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17 Amendments of Gaston FRANCO related to 2011/0394(COD)

Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
(18) As outlined in the Commission Communication of 30 June 2010, entitled "Europe, the world's No 1 tourist destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe", which was endorsed by the European Council Conclusions of October 2010, tourism is an important sector of the Union economy. Enterprises in this sector contribute substantially contribute to the Union's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and to job creation and have significant potential for the development of entrepreneurial activity, since it is run mainly by SMEs. The Lisbon Treaty acknowledges the importance of tourism, outlining the Union's specific competences in this field which complement the actions of Member States. Despite this, the sector is not covered by a specific EU programme, and is not considered a priority in other programmes, such as those under the Cohesion Policy. There is clear added value for the tourism initiative at Union level, especially in providing data and analysis, in developing transnational promotion strategies and in exchanging best practices.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. In the context of measures for SMEs and of implementation of the programme, the Commission and Member States must pay particular attention to the diverse forms these businesses can take.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 274 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall support actions to improve and strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Union enterprises, particularly SMEs, so as to enhance the effectiveness, coherence and consistency of local, regional and national policies promoting competitiveness, sustainability and the growth of enterprises in Europe, including in the tourism sector.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 276 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The Commission mayshall support actions intended to develop new competitiveness strategiesstrategies to ensure the competitiveness and ongoing development of businesses, as well as actions to help implement the Small Business Act for Europe. Such actions may include the following:
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 280 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) measures to improve the design, implementation and evaluation of policies affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of enterprises, including disaster resilience, and to secure the development of appropriate infrastructures, world class clusters and business networks, to ensure cooperation between European competitiveness clusters and to improve their attractiveness, and to lay down framework conditions and development of sustainable products, services and processes, as well as support for corporate social responsibility;
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 324 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. Particular attention shall be paid to young entrepreneurs, new and potential entrepreneurs and, female entrepreneurs, as well ascraftspeople and specific target groups.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 366 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may support actions to improve SMEs access to the Single Market including information provision and, awareness-raising and training.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 372 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. Specific measures shall aim to facilitate SMEs access to markets outside the Union, and to strengthening existing support services in those markets. SMEs may receive support through the Programme as regards standards and intellectual property rights in priority third countrie, such as the provision of diagnostic tools, the distribution of information and support to enable these enterprises to continue their international activities. SMEs may receive support through the Programme as regards standards and intellectual property rights in priority third countries. Such support shall aim to cover the needs of all SMEs, whether they are first-time exporters, occasional exporters or long-standing exporters.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 382 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 a (new)
Article 9 a Actions to improve assistance to SMEs and access to support services 1. To ensure the continuation of an initiative that seeks to facilitate the provision of information and advice to SMEs, the Commission shall maintain its support for the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). To make it more readily understandable for SMEs, and to promote coherent assistance, this network shall cooperate closely with the various existing networks at local, regional and national level. 2. The Commission shall also support assistance to SMEs by their representative organisations at European or national level, in particular those actions aimed at: - implementing the programme, - bringing SMEs into line with EU legislation, - facilitating access for SMEs to European programmes and funding, - identifying good practice and cooperation between such organisations. 3. In implementing this article the Commission shall pay particular attention to small and micro-enterprises and to the coherence of the actions carried out under paragraphs 1 and 2.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 386 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The drafting, implementation and evaluation of the annual programme shall be the subject of consultation with European business and SME organisations.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 390 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) impact assessments of Union measures of particular relevance for the competitiveness of enterprises, and in particular SMEs and micro-enterprises, with a view to identifying areas of existing legislation that need to be simplified, or areas in which new legislative measures need to be proposed;
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 398 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) the evaluation of legislation affecting enterprises, specificin particular SMEs and micro-enterprises, industrial policy and competitiveness-related measures.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 429 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 a (new)
Article 14 a Equity Facility for Growth (EFG) 1. The Equity Facility for Growth (EFG) shall focus on funds that provide: venture capital and mezzanine finance, such as subordinated and participating loans, to expansion and growth-stage enterprises, in particular those operating across borders, while having the possibility of making investments in early stage funds in conjunction with the Equity Facility for Research and Innovation (R&I) under Horizon 2020 and provide co-investment facilities for business angels. In the case of early stage investment, the investment from EFG shall not exceed 20 % of the total Union investment except in cases of multi-stage funds and funds of funds, where funding from EFG and the Equity Facility for R&I will be provided on a pro rata basis, on the basis of the funds' investment policy. The Commission shall avoid buy-out or replacement capital intended for the dismantling of an acquired enterprise. The Commission may decide to amend the 20% threshold in light of changing market conditions. 2. The equity facility of the Programme, the EFG, shall be implemented as a window of a single Union equity financial instrument supporting Union enterprises' growth and R&I from the early stage (including seed) to the growth stage and financially supported by the Horizon 2020 and this Programme. EFG shall use the same delivery mechanism as the Equity Facility for R&I to be established under Horizon 2020. 3. Support from the EFG shall be in the form of one of the following investments: (a) directly by the European Investment Fund (EIF) or other entities entrusted with the implementation on behalf of the Commission; or (b) by public and private funds-of-funds or investment vehicles investing across borders established by the EIF or other entities entrusted with the implementation on behalf of the Commission together with private investors and/or public financial institutions. 4. The EFG shall invest in intermediary risk capital funds investing in SMEs, typically in their expansion and growth- stage. Investments under EFG shall be long-term, i.e. usually involving 5 to 15 year positions in risk capital funds. In any event, the lifetime of the investments under the EFG shall not exceed 20 years from the time of signature of the agreement between the Commission and the entity entrusted with its implementation.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 430 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 b (new)
Article 14b Fund of risk capital funds In the light of the highly difficult position of the European risk capital market, and in view of the urgency of the situation, it should be possible for a pilot project for a fund of capital risk funds to be established by the next budgetary period (2014-2020), financed in part by Community funds that have not been taken up, alongside other investors.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 431 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee which shall consult the stakeholders. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 445 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – Specific Objective: To improve framework conditions for the competitiveness and sustainability of EU enterprises, including in the tourism sector – Tourism
Specific objective: : To improve framework conditions for the competitiveness and sustainability of EU enterprises including in the tourism sector Result indicator Latest known result Medium term target (result) 2017 Tourism Number of applications to funding Number of applications to funding (to all calls Number of applications to funding (to all calls for proposals) in total: around 75 per year for proposals) in total: more than 100 per year (average for 2011) Percentage of SMEs (and trend) in Up to date, no calls for proposals were directly 30% of calls for proposals directly addressed to applications for tourism-related funding addressed to SMEs SMEs opportunities Number of entities adopting European Up to date no entity adopting European Coverage of 50% of the evaluation schemes Tourism Quality Label Tourism Quality Label (action in elaboration) eligible to participate in the European Tourism Quality Label Number of destinations adopting the Number of European Destinations of 200 and more destinations adopting the sustainable tourism development models Excellence awarded in total 98 (on average 20 sustainable tourism development models promoted by the European Destinations per year – in 2007-10, in 2008-20, in 2009-22, promoted by the European Destinations of of Excellence and by the European in 2010-25, in 2011-21) Excellence (up to 30 per year). and by the network of regions for sustainable and European network of regions for sustainable competitive tourism and competitive tourism. Number of destinations having tested the feasibility of sustainable tourism indicators: 29 in 2011 and 12 in 2012.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE
Amendment 461 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – section 3 – point 3
3. The LGF shall, except for loans in the securitised portfolio, cover loans up to EUR 150.000 and with a minimum maturity of 12 months. The LGF shall be designed in such way that it will be possible to report on the innovative SMEs supportedwith a minimum maturity of 12 months. A maximum loan amount eligible for the LGF facility shall be incorporated in each implementation agreement concluded with a financial intermediary. The amount thus defined shall take account of the objectives set, the type of undertakings and the type of action concerned by the agreement in question. It may not exceed EUR 300 000. The LGF shall be designed in such way that it will be possible to draw up reports varying according to the types of enterprise identified in Recommendation 2003/361/EC concerning the definition of SMEs, both in terms of number and volume of loans.
2012/07/05
Committee: ITRE