Activities of José Manuel FERNANDES related to 2020/0103(COD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Technical Support Instrument
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a Technical Support Instrument
Amendments (23)
Amendment 47 #
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. 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 territorial, 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 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 resilience 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 60 #
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 reforms necessary to achieve economic and social recovery, resilience and 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, and public administration, andincluding at regional and local levels, as well as economic and social sectors.
Amendment 67 #
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 labour, education and training, sustainable development, public health and social welfare, promotion of active ageing, as well as economic, social and territorial cohesion, civil protection, asylum, migration and border policies. Specific emphasis should be given to the actions that foster the green and digital transitions.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) In order to attain the objectives set out in this Regulation, the allocation of the financial envelope should be made in stages. In the first stage, lasting twenty months, half of the overall financial envelope should be made available to the Member States, during which they could receive up to their maximum allocation. In the second stage, the amount that has not yet been allocated should be allocated on top of the remaining of the financial envelope.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) Due to the exceptional circumstances deriving from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, relevant actions started from 1 February 2020 onwards should be eligible for financing under the Instrument, provided they pursue the objectives set out in this Regulation.
Amendment 76 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) For the purposes of accountability, transparency and to ensure visibility of the Union action, subject to certain conditions that protect sensitive information, the cooperation and support plans should be provided to and scrutinized by the European Parliament and the Council and communication activities should be carried out by the Commission as appropriate.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Pursuant to paragraphs 22 and 23 of the Interinstitutional Agreement for Better Law-Making of 13 April 2016, there is a need to evaluate the instrument established by this Regulation on the basis of information collected through specific monitoring requirements, while avoiding overregulation and administrative burdens, simplifying administrative procedures and promoting administrative cooperation, in particular on Member States. These requirements, where appropriate, should include measurable indicators, as a basis for evaluating the effects of the instrument on the ground.
Amendment 87 #
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 in relation to challenges faced by institutions, governance, and public administration, andincluding at regional and local levels, as well as economic and social sectors.
Amendment 104 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) institutional reform and efficient and service-oriented functioning of public administration and e-government, including, where appropriate, through the simplification of rulesprocedures and promotion of administrative cooperation, effective rule of law, reform of the justice systems and reinforcement of the fight against fraud, corruption and money laundering;
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) business environment, includingespecially for small and medium-sized enterprises and social economy enterprises, re- industrialisation, private sector development, product and service markets, investment, public participation in enterprises, privatisation processes, trade and foreign direct investment, competition and public procurement, sustainable sectoral development and support for research and innovation and digitisation;
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) education and training, labour market policies, including social dialogue, for the creation of jobs, up- and re-skilling, in particular digital skills, media literacy, active citizenship, the fight against poverty and excessive income inequality, gender equality, the promotion of social inclusion, adequate and inclusive social security and social welfare systems, accessible and affordable public health and healthcare systems, as well as cohespromotion of active ageing, as well as economic, social and territorial cohesion, civil protection, asylum, migration and border policies;
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. For a period of twenty months from the date of application of this Regulation, the Commission shall make available for allocation 50% of the overall envelope referred to in paragraph 1. Each Member State may propose to receive up to the full amount of the financial contribution referred to paragraph 1 in order to pursue the objectives set out in Articles 3 and 4 of this Regulation.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. For the period starting after the end of the period referred to in the previous paragraph, the Commission shall make available the remaining 50% of the overall envelope referred to in paragraph 1, plus the amount that has not yet been allocated.
Amendment 128 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
3. Resources allocated to Member States under shared management may, at their request, be transferred to the instrument. The Commission shall implement those resources directly in accordance with point (a) of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation or indirectly in accordance with point (c) of that Article. Those resources shall be used for the benefit of the Member State concerned including at regional and local levels.
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
(ii) working visits toexchange of best practices with relevant Member States or third countries to enable officials to acquire or increase their expertise or knowledge in relevant matters;
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The types of action foreseen in the last paragraph should be eligible for financing if started from 1 February 2020 onwards, provided they pursue the objectives set out in Articles 3 and 4 of this Regulation.
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – title
Article 9 – title
Amendment 149 #
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, namely for the purposes of democratic accountability and to ensure visibility of the Union action. 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 157 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 7 – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 7 – introductory part
7. To ensure timely availability of resources, a limited part of the work programme, not exceeding 5%, shall be reserved for special measures in the event of unforeseen and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring an immediate response, including a serious disturbance in the economy or significant circumstances seriously affecting the economic or social conditions in a Member State going beyond its control.
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) ensure complementarity, synergy, coherence and consistency among different instruments at Union, national and, where appropriate, region, regional and local levels, in particular in relation to measures financed by Union funds, both in the planning phase and during implementation;
Amendment 159 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) ensure close cooperation between those responsible for implementation at Union, national and, where appropriate, region, regional and local levels to deliver coherent and streamlined support actions under the instrument.
Amendment 160 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. The mid-term evaluation report shall, in particular, assess to which extent the objectives of the instrument referred to Articles 3 and 4 have been achieved, the sufficiency and the efficiency of the use of resources and the European added value. It shall also consider the continued relevance of all objectives and actions.