Activities of Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the European Union has 24 official languages ~~and more than 60 national and regional languages~~, in addition to dozens of regional and minority languages, many of which have not been legally recognised even though they are spoken fluently;

2018/03/26
Committee: ITRE

2018/2028(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas digital technologies and platforms are gradually taking on a significant role in the revitalisation of endangered regional and minority languages;

2018/03/26
Committee: ITRE

2018/2028(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Supports the development of multilingual public services in European, national, regional and local administrations with innovative, inclusive and assistive HLTs, which will reduce inequalities among languages, promote equal access to services and ~~stimulate the mobility of businesses, citizens and workers in Europe~~foster multilingualism among citizens, with a special focus on regional and minority languages.

2018/03/26
Committee: ITRE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Gilles LEBRETON, Janice ATKINSON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas in recent years several factors have impacted the functioning of the Schengen area; whereas these factors include a significant numbers of ~~asylum seekers and irregular~~illegal migrants with related secondary movements; whereas these factors also include terrorism and a heightened threat to public policy and the internal security of the Member States; whereas several Member States have also reintroduced and subsequently prolonged controls at internal borders since 2014;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the permanent reintroduction of border controls would have serious beneficial impacts on citizens’ lives and seriously undermine their trust in European integration; whereas Schengen countries would face tremendous direct operational and investment costs, with crippling effects on their economies; whereas the estimations of those costs alone amount to more than EUR 18 billion per year for cross-border workers, tourists, road freight transporters and public administeveryday security and be the natural consequence of their lack of trust in European integrations;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. Whereas the collusion between some NGOs and smuggler networks have been documented, encouraging illegal migration toward Member States;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the effectiveness of the measures taken at the external borders, such as Hungary’s fence, and the creation of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex); notes the efforts of the Agency in implementing the new regulation, especially through joint operations in the field of border surveillance and return, and by supporting the Member States particularly affected by migratory pressure; sees the importance of the newly introduced vulnerability assessment mechanism in uncovering weaknesses at the common external borders and preventing crises; ~~emphasises the concerted efforts and cooperation between agencies and o~~asks the Commission to fully use Frontex’s capacities, especially in helping Member States to send back all illegal migrants to their ~~stakeholders in organising the ‘Hotspot’ approach~~home countries or partnered third countries which agreed to accept them, based on the Australian “No Way” policy;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises the support and capacity-building measures taken in the countries of origin to address the root causes of irregular migration; considers it crucial that adequate maritime search-~~and-~~ rescue-and-send-back aspects and capabilities are embedded into all operational planning and execution~~, as provided for in Regulation (EU) No 656/2014~~;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Condemn~~Welcomes the continued reintroduction of internal border checks as this undermines the basic principles of the Schengen area, and expresses doubts about the lawfulness of some prolongations of controls; is also of the opinion that Member States have not taken the proper measures to ensure cooperation with other affected Member States to minimise the effects of these measures, nor have they provided enough information on the results of such controls, therefore hindering the analysis by the Commission and scrutiny by Parliament; considers the economic, political and social impacts of this practice to be detrimental to the unity of the Schengen area and harmful to the prosperity of European citizenallow Member States to protect their citizens with effectiveness; recalls that Member States ~~have~~’ other tools available, namely targeted police controls, a~~s recommended by the Commission~~re not sufficient as demonstrated by the recent wave of islamic terror strikes;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Stresses that all the Member States should do their utmost to ensure a high level of control at their external borders, as enshrined in the Treaties, by allocating sufficient resources through staffing ~~and~~, expertise, establishing the necessary command and control structures and formulating up-to-date risk analyses in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/1624 for all tiers of command to facilitate effective operationsand a border fence such as the one in Hungary or a “No Way” policy based on the Australian model;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Considers that cooperation at national level between different law enforcement services, the military, border guards and customs is ~~often inadequate, resulting in fragmented situational awareness and low effectiveness~~without the slightest doubt the best way to ensure both national and common security while respecting each Member States’ sovereignty;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses the urgent need to ~~address the identified critical shortcomings without delay in order to return to the normal functioning of Schengen without~~restore internal border controls;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Member States to ensure swift return procedures ~~once a return decision has been issued; calls on the Member States to take specif~~every time an illegal migrant is detected, as illegally crossing a border is a crime which steps to ensure adequate infrastructure, accommodation and living conditions for arriving asylum seekers, especially taking into consideration the needs of unaccompanied minors and families with minors; calls on hould not be taken lightly; recalls that because of Schengen any illegal migrant who successfully violates the external borders of the EU is then free to travel to another Member State~~s to bring their detention facilities into line with the requirements so as to meet capacity demand, and to increase the use of alternative measures to detention~~, potentially with harmful intentions as it has been witnessed numerous times; stresses that every single successful illegal migrant gives hope to others and accentuate the whole migration crisis;

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2256(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Harald VILIMSKY, Lorenzo FONTANA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Recalls the high priority given to the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) as part of the holistic approach to tackling the refugee and migration crisis and the Commission’s Agenda on Migration; calls on the Council to swiftly follow Parliament in adopting a mandate for negotiations on every proposal in this regard; highlights that the new European Agency for Asylum has still to be approved and urges the Council to unblock this file as a matter of urgency;deleted

2018/03/14
Committee: LIBE

2017/2178(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Is concerned~~Deplores that the public procurement procedure launched for the further development and maintenance of the VIS system (EUR 192 million six year contract) without precisely defining the services requested required tenderers to have access to the Biometric Matching Service technology developed by one single company with no obligations to provide commercial access to tenderers; calls on the Agency to avoid being locked- in to any vendors as this would be detrimental to its long term financial interests, damaging the cost-effectiveness of procurement procedures and limiting competition; urges the Agency to conclude agreements with multiple suppliers and to define the services required precisely;

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2178(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Not~~Deplores that the Agency amended the construction contract for its premises in Strasbourg (EUR 21.2 million) to proceed with advance payments in order to increase its budget consumption; points out that by November 2016 the Agency had paid the full contract amount although less than half of the work had been completed; requests the Agency to better assess the necessity of taking such financial risks as the use of financial guarantees does not cover all financial risks;

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2178(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Regrets~~Finds it unacceptable that in 2016 the Agency received and accepted supplies amounting to EUR 2.8 million without having budget and contracts in place for it; requests the Agency to better adhere to public procurement procedures;

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2164(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Janice ATKINSON, Harald VILIMSKY, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Urges the Agency to provide its Fundamental Rights Officer with adequate resources and staff, in particular for setting up a complaint mechanism and for further developing and implementing the Agency’s strategy to monitor and ensure the protection of fundamental rights.deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2155(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Lorenzo FONTANA, Gilles LEBRETON, Janice ATKINSON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Deplores that Eurojust faced budgetary availability issues due to known structural problems with its funding and that for the second successive year was forced to resort to mitigation measures subject to an amending budget, leading to the postponement of some of its ongoing activities and the deferral of valuable technological developments;deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2149(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Lorenzo FONTANA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the Court of Auditors' conclusions that the annual accounts of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (“the Agency”) present fairly its financial position on 31 December 2016 and that its transactions are legal and regular;deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2149(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Lorenzo FONTANA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that, as in 2015, carry-overs of committed appropriations were too high for Title III (operating expenditure) at EUR 5,2 million~~, i.e. 68 %; acknowledges that this year, as in the previous year, this simply reflects the multi-annual nature of the Agency’s activities~~ and stresses that these should be reduced;

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2149(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Lorenzo FONTANA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Regrets the fact that the Agency’s mandate still limits its role as regards the support for fundamental rights; stresses that the Agency should be able to offer opinions on legislative proposals on its own initiative and that its remit should extend to all areas of rights protected under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including issues of judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters; recommends the inclusion of the those thematic areas in the new multiannual financial framework;deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2149(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Lorenzo FONTANA, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Janice ATKINSON, André ELISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Notes with concern a significant gender imbalance, in particular in the senior management positions of the Agency; urges the Agency to step up its efforts to correct this imbalance and to communicate the results in due time to the discharge authority.deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2136(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, André ELISSEN, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the opinion of the European Court of Auditors on the 2016 accounts of the Union; highlights especially the further reduction of payment errors in 2016 to the all-time low of 3.1 % and notes that this is the first time that the Court issues a qualified opinion on payments since 1994; regrets however that the payment error rate for Heading 3 (Security and Citizenship) was not calculated by the Court as only 15 transactions have been audited;deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2136(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, André ELISSEN, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that shared management payments for Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and Internal Security Fund was slow considering that 2016 was already the third year of the implementation of the current Multiannual financial framework (MFF); stresses the importance of reducing risks of delays in the implementation of national plans and in the correction of deficiencies in Member States control systems; highlights the importance of assessing Member States control systems based on sufficiently detailed information;deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2136(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, André ELISSEN, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Reminds that special instruments were used extensively in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to respond notably to the humanitarian situation faced by asylum- seekers in the EU and that there is therefore a risk that the amounts left until the end of the current MFF may not be sufficient to respond to unexpected events that may occur before 2020; requests the Commission to solve this structural issue in the next MFFand illegal migrants in the EU;

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2136(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, André ELISSEN, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Urges the development of a coherent and systematic strategy with clearer political and operational priorities for protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms, while ensuring its effective implementation also by granting sufficient funds for this purpose;deleted

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2136(DEC)

Auke ZIJLSTRA, Nicolas BAY, Janice ATKINSON, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, André ELISSEN, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Stress~~Deplores that only one third of the projects examined had a performance measurement system with output and result indicators linked to the operational programme objectives, while the majority of the projects met their output objectives at least partially; highlights that for 42 % of the projects it was not possible to identify and measure a specific contribution to the overall programme objectives since no result indicators or targets were defined at project level.

2018/01/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that~~, once implemented,~~ the EU-Africa strategy should address all aspects of migration, international protection and forced displacement~~, with a focus on the principles of solidarity, partnership and shared responsibility, and mutual accountability in respect of human rights~~ starting from the necessity of assuring, as well declared by his Holiness the Pope Joseph Ratzinger, the "right to not emigrate";

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Harald VILIMSKY, Auke ZIJLSTRA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Examining the asylum applications directly in the third countries for asylum seekers;

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that migration and mobility within Africa and between Africa and the EU ~~are beneficial~~is a huge problem to both continents~~, and that a holistic~~. A concrete approach to migration and mobility is paramount for boosting sustainable development~~, promoting democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human righ~~ for both continents;

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY, Gilles LEBRETON, Nicolas BAY, Janice ATKINSON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Notes that mass migration policy enforced by the EU is never the solution to solve the demographic challenges

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that violent conflicts, persecution, inequality, terrorism, repressive regimes, natural disasters and chronic poverty have led to increased mobility in recent years; stresses that refugees and migrants have the same universal human rights and fundamental freedomsto prevent concretely, and not with empty words, violent armed wars and conflicts, it is necessary to act on arms trade as a matter of principle;

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Reiterates~~ the importance of addressing the root causes of large movements of refugees and migrants starts from addressing the chronic issue of African debts;

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Harald VILIMSKY, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Draws attention to the fact that the Africa-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue should facilitate ~~mobility and free movement of people in Africa and between Africa and the EU on the basis of a well-managed rights-based approach including safe and legal channels for migration;~~concrete actions for the revival of the African continent,

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Harald VILIMSKY, Gilles LEBRETON, Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Janice ATKINSON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Recognises the ~~strategic potential of the~~ African diaspora world-wide i~~n terms of both financial remittances an~~s often a trauma for the local development of African countries, the development of a country can not be based non- a financial ~~values, as regards capacity to build and promote peace, democracy, good governance and social stability~~remittance system and Europe should not support such a development model;

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2083(INI)

Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY, Janice ATKINSON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Recommends further efforts to implement ~~the Valletta Action Plan for humane and sustainable management of migration on both sides of the Mediterranean.~~bilateral agreements between Member States and African countries in order to identify beneficiaries of international protection and those who are not entitled to it before their departure;

2017/09/12
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the establishment of an area without internal frontiers but without adequate and serious checks at external borders has caused the huge difficulties we are currently experiencing in Europe;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas for an efficiently functioning common European asylum system (CEAS), by fully reviewing the Dublin system substantial progress should be made towards a radical change of the entire immigration policy; whereas, to that end, return policies should be strengthened to ensure that protection is only granted to those who are entitled to it;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Points out that a very worrying phenomenon of radicalisation is taking place in many EU prisons;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Calls on Member States to combat strenuously the growing phenomenon of radicaliation in prisons and provide for exemplary sentences for those who have soiled their hands with terrorist acts, or been involved in such acts;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Points out that, to date, in actual fact, the EU and many Member States have failed to comply with the criteria that define refugee status, since, in Europe, as empirically evidenced by the case of Italy, the vast majority of the people admitted are not refugees but economic migrants, who subsequently remain on EU territory and fuel social tensions;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers de-radicalisation and the prevention of radicalisation an absolute priority for the EU and strongly ~~advocates the~~urges the Member States to strengthen~~ing of~~ their specific programmes targeting ‘home-grown terrorists’ and de- radicalisation programmes; calls on Member States to ~~address~~take a serious and strict approach to radicalisation ~~holistically~~ and to take advantage of the expertise of counter-terrorism and de- radicalisation experts and of the Radicalisation Awareness Network set up at the initiative of the Commission;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses that victims of crime and terrorism must be guaranteed a minimum decent level of rights without discrimination across the EU, and that they should be treated with respect and dignity and receive appropriate support in accordance with their individual needs;

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2069(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Considers that, in order to better reach the potential of EU citizenship, the EU must step up its efforts to guarantee the protection of the founding values of the EU, including in the case of minorities.deleted

2017/09/19
Committee: LIBE

2017/2065(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. considering that in the past, European minimum standards on data protection in trade agreements have often been deviated to the detriment of consumers;

2017/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2017/2065(INI)

Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas various citizens’ initiatives have already expressed their concern considering data protection under the framework of trade agreements and that their demands and concerns will be included in forthcoming negotiations;

2017/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2017/2065(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)

(1) Opposes the conclusion of trade agreements which are contrary to these principles;

2017/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2017/2065(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the Ccommission to act as the benchmark for setting high data protection standards on data flows at international level and to consult the appropriate EU data protection institutions and bodies during the negotiation process of international or trade agreements that may potentially impact data protectiondefine European data protection, based on agreements by all member States of the EU, as a global standard of the basis of all cooperation in the digital field.

2017/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Highlights the imp~~Reiterates that the free movement of capital is the ideal environment for ta~~nce of completing the energy union, the digital single market, the capital markets union and the European research area~~x avoidance and for helping major transnational corporations to maximise their profits to the detriment of other companies and of employment-related income; rejects, therefore, the capital markets union, since it runs counter to the aims set out in Article 3 TEU, in particular the well-being of the Union's peoples, full employment and social progress and economic, social and territorial cohesion;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Points out that the structure of the new multiannual financial framework (MFF) must correspond to the top five political priorities of the EU; calls for more ~~coherence betwee~~budgetary restraint in the funding of the EU budget and its objectives, ~~if needed by break~~by lowering the 1 % glass ceiling of Member State GDP contributions and~~/or~~ by adapting and reducing the EU’s objectives in line with a strict interpretation of the principal of subsidiarity as enshrined in article 5.3 of the TEU;

2017/11/23
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

1. ~~Highlights the importance of completing the energy union, the digital single market, the capital markets union and the European research area~~Rejects the Energy Union governance model proposed by the Commission, since it is designed to transfer to the EU the exclusive competences of the Member States as enshrined in Article 194 TFEU; further notes that this governance, modelled on the European Semester, is likely to reproduce the major political conflicts between Member States caused by the latter;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recommends separating the asylum, border and justice programmes into three ~~comprehensive~~ MFF headings corresponding to clear EU objectives in the framework of ‘S~~olida~~ecurity’, ‘~~Security’ and ‘Respect for the Rule of Law~~Improved Returns’ and ‘Reintroduction of Internal Border Controls by Member States’, which are understandable and identifiable by EU citizens;

2017/11/23
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses the importance of the different EU funds and highlights that actions in the field of security and migration should not only be covered by dedicated, yet limited, instruments, such as the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) or the Internal Security Fund (ISF), but should also be included by design in more generic future instruments such as the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund or Security Union Fund (corresponding to the European Agenda on Security); recommends that all Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies should have access to these funds to strengthen their operational capabilities; considers it necessary that all ESI Funds be continued post-2020, and stresses that certain funds, such as the ESF, should significantly address the issue of programmes for combating radicalisation, marginalisation, hate crime and xenophobia;deleted

2017/11/23
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the possible extension of the use of EU trust funds for financing humanitarian support actions inside the Union1 should require that 100 % of these funds be included in the EU budget; recalls that Parliament should be able to exercise its powers of scrutiny not only over the creation of such EU trust funds, but also over their entire disbursement; _________________ 1 As proposed by the Commission during the mid-term revision of the current MFF.deleted

2017/11/23
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the importance played by the JHA agencies and newly created Union bodies as part of the Security Union Agenda, as well as the significant role they play in countering trans-border crime, fraud and money laundering; calls for the allocation of appropriate resources for their operations and activities: a. regrets the insufficient provision of resources to law enforcement agencies, such as Europol, Eurojust and Cepol, under the current MFF and calls for resource programming in line with political expectations and agencies’ operational demands, including the need for technological and technical support, as well as training; b. stresses the importance of the work performed by the European Agency for the operational management of large- scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA) on a number of existing and new systems in the area of freedom, security and justice; calls for the allocation of adequate financial and human resources in order to ensure the continuation of this work, as well as for the smooth implementation and management of the Entry-Exit System, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS-TCN) and upcoming actions within the New European Interoperability Framework, taking into consideration their multi-annual nature; c. recalls the Union’s commitment to fighting poverty and social exclusion, as part of the Europe 2020 growth strategy, as well as the need for a better understanding of and response to the phenomena of radicalisation, the growing marginalisation of some groups, hate speech and hate-crime; underlines the role of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in relation to these matters; d. calls for adequate resources for the consolidation of the new mandate of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) and underlines that its new tasks, competences and activities will require ongoing funding in the post-2020 financial framework; e. calls for the allocation of proper resources in order to ensure the smooth implementation and running of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;deleted

2017/11/23
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Nicolas BAY, Lorenzo FONTANA, Auke ZIJLSTRA, Harald VILIMSKY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to ~~propose clear and strict rules for financially sanctioning~~stop interfering with Member States "failing to comply with ‘the rule of law’".

2017/11/23
Committee: LIBE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need for a~~n upgrad~~ targeted and more effective Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) which will close the missing links in Europe’s energy and digital backbone by supporting the development of high- performance, sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European networks in the fields of energy and digital services;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates that, in the next MFF, financial instruments cannot replace grants in financing energy efficiency, renewable energy, - the exploitation technologies for which are not yet mature - innovative technologies for conventional energy and R&I projects, as only grants can maximise output on the ground;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls the importance of completing the digital single market by making full use of spectrum, 5G and internet connectivity, and by ~~making further progress on EU telecom rules~~establishing the appropriate infrastructure to ensure that Member States have genuine digital sovereignty;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. ~~Calls for an upgraded EFSI that would make it possible to bridge the gap between research and the market and would focu~~Underlines that the EFSI has failed to guarantee growth or tackle unemployment; proposes, therefore, to stop its financing so that Member States can use this mon ~~boosting market innovation~~ey for the benefit of their citizens;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Points out that Union funding, because it is linked to size-based parameters and not macroeconomic fundamentals and because it is designed to address structural, not short-term, problems, cannot offer effective protection against economic shocks, such as those triggered by the financial crisis of 2007- 2008;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Notes that Union funding, although intended as an instrument to offset imbalances between Member States, in practice magnifies those imbalances, in that the provision of funding is based on the twin principles of co-financing and conditionality; points out, accordingly, that Union funding is a particularly underhand means by which the EU exercises control over Member-State spending policies;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2052(INI)

Angelo CIOCCA, Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 c (new)

12c. Reiterates its concerns regarding Union funds and their role in supplying concrete answers to citizens' needs and to the growing difficulties they are having to face, such as unemployment, wage deflation, economic recession, deindustrialisation, poverty and security threats; underlines the need to properly evaluate which funds could be better managed at national level in order to fully respect the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

2017/11/16
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recognises the fact that all collaborative economies, covering the full spectrum from market-oriented to gift- based, apre rooted in human cooperative behaviour and that no matter how diverse they are, or will become, they are all identified by resource sharing, the active empowerment of citizens, community- accepted innovation, andsuppose a collaborative model of consumption (renting, lending, exchanging, sharing, bartering and giving), which is applied in ways and on scales which were not possible in the past, thanks to the intensive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a key enabler;

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that ~~ICTs allow innovative~~the phenomenon does not involve a technological breakthrough or the triumph of an ideas within the collaborative economies to evolve quickly and efficiently, while connecting and empowering participants, reducing the need for intermediation, decreasing direct costs and overheads, channelling rich information flows and reinforchich, by acting on the structure of a traditional activity, enables it to become more efficient, ‘achieving more with less’; observes that the only real innovation in collaborative economies, and in the sharing economy in general, lies in the elimination of all forms of intermediation: whether commercial or public (ing t~~rust between peers;~~ erms of regulation and taxation);

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Observes that the major transnational platforms of the sharing economy, which gather and redistribute an enormous flow of information, are setting themselves up as new intermediaries; notes that, despite a heavier burden of costs (costs of intermediation even exceed 20%), they can set lower prices thanks to the fact that the technology of innovation requires minimal fixed investment and because of the asymmetry by virtue of which the cost of such prices falls not on the platform itself but on workers or their customers; observes that it follows that, in certain circumstances, such platforms may even constitute a barrier to the creation and development of local collaborative economy initiatives;

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines that the sharing and monetisation of underused assets rbel~~eases a wealth of positive environmental and other externalities, thus making industries and services more resource-efficient, lowers the up-front costs of market entry and creates opportunities~~onging to an operator himself receives particular impetus in an economy where internal demand is exhausted, where it becomes essential to economise on expenditure and therefore the decisive criterion becomes price rather than quality and safety; notes that, consequently, the ‘added value’ of the sharing economy lies in the systematisation of the subsistence economy, in the absence of an added- value economy; it is a ‘fend-for-yourself economy’;

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Points out that ~~collaborative economies thrive in communities in which knowledge- and education-sharing models are strong, thereby consolidating a culture of open innova~~the profits generated in this way for the most part fall to owners of hardware and software, to the oligopolists of the digital world, and to those who manage the payments and transactions, ~~supporting open-sourced hardware and software, and expanding our heritage of common goods and creative commons~~who incidentally can legally evade taxation thanks to the free movement of capital;

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges the Commission to ensure 5. that the EU develops the highest international standards regarding (a) social protection for ‘workpreneurs’ in collaborative economies, (b) safety guarantees for the customers of collaborative economies, and (c) cohabitation synergies with traditional business modelMember States to ensure a degree of legal certainty, which means that the same rules should apply to all, regardless of whether they are operating through traditional channels or through the channels of the collaborative economy and the sharing economy in general: certificates, permits, licences, professional qualifications, health protocols, suitability of premises, taxes, insurance, regulation of the labour market, etc .; underlines, in this regard, that it is essential first of all to avoid unfair competition to the detriment of traditional activities, as well as to ensure equal social protection for workers and equal guarantees of safety for customers;

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and on Member States to open non-exclusive, experimentation-oriented spaces for collaborative economies and to promote guidelines on this matter in European, national and local legislation, while fostering digital connectivity and literacy, supporting European entrepreneurs and incentivising Industry 4.0 hubs;deleted

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to ensure that EU legislation and policies are future-friendly and provide legal certainty in order to unleash the full potential of collaborative economies for EU businesses and citizens, while redefining and modernising – where necessary – the concepts of ‘work/service’, ‘worker’ and ‘service provider’;deleted

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/2003(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Notes that collaborative economies are increasingly important in the energy sector, allowing consumers, individuals and communities to engage efficiently in several decentralised phases of the renewable energy cycle, including self- production and self-consumption, storage and distribution.deleted

2017/01/30
Committee: ITRE

2017/0328(COD)

Matteo SALVINI, Angelo CIOCCA, Mara BIZZOTTO, Mario BORGHEZIO, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Reg~~Deplorets th~~at the European Parliament - and ultimately the representatives of the Union’s citizens - were not fully involved in~~e fact that the conclusion of the procedure to select the new seat of the European Medicines Agency (EMA)~~, which was eventually concluded by~~ was left to chance through the drawing of lots, despite it being such an important decision; decisions in relation to the location of bodies and agencies need, and legally should, be taken under the ordinary legislative procedure, fully respecting the European Parliament's prerogatives, whereby the European Parliament and the Council are equal co- legislators;

2018/01/31
Committee: ENVI

2017/0328(COD)

Matteo SALVINI, Angelo CIOCCA, Mara BIZZOTTO, Mario BORGHEZIO, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the budgetary authorities and the Commission to ensure that the costs relating to the change in the seat of EMA will be fully covered by the ~~current host country~~general budget of the Union;

2018/01/31
Committee: ENVI

2017/0328(COD)

Matteo SALVINI, Angelo CIOCCA, Mara BIZZOTTO, Mario BORGHEZIO, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the budgetary authorities and the Commission to ensure that ~~the~~any unexpected additional costs relating to the ~~double~~ transfer of the seat of EMA~~, first to a temporary location, and then to the Vivaldi Building, will be fully covered by the Dutch government and thus~~ will not adversely affect the general budget of the Union;

2018/01/31
Committee: ENVI

2017/0328(COD)

Matteo SALVINI, Angelo CIOCCA, Mara BIZZOTTO, Mario BORGHEZIO, Lorenzo FONTANA

Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the budgetary authorities and the Commission to ensure that the ~~double~~ transfer will not jeopardise the normal operational needs of EMA, and will guarantee business continuity and EMA’s smooth functioning, without disruption, beyond March 2019;

2018/01/31
Committee: ENVI

2017/0328(COD)

Matteo SALVINI, Angelo CIOCCA, Mara BIZZOTTO, Mario BORGHEZIO, Lorenzo FONTANA

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1

(1) In the context of the United Kingdom's notification on 29 March 2017 of its intention to leave the Union, pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the other 27 Member States, meeting on 20 November 2017 in the margins of the General Affairs Council (‘Article 50’), selected Amsterdam, the Netherlands, as the new seat of the European Medicines Agency. However, the Executive Director was subsequently forced to acknowledge1a that the Amsterdam headquarters would not enable the Agency to become fully operational on schedule. The new seat should therefore be located in Milan (Italy), which was initially unsuccessful purely as a result of a random draw but fully satisfies all the logistic requirements

2018/01/31
Committee: ENVI

2017/0328(COD)

Matteo SALVINI, Angelo CIOCCA, Mara BIZZOTTO, Mario BORGHEZIO, Lorenzo FONTANA

(ba) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: "4. By way of derogation from paragraphs 3 and 3a, for the adoption of definitive multilateral safeguard measures, in the absence of a positive opinion voted by the majority provided for in Article 5(1), the Commission shall not adopt the draft measures. ~~(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32011R0182&rid=1)~~" Or. it

2018/02/14
Committee: ITRE

2017/0035(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)

Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 11

(3a) Article 11 is replaced by the following: “Where a basic act is adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure, either the European Parliament or the Council may at any time before the Commission refers the matter to the Council in accordance with Article 6(3a)(b), indicate to the Commission that, in its view, a draft implementing act exceeds the implementing powers provided for in the basic act. In such a case, the Commission shall review the draft implementing act, taking account of the positions expressed, and shall inform the European Parliament and the Council whether it intends to maintain, amend or withdraw the draft implementing act. (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32011R0182&rid=1)within two months: (a) submit an amended version thereof to the committee; or (b) refer the draft implementing act back to the Council in accordance with Article 6(3a)(b); or (c) withdraw it. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of the decision taken.". Or. it

2018/02/14
Committee: ITRE

2017/0003(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3

(3) Electronic communications data may also reveal information concerning legal entities, such as business secrets or other sensitive information that has economic value and repercussions for privacy. Therefore, the provisions of this Regulation should apply to both natural and legal persons. Furthermore, this Regulation should ensure that provisions of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council21, also apply to end-users who are legal persons. This includes the definition of consent under Regulation (EU) 2016/679. When reference is made to consent by an end-user, including legal persons, this definition should apply. In addition, legal persons should have the same rights as end-users that are natural persons regarding the supervisory authorities; furthermore, supervisory authorities under this Regulation should also be responsible for monitoring the application of this Regulation regarding legal persons. _________________ 21 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1–88).

2017/06/28
Committee: ITRE

2017/0003(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25

(25) Accessing electronic communications networks requires the regular emission of certain data packets in order to discover or maintain a connection with the network or other devices on the network. Furthermore, devices must have a unique address assigned in order to be identifiable on that network. Wireless and cellular telephone standards similarly involve the emission of active signals containing unique identifiers such as a MAC address, the IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity), the IMSI etc. A single wireless base station (i.e. a transmitter and receiver), such as a wireless access point, has a specific range within which such information may be captured. Service providers have emerged who offer tracking services based on the scanning of equipment related information with diverse functionalities, including people counting, providing data on the number of people waiting in line, ascertaining the number of people in a specific area, etc. This strictly personal and sensitive information may be used for more intrusive purposes, such as to trace end-users or send commercial messages to end-users themselves, for example when they enter stores, with personalized offers. While some of these functionalities do not entail high privacy risks, others do, for example, those involving the tracking of individuals over time, including repeated visits to specified locations. Providers engaged in such practices should display prominent notices located on the edge of the area of coverage informing end-users prior to entering the defined area that the technology is in operation within a given perimeter, the purpose of the tracking, the person responsible for it and the existence of any measure the end-user of the terminal equipment can take to minimize or stop the collection. Additional information should be provided where personal data are collected pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

2017/06/28
Committee: ITRE

2017/0003(COD)

Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4

~~4. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt~~ delegated ~~acts in accordance with Article 27 determining the information to be presented by the standardized icon and the procedures for providing standardized icons.~~

2017/06/28
Committee: ITRE

2017/0003(COD)