28 Amendments of Ramon TREMOSA i BALCELLS related to 2014/2248(INI)
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas this problem, coupled with a lack of a common vision on the part of our Member States as regards the future of our continent, has given rise to unprecedented levels of ‘euroscepticism’ that risk a return to nationalism and the disintegration of the Union;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, as regards Schengen, the free movement of people and the resulting abolition of internal border controls, all formally integrated into the Treaties, ‘opt- outs’ were given to the UK and Ireland; whereas four other Member States are also not taking part, but have the obligation to do so, while ‘opt-ins’ were accorded to three countries outside the European Union; whereas this fragmentation not only prevents the total abolition of some remaining in the Schengen area is one of the cornerstones of the Union and its future political and economic development and shall thus be preserved; believes that greater attention should be paid to the protection of the Schengen area external borders, but also hinders the establishment of a true internal market and of a fully integrated area of freedom, security and justicey the EU itself and not only its Member States;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas this is also the case for the necessary reform and modernisation of the financial resources of the whole European Union; whereas the agreement on the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) was only reached after long and strenuous negotiations and was accompanied by the decision to establish a high-level group to review the Union’s revenue system of ‘own resources’, due to report in 2016; whereas the current MFF severely limits the financial and political autonomy of the Union, as most of the revenue consists of national contributions by the Member States and a large part of the expenditure is already preordained by means of returns to these same Member States;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas currently the EU lives through a rule of law crisis in which close to 400 new infringements of EU law are done every year and some of the flagship policies of the Union (e.g. deficit control, banking resolution or refugee quotas) are infringed without real consequences;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L b (new)
Recital L b (new)
Lb. whereas there needs to be a mechanism where Member States that systematically infringe EU law can risk losing their vote on the Council for the areas concerned in the infringements;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas this review is also needed to rebalance the functioning of the Union, and if need be give back some competences to the Member States with the aim of less bureaucratic regulation and more effective policymaking; whereas this exercise also concerns the competences conferred on the Union that impair the ability to make progress towards some of its stated objectives such as the energy union, common migration management and security policy;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P a (new)
Recital P a (new)
Pa. whereas the EU seems to be more able to influence MS policies on fundamental rights, rule of law and corruption when countries are still candidates to enter into the Union, and the Rule of Law mechanism should be applied with equal strength to all Member States;
Amendment 214 #
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 parties – about the interrelationship of the Presidents of the Commission and the European Councilthe ‘Spitzenkandidat’ process failed as citizens had no real knowledge of the candidates due to the inability to vote for them in a pan-European list; whereas this failure has to be urgently corrected in time for 201918 elections as without it, the Commission lacks real democratic accountability; __________________ 18 EUCO conclusions of 27 June 2014.
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Recital Q a (new)
Qa. Whereas enhancing the democratic legitimacy of the European Commission is fundamental to continue deepening the single market and put in place the big pan-European projects needed to make the Union succeed while at the same time retaining a link with the electorate that ensures that the principle of subsidiarity between the EU, the MS and the regions with legislative powers is fully respected;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)
Recital R a (new)
Ra. whereas the EU should facilitate the European future of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar respecting the will of their citizens as stated in the results of the referendum of June 23rd which gave a clear pro- European majority in the three constituencies; believes that the EU should engage in bilateral and multilateral negotiations with their governments;
Amendment 250 #
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 theoffers an opportunity to clarify what membership of the Union really means and what could be a clear structure in the future for the EU’s relationship with non- members in our periphbut close partnerys (the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, etc.); whereas the founding fathers of the Union had already envisaged a type of ‘associate status’;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S a (new)
Recital S a (new)
Sa. whereas regions with legislative powers, should have a direct say on the works of the Union regarding the policies that affect their competences; notes that sometimes there is a clear divergence between the political interest of a national government and the one from the regions, undermining the legitimacy of the decisions taken and excluding relevant ideas and points of view on EU policies.
Amendment 353 #
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’ that the Commission as the executive initiates legislation, Parliament and the Council representing respectively the citizens and the states decide by majority voting, and the Court of Justice oversees and provides ultimate judicial control; recognizes that a fast-track procedure should be put in place to ensure that even in cases of urgency the ‘Union method’ is respected;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines the fundamental importance of complying with European law by Member States, and considers that its correct implementation must be more thoroughly enforced and surveilled by the Commission and the European Parliament;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 426 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Believes that the EU should work towards helping Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar to remain inside (or as attached as possible to) the EU in respect of their democratic will, both in case they maintain their current national status or they democratically choose to change it;
Amendment 509 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Believes that regarding the country-specific recommendations, they should be tailor-made taking into account the different institutional set up of Member States; if needed, concrete recommendations should be done for concrete regions in order to avoid generalization;
Amendment 510 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Underlines the astounding economic success of fiscal federalism in some regions of Spain at reducing unemployment and having a higher control of its budgetary deficit, and considers them a role model to reproduce in other parts of the Union;
Amendment 520 #
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 acts; moreover, the current sanctions procedure has been undermined by the unwillingness of Member States to sanction each other;
Amendment 574 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses, however, that conditionality in this new debt instrument will only be credible if complemented by an insolvency procedure for sovereigns, which will not only provide predictability to the markets in the event of an insolvent state, but also safeguard market discipline for both Member States and private creditors while avoiding new bail-outs which have proven politically toxic for the European project;
Amendment 701 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls, finally, for the banking union to be completed as soon as possible on the basis of a fast-track timetable as soon as all the euro-area Member States comply with current legislation;
Amendment 878 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the successful new procedure whereby European political parties promote their top 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, thereforeProposes to reform the procedure to choose the President of the European Commission, 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 second 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 States;
Amendment 881 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Strongly believes that a more democratically legitimate European Commission shall have the political strength to protect the rule of European law in all the Union and enforce, in a level playing field, the EU rule of law mechanism to all Member States that infringe basic democratic principles such as independence of the judiciary, actions against media pluralism, fundamental rights or persecution of political rivals with the tools of government;
Amendment 1021 #
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 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; considers that the unanimity rule shall not be applied to the membership of new Member States.
Amendment 1026 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a (new)
Paragraph 52 a (new)
52a. Believes that European citizens and enterprises inside current Member States that show a democratic will to keep being part of the EU shall be protected.
Amendment 1028 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 b (new)
Paragraph 52 b (new)
52b. Believes that a time of rising euroskepticism and anti-European populism, pro-European movements inside Member States are welcome, even if they challenge their national status-quo.