46 Amendments of Paulo RANGEL related to 2014/2248(INI)
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the ‘polymultiple crisis’es currently faced by the Union, including its financial, economic, social and migratory consequences, have all led to the rejection by a growing part of the population of the current as well as the rising of populist parties and nationalist movements, have all led to a decrease of trust in the European Uninstitutions;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas these significant European challenges cannot be handled by single Member States, but only by a joint response from the European Union;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas progress towards a Union that can really deliver on and achieve its goals are impaired by a failure of governance owing to a continuous and systematic search for unanimity in the Council (which is still based on the so- called Luxembourg Compromise) and the lack of a credible single executive authority enjoying full democratic legitimacy and competence to take effective action across a wide spectrum of policies; whereas recent examples such as the uncontrolled migration flow, the slow clean-up of our banks after the outbreak of the financial crisis and the lack of an immediate common response to the internal and external threat of terrorism have aptly demonstrated the Union’s incapacability to respond effectively and quickly;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, instead of fostering the Union, the system whereby Member States make progress at different speeds in accordance with their different capacities and circumstances, further reinforced in the Lisbon Treaty, which introduced new formal methods of enhanced cooperation, has increased the complexity of the Union and accentuated its ‘variable geometry’; whereas more and more Member States are declining to agree on the goals and prefer ‘à la carte’ solutions, some of them even unilaterallyresort to ‘à la carte’ solutions, further reinforced in the Lisbon Treaty, has increased the complexity of the Union and accentuated its ‘variable geometry’;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the community method must be preserved and not be undermined by intergovernmental solutions, not even in areas where not all Member States fulfil the conditions for participation;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, last but not least, thisa ‘variable geometry’ would endangers the uniform application of EU law, would leads to excessive complexity in terms of governance, would jeopardises the cohesion of the Union and undermines solidarity among its citizens;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas, while Article 16 of the TSCG provides that within five years of the date of entry into force (before 1 January 2018) the necessary steps must have been taken to incorporate the Fiscal Compact into the legal framework of the Union, it is clear that the resilience of the euro area, including the completion of the banking union, cannot be achieved without further fiscal deepening steps together with the establishment of a more reliable, effective and democratic form of governance; whereas this will complete the current Stability and Growth Pact, which, ever since it came into existence, even after its reform by the so-called six-pack and two-pack, has never been applied for any obvious political reasons;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas this new system of governance implies a genuine government equipped to formulate and implement the common monetary, fiscal and macro- economic policies that the euro area desperately needsneeds; considering this government must be accountable to the European Parliament and must be endowed with a tn European Treasury and a budget commensurate with the scale of the tasks at hand; whereas this requires, in addition to measures within the existing primary law, a reform of the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the European Union is a constitutional system based on the rule of law; whereas the Treaties mustshould be changed to give the European Court of Justice (ECJ) jurisdiction over all aspects of EU law, in particular common foreign and security policy (Article 24(1) TEU) and monetary and economic policy (Article 126(10) TFEU)accordance with the principle of separation of powers;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the decline of Europe’s defence capabilities has limited its ability to project stability beyond our immediate borders; whereas this goes hand in hande defence policy in the EU as a pillar within the reluctance of our US allies to intervene if Europe is not ready to take its fair share of responsibility; whereas this leads inevitably to the need forNATO should be strengthened and a comprehensive EU- NATO political and military partnership should be established, while enabling the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to establishing its neighbourhood; reiterates in this regard that EU-NATO relations should be based on complementarity and cooperation at all levels, with a view to addressing common security challenges, capacity development and contingency planning for hybrid threats; whereas more intense cooperation among the Member States and anis needed as well as the integration of some of their defence capacities into a European defence community, both in line with a new European security strategy;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas clarifications are still needed as regards the European elections and on the matter of who leads the Union; whereas, despite the outcome of the 2014 European parliamentary elections having for the first time led directly to the nomination of the candidate for President of the Commission, a clear direct democratic link is still lacking, although the European Council has agreed to review the ‘Spitzenkandidat’ process in time for 201918 ; whereas, moreover, there is still confusion – not least among third partiecitizens – about the interrelationship of the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council; __________________ 18 EUCO conclusions of 27 June 2014.
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas, finally, the urgency for reform of the Union has been dramatically increased by the United Kingdom’s decision, through a referendum, to leave the European Union; whereas it is crystal clearobvious that the negotiations to set out the arrangements for the UK’s withdrawal also need to take account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union; whereas this agreement must be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) TFEU and be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S
Recital S
S. whereas the UK’s decision creates an opportunity to reduce and drastically simplify the ‘variable geometry’ and complexity of the Union; whereas it offers at least the opportunity to, by clarifying what membership of the Union really means and what could be a clear structure in the future fframework the EU’s relationship with non- members in our periphery (the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, etc.); whereas the founding fathers of the Union had already envisaged a type of ‘associate status’o be developed in order to build a ring of partners around the EU for countries who cannot yet or will not join the Union;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the time of crisis management by means of ad hoc and incremental decisionbefore engaging in proposals for radical reforms thas passed, as it only leads to measures that are too little, too late; is convinced that it is now time to address the shortcomings of the governance of the European Union by undertaking a comprehensive, in-depth reform of the Lisbon Treatyt would require amendments to the current Treaties, the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty should be exploited to their full potential in the first place;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the direction of the Union’s reform should lead towards its modernisation by establishing new effective European capacities and instruments, in the long term, rather than its renationalisation by means of greater intergovernmentalism;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that a comprehensive democrapolitical reflection on the reform of the Treaties can and must only be achieved through a Convention, which guarantees inclusiveness through its composition of representatives of national parliaments, governments of allshould be envisaged ahead of the 60th anniversary of the EU’s founding Rome Treaty in order to achieve a comprehensive set of proposals for those Member States, the Commissat want to continue with deeper integration; and the European Parliament, and also provides the proper platform for such reflection and engagement with European citizenscknowledges however that EU’s future architecture shall be approved at an European Convention, as the next step from the Lisbon Treaty towards a renewed constitutional framework;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that the ‘Union method’ is the only method for legislating which ensures that all interests, especially the common European interest, are taken into account; understands by ‘Union method’ thate legislative procedure in which the Commission as the executive initiates legislation, the Parliament and the Council representing respectively the citizens and the states decide by majority voting, while unanimity obligations become the absolute exceptions, and the Court of Justice oversees and provides ultimate judicial control;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recommends that, instead of these multiple derogations, a type of ‘associaten instrument or even a status’ c should be proposed to those states in the periphery that only want to participate on the sideline, i.e. in some specific Union policies; this statudeveloped in order to set up a ring of partners around the EU for countries swhould be accompanied by obligations corresponding to the associated rights cannot yet or will not join the Union;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Considers that the possibility of differentiated integration should be left open for all Member States, if they are able and willing to advance with the Union’s common objectives; notes, however, that such differentiated integration should only vary in its timescale, so as to ensure a clear and uniform implementation of the Treaties;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. The single institutional framework should be preserved and any form of flexibility should aim to achieve the Union’s common objectives, without undermining the principle of equality of all citizens and Member States;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that thise new type of ‘associateinstrument or status’ could also be one of the possible outcomes to respect the will of the majority of the citizens of the United Kingdom to leave the EU; stresses that this wish must be respected, given that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, as one of the larger Member States, and as the largest non-euro-area member, affects the strength and the institutional balance of the Union – a new situation that adds to the need for revision of the Treaties;
Amendment 480 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers that neitherthe framework for economic governance provided by the Stability and Growth Pact norand the ‘no bail- out’ clause (Article 125 TFEU) provide the intended solutions, and that they have furthermore lost credibility in their current form, as the pact has been infringed by several Member States without political or legal consequences, while Greece has been bailed out on a large scale on three occashould be developed in order to ensure a truthful and comprehensive implementation of their provisions;
Amendment 498 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Acknowledges the improvements brought by the European Semester, the six- pack and the two-pack aimed at addressing these issues, but concludes that they have not solved the problems; believes, moreover, that they have contributed to making the system overly complex, are not binding with regard to country-specific recommendations and do not cover spill- over effects between one Member State and another, or to the euro area or the EU as a wholeelieves that those laws need to be applied and enforced more consistently;
Amendment 522 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is acutely aware of the need to review the efficacy of the many recent crisis-management measures taken by the EU, and to codify in primary law certain decision-making procedures – such as ‘reverse qualified majority voting’ – as well as the need to entrench the legal bases of the new regulatory framework for the financial sector; agrees with the Five Presidents’ Report that the ‘open method of coordination’ as the basis for Europe’s economic strategy does not function and needs to be elevated into binding legal actsEurope’s economic strategy needs to be better coordinated;
Amendment 535 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Proposes therefore merging the deficit and debt procedures, the macroeconomic imbalance procedure and the country-specific recommendations into a singlea ‘convergence code’ of a legally binding nature,; setting minimum and maximum standards, where onlyuggests that compliance with this code would allow access to EU funds for investment projects or participation in new instruments that combine economic reform with fiscal incentives such as a fiscal capacity for the euro area or a common debt instrument; the coordination of economic policies as provided for in Article 5 TFEU would therefore become a ‘shared competence’ between the Union and the Member Statesthe Structural Reform Support Programme;
Amendment 559 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that, in order to reduce the still excessively high debt burden of Member States, such a common debt instrument needs to be established, inspired by the proposal by the German Council of Economic Experts of 9 November 2011, whereby eEuro-area mzone Members would undertake joint and several liability for a sinking fund, with strong individual commitments on structural reforms to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to the required maximum of 60 %; insists that euro-area mthe Eurozone Members would only be able to participate when they are in compliance with the convergence code, as this will prevent moral hazard;
Amendment 569 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 613 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Is of the opinion that, in order to increase financial stability, mitigate cross- border asymmetric shocks and reduce the effects of recession, the eEuro areazone needs a fiscal capacity based on genuine own resources and a proper treasury facilitn European Treasury equipped with a capacthe ability to borrow; notes that this tTreasury mustshould be based in the Commission and be subject to democratic scrutiny and accountability through the Parliament and the Council;
Amendment 643 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls, therefore, for the executive authority to be concentrated in the Commission in the role of an EU Finance Minister, by endowing the Commission with the capacity to formulate and give effect to a common EU economic policy combining macro-economic, fiscal and monetary instruments, backed up by a euro-area budgetn Eurozone fiscal capacity; the Finance Minister should be responsible for the operation of the ESM and other mutualised fundinstruments, and be the single external representative of the euro area in international organisations, especially in the financial sector;
Amendment 655 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Considers it necessary to endow the Finance Minister with proportionate powers to intervene in the setting of national economic and fiscal policies in cases where the convergence code is not respected, and the power to use the fiscal capacity or the common bond instrument for those Member States that arorder to ensure the compliantce with the convergence code;
Amendment 676 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers it nrecessaryommendable, in the long term, to endow the European Central Bank with the status of lender of last resort enjoying the full powers of a federal reserve bankand with the competences of a federal reserve bank, provided that its independence is fully granted;
Amendment 686 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
Amendment 692 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
Amendment 727 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Recognises the geopolitical, economic and environmental need for the creation of a genuine European energy union; notes that this willmay require the removal of the constraint that EU policy must not affect a state’s right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy sources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply (Article 194(2) TFEU);
Amendment 774 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Notes that only by enhancing the Common Foreign and Security Policy can the EU bring credible answers to the new security threats and challenges, fighting terrorism, bringing peace, stability and order to its neighbourhood;
Amendment 786 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Is of the opinion, while reiterating that more progress could and should be made under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty, including as regards use of the provisions to act by qualified majority voting, that the Vice-President / High Representative should be named EU Foreign Minister and be supported in her efforts to become the main external representative of the European Union in international fora, not least at the level of the UN; considers it essential that, owing to the broad and heavy workload, the Foreign Minister shcould be able to appoint political deputies; proposes a review of the functionality of the current European External Action Service;
Amendment 792 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses that for the Union to strengthen its own capacity for the defence of the EU territory, as a pillar within NATO, which remains the cornerstlso in view of a rebalance within the EU-NATO strategic partnership, as well as for efficiency and a desirable reductione of the European security architecture and to enable the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to stabilising its neighbourhoodmilitary expenses of individual Member States (deriving from the savings achievable through joint projects and economies of scale), and to enable the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to conducting conflict prevention operations and peacekeeping in its neighbourhood, in compliance with the principles of the United Nations, the Treaties should provide for the possibility of establishing a European defence union;
Amendment 862 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Reiterates its call for the size of the renewed Commission to be reduced substantially and for its vice-presidents to be reduced to two: the Finance Minister and the Foreign Minister; suggests that the same reduction be applied to the Court of Auditors;
Amendment 877 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the successful new procedure whereby European political parties promote their toplead candidates for the President of the European executive, but believes that they should be able to stand during the next elections as official candidates in all Member States; proposes, therefore, following its legislative proposal on the reform of the electoral law of the European Union, empowering the electorate by giving them two votes, one for the national or regional lists and a secelected by the European Parliament on a proposal by the European Council; suggests the integrationd one for the European party lists; these European lists will be headed by the parties’ nominees to become President of the European executive or government and will be composed of candidates drawn from at least one third of the Member Statesf the ‘Spitzenkandidat procedure’ into the Union’s legal framework;
Amendment 893 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
Amendment 916 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Notes that, despite the prohibition in Article 15(1) T the EU needs further transparent parliamentarisation, and calls for an enhanced parliamentary democracy within the EU, withe European Council has undertaken various legislative initiatives; proposes abolishing Article 15(1) and integratParliament and Council acting as the two chambers of the Legislative Branch; stresses that the Council has to change its statute in accordance with the following: the European Council into a Council of Staspecialised Council configurations should be grantesd that could engage legitimately in the law- making process and provide direction and coherence to the other specialised Council configurationse status of committees of the Council; the Council, acting as a legislator and as a plenary of all committees, should meet in public;
Amendment 922 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Considers that this Council and its specialised configurations, as the second chamber of the EU legislature, should, in the interest of specialism, professionalism and continuity, replace the practice of the rotating six-month presidency with a system of permanent chairs chosen from their midst; suggests that the idea of creating a special Law Council should be favourably reconsidered;
Amendment 972 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46a Considers it necessary, in view of the full respect for democratic principles that are the foundation of the Union and for the constitutional traditions common to the Member States that comprise it, the insertion in the Treaty, of the possibility for a Member State to withdraw membership from the Euro zone, through a process assisted by the ECB and the European Commission acting as much in the interests of the withdrawing State as in those of the remaining members from the risk of speculative attacks and economic shocks, especially during the transition period;
Amendment 975 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46a. Albeit respecting the role of national parliaments and the principle of subsidiarity, acknowledges the EU’s exclusive competences on Common Commercial Policy; calls for a clear delimitation of competences between the Union and the Member States in this respect; notes that this delimitation would have positive effects on jobs and growth both in the EU and in its trading partners;
Amendment 1018 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Believes, finally, that the current Treaty ratification procedure is too rigid to befit such a supranational polity as the European Union; proposes allowing amendments to the Treaties to come into force if not by an EU-wide referendum then after being ratified by a qualified majority of four-fifths of the Member States, having obtained the consent of the Parliament; correspondingly, once this threshold has been met, Member States which still decline to ratify the amended Treaty should decide, in accordance with their own constitutional requirements, whether to start the process of secession or to opt for an associate status;
Amendment 1038 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Is of the opinion that the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome would be an appropriate moment to modernise the European Unlaunch the reflection andon to start a Convention withthe future of Europe and agree on a vision for the pcurpose of making the European Union ready for the decades aheadrent and future generations of European citizens;