SP(2011)1628/4

Results of vote in Parliament

Following a debate which took place during the plenary session of 23 November 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Communication from the Commission on the Commission Work Programme 2011.

The text adopted in plenary had been tabled by the EPP, S&D and ALDE groups. Parliament urges the Commission to commit itself to performing a realistic and operational programming exercise which must be effective and be translated into reality and better implemented than in the past. It asks for a clearer timetable relating to major proposals to be put forward.

Members note that the efforts made so far to solve the financial crisis and to sustain Europe's economic recovery have fallen way below what is necessary and that the work programme does not include additional measures to create more jobs. They call on the Commission to spell out its detailed response to how its initiatives and proposals will meet the challenge.

They welcome the priority given to the reform of European economic governance and warn that, unless the EU can develop credible economic governance, particularly in the eurozone, the future of the euro will be in jeopardy.

They recall that Parliament and the Council, as the two arms of the budgetary authority, should be equally involved in any mobilisation of the European Financial Stability Mechanism. They ask that proposals be presented rapidly to make the crisis resolution mechanism permanent (e.g. European Monetary Fund).

They insist that the Commission must rapidly bring forward proposals to revise the current financial framework and consider that the MFF for the period after 2013 must also reflect the increased scope of those responsibilities.

They strongly urge the Commission to come forward in June 2011, following the adoption of Parliament's position on the new MFF, with bold and innovative proposals for a substantive revision of the own-resources system.

Parliament believes that the EU must address structural reform without delay in order to improve its competitiveness and re-launch growth. It believes also that the modernisation of infrastructure (including broadband), increased effort regarding research, development and innovation, a policy ensuring sufficient, economical and clean energy, innovation and the development of new technologies and the quality of education and training are central planks of the strategy.

Smart growth: Parliament calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive action plan, with a timetable and targets, to deliver a single market for online content and services, in the interests of an open and prosperous digital society, and to overcome the digital divide.

Members welcome the Commission's ambition with regard to the Innovation Union. They urge it to promote knowledge and innovation in the context of the 8 th Framework Programme and to reduce red tape in its R&D programmes.

They also stress the importance to be given to the new multiannual programmes after 2013 in the field of education, culture, audiovisual, youth and citizenship, expected to be presented in 2011.

Sustainable growth: Parliament underlines the strategic importance of the flagship initiative on resource efficiency. It urges the Commission to work swiftly on an ambitious proposal aimed at achieving binding targets and concrete benchmarks within the framework of the EU 2020 European Semester of policy coordination. It calls on the Commission to come forward with legislation to further reduce EU emissions.

Members consider that priority should be given to the proper and functional implementation of existing legislative instruments, such as the Third Energy Package. They call for the Communication on the new Industrial Policy for Europe to be followed by effective measures, in particular to achieve the desired shift towards a low-carbon and sustainable economy.

Parliament that the CAP reform process must result in a strong, fair, genuinely common and multifunctional policy. It recalls its wish that the amounts allocated to the CAP in the budget year 2013 should be at least maintained during the next financial programming period. It demands that agricultural imports from third countries should only be allowed into the EU if they have been produced in a manner consistent with European standards.

Inclusive growth: Parliament believes that inclusive growth can only be built on a foundation of equal treatment for all workers within the workplace and a level playing field for all businesses. It believes the Commission Work Programme should include proposals to guarantee these principles, and insists that the legislative proposal on implementation of the Posting of Workers must clarify the exercise of fundamental social rights.

The resolution calls for the presentation of a Commission proposal on the financial participation of employees in company earnings. It also calls on the Commission to heed the views of the social partners in the area of pensions.

Tapping the potential for growth of the Single Market: the resolution supports greater market integration, targeting the significant persistent gaps and enhancing the trust of Europe's citizens, workers, small businesses and consumers. It calls on the Commission to put forward, as soon as possible, clear priorities and legislative proposals.

Parliament asks for modernisation of the EU public procurement legislative framework. It calls on the Commission to ensure a consistent approach between the legal instrument on European contract law and the Consumer Rights Directive. It underlines the need for an efficient legal framework for product safety in the EU and calls for the final resolution of the problems surrounding the establishment of a European patent.

Pursuing the citizens’ agenda: Parliament is deeply concerned that there are no concrete proposals on fundamental rights. It calls on the Commission to act swiftly to unblock the Non-Discrimination Directive.

Parliament calls for a proposal for a Communication on enhanced intra-EU solidarity in the field of asylum, but regrets the absence of legislative proposals on asylum, bearing in mind that the Union should have a common asylum policy in place by 2012. It calls for proposals on migration to be presented.

Parliament asks the Commission to ensure the compatibility of each legal initiative with fundamental rights, as well as guarantee that Member States respect the Charter when implementing EU law. Members stress that, in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, the rights and freedoms of EU citizens should be fully respected and that data protection and the right to legal redress are essential in creating a credible and effective security policy. They consider that the increasing number of crimes requires more Community plans on organised crime and cyber-security.

Parliament regrets the delay in the Commission's putting forward legislative proposals in the area of the ‘Lisbonisation’ of the current acquis in police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. It considers that, following the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the revision of the legal framework is essential, and regrets that this revision is only proposed for 2012-2013.

Europe in the world : Parliament emphasises that the promotion of human rights across the world is a key objective of the European Union on the global stage and that improved trade relations and reinforced development assistance can help encourage progress in this field. It calls on the Commission to keep up the momentum for the enlargement process.

The resolution stresses new initiatives would be welcomes in the following areas:

the EU's role in counter-terrorism, in order to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; the development of the European defence industry and European defence policy ambitions in a long-term (2020) perspective; disarmament and global governance ; the strategy vis-à-vis the BRIC countries; the Mediterranean Union review, in the view of the current stalemate; a revitalisation of the Transatlantic Economic Council and also, possibly a joint strategic security review, following the new NATO strategic review.

The Commission is invited to:

finalise the review of the ENP and strengthen the human rights and democracy conditionality in its relations with neighbours; afford greater priority to food security throughout Africa; provide a yearly report on EU progress towards achieving the MDGs by 2015 and to introduce measures to ensure Member States fulfil their commitments to 0.7% GNI to ODA, and to monitor such undertakings; and actively promote tangible progress in the ongoing WTO negotiations in order to conclude the Doha Round as soon as possible.

Parliament recalls that multilateralism must remain the EU's first priority, and demands that ongoing and new trade negotiations should respect the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries.

The resolution stresses that that imports from third countries should be put on the EU market only if they comply with European consumer protection standards. Members consider that, in international negotiations, the Commission should insist that our trading partners comply with European environmental, social and labour standards.

T7-0481/2010

B7-0688/2010

B7-0689/2010

B7-0697/2010

RC-B7-0688/2010

Commission work programme for 2011

Debate in Parliament

The Council took note of the presentation by the Commission of its work programme for 2011.

This Work Programme is built on the five main political priorities for the EU set out by President Barroso in the first State of the Union Address, delivered before the European Parliament in September 2010:

(1) Dealing with the economic crisis and building the momentum of the recovery

Strengthening economic governance and initiating the European Semester : the Commission has recently tabled a significant package of proposals to strengthen the tools of economic governance and extend them to include the coordination of economic and fiscal policies. To maintain the momentum, the Commission calls upon co-EU legislators to advance quickly in their political deliberations; Financial regulation: completing the reform : a comprehensive timeline for delivery of proposals to complete the EU's financial reform was presented in June 2010. Early in 2011, the Commission will table the remaining proposals to complete the financial sector reform. A joint goal of the European institutions should be to have the full reform agreed by the end of 2011, thus putting in place an advanced system of financial regulation.

(2) Restoring growth for jobs by accelerating the Europe 2020 reform agenda

Smart growth : during 2011, the concrete proposals announced in the flagships will be rolled out and implemented through complementary action at European and national level; Sustainable growth : the Commission will set out its vision for “Resource efficiency" as a flagship initiative in 2011. This will break new ground in terms of integrated policy making at EU level. The aim will be to build progressively a framework based on resource efficiency to include the shift to a low-carbon society and which sets sectoral policies including energy, transport and the management of natural resources such as agriculture and fisheries within a long-term sustainable framework. A particular focus in 2011 will be on energy infrastructure and efficiency, which have immediate environmental, economic and energy security benefits, including huge job-creating potential. The White Paper on the future of transport policy will examine the completion of the European transport area to provide an efficient, seamless infrastructure around a core network, building on innovation to achieve low-carbon transport. During 2011 the Commission will continue to work to combat climate change; Inclusive growth : before the end of 2010 the Commission will publish its fifth cohesion report and propose two more Europe 2020 flagships – on "New Skills and Jobs" and "a Platform against Poverty". A number of concrete measures designed to promote inclusive growth will be set out in 2011; Tapping the potential of the Single Market for growth : the Commission will continue to open up market access for our companies, in particular small and medium sized enterprises. An important aspect will be the presentation in 2011 of proposals for the modernisation of public procurement rules and the establishment of common rules concerning concession contracts. Other concrete initiatives targeted at SMEs during 2011 will include a regulation on the management of cross-border debt recovery. In the area of taxation, a proposal for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax base (CCCTB) will aim to open the possibility for companies to opt for a system to make tax rules simpler.

(3) Building an area of freedom, justice and security : as part of its efforts at strengthening citizens' rights in 2011, the Commission will propose:

a legal instrument on European Contract Law; a Directive on the rights of victims of crime; drafting legislative proposals for introducing minimum standards for procedural in criminal proceedings, notably in the field of legal assistance and legal aid; drafting legislative proposals for a Registered Travellers Programme and an Entry/Exit System for third country nationals; a framework on the confiscation and recovery of illicit assets and Communications on a comprehensive policy against corruption and anti-fraud strategy; a revision of the civil protection legislation.

(4) Launching negotiations for a modern EU budget : Europe as a whole is experiencing a period of austerity in public finances. The EU budget must be targeted to policies and areas where it can make a real difference, supporting medium and long term investment, and bring real added value in support of the Union's policy objectives – most obviously the EU budget should be one of the key tools to deliver Europe 2020. It must also be delivered in ways which maximise its impact.

In June 2011, the Commission will present its formal proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), covering both expenditure and the financing of the budget. On the spending side, the proposal will set out how and where the Commission believes it can use the budget to deliver EU policies most effectively. On the financing side, the Commission will make a proposal for a new own resources decision . In the coming months the Commission will issue a number of Communications and reports on key policy areas, in particular the reform of the common agricultural policy, of the common fisheries and the future of cohesion policy, which will also serve as the policy basis for the budgetary proposals of the MFF. The Commission will present detailed legal proposals for the specific financial instruments and programmes that should implement the new MFF.

(5) Pulling the EU's weight on the global stage : the Commission will continue to support the new European External Action Service and help to develop a new phase in external policies. The EU has already focused on the need to have a clear vision for our relations with strategic partners, as well as a strong and consistent position in international negotiations.

A comprehensive trade policy : the Commission will pursue ongoing negotiations with its trading partners, including through driving forward the several major bilateral agreements planned for conclusion in 2011 and keeping up the pressure for a breakthrough in WTO negotiations. The Commission will present in 2011 a legislative proposal for an EU instrument to improve access to public procurement markets in developed and large emerging economies, building on the implementation of international commitments. It will make a legislative proposal for a new Regulation on the Generalised System of Preference; EU enlargement, neighbourhood, development policies and humanitarian aid : in 2011, the EU will continue to steer the enlargement process. The Commission will continue to help to deepen the EU's special relationship with these neighbours, including by carrying out a review of the EU's neighbourhood policy leading to proposals in 2011 for its further development in its bilateral and multilateral (Eastern Partnership, Union for the Mediterranean) dimensions. It will present a proposal for a Revision of Council Regulation concerning humanitarian aid.

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