Activities of Alessandro PANZA related to 2021/0206(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a social climate fund
Amendments (25)
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) The outcomes of the Glasgow Climate Pact (12 November 2021) highlight three key points which have yet to be addressed: 1) a system for trading emissions between countries, whereby those emitting less offset those exceeding limits or in need of support so as to not do so; 2) the reporting format according to which governments must report on their decarbonisation progress in application of the transparency principle; 3) the Paris Rulebook, which sets out the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement. The Pact also sets a new objective to initiate a dialogue on a future fund to cover damages and losses resulting from climate change.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The increase in the price for fossil fuels maenergy prices is already disproportionally affecting vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises and vulnerable SMEs. The situation is also worrying for vulnerable transport users who spend a larger part of their incomes on energy and transport, who, in certain regions, particularly in rural, insular, mountainous, remote and less accessible areas, do not have access to alternative, affordable mobility and transport solutions and who may lack the financial capacity to invest into the reduction of fossil fuel consumption.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Therefore, a part of the revenues generated by the inclusion of building and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC should be used to address the social impacts arising from that inclusion, for the transition to be just and inclusive, leaving no onetaking account of the particularities of individual territories and the challenges they face, leaving no one and no territory behind.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) whereas the Member States should be encouraged to take action to minimise the territorial disadvantage – which often also translates into an economic and social disadvantage – faced by some areas in Europe, such as mountainous, rural and remote areas.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 b (new)
Recital 11 b (new)
(11b) whereas the price increases in the energy sector will hit mainly families and SMEs.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) A proposal to establish a Social Climate (‘the Fund’) shouldhas therefore be establisheen put forward to provide funds to the Member States and regions of Europe to support their policies to address the social impacts of the emissions trading for buildings and road transport on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users. This should be achieved notably through temporary income support and measures and investments intended to reduce reliance on fossil fuels through increased energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low- emission mobility and transport to the benefit of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) For that purpose, each Member State should, with the involvement of the regional and local authorities, submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’). Those Plans should pursue two objectives. Firstly, they should provide vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users the necessary resources to finance and carry out investments in energy efficiency, decarbonisation of heating and cooling, in zero- and low-emission vehicles and mobility. Secondly, they should mitigate the impact of the increase in the cost of fossil fueenergy prices, particularly the increase in energy bills, on the most vulnerable and thereby prevent energy and transport poverty during the transition period until such investments have been implemented. The Plans should have an investment component promoting the long-term solution of reduce fossil fuels reliance and could envisage other measures, including temporary direct income support to mitigate adverse income effects in the shorter term.
Amendment 121 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Member States, in consultation with regional and local level authorities, are best placed to design and to implement Plans that are adapted and targeted to their local, regional and national circumstances as their existing policies in the relevant areas and planned use of other relevant EU funds. In that manner, the broad diversity of situations, the specific knowledge of local and regional governments, research and innovation and industrial relations and social dialogue structures, as well as national and local traditions, can best be respected and contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall support to the vulnerable.
Amendment 125 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Ensuring that the measures and investments are particularly targeted towards energy poor or vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users is key for a just transition towards climate neutrality. Support measures to promote reductions in greenhouse gas emissions should help Member States to address the social impacts arising from the emissions trading for the sectors of buildings and road transport.
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Women are particularly affected by carbon pricing as they represent 85% of single parent families. Single parent families have a particularly high risk of child poverty. Gender equality and equal opportunities for all, and the mainstreaming of those objectives, as well as questions of accessibility for persons with disabilities should be taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation and implementation of Plans to ensure no one is left behind. Economic and social action plans should be drawn up for families living below the poverty line, families with people with disabilities and single-parent families to address the social and economic hardship they face.
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21a) It is crucial to ensure that the Fund is consistent both with national energy and climate plans and with cohesion policy programmes with similar priorities, in order to prevent any overlap or duplication of efforts. Furthermore, there is a need for effective coordination and strategic programming in the Member States between the Fund, 2021- 2027 cohesion policy and other EU funds, particularly the Just Transition Fund and the European Social Fund Plus.
Amendment 170 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) The Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Court of Auditors and, where applicable, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) should be able to use the information and monitoring system within their competences and rights.
Amendment 179 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3
Article 1 – paragraph 3
The measures and investments supported by the Fund shall benefit households, micro-enterprises, SMEs and transport users, which are vulnerable and particularly affected by the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, especially households in energy poverty and citizens without public transport alternative to individual cars (in remote and rural areas).
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 4
Article 1 – paragraph 4
The general objective of the Fund is to contribute to the transition towards climate neutrality by addressing the social impacts of the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC. The specific objective of the Fund is to support vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users through temporary direct income support and through measures and investments intended to increase energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration and storage of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low-emission mobility and transport.
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘'building renovation’ means': all kinds of energy-related building renovation, including the insulation of the building envelope, that is to say walls, roof, floor, the replacement of windows, the replacement of heating, cooling and cooking appliances, and the installation of on-site production of energy from renewable sources, including its storage;
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) an estimate of the likely effects of that increase in prices on households, and in particular on incidence of energy poverty, on micro-enterprises, on SMEs and on transport users, comprising in particular an estimate and the identification of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users; these impacts are to be analysed with a sufficient level of regional disaggregation, taking into account elements such as access to public transport and basic services and identifying the areas mostly affected, particularly territories which are remote and rural;
Amendment 282 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) where the Plan provides for measures referred to in Article 3(2), the criteria for the identification of eligible final recipients, the indication of the envisaged time limit for the measures in question and their justification on the basis of a quantitative estimate and a qualitative explanation of how the measures in the Plan are expected to reduce energy and transport poverty and the vulnerability of households, micro-enterprises, SMEs and transport users to an increase of road transport and heating fuel prices;
Amendment 292 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) the arrangements for the effective monitoring and implementation of the Plan by the Member State concerned, to be carried out in constant cooperation with the regional and local authorities, in particular of the proposed milestones and targets, including indicators for the implementation of measures and investments, which, where relevant, shall be those available with the Statistical office of the European Union European Statistical Office and the European Energy Poverty Observatory as identified by Commission Recommendation 2020/156354 on energy poverty; _________________ 54 OJ L 357, 27.10.2020, p. 35.
Amendment 312 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) reductions in the number of vulnerable households, especially households in energy poverty, of vulnerable micro-enterprises, of vulnerable SMEs and of vulnerable transport users, including in rural and remote, insular, mountainous, remote and less accessible areas, or in less developed territories, including less developed peri-urban areas.
Amendment 328 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Member States may include the costs of the following measures and investments in the estimated total costs of the Plans, provided they principally benefit vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs or vulnerable transport users and intend to:
Amendment 348 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) grant free access to public transport or adapted tariffs for access to public transport, as well as fostering sustainable mobility on demand and shared mobility services, including in rural, insular, mountainous, remote and less accessible areas or in less developed territories, including less developed peri-urban areas;
Amendment 386 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
The Fund shall be implemented by the Commission in directshared management in accordance with the relevant rules adopted pursuant to Article 322 TFEU, in particular Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council59. _________________ 59 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 404 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
Amendment 462 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) detailed quantitative information on the number of households in energy poverty;, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 463 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) when applicable, detailed information on progress towards the national iandicative regional objectives to reduce the number of households in energy poverty, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users;