2008/0239(COD) | [ParlTrack]

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2008/0239(COD) Marco Polo II programme: financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system

Role	Committee	Rapporteur	Shadows
Opinion	BUDG	JENSEN Anne E. (ALDE)
Lead	TRAN	STOCKMANN Ulrich (PSE)

Lead committee dossier: TRAN/6/71297
Legal Basis EC Treaty (after Amsterdam) EC 071, EC Treaty (after Amsterdam) EC 080-p2

Subjects

Links

Activites

2009/10/09 Final act published in Official Journal
- Regulation 2009/923
- OJ L 266 09.10.2009, p. 0001
2009/09/16 Final act signed
2009/09/16 End of procedure in Parliament
#2957
2009/07/27 Council Meeting
2009/07/27 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
2009/04/23 Results of vote in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament
- T6-0284/2009 summary
  
  The European Parliament adopted by 581 votes to 7, with 5 abstentions, a legislative resolution amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 establishing the second "Marco Polo" programme for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system ("Marco Polo II").The amendments are the result of a compromise negotiated with the Council.The main amendments are as follows:Submission of actions: actions shall be submitted to the Commission in accordance with the detailed rules on the submission and selection procedure. Submissions shall contain all the information necessary to enable the Commission to make its selection.If required, the Commission shall provide assistance to applicants to facilitate their application process, for instance by way of an online helpdesk.The Commission shall, after having informed the committee referred to in the regulation, adopt the decision to grant financial assistance.Communication: the Commission shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a Communication on the results achieved by the Marco Polo Programme for the period 2003-2010. It shall do so before drawing up a proposal for a third Marco Polo Programme and shall take account of the Communication's findings when drawing up the proposal. The Communication shall in particular deal with the following:the impact of the future Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 establishing the second "Marco Polo" programme for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system ("Marco Polo II");the experience of the Executive Agency for Competition and Innovation with programme management;the need to differentiate between transport modes in the conditions for funding, on the basis of safety, environmental performance and energy efficiency;the effectiveness of Traffic Avoidance Actions;the need to set up demand-driven assistance at the application stage, taking into account the needs of small and micro transport companies;the recognition of economic recession as an exceptional reason for extending the duration of projects;product-specific lowering of eligibility thresholds;the possibility of indicating the targets for minimum funding thresholds for proposed projects in terms of energy efficiency and environmental benefits in addition to tonne-kilometres shifted;the appropriateness of including the transport unit in the definition of the term "freight";the availability of complete yearly overviews of projects which have been co-financed;the possibility of ensuring consistency between the Marco Polo Programme, the Logistics Action Plan and the TEN-T programme by taking the appropriate measures in order to coordinate the allocation of community funds, in particular for Motorways of the Sea;the possibility of making costs incurred in a third country eligible if promoted by undertakings from a Member State;the need to take into account the specific characteristics of the inland waterway sector and its small- and medium sized enterprises, for example by way of a dedicated programme for the inland waterway sector;the possibility of extending the programme to neighbouring countries;the possibility of further adapting the programme to the insular and archipelagic Member States.Eligible costs: the eligible costs related to ancillary infrastructure shall not be higher than 20% of the total eligible costs for the project.Motorways of the sea: the minimum indicative subsidy threshold per motorways of the sea action shall be 200 million tonne-kilometres, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement.Modal shift: the minimum indicative subsidy threshold per modal shift action shall be 60 million tonne-kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift per year, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. Modal shift actions aiming at implementing a shift to inland waterways will be subject to a special threshold of 13 million tonne-kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift per year.
2009/04/22 Debate in Parliament
- Debate in Parliament
2009/04/02 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
- A6-0217/2009
2009/03/31 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
#2935
2009/03/30 Council Meeting
- 2935 summary
  
  The Presidency briefed the Council on the state of play of the current discussions with the European Parliament on the Commission proposal on the second Marco Polo programme, which are aimed at reaching a first reading agreement.
2009/01/13 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2008/12/10 Legislative proposal published
- COM(2008)0847 summary
  
  PURPOSE: to establish the second 'Marco Polo' programme for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system ('Marco Polo II'), and amending Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006.PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.CONTENT: the Marco Polo programme is one of the instruments to reduce congestion as part of a coherent EU transport policy strategy which includes the internalisation of external costs and the use of market-based instruments to reflect the utilisation of infrastructure. The external evaluation of the first Marco Polo programme estimates that 64% of the objective of tkm to be shifted off the road is being met. Therefore if no action is taken, in a context of decreasing proposals and successful projects, then the second Marco Polo programme will in the best case achieve the same percentage of success. This would imply missing the target of avoiding or shifting a substantial part of the estimated 60% growth of international freight transport by road, equivalent to 20.5 billion tonne-kilometres in absolute terms. This will have negative consequences in terms of additional road infrastructure costs, accidents, congestion, local and global pollution, environmental damage and unreliability of the supply chain and of logistics processes. This rate of success is corroborated by the level of response to the second call under the second Marco Polo programme, which shows a marked decrease of the total proposed modal shift. Furthermore the new types of actions introduced by this second Programme, Motorways of the Sea and Traffic Avoidance, have not attracted enough applications (only 9% of the proposals in 2007 and 4% in 2008).Two measures have already been taken to improve the Programme's results without any need for a change in the Regulation: the outsourcing of the management of the Programme to an Executive Agency which is expert in managing projects; and the doubling of the funding intensity for projects from EUR 1 to EUR 2 per 500 tkm shifted or avoided, so as to attract more projects.But these measures will not be enough and a targeted revision of the Programme has been proposed, which will bring:a further increase in the effectiveness of the programme;a more balanced distribution of community support among project types;a substantial simplification of the legal basis and the management of the Programme;a significant reduction of administrative costs to manage the programme;a positive effect in terms of benefits for peripheral areas and non-member countries.The proposed amendments aim to increase the effectiveness of the Programme in terms of tonne-kilometres avoided or shifted off the roads, in order to achieve the goals set in the legal basis. The specific measures intend to stimulate applications for funding by increasing participation by small enterprises, particularly the Inland Waterway Transport companies, lowering the eligibility thresholds, increasing the grant intensity and simplifying the administrative processes of the Programme.
- DG Energy and Transport, TAJANI Antonio

Documents

Legislative proposal published: COM(2008)0847
Debate in Council: 2935
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A6-0217/2009
Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T6-0284/2009
: Regulation 2009/923
: OJ L 266 09.10.2009, p. 0001

Amendments	Dossier
32	2008/0239(COD) 2009/03/04 TRAN 32 amendments... Amendment 10 # Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point -1 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Recital 7 -1a. Recital 7 is replaced by the following: '(7) Applicants should be able to submit new or, where appropriate, existing projects which best match current market needs. Suitable projects, in particular those taking into account the needs of SMEs, should not be discouraged by any over-rigid definition of eligible actions. These flexible criteria must also be extended to the specific case of the outermost regions (ORs) and their particular circumstances.' Amendment 11 # Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point -1 b (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 1 -1b. Article 1 is amended as follows: 'Article 1 Subject matter This Regulation establishes a financing instrument, hereinafter referred to as "the Marco Polo II Programme" or "the Programme" in order to reduce congestion, to improve the environmental performance of the transport system and to enhance intermodal transport, thereby contributing to an efficient and sustainable transport system which provides EU added value without having a negative impact on economic, social or territorial cohesion, whilst taking account of the specific features of the ORs so that they can participate in it. The duration of the Programme shall be from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013 in order to achieve, by the end of the Programme, a traffic shift that is a substantial part of the expected yearly aggregate increase in international road freight traffic, measured in tonne- kilometres, to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterway transport or to a combination of modes of transport in which road journeys are as short as possible.' Amendment 12 # Johannes BLOKLAND Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 1 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 2 – point o a (new) 1a. In Article 2 point (oa) is added: ‘microenterprise’ means an enterprise which employs fewer than 10 persons and whose annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total does not exceed EUR 2 million, in accordance with Article 2(3) of the Annex to Recommendation 2003/361/EC. Amendment 13 # Paolo COSTA Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 1 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 3 – paragraph 2 1a. In Article 3 paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: "2. Where an action involves the territory of a third country, costs arising in the territory of that country shall [...] covered by the Programme if promoted by undertakings from a Member State as well as in the circumstances set out in paragraphs 3 and 4". Amendment 14 # Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 3 – point -a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a (-a) Paragraph 1(a) is amended as follows: '(a) catalyst actions; those aimed at improving synergies in the rail, inland waterways and short sea shipping sectors, including Motorways of the Sea and the modulation of short distances in the case of the ORs, by better use of existing infrastructures in particular deserve specific attention;' Amendment 15 # Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 3 – point a Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b ‘Motorways of the Sea actions; within the European Union such actions shall ~~be consistent wi~~use the t~~he features of the Motorways of the Sea priority project~~rans-European networks defined in the framework of Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, without excluding the ORs' participation in those networks'. Amendment 16 # Corien WORTMANN-KOOL Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 5 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 8 5a. Article 8 is replaced by the following: Actions shall be submitted to the Commission in accordance with the detailed rules issued under Article 6. Submissions shall contain all the information necessary to enable the Commission to make its selection in accordance with Article 9. If required, the Commission shall provide technical assistance to applicants to facilitate their application process, for instance by way of an online helpdesk. Amendment 17 # Eva LICHTENBERGER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 6 – point a Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point d (a) In the first paragraph, point (d) the ~~words~~phrase ‘the relative environmental merits of the actions’ ~~are replaced by ‘~~is amended as follows: ‘the relative environmental merits of the actions and the relative merits of the actions in terms of reduction of external costs‘. Amendment 18 # Corien WORTMANN-KOOL Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 7 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new) 7a. In article 14, paragraph 2a is added: 2a. By 30 June 2010 the Commission shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a report assessing the need for a dedicated programme for the inland waterway sector, taking into account the specific characteristics of this sector and its small- and medium sized enterprises. Amendment 19 # Paolo COSTA Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 7 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new) 7a. In Article 14, paragraph 2a is added: "2a. The Commission before drawing up a proposal for a third Marco Polo Programme shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a communication on the extension of the Programme to the neighbouring countries by 30 June 2011". Amendment 20 # Eva LICHTENBERGER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point 7 a (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new) 7a. In Article 14, paragraph 2a is added: "2a The Communication referred to in paragraph 2 shall in particular deal with the following: - the impact of Regulation (EC) No .../2008 of the European Parliament and the Council of ... amending Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 establishing the second "Marco polo" programme for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system ("Marco Polo II")1, - the experience of the Executive Agency for Competition and Innovation with programme management, - the need to differentiate between transport modes in the conditions for funding, according to safety, environmental performance and energy efficiency, - the need for making the Traffic Avoidance actions more efficient, - the need to set up demand-related technical assistance at the application stage, taking into account the needs of small and micro transport companies, - the recognition of economic recession as an exceptional reason for extending the duration of projects, - product-specific lowering of eligibility thresholds, - the possibility of indicating the targets for minimum funding thresholds for proposed projects in terms of safety, energy efficiency and environmental benefits in addition to tonne-kilometres shifted, - the appropriateness of including the transport unit in the definition of the term "goods", - the availability of complete yearly overviews of projects which have been co- financed, - the possibility of creating a programme for granting 'intermodal sustainable mobility management actions for persons". 1 OJ L ... Amendment 21 # Eva LICHTENBERGER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 2: Funding intensity and scope – Type of action: A. Catalyst – Article 5(1)(a) – point a (a) Community financial assistance for catalyst actions shall be limited to a maximum of 35 % of the total expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assistance, to the extent to which it relates directly to the implementation of the action. The eligible costs related to ancillary infrastructure shall not be higher than 120% of the total eligible costs for the project. Amendment 22 # Eva LICHTENBERGER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 2: Funding intensity and scope – Type of action: B. Motorways of the Sea – Article 5(1)(b) – point a (a) Community financial assistance for MoS actions shall be limited to a maximum of 35 % of the total expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assistance, to the extent to which it relates directly to the implementation of the action. The eligible costs related to ancillary infrastructure shall not be higher than 120% of the total eligible costs for the project. Amendment 23 # Silvia-Adriana ȚICĂU Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 2: Funding intensity and scope – Type of action: C. Modal Shift – Article 5(1)(c) – point a (a) Community financial assistance for modal shift actions shall be limited to a maximum of 3580% of the total expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assistance to the extent to which it relates directly to the implementation of the action. The eligible costs related to ancillary infrastructure shall not be higher than 10% of the total eligible costs for the project. Amendment 24 # Eva LICHTENBERGER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 2: Funding intensity and scope – Type of action: C. Modal Shift – Article 5(1)(c) – point a (a) Community financial assistance for modal shift actions shall be limited to a maximum of 35 % of the total expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assistance to the extent to which it relates directly to the implementation of the action. The eligible costs related to ancillary infrastructure shall not be higher than 120% of the total eligible costs for the project. Amendment 25 # Eva LICHTENBERGER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 2: Funding intensity and scope – Type of action: D. Traffic avoidance – Article 5(1)(d) – point a (a) Community financial assistance for traffic avoidance actions shall be limited to a maximum of 35 % of the total expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assistance, to the extent to which it relates directly to the implementation of the action. The eligible costs related to ancillary infrastructure shall not be higher than 120% of the total eligible costs for the project. Amendment 26 # Silvia-Adriana ȚICĂU Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 2: Funding intensity and scope – Type of action: E. Common learning – Article 5(1)(e) – point a (a) Community financial assistance for common learning actions shall be limited to a maximum of 580% of the total expenditure necessary to achieve the objectives of the action and incurred as a result of the action. Such expenditure shall be eligible for Community financial assistance, to the extent to which it relates directly to the implementation of the action. Amendment 27 # Ulrich STOCKMANN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: A. Catalyst – Article 5(1)(a) Community financial assistance for catalyst actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 62 months, and the minimum 36 months. In case of an extraordinary economic downturn or extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 62 months, or in exceptional cases 68 months. Amendment 28 # Silvia-Adriana ȚICĂU Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: A. Catalyst – Article 5(1)(a) Community financial assistance for catalyst actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 62 months, and the minimum 3624 months. In case of extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 62 months, or in exceptional cases 68 months. Amendment 29 # Ulrich STOCKMANN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: B. Motorways of the Sea – Article 5(1)(b) Community financial assistance for MoS actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 62 months and the minimum 36 months. In case of an extraordinary economic downturn or extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 62 months, or in exceptional cases 68 months. Amendment 30 # Silvia-Adriana ȚICĂU Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: B. Motorways of the Sea – Article 5(1)(b) Community financial assistance for MoS actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 62 months and the minimum 3624 months. In case of extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 62 months, or in exceptional cases 68 months. Amendment 31 # Ulrich STOCKMANN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: C. Modal Shift – Article 5(1)(c) Community financial assistance for modal shift actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 38 months. In case of an extraordinary economic downturn or extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 38 months, or in exceptional cases 44 months. Amendment 32 # Ulrich STOCKMANN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: D. Traffic avoidance – Article 5(1)(d) Community financial assistance for traffic avoidance actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 62 months and the minimum 36 months. In case of an extraordinary economic downturn or extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 62 months, or in exceptional cases 68 months. Amendment 33 # Silvia-Adriana ȚICĂU Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 3: Form and duration of subsidy agreement – Type of action: D. Traffic avoidance – Article 5(1)(d) Community financial assistance for traffic avoidance actions shall be granted on the basis of subsidy agreements, with appropriate provisions for steering and monitoring. As a rule, the maximum duration of these agreements shall be 62 months and the minimum 3624 months. In case of extraordinary implementation delays adequately justified by the beneficiary, an exceptional extension of 6 months can be awarded. Community financial assistance shall not be renewable beyond the stipulated maximum period of 62 months, or in exceptional cases 68 months. Amendment 34 # Corien WORTMANN-KOOL Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 4: Contract value threshold – Type of action: C. Modal Shift – Article 5(1)(c) The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per modal shift action shall be 80 million tonne-kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift per year, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. Modal shift actions aiming at implementing a shift to inland waterways will be subject to a special threshold of 1725 million tonne- kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift ~~per year, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement~~over the entire three-year period Amendment 35 # Johannes BLOKLAND Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 4: Contract value threshold – Type of action: C. Modal Shift – Article 5(1)(c) The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per modal shift action shall be 80 million tonne kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift per year, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. Modal shift actions aiming at implementing a shift to inland waterways will be subject to a special threshold of 17 million tonne-kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift per year, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. Modal shift actions by microenterprises as referred to in Article 2(q) aiming at implementing a shift to inland waterways will be subject to a special threshold of 25 million tonne- kilometres or its volumetric equivalent of modal shift over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. Amendment 36 # Johannes BLOKLAND Proposal for a regulation – amending act Annex I − Funding conditions and requirements according to Article 5(2) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Point 4: Contract value threshold – Type of action: D. Traffic avoidance – Article 5(1)(d) The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per traffic avoidance action shall be 80 million tonne kilometres or 4 million vehicle kilometres of freight traffic avoided per year, to be implemented over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. The minimum indicative subsidy threshold per traffic avoidance action by a microenterprise as referred to in Article 2(q) shall be 120 million tonne kilometres or 6 million vehicle kilometres of freight traffic avoided over the entire life of the subsidy agreement. Amendment 5 # Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Recital 1 a (new) (1a) In the light of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty on the outermost regions of the European Union and the Commission communication (COM (2008) 642) entitled 'The outermost regions: an asset for Europe', the Marco Polo programme must take account of the particular characteristics of the outermost regions. Amendment 6 # Inés AYALA SENDER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Recital 3 (3) In order to cope with this growth, greater use must be made of short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways than at present, and it is necessary to stimulate further powerful initiatives from the transport and logistics sector, including dry ports and other platforms that facilitate intermodality, to encourage new approaches and the use of technical innovations in all of our transport modes and their management. Amendment 7 # Silvia-Adriana ȚICĂU Proposal for a regulation – amending act Recital 10 (10) In order to simplify the implementation of the Programme Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 on funding conditions for ancillary infrastructure should be deleted. Furthermore the ~~comitology procedure for the yearly selection of projects to be funded should be eliminated and the~~ detailed rules for selection of projects should be applicable to several years. Amendment 8 # Inés AYALA SENDER Proposal for a regulation – amending act Recital 11 (11) A more detailed link between the Programme and the Trans-European Transport Network framework for the Motorways of the Sea should be established and it should also be linked to the review of the trans-European networks (TENs) and the Logistics Action Plan, and the environmental considerations should be extended to include the whole external costs of the actions. Amendment 9 # Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN Proposal for a regulation – amending act Article 1 – point -1 (new) Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 Recital 4 -1. Recital 4 is replaced by the following: '(4) The programme established by Regulation (EC) No 1382/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 on the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system (the Marco Polo Programme) [3] should therefore be enhanced by new actions, aimed at an actual reduction in international road transport. The Commission therefore has proposed a stronger programme, hereinafter referred to as the "Marco Polo II Programme", or "the Programme", to enhance intermodality, reduce road congestion and improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system within the Community, and take account of the particular characteristics of the outermost regions (ORs). To achieve this objective, the Programme should support actions in the freight transport, logistics and other relevant markets, taking into account the needs of small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs). It should help to shift at least the expected aggregate increase in international road freight traffic, but preferably more, to short sea shipping, with short distances being modulated in the case of the ORs, rail and inland waterway transport or to a combination of modes of transport in which road journeys are as short as possible. The Marco Polo Programme established by Regulation (EC) No 1382/2003 should therefore be replaced.' source: PE-420.162

Amendments

Dossier

2008/0239(COD)

2009/03/04 TRAN 32 amendments...

Amendment 10 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point -1 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Recital 7

-1a. Recital 7 is replaced by the following: '(7) Applicants should be able to submit new or, where appropriate, existing projects which best match current market needs. Suitable projects, in particular those taking into account the needs of SMEs, should not be discouraged by any over-rigid definition of eligible actions. These flexible criteria must also be extended to the specific case of the outermost regions (ORs) and their particular circumstances.'

Amendment 11 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point -1 b (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 1

-1b. Article 1 is amended as follows: 'Article 1 Subject matter This Regulation establishes a financing instrument, hereinafter referred to as "the Marco Polo II Programme" or "the Programme" in order to reduce congestion, to improve the environmental performance of the transport system and to enhance intermodal transport, thereby contributing to an efficient and sustainable transport system which provides EU added value without having a negative impact on economic, social or territorial cohesion, whilst taking account of the specific features of the ORs so that they can participate in it. The duration of the Programme shall be from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013 in order to achieve, by the end of the Programme, a traffic shift that is a substantial part of the expected yearly aggregate increase in international road freight traffic, measured in tonne- kilometres, to short sea shipping, rail and inland waterway transport or to a combination of modes of transport in which road journeys are as short as possible.'

Amendment 12 #

Johannes BLOKLAND

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 1 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 2 – point o a (new)

1a. In Article 2 point (oa) is added: ‘microenterprise’ means an enterprise which employs fewer than 10 persons and whose annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total does not exceed EUR 2 million, in accordance with Article 2(3) of the Annex to Recommendation 2003/361/EC.

Amendment 13 #

Paolo COSTA

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 1 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 3 – paragraph 2

1a. In Article 3 paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: "2. Where an action involves the territory of a third country, costs arising in the territory of that country shall [...] covered by the Programme if promoted by undertakings from a Member State as well as in the circumstances set out in paragraphs 3 and 4".

Amendment 14 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 3 – point -a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a

(-a) Paragraph 1(a) is amended as follows: '(a) catalyst actions; those aimed at improving synergies in the rail, inland waterways and short sea shipping sectors, including Motorways of the Sea and the modulation of short distances in the case of the ORs, by better use of existing infrastructures in particular deserve specific attention;'

Amendment 15 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, Fernando FERNÁNDEZ MARTÍN

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 3 – point a

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b

‘Motorways of the Sea actions; within the European Union such actions shall ~~be consistent wi~~use the t~~he features of the Motorways of the Sea priority project~~rans-European networks defined in the framework of Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, without excluding the ORs' participation in those networks'.

Amendment 16 #

Corien WORTMANN-KOOL

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 5 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 8

5a. Article 8 is replaced by the following: Actions shall be submitted to the Commission in accordance with the detailed rules issued under Article 6. Submissions shall contain all the information necessary to enable the Commission to make its selection in accordance with Article 9. If required, the Commission shall provide technical assistance to applicants to facilitate their application process, for instance by way of an online helpdesk.

Amendment 17 #

Eva LICHTENBERGER

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 6 – point a

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point d

(a) In the first paragraph, point (d) the ~~words~~phrase ‘the relative environmental merits of the actions’ ~~are replaced by ‘~~is amended as follows: ‘the relative environmental merits of the actions and the relative merits of the actions in terms of reduction of external costs‘.

Amendment 18 #

Corien WORTMANN-KOOL

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 7 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new)

7a. In article 14, paragraph 2a is added: 2a. By 30 June 2010 the Commission shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a report assessing the need for a dedicated programme for the inland waterway sector, taking into account the specific characteristics of this sector and its small- and medium sized enterprises.

Amendment 19 #

Paolo COSTA

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 7 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new)

7a. In Article 14, paragraph 2a is added: "2a. The Commission before drawing up a proposal for a third Marco Polo Programme shall present to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a communication on the extension of the Programme to the neighbouring countries by 30 June 2011".

Amendment 20 #

Eva LICHTENBERGER

Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 – point 7 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006
Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new)

7a. In Article 14, paragraph 2a is added: "2a The Communication referred to in paragraph 2 shall in particular deal with the following: - the impact of Regulation (EC) No .../2008 of the European Parliament and the Council of ... amending Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006 establishing the second "Marco polo" programme for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system ("Marco Polo II")1, - the experience of the Executive Agency for Competition and Innovation with programme management, - the need to differentiate between transport modes in the conditions for funding, according to safety, environmental performance and energy efficiency, - the need for making the Traffic Avoidance actions more efficient, - the need to set up demand-related technical assistance at the application stage, taking into account the needs of small and micro transport companies, - the recognition of economic recession as an exceptional reason for extending the duration of projects, - product-specific lowering of eligibility thresholds, - the possibility of indicating the targets for minimum funding thresholds for proposed projects in terms of safety, energy efficiency and environmental benefits in addition to tonne-kilometres shifted, - the appropriateness of including the transport unit in the definition of the term "goods", - the availability of complete yearly overviews of projects which have been co- financed, - the possibility of creating a programme for granting 'intermodal sustainable mobility management actions for persons". 1 OJ L ...

Amendment 21 #

Eva LICHTENBERGER