2012/2294(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the broad dimension of the eco-innovation concept, given that it is defined as any form of innovation aiming at progress towards the goal of sustainable development, through reducing impacts on the environment or, achieving a more efficient and responsible use of resources or improving the ecological performance of production, products and services; draws attention to the job potential in a sustainable economy;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. recommends promoting the creative and innovative potential of young people for contributing to sustainable development, and improving their access to funding;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9 b. Stresses that targeted investment for the ecological transformation of the EU's disadvantaged regions is one of the most useful instruments for achieving the strategic objectives of regional convergence and territorial cohesion;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Supports the Commission's flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 strategy to make the change towards a sustainable economy now, to make economic growth less dependent on consumption of resources and energy, to reduce climate- damaging emissions and thus to act against global warming; welcomes the intention to align legal framework conditions, market economy incentive instruments, subsidies and public procurement with that objective;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the untapped environmental- benefit potential of eco-innovation, given that it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through, inter alia, increased use of recycled materials and production of quality products with less impact on the environment and the facilitating of more environmentally friendly production processes and services; points to the benefits for fiscal policies when the potentials of eco-innovation are exploited to the full and efficiency gains can be realised not least in budgetary terms; stresses the need to target actions on bottlenecks and barriers in the way of the commercialisation of eco-innovation, and the internationalisation of these products and services;

Amendment 4 #

Riikka PAKARINEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the untapped environmental- benefit potential of eco-innovation, given that it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through, inter alia, increased use of recycled and renewable materials and production of quality products with less impact on the environment and the facilitating of more environmentally friendly production processes and services; stresses the need to target actions on bottlenecks and barriers in the way of the commercialisation of eco- innovation, and the internationalisation of these products and services;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Believes that more should be done to internalise external costs; calls on the Commission to use existing policy tools – or develop new tools if necessary – to attribute costs, and to ensure that future policy proposals reflect its findings;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to determine environmental standards and financial incentives creating reliable framework conditions for at least 10 years, and thereby creating legal and planning certainty which is a prerequisite for exploiting the growth opportunities of eco-innovation;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that eco-innovation should benefit from the emerging EU financial instruments and vehicles of the Innovation Union and Resource-Efficient Europe Flagships, as well as the post-2013 Cohesion Policy and Horizon 2020; underlines the need for mainstreaming the eco-innovation concept in all policy fields;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Points out that the future cohesion policy includes a smart specialisation strategy as an ex-ante conditionality for EU regions and encourages the regions to ~~integrate eco-innovation in their~~launch awareness-raising campaigns aimed at all target groups with a view to integrating eco-innovation into regional and national smart specialisation strategies;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that, while eco-industries today provide 3.4 million jobs and an estimated annual turnover of EUR 319 billion, the potential for creating regional growth, employment opportunities and environmental benefits remains largely untapped, and recalls, in this connection, that the cost of inaction will be high;

source: PE-513.088

2013/06/28 ENVI 93 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 a (new)

- having regard to the report "Analysing and reporting on the results achieved by CIP Eco-Innovation market replication projects by the Executive Agency for Competitiveness & Innovation (EACI), published in May 2013;

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas environment-friendly solutions ~~will~~can attract a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and services, increase European competitiveness and create new high-skilled jobs;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas environment-friendly solutions will attract a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and services, increase European competitiveness and create new high-skilled jobs, which should motivate for recruitment both men and women so as to encourage gender equality in this sector;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. Whereas resource prices have increased extensively over the past years and competitiveness of companies is therefore increasingly determined by their resource efficiency;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas history has proven it difficult for authorities to foresee which innovative technologies that will be competitive on the market;

Amendment 14 #

Ramon TREMOSA i BALCELLS

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. Whereas fiscal incentives can be a useful tool to enhance eco-innovation in Europe.

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas Europe is a leader in new technology development; whereas there are many barriers to the development and wider use of environmental technologies, such as lock-in to existing technologies, price signals that tend to favour less eco- efficient solutions, difficult access to finance and low consumer awareness; whereas the challenge is therefore to improve the overall environmental performance of products throughout their life-cycle, to boost demand for better products and production technologies, and to help consumers make informed choices;

Amendment 16 #

Daciana Octavia SÂRBU

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas the analysis of the CIP Eco- innovative Initiative shows that the expected environmental, economic and employment benefits outweigh the public costs by far;

Amendment 18 #

Jolanta Emilia HIBNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas there are different evaluation criteria used for the definition of ‘terms such as eco-innovation' and 'smart green jobs’' (e.g. within the ILO, UNEP, CEDEFOP, OECD or Eurostat definitions), which could lead to diverging statistics on eco-innovation, green jobs and growth;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas there are different evaluation criteria used for the definition of ‘'smart green jobs’' (e.g. within the ILO, UNEP, CEDEFOP, OECD or Eurostat definitions), which could lead to diverging statistics on green jobs and growth; whereas the introduction of some essential indicators including among others gender balance, could improve comparability of collected data in each Member State;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. wWhereas a clean and healthy environment is a precondition for maintaining prosperity and a high quality of life in Europe, ~~but so~~as is the strength and competitiveness of the economy;

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas there are currently more than 240 projects funded by the eco- innovation scheme, whereas in May 2013 the Commission has launched a new call to select further 45 eco-innovation projects with novel environmental solutions; whereas the operation and funding of the CIP Eco-innovative Initiative has supported promising European developers of eco-innovation by providing the risk capital that would otherwise not be accessible;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses the importance of legislation as a means to increase the demand for environmental technologies; believes that competitiveness of European production depends on Europe being a global front runner in eco-efficient goods and production;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on ~~the Commission~~Member States to develop ~~a European~~ strategyies for ~~match~~aligning workforce skills with the ~~needs of~~opportunities offered by the Green Tech sector, looking to different subsectors and their needs for qualified workers ~~as well as developing an EU-wide database for highly-skilled green jobs~~;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to develop a European strategy for matching workforce skills with the needs of the Green Tech sector, integrating gender consideration, looking to different subsectors and their needs for qualified workers, disregarding any gender bias in the employment process, as well as developing an EU-wide database for highly-skilled green jobs;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to develop a European strategy for matching workforce skills with the needs of the Green Tech sector, looking to different subsectors and their needs for qualified workers as well as developing an EU-wide database for ~~highly-skilled~~ green jobs;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Believes that ~~it is not only~~rather than subsidies ~~that~~, innovative European companies need~~, but also better~~ more flexible legislation, better links to the research base and better and more diverse access to funding and financing, ranging from grants to loans and equity financing; calls, therefore, on the Member States and the Commission to create appropriate conditions at national and European level;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Believes that ~~it is not only subsidies that~~ innovative European companies need~~, but also better legislation,~~ better links to the research base and better and more diverse access to funding and financing, ranging from grants to loans and equity financing; calls, therefore, on the Member States and the Commission to create appropriate conditions at national and European level;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Believes that it is not ~~only~~ subsidies that innovative European companies need, but ~~also~~ better legislation, better links to the research base and better and more diverse access to funding and financing, ranging from grants to loans and equity financing; calls, therefore, on the Member States and the Commission to create appropriate conditions at national and European level;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that Green Tech job ~~creation~~s should not be limited to renewable energy production, increasing energy efficiency and the transport sector, since green growth is an opportunity for all sectors, which should therefore investigate development options for and raise consumer awareness of the importance of buying ‘'green’' products;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Believes that a speedy development of clean technology is required in order to increase companies' competitiveness; therefore calls on the Commission to place eco-innovation at the centre of its industrial policy;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. Whereas environmental challenges, such as climate change, resource scarcity and biodiversity degradation, require a radical transition of our economy in which clean technologies play a key role;

Amendment 30 #

Daciana Octavia SÂRBU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the development of labelling standards and clear definitions for the purpose of identifying and communicating the environmental credentials of products and services;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Believes that a new sustainable economy for the EU must ensure balanced economic and social development; calls for an ambitious sustainable industrial policy with an emphasis on resource efficiency; ~~stresses that the green economy needs to offer prospects for decent, well-paid jobs, with focus on the protection of the environment;~~

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Believes that a new sustainable economy for the EU must ensure balanced economic and social development; calls for an ambitious sustainable industrial policy with an emphasis on resource efficiency; reminds that resource efficiency and material efficiency will reduce costs for industry and households, free resources to other investment and make the EU economy less dependent from scarce resources and highly volatile resource markets; stresses that the green economy needs to offer prospects for decent, well- paid jobs, with focus on the protection of the environment;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Believes that a new sustainable economy for the EU must ensure balanced economic and social development; calls for an ambitious sustainable industrial policy with an emphasis on resource efficiency; stresses that the green economy needs to offer prospects for decent, well-paid jobs, with equal opportunities for both men and women, with focus on the protection of the environment;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Believes that a new sustainable economy for the EU must ensure balanced economic and social development; calls for an ambitious ~~sustainable~~ industrial policy with an emphasis on resource efficiency; stresses that the green economy needs to offer prospects for decent, well-paid jobs, with focus on the protection of the environment;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes existing university programmes or work training programmes that focus on ecological, economic and social sustainability, and stresses that there are new educational needs to be fulfilled regarding the development of ~~sustainable jobs~~an entrepreneurial culture;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission communication ‘Innovation for a sustainable Future - The Eco-innovation Action Plan (Eco-AP)’ (COM (2011) 0899); but regrets that the Plan does not mention gender equality, which is an integral part of the definition of a sustainable economy;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission to ~~map different~~propose approach towards changing perceptions of eco-innovation and its related challenges and to build a common understanding on the different strategic opportunities eco- innovation offers for the future;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9а. Urges the Commission to produce standard terminology for eco-innovation, to be used by all Member States with a view to facilitating the transfer and legal protection of innovations;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the scale of the crisis presents a unique and historic opportunity to bring forth transformational change in our economies, paving the way for ~~truly~~ sustainable ~~and socially fair~~ long-term development;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers the Eurostat definition of ‘'green jobs’' (in the environmental goods and services sector), which for example stipulates that ‘'green’' technologies and products must have an environmental protection or resource management purpose as their prime objective, to be useful to avoid diverging statistics~~, but considers it necessary to further develop an EU- wide uniform definition of green jobs and growth, which would, for example, also include the public transport sector~~;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers the Eurostat definition of ‘green jobs’ (in the environmental goods and services sector), which for example stipulates that ‘green’ technologies and products must have an environmental protection or resource management purpose as their prime objective, to be useful to avoid diverging statistics, but considers it necessary to ~~further~~ develop an EU- wide uniform definition of green jobs and growth~~, which would, for example, also include the public transport sector~~;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers the Eurostat definition of ‘green jobs’ (in the environmental goods and services sector), which for example stipulates that ‘green’ technologies and products must have an environmental protection or resource management purpose as their prime objective, to be useful to avoid diverging statistics, but considers it necessary to further develop an EU- wide uniform definition of green jobs and growth, which would, for example, also include the public transport sector; deems it useful to consider a more comprehensive "green jobs" definition embracing additional jobs/activities in a next step;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 44 #

Jolanta Emilia HIBNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Highlights the unexploited environmental benefit potential of eco- innovation, given that it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, other pollutants and waste generation through, inter alia, increased use of recycled materials and production of quality products having less impact on the environment, as well as to facilitate more environment-friendly production processes and services; stresses the need to target actions on the bottlenecks and barriers that constitute obstacles to the commercialisation of eco-innovation and the internationalisation of such products and services;

Amendment 45 #

Franco BONANINI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Highlights the unexploited environmental benefit potential of eco- innovation, given that it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through, inter alia, increased use of recycled materials and production of quality products having less impact on the environment, as well as to facilitate more environment-friendly production processes and services; believes that the eco- innovation approach should also be used for local products, in particular from the food and crafts sector, in order to foster the emergence of a virtuous circle between technological and productive innovation, sustainable local development, sound use of natural resources, good hydrogeological practice and protection of local communities, cultural specificities and traditions; stresses the need to target actions on the bottlenecks and barriers that constitute obstacles to the commercialisation of eco- innovation and the internationalisation of such products and services;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Calls on the Commission to include specific eco-innovation recommendations in the European Semester in order to promote sustainable growth;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. highlights the role that food production already has in terms of 'green jobs'; stresses the need to further develop the connection between entrepreneurialism and food production to achieve 'green growth' in real terms;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission to develop a systematic approach to eco-innovation policy, with ~~sound framework conditions enabling a level playing field~~transparent standardized criteria for eco- innovation in businesses and an infrastructure that allows businesses and consumers to make ~~sustainable~~informed choices;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop eco-standards for public procurement to increase the launching customer role of public institutions;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the scale of the crisis presents a unique and historic opportunity to bring forth transformational change in our economies, paving the way for truly sustainable and socially fair ~~long-term~~ development;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Given that eco-innovation is a cross- cutting policy area ~~which no single ministry or agency can tackle on its own~~, calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage cooperation across ministries and policy levels and to monitor the implementation of the policies concerned on a regular basis;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. ~~Given that eco-innovation is a cross- cutting policy area which no single ministry or agency can tackle on its own, c~~Calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage cooperation across ministries and policy levels and to monitor the implementation of the policies ~~concerned~~ on a regular basis;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Given that eco-innovation is a cross- cutting policy area which no single ministry or agency can tackle on its own,; underlines the need for mainstreaming the eco-innovation concept in all policy fields and calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage cooperation across ministries and policy levels and to monitor the implementation of the policies concerned on a regular basis;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on all key actors to work together on green growth, innovation and jobs in each sector, and to make use of the existing instruments~~, namely:~~ such as technology platforms, skills expert panels, joint technology initiatives, lead markets, clusters and high- level industrial groups;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Recognises the role of environmental policies as driver of innovation in market economies where innovation is sparked by exigency; recalls that strict environmental norms have lead to EU leadership in many growth sectors and stresses that EU should endeavour to remaining a lead market for new green technologies and conceptual innovations;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on ~~the Commission and the Member States to draw up new legislation and strengthen~~Member States to implement the existing legislation in the field of ~~the~~ develop~~ment~~ing and us~~e of~~ing renewable energies and increasing energy efficiency~~, providing legal certainty and a level playing field, and boosting public and private investment~~;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ~~draw up new legislation and strengthen the existing~~strengthen legislation in the field of the development and use of renewable energies and increasing energy efficiency~~, providing legal certainty and a level playing field~~ by employing transparent standardized criteria for selection, and boosting public and private investment;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Points to the benefits of fiscal policies and calls on the Member States to shift taxes from employment to resource use and pollution, in order to boost eco- innovation;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Member States to improve the coordination of these policies, and in particular to support regional partnerships for growth, innovation ~~and jobs~~, jobs and equal opportunities between women and men, as well as crossborder initiatives;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. CDraws attention to the job potential of the eco-innovation concept in a sustainable economy; calls on the Commission to provide a platform enabling the Member States to coordinate their efforts in creating new sustainable jobs and growth;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. ~~whereas t~~The growth of GreenTech in the past years has shown that investing in green growth is an~~ot a costly duty but a huge~~ economic opportunity; whereas although nearly every sector has suffered big losses as a result of the recession, the green sector has suffered a drop in growth but is still growing;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls on the Commission to provide a platform enabling the Member States to coordinate their efforts in creating new ~~sustainable~~ jobs and growth;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Urges the Member States to exchange experience and best practice in the field of employment opportunities when dealing with the economic, social and environmental impact of ~~climate change~~the financial crisis;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Urges the Member States to exchange experience and best practice and the overlooking of gender bias in the field of employment opportunities when dealing with the economic, social and environmental impact of climate change;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Recommends that the local and regional authorities, in accordance with the legal and institutional architecture of each Member State, adopt development strategies in line with the objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy, with the aim of creating new jobs in a sustainable economy;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Recommends that the regional authorities adopt development strategies in line with the objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy, with the aim of creating new jobs ~~in a sustainabl~~to grow the economy;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. RCalls for the horizontal integration of the concept of eco-innovation into the structural and cohesion funds; recommends that the regional authorities adopt development strategies in line with the objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy, with the aim of creating new jobs in a sustainable economy;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Believes that a lack of concrete policy objectives on climate and resource efficiency are preventing existing innovative technologies from commercial implementation;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Takes the view that the existing and proposed EU environmental legislation ~~has significant~~, where properly impact assessed to take account of its impact both on the environment and on economic competitiveness, offers potential to create conditions for new jobs in areas such as air, soil and water, energy, public services, agriculture, transport, forestry and environmental management, and calls on the Member States to implement this legislation;

Amendment 68 #

Franco BONANINI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Takes the view that the existing and proposed EU environmental legislation has significant potential to create new jobs in areas such as air, soil and water, energy, public services, agriculture, transport, tourism, forestry and environmental management, and calls on the Member States to implement this legislation;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Stresses the urgency of improving the efficiency of the EU carbon market to provide investment certainty to climate friendly technologies;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the growth of GreenTech in the past years has shown that investing in green growth is not only a costly duty but it can be a huge economic opportunity; whereas although nearly every sector has suffered big losses as a result of the recession, the green sector has suffered a drop in growth but is still growing;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Underlines the importance of better integrating best practices of eco- innovation into real economy in order to make advancements better visible in the day-to-day life of people;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Stresses that EU eco-innovation stimulates greater resource efficiency outside our borders, thereby reducing the depletion of global resources; therefore urges the Member States to strengthen their national resource efficiency strategies and to share their knowledge in international forums;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)

21b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to determine environmental standards and financial incentives creating reliable framework conditions for at least 10 years, and thereby creating legal and planning certainty which is a prerequisite for exploiting the growth opportunities of eco-innovation;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)

21d. Notes that the growth of EU state aids to fossil fuels has hampered the development of environmental technologies;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

~~22. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to eliminate in the medium term all subsidies and financial support for fossil fuels and environmentally unsustainable policies;~~deleted

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ~~eliminate in the medium term~~phase out all subsidies and financial support for fossil fuels and environmentally unsustainable policies, as well as those subsidies that damage competition within the internal energy market;

Amendment 76 #

Jolanta Emilia HIBNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to eliminate in the medium term all subsidies and financial support for fossil fuels and environmentally unsustainable policies and in the long term to ensure that dissemination of eco- innovations and environmental technologies will not rely on subsidies and financial support which disrupt competitiveness and free market, but on the market rules and cost-efficiency;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to eliminate in the medium term all subsidies and financial support for fossil fuels and environmentally unsustainable policies; calls for public investment support in general to be made conditional to selecting environmentally friendly production methods;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to eliminate in the medium term all subsidies and financial support for ~~fossil fuels and~~ environmentally unsustainable policies;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Strongly urges the Commission to define environmentally harmful subsidies as 'a result of a government action that confers an advantage on consumers or producers, in order to supplement their income or lower their costs, but in doing so, discriminates against sound environmental practices'1; Calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt, without delay and by 2014, concrete plans based on this definition for progressively phasing out all environmentally harmful subsidies by 2020, including subsidies that incentivise inefficient use of renewable resources and subsidies on fossil fuels, and to report on progress through the National Reform Programmes; __________________ 1 Adapted from OECD (1998 and 2005) in IEEP et al. 2007, see http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enveco/ta xation/index.htm

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas it is necessary to ~~replace~~move away from the current resource-intensive economy ~~by a~~ and towards a resource-efficient one~~, by transforming established industries into green high value-added industries~~ that creates jobs while protecting the environment;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to eliminate all tariffs on environmental goods;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Welcomes the eco-innovation funding possibilities under the COSME, Horizon 2020 and LIFE programmes, while insisting that more funding should be made available to step up the practical application of eco-innovations already developed;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Welcomes the eco-innovation funding possibilities within the Common Agricultural Policy, and also under the COSME, Horizon 2020 and LIFE programmes;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls on the Commission to implement the necessary instruments and allocate sufficient budget resources to ensure a smooth transition between the CIP and Horizon 2020 programmes as regards eco- innovation, and recalls that gender balanced participation in decision-making in all phases and aspects of funding is essential;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls on the Commission to implement the necessary instruments and allocate sufficient budget resources to ensure a smooth transition between the CIP and Horizon 2020 programmes as regards eco- innovation, and to ease the procedural constraints and financial burden on small and medium-sized businesses;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24а. Urges Member States to include eco- innovation in their strategies for the 2014- 2020 period as a means of promoting the green economy, growth and new jobs, thus ensuring the development of entrepreneurship on a level playing field and underpinning cooperation between the worlds of education, business and science;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Invites the Commission, specifically, to programme clearly-defined~~, focused and reinforced~~ resources for market replication projects, risk capital, networking and internationalisation for eco-innovations and their commercialisation in the EU by SMEs~~, conceivably with budgets ring- fenced for eco-innovation as a minimum guarantee~~;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Invites the Commission, specifically, to programme clearly-defined, focused and reinforced resources for market replication projects, risk capital, networking and internationalisation for eco-innovations and their commercialisation in the EU by SMEs~~, conceivably with budgets ring- fenced for eco-innovation as a minimum guarantee~~;

Amendment 88 #

Franco BONANINI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Invites the Commission, specifically, to programme clearly-defined, focused and reinforced resources for market replication projects, risk capital, networking and internationalisation for eco-innovations ~~and~~, ensuring that there are effective links between them and support networks and programmes for SME internationalisation and affording them better access to global markets, and for their commercialisation in the EU by SMEs, conceivably with budgets ring- fenced for eco-innovation as a minimum guarantee;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Believes that the potential of SMEs and cooperatives in promoting eco- innovation is not yet exhausted; therefore calls for specific funding possibilities for SMEs and cooperatives with regard to eco-innovation concepts;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. wWhereas it is necessary to ~~replac~~make the current ~~resource-intensive~~ economy ~~by a~~more resource-efficient ~~one, by transf~~by suppormting ~~established industries into~~ green high value-added industries that create jobs while protecting the environment;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27b. Is convinced that innovative financial tools are needed in order to improve the opportunities for capacity building and networking;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Emphasises th~~at an increase in funds must be coupled with a~~e need for simplification of funding procedures;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Emphasises that a~~n increa~~ more efficient use inof funds must be coupled with a simplification of funding procedures;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28a. Calls on the European Council to focus on eco-innovation and jobs and growth generated by environmental policy as part of its responsibility for providing the necessary impetus for the development of the EU, making appropriate comparisons with what is being done on the other continents with which we are competing, and to ensure that environmental transition does not undermine EU competitiveness and does not result in deindustrialisation;

source: PE-514.729

2013/07/03 EMPL 45 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Citation 1

– having regard to the Europe 2020 strategy, which calls for smart ~~and green~~, green and sustainable growth,

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the potential for direct and indirect quality job creation through full implementation of the EU 2020 strategy; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to step up their efforts in this area; welcomes the Commission’s promotion of an integrated strategy for green growth under the ‘Innovation Union’ flagship initiative and in particular the Eco- Innovation Action Plan as a step in the right direction;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls Parliament’s resolution on developing the job potential of a new sustainable economy (2010/2010(INI)), which ‘calls… for the adoption…of the ILO’s definition, according to which all jobs which promote sustainable development are green jobs; points out that the definition includes, firstly, jobs which directly reduce consumption of energy and resources, protect ecosystems and biodiversity and minimise waste production and air pollution and, secondly, all jobs which reduce the environmental footprint; recognises that, owing to the relative nature of the definition, the job potential cannot be definitively determined’; considers, therefore, that eco-innovations have an important place in all industrial and manufacturing sectors, and cannot be restricted to specific areas of production;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses that the success of eco- innovations requires more targeted and long-term investment which must embrace in particular the fields of education and training, research and development, infrastructure, etc.;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the wide ~~spectrum~~variety of employment ~~opportunities at varying skills l~~potential offered by eco- innovations; takes into account the jobs in eco-design and in research, devels opmen~~ed up by eco-~~t and innovation work and the ~~bioeconomy, particularly with regard to recycling/reuse processing, eco-design, and investment in the knowledge secto~~knowledge industry which call for a high level of education, but also the tasks in the production sector which require less schooling; notes, however, that eco- innovations which improve or amend the production chain can be proposed or made by any worker;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Highlights the wide spectrum~~Notes the great diversity of employment opportunities a~~t varying~~nd skills levels opened up by eco-innovation and the bioeconomy, particularly ~~with regard to recycling/reuse processing, eco-design, and investment in the knowledge sector;~~ the differences in working conditions between the relatively small employment sectors of renewable energy and larger sectors such as agriculture and forestry; points out that ‘green job’ is not synonymous with ‘decent work’;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the wide spectrum of employment opportunities at varying skills levels opened up by eco-innovation ~~and the bioeconomy, particularly with regard to recycling/reuse processing, eco-design, and investment in the knowledge sector~~; notes that, in order to reach the EU 2020 strategy's employment targets and make use of the job potential of a new sustainable economy, there is a need to increase the energy efficiency of housing and construction, the share of renewable energies, environment technologies, sustainable transport and mobility, sustainable agriculture, forestry and fishery and advice through environmental services, as well as recycling/reuse processing, low-resource production processes and closed loop material cycles, eco-design, and investment in the knowledge sector; notes that the service sector and the social economy sector also bear considerable green employment potential;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Acknowledges the fact that economic transition to new business niches can attract the young generation of workers and lead to new job opportunities in the eco innovation spectrum

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses the importance of eco- innovations which can be applied at the level of dwellings, properties and farms, because they enable citizens’ own active participation and the job-creating activities of micro-businesses, e.g. in the local treatment and re-use of waste, in energy production and saving and in other areas of eco-innovation;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses that in the field of eco- innovation job opportunities will arise, particularly for young people, which can be exploited through targeted education and training and by an active, comprehensive and inclusive labour market policy;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Is firmly convinced that market- economy based environmental policy can become the engine of growth and employment in all branches of the economy, and stresses that predictable, investment-friendly framework conditions are the basis that will allow innovative businesses to make the best possible use of these opportunities for the benefit of the environment and of employees;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Citation 1 a (new)

having regard to the new instrument "Youth Guarantee'

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Points out that the Member States must adapt their training and education systems and devise and implement targeted action plans for retraining workers in sectors which will be affected by the transformation of local economies towards a new sustainable economy, to ensure that they have access to new green sustainable jobs, to ensure that the workforce can adjust their skills to the labour-market needs of a more sustainable economy founded on competence-based training concepts; welcomes, in this context, the Commission's 'New Skills for New Jobs' initiative and acknowledges cooperation with the EU Member States as a step in the right direction; points out, however, that this initiative must be more closely linked to the objectives of the Council Decision on sustainable development and taken further with tangible measures both at EU level and in the EU Member States;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that eco-innovation presents clear opportunities for new niche businesses, offering opportunities for SMEs, self-starters and the self-employed to benefit from new business models as well as ~~revitalis~~offering existing traditional economic sectors opportunities to make existing jobs greener;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that eco-innovation presents clear opportunities for new niche businesses, offering opportunities for ~~SMEs, self-starters and the self-employed~~them to benefit from new business models as well as revitalising existing traditional economic sectors;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises that eco-innovation presents clear opportunities for new ~~niche~~ businesses, offering opportunities for SMEs, ~~self-starters~~ and the self-employed to benefit from new markets, business models as well as revitalising existing traditional economic sectors;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls for better educational programs through vocation training or long life learning, to integrate curricula that can provide the necessary competences and skills to the workers in order to become employable in the new jobs created;

Amendment 25 #

Minodora CLIVETI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Highlights the important role of the SMEs for the green growth by developing new jobs in innovative green activities, and taking into account that some of the jobs will be at risk, it is necessary to facilitate the re-allocation of workers from contracting to expanding sectors and firms such as those that replace polluting activities with cleaner alternatives or provide environmental services;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that commercial activity based on eco-innovation must in the long run be sustainable in business terms, and must not rely on public support mechanisms which distort competition and which have an input-to-output ratio that is of questionable value in promoting eco-innovations;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Recommends promoting the creative and innovative potential of young people for contributing to sustainable development, and improving their access to funding;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Highlights that entrepreneurs play a very important role in spreading eco- innovation more widely; notes, in this regard, that informing entrepreneurs about new business opportunities will be crucial to the success of a strategy aimed at developing resource-efficient economies and sustainable industries;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the dual environmental and economic benefits of transition to a ~~bio~~green sustainable economy, in terms of creating sustainable jobs both in the EU and in the developing world through increased participation in innovative fuel and material production, as well as the employment opportunities resulting from the processing and distribution of biofuels and biomaterials for business, public, private and domestic consumers;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Citation 1 a (new)

- having regard to the Eurofound report of January 2013 entitled "Greening of industries in the EU: Anticipating and managing the effects on quantity and quality of jobs", and its database of case studies;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the dual environmental and economic benefits ofwhich a transition to a bioeconomy may bring, in terms of creating sustainable jobs both in the EU and in the developing world through increased participation in innovative fuel and material production, ~~as well as~~provided the employment opportunities ~~resulting from~~meet the criteria for decent work; stresses that the processing and distribution of biofuels and biomaterials for business, public, private and domestic consumers play only a limited role in the creation of new jobs, while many of the employment opportunities that arise will be in the area of unqualified jobs;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Underlines that a stable, long-term, ambitious regulatory framework is a prerequisite for achieving the full potential of green employment; calls on the Commission and Member States to determine environmental standards and financial incentives creating reliable framework conditions for at least 10 years, and thereby creating legal and planning certainty; demands that existing financial instruments should be used to promote sustainability and that increasing sustainability of economic activity and production should be inserted into the financial perspective of various funds, including the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund, as one of the promoted objectives;

Amendment 32 #

Phil BENNION, Georges BACH, Milan CABRNOCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes the complex challenges arising for ~~food security,~~ climate change, soil quality, raw material scarcity, transformation towards renewable energy systems and energy efficiency and so on; recognises that eco- innovation can solve many of these challenges; reiterates that such a transition requires a holistic approach incorporating education, training, skills development, research and innovation, private sector investment and infrastructure development, all of which contribute to diverse and sustainable employment opportunities.

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes the complex challenges arising for food security, climate change, soil quality, raw material scarcity, and so on; recognises that eco-innovation can ~~solve~~play an important role in addressing many of these challenges; reiterates that such a transition requires a holistic approach incorporating education, training, skills development, research and innovation, private sector investment and infrastructure development, all of which contribute to diverse and sustainable employment opportunities.

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes the complex challenges arising for food security, climate change, soil quality, raw material scarcity, and so on; recognises that eco-innovation can solve many of these challenges; reiterates that such a transition requires a holistic approach incorporating education, training, skills development, research and innovation, ~~private sector~~ investment and infrastructure development, all of which contribute to diverse and sustainable employment opportunities.

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the potential synergy effects of eco-innovation in creating sustainable, quality jobs, protecting the environment and reducing economic dependency.

Amendment 36 #

Minodora CLIVETI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Notes that the labour policies should facilitate the transition of workers from declining to new, green emerging sectors by providing them with necessary training;

Amendment 37 #

Georges BACH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses that research forms the basis for innovation and eco-innovation; points to the great growth potential of eco- innovation and Europe’s chance to be a worldwide leader in the field, with the opportunities this implies for new, quality jobs.

Amendment 38 #

Phil BENNION, Georges BACH, Milan CABRNOCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls for the exploitation of the best eco-innovations to be promoted particularly in developing countries, where for example a more effective process for the production of charcoal, composting toilets, the use of renewable energy sources, water purification systems and many other innovations may significantly and at a relatively low cost improve the quality of life, enhance health and promote sustainable entrepreneurship and employment;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Notes in particular the importance of access to appropriate training and skills development within the framework of eco- innovation, both to provide the required skilled workforce for employers, and to equip young people with the right skills to access emerging innovative employment opportunities; highlights in this regard the opportunity for rural apprenticeships and other forms of vocational training to develop these new skills sets;

Amendment 4 #

Phil BENNION, Georges BACH, Milan CABRNOCH

Draft opinion
Citation 1 b (new)

- having regard to the Eurofound report of 2011 entitled "Industrial relations and sustainability: the role of social partners in the transition towards a green economy";

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Highlights the vital role that partnerships and synergies between companies, the education sector, and local and regional authorities can play in providing the relevant training, to allow wide access to the employment opportunities and quality jobs which are emerging through eco-innovation;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. For the sake of better future employability, calls on Member States to provide more efficient education regarding STEM-related skills - also for women - from an early age accompanied by career guidance, quality and paid traineeships and dual learning opportunities in the field of eco- innovation;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on Member States to reinforce cooperation between universities, research institutions and businesses in order to safeguard the best outcome regarding the education of future experts in the field;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Urges Member States to enhance cross-border co-operation to ensure the diffusion of technology and best practices across the EU, and thereby increase Europe's competitiveness;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. In the framework of providing a socially responsible transition towards high-quality green jobs, urges Member States to utilize ESF for programmes for up-skilling, training and retraining employees as soon as possible;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Urges Member States to provide tax incentives and other financial instruments for businesses, in particular for SMEs, to promote greater private research and development investments;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas eco-innovation is the cornerstone for Europe’s development of an environmentally ~~and~~, economically and socially sustainable growth strategy, leading to ~~diverse~~quality employment opportunities in a variety of sectors;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas there is a concerning increase in the youth unemployment rate and a strong need for creating job opportunities for the young workers in order to maintain them active on the labour markets

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the change towards a more sustainable economy has different positive effects on different sectors, namely, whereas jobs are created, replaced, or partially cease to exist; whereas all jobs should be adapted to sustainable, resource-efficient production and working methods, and the greatest need for adaptations therefore arises in existing employment relationships, with flexible employment relationships being desirable,

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas this change has the potential to stabilise employment and to increase the number of jobs, with considerable spill-over effects, whereas, where reliable framework conditions have been introduced, a constant rise in employment possibilities and job security can be noted, which is stabilised by increasing exports,

Amendment 9 #