevant country- specific challenges and priorities identified in the context of the European Semester, with the national reform programmes, the national energy and climate plans, the just transition plans, and the partnership agreements and operational programmes adopted under the Union funds. To boost actions that fall within the priorities of the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, the plan should also set out measures that are relevant for the green and digital transitions. Furthermore, the plan should set out measures in the areas of education and culture, which contribute considerably to economic and social resilience. The measures should enable a swift deliver of targets, objectives and contributions set out in national energy and climate plans and updates thereof. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union.
Amendment 487 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) A Member State should have the possibility to make a reasoned request to amend the recovery and resilience plan within the period of implementation, where objective circumstances justify such a course of action. The Commission should assess the reasoned request and take a new decisevaluation within four months.
Amendment 548 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39
Recital 39
(39) The recovery and resilience plans to be implemented by the Member States and, the corresponding financial contribution allocated to them should be established by the Commission by way of implementing act. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powand the accompanying budgetary transfers should be conferred on the Commission. The implementing powers relating to the adoption of the recovery and resilience plans and to the payment of the financial support upon fulfilment of the relevant milestones and targets should be exercised by the Commission in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 ofestablished in a legislative act to be adopted by the European Parliament and of the Council, under the examination procedure thereof13 . After the adoption of an implementing act. After the adoption, it should be possible for the Member State concerned and the Commission to agree on certain operational arrangements of a technical nature, detailing aspects of the implementation with respect to timelines, indicators for the milestones and targets, and access to underlying data. To allow the continuous relevance of the operational arrangements in respect of the prevailing circumstances during the implementation of the recovery and resilience plan, it should be possible that the elements of such technical arrangements may be modified by mutual consent. Horizontal financial rules adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on the basis of Article 322 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union apply to this Regulation. These rules are laid down in the Financial Regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget through grants, procurement, prizes, indirect implementation, and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors. Rules adopted on the basis of Article 322 TFEU also concern the protection of the Union's budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States, as the respect for the rule of law is an essential precondition for sound financial management and effective EU funding. __________________ 13 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).
Amendment 560 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39 a (new)
Recital 39 a (new)
(39a) In the interest of a speedy economic recovery, support should be made available as quickly and as efficiently as possible. The Member States and the Union institutions involved in the decision-making process should do their utmost to reduce processing time and simplify procedures so as to ensure the smooth and rapid adoption of decisions on the mobilisation of the Facility.
Amendment 1217 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – title
Article 17 – title
Amendment 1218 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall adopt a decision within four months ofevaluate as quickly as possible the official submission of the recovery and resilience plan by the Member State, by means of an implementing act. In the event that and propose the amount of a financial contribution from the Facility. Where the Commission has givesn a positive assessmentevaluation to a recovery and resilience plan, that decision shall set out the reforms and investment projects to be implemented by the Member State, including the milestones and targets, and the financial contribution allocated in accordance with Article 11it shall submit a proposal to mobilise the Facility to the European Parliament and the Council. The decision to mobilise the Facility shall be taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council within one month of the Commission submitting the proposal. The European Parliament shall act by a majority of its component members and three fifths of the votes cast and the Council shall act by a qualified majority. At the same time as it presents a proposal for a decision to mobilise the Facility, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a transfer to the relevant budgetary lines. In the event of disagreement, a trilogue procedure shall be initiated.
Amendment 1289 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 5
Article 17 – paragraph 5
5. Where the Commission gives a negative assessment to a recovery and resilience plan, it shall communicate a duly justified assessment within four months of the submission of the proposal by the Member Stateas soon as possible to the Member State concerned and to the European Parliament and the Council.
Amendment 1300 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 7
Article 17 – paragraph 7
7. The implementing acts referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 27(2)Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of X XXXX 20XX on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management shall further specify requirements of the allocation procedure of the Facility.
Amendment 1311 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. Where the recovery and resilience plan including relevant milestones and targets, is no longer achievable, either partially or totally, by the Member State concerned because of objective circumstances, the Member State concerned may make a reasoned request to the Commission to propose to the European Parliament and the Council to amend or replace the decisions referred to in Article 17(1) and 17(2). To that effect, the Member State may propose a modified or a new recovery and resilience plan.
Amendment 1317 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 2
Article 18 – paragraph 2
2. Where the Commission considers that the reasons put forward by the Member State concerned justify an amendment of the relevant recovery and resilience plan, the Commission shall assess the new plan in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 and shall take a new decisionsubmit a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with Article 17 within four months of the official submission of the request.
Amendment 1335 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission decision referred to in Article 17(1) shall constitute an individual legal commitment within the meaning of the Financial Regulation, which may be based on global commitments. Where appropriate, budgetary commitments may be broken down into annual instalments spread over several years.
Amendment 1336 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2
Article 19 – paragraph 2
2. Payment of financial contributions to the Member State concerned under this Article shall be made in accordance with the budget appropriations and subject to the available funding. The Commission decisions referred to in this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 27(2).
Amendment 1361 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Where the Commission makes a positive assessment, it shall adopt a decisionsubmit a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council to authorisinge the disbursement of the financial contribution in accordance with the Financial Regulation.
Amendment 1381 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall take a decisionsubmit a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council on the cancellation of the financial contribution after having given the Member State concerned the possibility to present its observations within a period of two months of the communication of its assessment as to whether no tangible progress has been made.
Amendment 1514 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27
Article 27