2015/2285(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that the European Semester process was introduced to help achieve Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; in this context, calls on the Commission to integrate the revised Europe 2020 strategy more firmly into the European Semester and to strengthen the role of the environment and health in the process, acknowledging the substantial prospects for growth and investment in these areas as well as their contribution to the wider objectives of the strategymainstream the Union's environmental objectives into the process;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1 d. Takes note of the moderate economic recovery in the European Union. Highlights the importance of the "Investment Plan for Europe", an initiative aimed at kick-starting jobs and growth. Calls on the need to prioritize investment to areas such as education, clean energy, resource efficiency and research and innovation infrastructures for green technologies, enabling the transition towards a sustainable growth model;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)

1 e. Stresses that European Semester is one of the means to mainstream and integrate environmental concerns in other relevant policies, in line with the approach defined by Article 11 TFEU; reiterates therefore that the environmental dimension should play a full role, together with the economic and social dimensions, in the European Semester process to ensure that Member States return to higher growth levels while continuing their path towards the development of sustainable societies;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)

1 f. Stresses the fact that moving towards a truly sustainable economy and that the greening of EU economies and putting at equal stand the Europe 2020 targets will contribute to achieving the Union's environmental goals, to restoring the European economy's competitive edge and to creating quality jobs; deplores the fact that the lack of a European strategy for sustainable development during the crisis has kept growth in the EU well below its potential;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)

1 g. Underlines the need for increased involvement of EU Environment and Health ministers in the European Semester process at Council level;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 h (new)

1 h. Underlines that moving towards a truly sustainable economy will contribute to achieving the EU's environmental goals, to giving back the European economy its competitive edge and to creating quality green jobs;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 i (new)

1 i. Calls for increased and structured involvement of civil society such as environmental organisations, consumers organisations and independent patients organisations so as to safeguard the legitimacy and improve the effectiveness of the European semester process;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 j (new)

1 j. Emphasises that in order that the Member States boost their employment by exploiting the employment potential of the green economy, action in required on three main fronts: boosting labour demand in eco-industries through adequate levels of investments, anticipating and managing skills needs in both green and greening sectors, and ensuring job quality for high-, medium-, and low-skill occupations; from the point of view of labour market policy, enhanced attention should be dedicated to devising adequate training programmes to tackle specific skill shortages, and to considering the dynamic interaction between skills supply and age structure of the workforce in green and traditional industries;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that if the ~~upcoming strategy on a circular economy and the reform of waste legislation are to become a reality and~~reform of waste legislation and the action plan on the circular economy are to advance the transition of the European economy ~~is to be turned~~ into a circular model, it is essential to integrate recommendations to this effect into the European Semester process;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that if the ~~upcoming~~delayed strategy on a circular economy and the reform of waste legislation arhave to become a reality and the European economy is to be turned into a circular model,; it is therefore essential to urgently integrate recommendations to this effect into the European Semester process; recommends that circular economy's principles should be integrated in country specific recommendations;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that if the upcoming strategy on a circular economy and the reform of waste legislation are to become a reality and the European economy is to be turned into a circular model, it is essential to integrate recommendations to this effect into the European Semester process to boost competitiveness, create jobs and generate sustainable growth;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Reiterates that~~While in 2014, a quarter of the EU population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, calls on the European Semester process ~~was introduced~~ to help achieve Europe ~~2020~~an targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; in this context, calls on the Commission to integrate ~~the revised Europe 2020 strategy more~~ firmly into the European Semester and to strengthen the role of the ~~environment and~~protection of the environment and universal access to healthcare in the process, acknowledging the substantial prospects for ~~growth~~reduction of social and ienv~~est~~ironmental in ~~these areas as well as their contribution to the wider objectives of the strategy~~equalities and rise of the general quality of life;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Considers it important that the change towards a new economic model based on a circular economy and inspired by the universally applicable Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) needs to be properly reflected in the priorities of the Annual Growth Survey and the Country Specific Recommendations;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Reiterates the need for a fiscal framework that is in accordance with the 'polluter pays' principle, providing the right signals for investment in resource efficiency, the modernisation of production processes and the manufacturing of more reparable and durable products;1 a __________________ 1a See European Parliament resolution of 9 July 2015 on resource efficiency: moving towards a circular economy

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that ~~reducing external resource and energy dependence is key to achieving long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU~~moving towards a truly sustainable economy will help contribute towards the achievement of the Union's environmental goals, and boost competitiveness, economic growth and job creation;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that reducing external resource and energy dependence is key to achieving ~~long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU;~~ a sustainable system of secure energy and resource supplies for the Union which could at the same time enhance the competitiveness of the EU; stresses the need to eliminate infrastructural, tax and regulatory barriers to the single energy market; calls on the Commission to issue recommendations to Member States in order to effectively tackle implementation obstacles to the energy the Energy Union, detected under the monitoring process of the European Semester;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that ~~reducing external resource and energy dependence is~~steps further the Energy Union, the reduction of external resource and energy dependence and a move from nuclear and fossils to renewable energies are keys to achiev~~ing~~e long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that reducing external resource and energy dependence isthrough energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable sources of energy are key to achieving long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that strongly reducing external resource and energy dependence is key to achieving long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU, as well as social cohesion and justice;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that reducing external resource and energy dependence is key to achieving long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU; reiterates therefore the need to eliminate any obstacles that would prevent the creation of a true Single Energy Market, by diversifying external energy supplies, upgrading EU's energy infrastructure, investing in greater energy interconnections and renewable sources of energy and completing the EU internal energy market as key priorities of EU's Energy Union strategy; Calls therefore on the Commission to continue to assess Europe's performance regarding the 2030 Climate and Energy goals as well as Member States' national energy plans, thus supporting measures against energy fragmentation and the creation of "energy islands";

Amendment 28 #

Aldo PATRICIELLO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that reducing external resource and energy dependence is key to achieving long-term growth and will enhance the competitiveness of the EU; underlines the economic advantages of a bigger commitment in this sense;

Amendment 29 #

Nicola CAPUTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls on the Commission to use the European Semester to support green jobs creation and to include recommendations that can contribute to efforts to foster green employment and reduce ecological footprints;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that the European Semester process was introduced to help achieve Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, namely in the fields of climate change, energy, social exclusion and fight against poverty; in this context, calls on the Commission to integrate the revised Europe 2020 strategy more firmly into the ~~European~~ Semester and to strengthen the role of the environment and health in the process, acknowledging the substantial prospects for growth ~~and~~, investment and job creation in these areas as well as their contribution to the wider objectives of the strategy;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Stresses that greening the economy and investing in more efficient healthcare systems will enhance Europe's competitiveness, increase security of supply and improve the health and well- being of European citizens; notes in this regard that short-term fiscal implications of structural reforms should be taken into account along with their long-term environmental, economic and social effects;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Considers that European Semester should also incorporate reporting on renewable energy and energy efficiency on the basis of legally binding targets set in Union legislation;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Calls on the Commission to use the European Semester as a vehicle to fulfil EU commitments emanating from th~~Stresses the role of market-led greening of EU economies and stronger investment in proven green technologies in achieving the Europe 20320 ~~Agenda~~targets for Ssustainable ~~Development, and in particular to include in the process policies addressing climate change, sustainable production and consumption, and biodiversity~~growth and the 2030 climate and energy targets; calls, therefore, on the Commission to orient new investment towards investments which could contribute to sustainable development;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to use the European Semester as a vehicle to fulfil EU commitments emanating from the Europe 2020 Strategy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular to i~~nclude in the process polici~~ssue country recommendations and to consider policy measures addressing climate change, sustainable production and consumption, and biodiversity, incorporating steps to more effectively reach those goals;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to use the European Semester as a ~~vehicle~~n instrument to fulfil EU commitments emanating from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular to include in the process policies addressing climate change, sustainable production and consumption, and biodiversity;

Amendment 35 #

Daciana Octavia SÂRBU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to use the European Semester as a vehicle to fulfil EU commitments emanating from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular to include in the process policies addressing climate change, sustainable production and consumption, food security, nutrition, and biodiversity;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Reiterates the need to phase out subsidies that are harmful to air quality, water quality and soils quality by 2020 and to shift taxes away from labour to environmental taxation;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Stresses that the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy and the European Semester must tie in closely with the new sustainable development agenda; reiterates the necessity to extend the EU's planning horizon beyond 2020 in order to implement the SDGs by introducing an integrated strategy for a sustainable Europe in a globalised world, with a time horizon of at least 2030;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Urges the Commission to better take account, in the process of the European Semester, of social and environmental indicators, assessing convergence across the EU and progress towards a more sustainable society, proposing measures to reach such goals in a more effective and timely manner;

Amendment 4 #

Aldo PATRICIELLO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that the European Semester process was introduced to help achieve Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; in this context, calls on the Commission to integrate the revised Europe 2020 strategy more firmly into the European Semester and to strengthen the role of the environment, climate change, sustainable energy, biodiversity, food safety and health in the process, acknowledging the substantial prospects for growth and investment in these areas as well as their contribution to the wider objectives of the strategy;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it important to assess the performance of healthcare systems in the framework of the European Semester and supports a shift to an outcome-based approach; calls on the Commission to develop tools to monitor health outcomes and measure access to high-quality healthcare with the aim of reducing divergences and health inequalities between and within Member States.deleted

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it important to assess the ~~performance~~necessary sustainability of healthcare systems in the framework of the European Semester ~~and supports a shift to an outcome-based approach; calls on the Commission to develop~~; calls on the Commission to put in place initiatives supporting the values and principles endorsed by Member States (universality, access to high quality healthcare, equity and solidarity) together with tools to monitor health outcomes and measure access to high-quality healthcare with the aim of reducing ~~divergences and health~~ inequalities between European citizens' and within Member States.

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it important to assess the performance of healthcare systems in the framework of the European Semester and supports a shift to an outcome-based approach as well as the focus on disease prevention and health promotion; calls on the Commission to develop tools, together with all stakeholders, to monitor health outcomes and measure access to high- quality healthcare and that the long-term health and fiscal impacts of measures targeting prevention and immunisation programmes are taken into account in country specific recommendations with the aim of reducing social divergences and health inequalities between and within Member States.

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it important to assess the equality and performance of healthcare systems in the framework of the European Semester and supports a shift to an ~~outcome~~equal and sustainable access-based approach; calls on the Commission to develop tools to ~~monitor health outcomes and measure~~increase transparency of the costs in medical research, development and production as well as measure universal access to high-quality healthcare with the aim of reducing divergences and health inequalities between and within Member States.

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it important to assess the performance and sustainability of healthcare systems in the framework of the European Semester and supports a shift to an outcome-based approach; calls on the Commission to develop tools to assess health promotion and disease prevention and enabling the long-term health and fiscal impacts of measures targeting prevention to be taken into account in country-specific recommendations and to monitor health outcomes and measure access to high-quality healthcare with the aim of reducing divergences and health inequalities between and within Member States.;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Considering that well-functioning ecosystems are prerequisite for maintaining and improving public health, therefore calls for significant investment in research and innovation in environmental health.

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Welcomes the renewed focus of the European Commission on promoting upward economic and social convergence through the progressive introduction of benchmarks and cross-examination exercises across policy or thematic areas and considers that it could strengthen the resilience of the Europe's economy to future crises;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Stresses that a more comprehensive assessment of health systems within the European semester, not solely limited to the fiscal dimension (cost-effectiveness and sustainability of health systems), but also addressing access, effectiveness and quality of health systems, would provide a more accurate picture of the performance of health systems and strengthen the usefulness of the European Semester in the field of health;

Amendment 48 #

Nicola CAPUTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. stresses that prevention policies for both communicable and non- communicable disease are crucial in order to reduce the costs of national healthcare and that cuts to preventive care measures in times of crisis can have long-term negative effects; highlights that the economic crisis should not affect the investments in preventive care measures; calls on the Commission to use the European Semester to promote the role of prevention in reducing the costs of national healthcare.

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Points out that that Country Specific Recommendations' (CSR) are binding conditions for bailout funding for those countries subject to economic adjustment programmes; recalls that in 2015 eleven countries have received recommendations relating to health (i.e. level of pharmaceutical spending, guidance on hospitals, recommendations on long-term care of ageing) despite the fact that the European Commissions' legal mandate does not permit direct involvement in the quality or accessibility of national healthcare systems; calls on the European Commission to assess the potential impact these recommendations are having with regards patients' rights to an universal, quality and sustainable health systems.

Amendment 5 #

Nicola CAPUTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that the European Semester process was introduced to help achieve Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; in this context, calls on the Commission to integrate the revised Europe 2020 strategy more firmly into the European Semester and to strengthen the role of the environment, climate and health in the process, acknowledging the substantial prospects for growth, job creation and investment in these areas as well as their contribution to the wider objectives of the strategy;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5 f. Highlights that European leadership in sectors of the green and blue economies can only be based on labour markets offering human capital with adequate skill-training; calls on the Commission to include in the country- specific recommendations investment needs in human capital in the areas of Science and Technology, making training and education systems more responsive to future labour markets' needs;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5 g. Calls on the Commission to recommend Member States to revise policies that subsidize or incentivise the continued use of fossil fuels; calls on the Commission to ask Member States for fiscal strategies that reward development of sustainable policies and the circular economy while shifting away the tax burden from labour, ensuring growth- friendly tax systems and enhancing support to the green economy.

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)

5 h. Underlines the fact that ensuring equal access to health care contributes to social cohesion, to social justice, to tackle social exclusion and it contributes to a sustainable development as it adds to intergenerational solidarity and can correct negative population health externalities;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 i (new)

5 i. Stresses the importance of the sustainability of the healthcare sector which plays an important role in the overall economy as it accounts for 8% of the total European workforce and for 10% of GDP in the European Union; for being able to provide equal access to healthcare services for the citizens, as health is an essential factor of stability, sustainability and further development of Member States and their economy;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 j (new)

5 j. Calls both Member States and the European Commission, in this period of economic crisis, to avoid most damaging measures like short-term savings which will lead to high costs in the mid to long- term and instead to concentrate on further development of high-quality and high-efficiency health care systems.

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that the European Semester process was introduced to help achieve Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; in this context, calls on the Commission to integrate the revised Europe 2020 strategy more firmly into the European Semester and to strengthen the role of the environment and health in the process, acknowledging the substantial prospects for growth and investment in these areas as well as their contribution to the wider objectives of the strategy; recalls that expenditure on health services are investments towards healthier, safer, more productive and competitive societies';

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses the need for an assessment of climate, environmental, health and social impacts of austerity measures and of country specific recommendations as well as economic and structural reform plans, also to achieve more efficient coordination across policies;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Notes with satisfaction that many of the projects approved for financing by the European Fund for Strategic Investment are oriented towards infrastructure and innovation in the environment and the health sectors; underlines the importance of mobilizing the full potential of the Investment Plan to help implement the structural reforms needed to transform our economy into a green, sustainable and resource efficient one;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Asks the Commission to carefully monitor the application of funds from the European Fund for Strategic Investments in order to reach the political objectives of re-launching investment and modernising the economy and fostering economic and social convergence across the European Union;

source: 572.987

2016/01/12 ECON 473 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)~~, and in particular Articles 121(2), 136 and 148 thereof,~~;

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 24

~~– having regard to its resolution of [xx December 2015] on completing Europe’s economic and monetary union,~~deleted

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by ~~channelling excess savings towards~~promoting more saving in the domestic economy and boosting private investment;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by ~~channelling excess savings towards the domestic economy and boosting investment~~addressing falling labour and total factor productivity, which are the main sources of divergences in growth rates;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by channelling excess savings towards the ~~domestic economy~~European Single Market and boosting investment;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for ~~further~~concrete efforts to support recovery, ~~foster convergence~~reduce socio-economic disparities and correct macroeconomic imbalances associated with excessive surpluses, including by channelling excess savings towards the domestic economy and boosting public investment; calls to this end on the Commission to fully apply the excessive imbalance procedure and impose sanctions where necessary;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by channelling excess savings towards the domestic economy and boosting investment; notes that high public and private debt levels represent an important vulnerability of the European economy and that higher inflation and growth levels would help to reduce them faster;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence towards the best performers and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by ~~channelling excess savings towards the domestic econom~~increasing productivity and boosting investment;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence, sustainable economic growth and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by channelling excess savings towards the domestic economy and boosting investment;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Regrets the fact that the Commission has so far not considered promoting the Single Market as a priority in the framework of the European Semester; calls on the Commission to make Single Market governance, in particular with regard to measures focused on jobs, growth and competitiveness, a vital part of all subsequent phases of the European Semester process; reminds the Commission that a genuine Single Market in these areas would significantly boost economic growth and job creation in the EU;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators~~; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequaliti~~ although unemployment remains at unacceptable high levels and precariousness of employment is insufficiently addressed; calls on the Commission for more effort, also at EU level, to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities; stresses that the social indicators in the Alert Mechanism Report, including the auxiliary indicators and the indicators of the joint employment report should be properly taken into account and have real impact on EU policy guidance to Member States;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 24

– having regard to its resolution of ~~[xx~~17 December 2015] on completing Europe’s economic and monetary union,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators~~; calls for more effort to reduce poverty~~, while recognising that unemployment still remains above pre-crisis levels and nearly half of it is of long-term nature; notes that part of the recent increase in employment is attributable to involuntary part-time work and precarious jobs, with new forms of labour market insecurity emerging; calls for more effort to create quality employment and reduce poverty (including in-work poverty), social exclusion and growing inequalities in income and wealth;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more effort to ~~reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities~~enhance economic and labour- market reforms that will enhance productivity, demand and thereby reduce unemployment;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more efficient efforts to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities, while respecting budgetary discipline;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Is encouraged by~~Takes note of some mild improvements in labour market indicators; ~~calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalitie~~is concerned by high youth unemployment in economies with rigid labour markets;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is ~~encouraged by mild~~worried by insufficient improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Is encouraged by~~Views labour market indicators with concern, particularly bearing in milnd ~~improvements in labour market indicator~~the methods of calculation used for them by some Member States; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities and to increase employment;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is ~~encouraged by mild~~alarmed by the slow and meaningless improvements in labour market indicators, which reflect an increase of temporary and part-time jobs; calls f~~or m~~ore eff~~ort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities~~ective and concrete measures to reduce unemployment, poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities, through a significant increase in public spending;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. I~~s encouraged by~~n the light of mild improvements in labour market indicators, calls for further efforts and reforms in order to fight unemployment; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities;

Amendment 118 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more effort to reduce unemployment, poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more effort to reduce barriers to entry into the labour market, poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 a (new)

– having regard to the Commission’s report of 14 December 2015 on Public Finances in EMU 2015 (Institutional Paper 014),

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Is encouraged by~~Notes the mild improvements in labour market indicators~~; calls~~, although these are being aided to some extent by manipulation of statistics and the fact that the working population is declining in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and elsewhere; calls, therefore, for genuine commitment and for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; ~~calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities~~however notes that divergence between Member States persist with a number of Member States still facing substantial employment and social challenges; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities, while pointing out to the new challenges that need to be tackled resulting from the recent large number of refugees which fled to the European Union;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, social exclusion and growing inequalities and unemployment pockets;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Asks the Commission for an impact study of the consequences of growing inequalities on economic growth and job creation in the European Union;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

~~6. Welcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and calls for strengthening the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester;~~deleted

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and ~~calls for strengthening~~ the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and calls for strengthening the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester while not compromising with regards to the initial objectives of the European Semester, which are avoiding the re- occurrence of a sovereign debt crisis as well as increasing competitiveness, growth and employment;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and calls for strengthening the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester; calls for re-including environmental and sustainability objectives into the European Semester by re-integrating recommendations on environmental fiscal reforms and environmentally harmful subsidies;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and calls for strengthening the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester with respect to Europe 2020´s objectives on enhancing the employment rate and private R&D investment;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and calls for strengthening the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester; highlights the importance of ambitious policies and instruments to ensure that Europe makes the best out of the energy and digital transitions, also thanks to adequate investment in skills; consider this crucial for reducing Europe’s gap vis-à-vis its main global competitors in terms of total factor productivity;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 b (new)

– having regard to the debate with Commission in the European Parliament on European Semester package - Annual Growth Survey 2016

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Urges the Commission to suspend the ongoing negotiations on the TTIP, TISA and other free trade agreements, as they are inconsistent with the strategic goals for inclusive and sustainable growth, and to refrain from granting market economy status to China in consideration of the millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of euros of output that would be put at high risk;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls for tackling economic inequalities which act as an obstacle against long-lasting economic growth;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Calls for~~Strongly doubts that the European Fund for Strategic Investments ~~to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote growth, job creation and cohesion~~is an adequate instrument to support investment and to promote growth, job creation and cohesion; highlights the well-known risks of combining structured finance and high leverage; deplores the large hidden costs for taxpayers associated with the use of public-private partnerships to finance infrastructures and public goods;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to ~~maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to~~ promote growth, job creation and cohesion;

Amendment 134 #

Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, job creation and cohesion; highlights the importance of steering financing towards improving Europe’s resource efficiency;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to ~~maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to~~ promote growth, job creation and cohesion within the limits of its mandate;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, a~~nd to~~s well as to support small and medium enterprises, promoteing growth, job creation and cohesion;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support economically profitable higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote ~~growth, job creation and cohesion~~structural growth, structural job creation and structural economic competitiveness;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote growth, job creation and cohesion; welcomes the principle of using public money to leverage and attract additional private capital; Underlines that EFSI can only be used at its best potential if it is accompanied by ambitious structural reforms in Member States;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support ~~higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote growth, job creation and~~public investment projects, especially in countries most affected by austerity and liquidity constraints at household and business level, and to promote growth, job creation and cohesion; accordingly considers it essential to establish investment patterns meeting the urgent need for greater social and territorial cohesion;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas ~~economic recovery in the European Union is under way but~~slight and weak economic growth means that economic recovery in the European Union is far from being consolidated and this recovery remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven by temporary factors;

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, a~~nd to~~s well as the European Investment Advisory Hub and European Investment Project Portal, with the aim of promoteing growth, job creation and cohesion;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, first in the ecological transition, digital, creative and cultural fields, and to promote growth, job creation and cohesion;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote growth, job creation ~~and cohesion~~, renewed economic convergence and social and territorial cohesion; calls on Member States and the EIB Group to closely involve local and regional authorities in developing project pipelines and investment platforms;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Expresses its concern on the potential consequences for the Union due to a possible decrease of the Chinese economic growth and emphasises the need to take them into consideration in further economic and monetary policies;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Calls for the EFSI to be applied in particular towards helping European areas with low levels of investments and that are specially affected by unemployment;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential;~~deleted

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential, including by removing the link to any form of macroeconomic conditionality; stressed the need to direct funding towards research and development, SMEs and sustainable projects, in the view of creating high quality jobs and promoting sound economic development in the long run;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential; supports the Commission in giving priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital; stresses the need to enhance access to finance and points out that major differences in access to credit further exacerbate the growing internal divergence trends; considers, furthermore, that these investments should serve to launch a consistent and integrated industrial policy and should be accompanied by a particular focus on jobs, especially for young people;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential; underlines the need for better coordination at the subnational level and active role of the regions in promotion and preparing well-structured project for the ESIF;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is ~~under way bu~~necessary and the first signs of it remains uneven between and within Member States, and whereas the recovery which is occurring in some places is partly driven by temporary factors;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential, also in order to improve Member States’ capacity building and their governance of EU funds;

Amendment 151 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential in order to strengthen cohesion and mitigate divergence in the Single Market by enabling all regions to develop their competitive advantages and facilitating additional private investment;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential; underlines that EU financial means (inter alia structural funds or EFSI) have swiftly been made available and should be used in coherence with each other and with the EU 2020 strategy;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential and to consider if further policy action is needed to reduce the investment gap in the EU;

Amendment 154 #

Hugues BAYET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls for neutralisation in the calculation of debt and deficit in public investment carried out by Member States’ public operators which prevents Member States from paying their co-financing share to the structural funds (in particular the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative) and thus using these funds to escape from the economic crisis and re- launch growth and employment;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

~~9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs;~~deleted

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; ~~points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs;~~

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of ~~completing the banking union and~~ boosting private equity investments in SMEs;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points in this context to the importance of completing the banking union ~~and~~; points also to the importance of boosting equity investments in SMEs and stresses that this should be one of the guiding objectives of the Capital Markets Union;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of coimplementing the ~~banking union and~~existing pillars of the banking union and establish a Capital Markets Union to help boost~~ing~~ equity investments in SMEs;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is under way but remains uneven between and within Member States ~~and is partly driven by temporary factors~~;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs; Agrees with the Commission that in order to improve the investment environment, a greater regulatory predictability within the EU has to be provided;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union, speeding up work on the Capital Markets Union and boosting equity investments in SMEs;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of coimplementing ~~the~~a banking ~~union and boosting equity investments in SMEs~~structural reform based on a clear separation of trading activities from the core credit function, while completing the unfinished reform of the financial sector, in order to channel investments in the real economy and SMEs and prevent disruptive financial crises in the future;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; welcomes Commission’s efforts to establish European Deposit Insurance Scheme and Capital Markets Union and points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in businesses, notably SMEs;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs, which are crucial engines of economic growth and job creation; considers that higher domestic demand complementing external demand would improve investors’ confidence;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; stresses that investment rate is well below the pre-crisis period; considers that public investment is crucial to address the current investment gap and to trigger private investment; stresses that countries which can borrow at very low rate, could finance public investment characterised by higher rates of return, therefore contributing to increase potential growth; points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union ~~and boosting equity investments in SME~~with strong bank separation and boosting investments in SMEs; notes that measures to increase domestic demand and end of austerity policies are vital to improve the economic outlook particularly for SMEs and to encourage private investment and credit demand; is concerned that the Capital Markets Union is not adequate to address the bank centred funding needs of the European economy and contributes to systemic risk via deregulation of financial markets;

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs; urges the Commission furthermore to take additional measures to improve access to finance for SMEs, including start-ups in the digital environment, and to ensure an improved business environment, simplify procedures and reduce administrative burdens on businesses in the Single Market;

Amendment 168 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of ~~completing the banking union and~~ boosting equity investments in SMEs;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is aware of the on-going deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking and capital markets union and boosting equity investments in SMEs;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is under way but remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven by temporary factors, such as low oil prices and unconventional monetary policies;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Maintains that banking supervision has to be brought into the public sphere in order to respond to the financing needs of the real economy and ensure that self- interested speculation strategies do not become the option of choice;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve the regulatory framework for SMEs, given its job creation capacity; calls for maximisation of the opportunities presented by the COSME programme in terms not only of fostering entrepreneurship in Europe, but also of improving SMEs’ access to finance and to both EU and global markets;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Emphasises that the lack of investment is caused by low market confidence, Member States’ high indebtedness, slow deleveraging and subdued expectation of demand; Perceives the EFSI as an instrument that, if used correctly and followed by ambitious structural reforms in Member States, will attract investors and restore confidence;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Underlines that a lack of access to finance, particularly for SMEs, is one of the greatest obstacles to growth in the EU; Believes that alternatives to bank financing are needed, especially by improving the business environment for venture capital but also by improving efficient allocation of capital through capital markets; Welcomes therefore the Commission’s Communications on Capital Markets Union Action Plan and the Single Market Strategy as correct steps in improving the growth and investment potential within the EU;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments, alongside reforms of the labour markets; Emphasises the need to invest in education and skills in order to give additional impulses for EU citizens to further develop; Stresses in particular the need to improve national education systems and adapt them to the new skill and knowledge demands on the EU labour market; Is concerned by the increased skill mismatches in many sectors and regions throughout the EU;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital ~~and other social investments~~, education and innovation as well as the importance of other social investments; underlines that innovation is a key driver of growth, productivity and competitiveness and that promoting innovation is therefore crucial;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital, research and innovation and other social investments, including a minimum income mechanism at national level; calls to this end for the immediate exemption of public productive investments from budgetary rules;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights firstly the importance of investments ~~in human capital and~~to improve the standard of labour force training and skills, both before the start of working life and for its entire duration, and, secondly, the necessity of other social investments;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments; stresses that the current policy mix does not provide enough room to finance this investment policy;

Amendment 179 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Cora van NIEUWENHUIZEN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Highlights~~Takes note of the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery and the effective implementation of structural reforms in the European Union is under way but remains uneven between ~~and within~~ Member States ~~and is partly driven by temporary factors~~;

Amendment 180 #

Nadine MORANO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital, especially vocational training, and other social investments;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of smart investments in human capital and other social investments;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments; in achieving sustainable growth and social cohesion; calls for better use of Cohesion policy’s instruments in achieving this goal;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments that should be enhanced together with the strengthening of welfare protection systems and automatic stabilisers;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments, such as in healthcare, childcare and affordable housing;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. HCalls on Member States to improve the quality and productivity of public investment and for the Commission to come up with clear criteria to assess their impacts; highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital ~~and other social investments~~;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital ~~and other social investments~~;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Points out that a revision of the EU economic governance framework should include inter alia a qualified treatment for investments using capital budgeting methods such as the amortised cost method for accounting certain categories of high-quality public investments generating large and measurable societal and environmental benefits over periods during which employment and output are below their potential;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Recalls that the Treaties do not prohibit the European Union from issuing public debt securities as long as the purpose of this is to fund investment;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is under way but remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven by temporary factors; whereas Member States who have reformed their economies during the crisis seem to have a better economic performance and/or outlook;

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Welcomes the country-specific investment profiles identifying some of the main challenges to investment in the different Member States and reflecting the significant differences among Member States;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Underlines the importance to maintain a balance between social expenditure and further investment in projects that bring growth in the long- run; States that too high social expenditure and current expenditure in several countries, instead of investing in projects focusing on research and innovation, might further anchor them within a middle income trap; Therefore, calls on the Member States to find an efficient balance between social expenditure and investment within public budgets;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls for urgent measures and reforms aimed at improving investment environment in order to increase attractiveness for investments and competiveness of Member States;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Invites the Commission and the Member States to involve all levels of government and relevant stakeholders in the identification of obstacles to investments, focusing in particular on the internal market, structural reforms and on making available adequate instruments bringing together public and private financing;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Emphasises that the European Semester is a great opportunity to urge Member States to step up their efforts towards the Digital Single Market which means not only more growth and jobs, especially in the SME sector and among young people, but also a future-oriented, modern EU;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3

~~Structural~~Productive reforms

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long and painful period of nominal adjustment, ~~focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at~~ it should be clear that the consolidation of the economic and monetary union, driven by current austerity policies and neoliberal structural reforms will significantly erode economic growth potential in the EU; stresses the importance of reaching a common agreement to abandon the single currency and restore~~ngthening growth potential, promoting fair and sustainabl~~ national economic sovereignty so as to ensure democratic economic policies, thereby allowing Member States to maintain a fair and adequate welfare systems and ~~reducing~~high quality and inclusive public services, in the view of combating unemployment, poverty and social inequalities;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that~~, after a long period of nominal adjustment,~~ focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential~~, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities~~;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential, fostering a sustainable transition of Member States’ economies towards a decarbonised economy and reduced use of natural resources, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities;

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities, with a view to reducing the disparities between regions;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

– having regard to Article 9 TFEU (horizontal social clause),

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is under way but remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven as well as hindered by temporary factors;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth ~~potential, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems~~, enhancing the business environment and providing better opportunities for professional realisation and reducing social inequalities;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of necessary nominal adjustment, more focus should be put on delivering on structural reforms and on investments aimed at strengthening growth potential, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of macroeconomi~~nal~~c adjustment, focus should be put on ambitious structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential, promoting ~~fair and~~ sustainable and efficient welfare systems and reducing social inequalities, while respecting budgetary sustainability;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

~~11.~~ Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential~~, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalitie~~ and competitiveness;

Amendment 204 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential by boosting quality employment and productivity, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities to restore equality of opportunity; considers that National Competitiveness Boards can be useful in helping to develop such reforms;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that~~, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential, promot~~ focus should be put on structural reforms promoting growth, jobs and investment while ensuring fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on ~~structural~~ reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Condemns the fact that in the structural reforms implemented and proposed to date, the emphasis has been on liberalisation and privatisation of companies still under public control in strategic economic sectors (energy, transport, telecommunications, and banking), on greater labour market flexibility and the destruction of labour rights, and on cuts in public spending on welfare, health, and education, with the corresponding reduction in social rights;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Calls for the implementation of benchmarking in order to stimulate reform efforts in line with best practices and increase convergence;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

~~12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and quality-based competition;~~deleted

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is under way but weak, and remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven by temporary factors;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

~~12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and quality-based competition;~~deleted

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and quality-based competition; Believes that the Member States and the Commission have not yet delivered on their commitment to complete a truly Single Market; Understanding the streamlined approach of the Commission towards the European Semester and the CSRs, calls on the Commission to pay more attention to the Single Market - as the backbone of the European project - in its AGS and CSRs;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and quality-based competition, and for new internal market trade defence methods to be developed in respect of non- European products so as to ensure adequate consumer protection and fair competition for EU producers;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for dismissing product ~~and~~, service and labour market reforms ~~and better regulation, promo~~in view of the insignificant and counterproductive impact on economic growth and focusing instead on the stronger role of strategic public investments in supporting innovation and quality-based competition;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for reforms in the product and services market ~~reforms and~~s, in the labour market, and the pension systems, as well as for better regulation, promoting innovation and quality-based competition;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation ~~and~~, quality-based competition and job creation;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for ~~product and service market reforms and~~more open and competitive product and service markets and urges Member States to remove unjustified regulatory restrictions and commit to better regulation, thereby promoting innovation and ~~quality-based~~welfare-enhancing competition;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation at European level, promoting innovation and fair, quality-based competition in the European Single Market (including the Digital Single Market);

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and quality- based competition;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and quality-based competition without watering down consumer protection;

Amendment 22 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union ~~is under way but remains~~ remains weak and uneven between and within Member States and is plartgely driven by temporary and external factors;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting open markets, innovation and ~~quality-based~~fair competition;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and ~~quality-based~~ competition;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for product and service market reforms and better regulation, promoting innovation and ~~quality-based~~ competition;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Stresses the importance for certain Member States of reforming and simplifying their regulatory framework with regard to labour in order to remove some of the obstacles to investment and entrepreneurship; reiterates the urgency of implementing structural reforms that create a company-friendly environment;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

~~13. Highlights the importance of greater resource and energy efficiency, including through the development of the circular economy;~~deleted

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the importance of renewable energy sources, greater resource and energy efficiency, including through the development of the circular economy; calls on the Commission to include country specific recommendations in these areas;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the importance of greater resource and energy efficiency, including through the development of the circular economy and support of policy agendas for climate change, energy, transport, industry, raw materials, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity and regional development, amongst others;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the importance of greater resource and energy efficiency, including through the development of the circular economy; Underlines, therefore, the importance to further develop a true Energy Union based on solidarity, efficiency and diversity while not ignoring indigenous energy sources;

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the importance of greater resource and energy efficiency, including through the development of the circular economy, developments based on economies and increases in the use of renewable energy sources;

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Is strongly concerned that the Commission has dropped almost all of the recommendations on environmentally harmful subsidies, environmental tax reform and the promotion of renewable energies from the CSRs; regrets, in particular, that the 2015 country-specific recommendations did not address fossil fuel subsidies which are a double negative weighing heavily on public budgets and harming the transition to a low-carbon economy; urges the Commission to reverse direction with a view to greening the European Semester;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas some Member States face the persistent problem of very low growth rates;

Amendment 230 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems ~~with increased focus on social investment~~;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment; stresses that a specific approach is needed for some population groups such as younger people, low- skilled unemployed, older unemployed and women;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets ~~with~~by reduc~~ed segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with in~~ing regulation and burdens creasted ~~focus on social investment~~by excessive welfare systems;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment that reduces the level of poverty, especially among children;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards ~~resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainabl~~tackling unemployment, addressing disincentives to job creation and entrepreneurship and creating resilient labour markets where flexibility and security are balanced and segmentation is reduced; stresses the importance of sustainable and effective welfare systems with increased focus on social investment;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets, serving to enhance the status of work by guaranteeing jobs with rights, a high standard of working conditions, and stable employment relationships, and with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards ~~resilient~~supporting labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems ~~with increased focus on social investment~~; Highlights, in this respect, the importance of flexible labour markets in combatting unemployment, in particular the negative impact on job creation of rigid rules on dismissal and of wage levels not following productivity levels;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards ~~resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment~~enhancing quality employment and ensuring adequate welfare systems with increased focus on social investment and income support mechanisms to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation a~~nd sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment~~chieved both flexibility and security and increased investment in human capital in order to reduce still high unemployment rates, especially long-term and youth unemployment, and promote job creation;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment, empowering people throughout their lives; reminds that the best way to maintain sustainability of pension systems is to ensure a high employment rate;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the extension of the Expanded Asset Purchase Programme of the ECB confirms that in the current low- interest rate environment it is difficult to channel additional created liquidity towards the real economy;

Amendment 240 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment; supports, furthermore, the Commission’s work on regulated professions, but considers it necessary to take more action against restrictions imposed at national level, especially those which affect access to regulated professions, in order to support jobs, growth and the mobility of qualified professionals in the Single Market;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on ~~social investment~~removing barriers to entry into the labour market, particularly for the young; believes that it is important to improve workers' mobility, notably by providing portability of pensions rights and ensuring adequate and sustainable pension benefits across the EU;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with ~~reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment~~improved allocation of human resources and sustainable welfare systems;

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Emphasises the previous calls by the Parliament on the Member States to make their labour markets more efficient; In this respect, emphasises the need for the Member States to modernise social protection systems, including pensions and to improve and streamline the legal and environment for business investment;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls for further reform efforts towards sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment in order to reduce poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration, including through e- governance;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration in the individual Member States and the European Single Market;

Amendment 247 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen and business-friendly public administration with special focus on increasing efficiency and transparency of public procurement;

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration that improves public access to information by cutting red tape and reducing costs;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration; calls for stronger efforts to promote the Single Market tools available to businesses and citizens, including the Points of Single Contact, so that they are better aware of the opportunities available to generate growth and jobs;

Amendment 25 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas growth rates of the euro area are significantly lower than in many other comparable economies, for example the United States, the United Kingdom, or most Member States whose currency is not the Euro.

Amendment 250 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration; in this respect asks the Commission and the Member States to identify and correct deficiencies in the Member States’ and the Commission’s administrations that could prove to be detrimental in crisis situations;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration; stresses the importance of further steps towards a true e- administration in and amongst Member States; Welcomes, in this context, the Commission’s view that the quality, independence and efficiency of Member States’ judiciary systems is a prerequisite for and investment and business friendly environment;

Amendment 252 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for ~~modern, efficient and~~a democratic citizen-friendly public administration;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration at all levels of government;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for ~~a greater shift of taxation away from labour~~the tax base to be widened so as to enable taxation to be shared more fairly between labour and capital, the object being also to remedy the present tax inequality between SMEs and big business, and substantially to increase the ratio of direct taxes to indirect taxes within tax systems, thereby making for greater fairness; calls, therefore, for a greater shift of taxation away from labour income towards capital gains and calls for Member States’ tax systems to be made genuinely progressive;

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for ~~a greater shift of taxation away from labour~~less taxes on both labour and capital;

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour in particular towards environmental taxes, recalling that they entail lower distortion than other forms of taxation and are a key instrument to attain EU environmental and climate targets;

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for ~~a greater shift of taxation away from labour~~taxation rules that do not place additional burden on labour and do not hamper innovation;

Amendment 258 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour towards wealth and economic rents, ensuring an adequate level of corporate taxes;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for ~~a greater shift of taxation away from labour~~more growth friendly tax systems which implies greater shift of taxation away from labour, broadening tax bases and putting more efforts in achieving tax compliance and fighting tax evasion and fraud;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas these so-called temporary factors include a considerable loss of income for workers, in particular through wage cuts, unemployment, the abolition or reduction of social support and the deteriorating state of the health and education sectors as a result of public spending cuts;

Amendment 260 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour; towards environmental taxes, including by setting up an EU carbon tax in the spirit of the COP 21 agreement adopted in Paris on 12 December 2015;

Amendment 261 #

Hugues BAYET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater ~~shift of taxation away from labour~~balance between labour and capital taxation;

Amendment 262 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour towards taxation on multinational companies by ending corporate tax avoidance, redistributive taxes, and corrective taxation on pollution and financial transactions;

Amendment 263 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour towards wealth, capital gains, financial transactions and pollution;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour to consumption;

Amendment 265 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Stresses the urgent need to establish in each Member State a pension system that fully reflects the reality of population ageing;

Amendment 266 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls for stronger consideration of the possibility to increase taxation on fossil-based fuels and to use the proceeds for investment in the transition to a low- carbon economy, offsetting the disincentive created by temporarily low oil prices;

Amendment 267 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

~~17. Takes note of the proposal for a Structural Reform Support Programme, to be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure;~~deleted

Amendment 268 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Takes note of the proposal for a Structural Reform Support Programme~~, to be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure~~;

Amendment 269 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Takes note with concern of the proposal for a Structural Reform Support Programme, to be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure, which aims at ensuring the implementation of austerity and neoliberal policies outside any democratic control by enhancing the technocratic and undemocratic character of EU economic governance;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down reducing the scope for relying on external sources of demand and new strategic challenges are arising;

Amendment 270 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Takes note of the proposal for a Structural Reform Support Programme designed to strengthen the implementation of growth-friendly reforms in Member States, to be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure;

Amendment 271 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Takes note of the proposal for a Structural Reform Support Programme, to be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure; reiterates, however, that it falls to the Member States to ensure that structural reforms are implemented by their public administrations;

Amendment 272 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. ~~Takes note of~~Welcomes the proposal for a Structural Reform Support Programme, to be discussed under the ordinary legislative procedure;

Amendment 273 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Is concerned with the Capital Market Union project pursued by the Commission with the aim of further developing capital markets; points out that further financial expansion adversely affects real economic growth, while increasing the instability and systemic risk in the financial sector;

Amendment 274 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4

Fiscal ~~responsi~~stability

Amendment 275 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle ~~and~~, the investment gaps and the need to complement the current accommodative monetary policy;

Amendment 276 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability~~, the economic cycle and investment gaps~~;

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, t~~aking into account~~hat ensure debt sustainability~~, the economic cycle and investment gaps~~;

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps; Is concerned that very high indebtedness of some Member States constitutes a substantial risk in case of possible future shocks within the euro area and hampers growth within the whole European Union;

Amendment 279 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps; emphasizes that the slowdown in the pace of the structural improvement of the government deficits entails risks for the sustainability of public finances in the (near) future, in particular for member states with high debt/GDP ratios, thus requiring efforts to be stepped up in the coming years to increase the resilience of public finances and bring government debt on a downwards sustainable path;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down ~~and new strategic challenges are arising~~but on average, even in most developed economies, still higher than growth in the European Union or euro area;

Amendment 280 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps, while at the same time not losing sight of citizens and their social rights;

Amendment 281 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gap~~Strongly regrets the continuous focus on the fiscal responsibility in order to comply with the conditions of the Stability and Growth Pact, taking into account its deflationary and adverse effects on the European economies;

Amendment 282 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps; recalls that with monetary policy at or near the zero lower bound, fiscal policy has a particularly important impact on economic growth;

Amendment 283 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for ~~responsible~~ fiscal policies that will boost economic growth, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps; notes that debt restructuring is necessary in some countries in order to reduce public and private debt to sustainable levels; draws attention to the disastrous effects of austerity policies, through which budget consolidation strategies have compromised public investment, the social functions of the state and economic growth;

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for ~~responsible fiscal policies~~the continuation of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps;

Amendment 285 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Reiterates the need for ~~responsi~~stable fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps;

Amendment 286 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Emphasises that member states with debt levels in excess of 60% of GDP do not have fiscal space for stimulating their economies; Warns that, given the current size of government debts, debt sustainability will become even more pressing an issue when interest rates in the Euro area come back to normal levels;

Amendment 287 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

~~19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows;~~deleted

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact~~, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~;

Amendment 289 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on ~~implementation of~~the urgent need to repeal the Stability and Growth Pact~~, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down, especially in China and in the emerging countries that have driven global growth in recent years, and new strategic challenges are arising;

Amendment 290 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

~~19.~~ Insists on icompl~~ementation of~~iance with the Stability and Growth Pact~~, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~;

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact~~, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~ and establishing a procedure to exit the euro area to be used in the event of non-compliance; considers creating a European mechanism for sovereign defaults inside and outside of the euro area;

Amendment 292 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with ~~security threats and refugee inflow~~improvements to the situation of European youth and of people arriving as refugees;

Amendment 293 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on stricter implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows; reminds that the deviation from MTOs due to these circumstances must be considered temporary and therefore compensated during better times;

Amendment 294 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making full use of its flexibility clauses and available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows;

Amendment 295 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available f~~iscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~lexibility in line with the Commission Communication of 13 January 2015 entitled 'Making the best use of the flexibility within the existing rules of the Stability and Growth Pact' (COM(2015)0012);

Amendment 296 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making full use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to support greater investment and structural reforms as well as to deal with security threats and refugee inflows;

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on the full implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while ~~making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~the Commission may assess that possible temporary deviations may be justified to deal with unusual and unpredictable events outside of a Member State's control;

Amendment 298 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on an implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact that assesses the effects the application of the fiscal rules have on unemployment and public investments, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows;

Amendment 299 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows; reiterates that the Stability and Growth Pact allows for flexibility in the face of unexpected adverse economic events with major unfavourable consequences for government finances; emphasises that this flexibility should not undermine the objective of balancing public finances;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)

– having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 25-26 March 2010 and 17 June 2010 as well as the Commission communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (COM(2010)2020),

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down and new strategic challenges are arising, to which the European Union must adjust appropriately;

Amendment 300 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on ~~implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with~~the radical revision of the Treaties, the Stability and Growth Pact, and the Six-Pack and Two-Pack, as well as the repeal of the Fiscal Compact, in the view of removing existing constraints on Member States' ability to make full use of the fiscal policy tool and allowing countries to opt out from the euro zone following a democratic vote; invokes for immediate exemption from existing budgetary rules of necessary public expenditures to deal with unsustainable levels of unemployment, absolute poverty and inequalities, as well as with emerging security threats and refugee inflows;

Amendment 301 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. ~~Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows~~Reminds that the Stability and Growth Pact foresees a maximum level of government debt of 60% of GDP, and stipulates that over the medium term budget deficits must be offset by budget surplus, observes that many Member States are still in breach of these principles; insists on full implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows; understands that these kind of costs will always be counted as expenditure, but may be considered exceptional factors which can be taken into account when decisions are made within the excessive deficit procedure;

Amendment 302 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Insists on a strict implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making use of ~~available fiscal space~~flexibility within the SGP, inter alia, to deal with security threats and refugee inflows; Stresses that the reformed economic governance framework of the EU is an efficient and ambitious tool to deal with the current economic and budgetary challenges; States that for the time being, the current economic governance framework should not be reformed but used to its best;

Amendment 303 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Calls on the Commission to follow- up, with a review of the legislation, on its communication on assessing the Economic governance framework; notes that several countries are experiencing difficulties to comply with the current fiscal rules in an economic environment characterised by low-nominal growth; considers that a revision of the current rules would benefit their effectiveness, credibility and consistent application;

Amendment 304 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, ~~figh~~combating tax ~~evasion and avoidance~~fraud and enforce action against aggressive tax planning and improved tax policy coordination;

Amendment 305 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy co~~ordina~~mpetition;

Amendment 306 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, and fighting tax evasion ~~and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination~~;

Amendment 307 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination within the EU; Calls for tax systems that are simple and transparent in order to increase tax collection;

Amendment 308 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for ~~improv~~reinforced tax cpol~~lection, fighting~~icy coordination in the fight against tax fraud, tax evasion ~~and~~, tax avoidance, a~~nd impro~~ggressived tax p~~olicy coordination~~lanning and tax havens;

Amendment 309 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination and cooperation in exchange of knowledge and experiences in the field of tax administration in order to prevent illicit behaviour and to strengthen tax compliance and effective tax collection;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down amid financial turmoil in several emerging economies and new strategic challenges are arising;

Amendment 310 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination, including to fight terrorism and notably by making CBCR mandatory and implementing reinforced control measures on digital companies;

Amendment 311 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection in some Member States, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved ~~tax policy coordinat~~coordination of aggressive tax planning, tax avoidance and evasion;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination; emphasises the need to speed up the process of fiscal convergence in the European Union;

Amendment 313 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination; highlights the crucial role of taxation in reversing recent increases in social inequalities and mitigating the economic damage which has resulted from them;

Amendment 314 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for ~~improved~~a more efficient tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination; stresses the need to concurrently consider furthering the effectiveness and forcefulness of tax policies in its redistributive aspect in order to progressively reduce the inequality dynamic;

Amendment 315 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination; looks forward to the presentation by the Commission of measures aiming at implementing the OECD BEPS recommendations in the European Union and calls on the Commission to display a high level of ambition in its forthcoming proposals;

Amendment 316 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination as well as removing distortions from unfair differential taxation; is convinced that simplification of the tax systems is key and that a common consolidated corporate tax base would help to achieve this;

Amendment 317 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

~~20.~~ Emphasises the need ~~for~~to improved the efficiency of tax collection, fighting all forms of tax evasion and avoidance, and to improved tax policy coordination; stresses furthermore that tax evasion practices engaged in by multinational undertakings must not have the effect of compelling SMEs and employees to pay excessive amounts of tax in order to supply the requisite tax revenue;

Amendment 318 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved ~~tax policy~~ coordination of the measures taken to combat this serious problem, seeking to ensure a geographical overlap between the profits made and the tax collected; takes the view, therefore, that the tax and customs authorities should be provided with sufficient human, material and financial resources to act efficiently and effectively;

Amendment 319 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. ~~Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination~~Shares the Commission’s concerns about the increasing number of multinational companies that are using corporate tax strategies to reduce or elude their global tax burden by taking advantage of mismatches between tax systems; emphasises, therefore, the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination; stresses that better and stronger tax coordination is needed in order to ensure a level playing field and to avoid unfair competition and detrimental distortions within the Single Market;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down ~~and new strategic challenges are arising~~, which raises questions about the sustainability of the export-led growth model promoted by the Commission and of the Euro area itself;

Amendment 320 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Celebrates the efforts and the compromise shown recently by the European Parliament fighting against tax evasion and avoidance, however, more determination and inflexibility must be promoted at the institutional level in order to tackle the issue properly;

Amendment 321 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

~~21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure;~~deleted

Amendment 322 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure, especially by shifting unproductive expenses towards growth enhancing investments;

Amendment 323 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure without jeopardising adequate provision of public and social services;

Amendment 324 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards ~~improving the quality and growth-friendly character of~~cutting public expenditure;

Amendment 325 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality, efficiency and growth-friendly character of public expenditure;

Amendment 326 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure, with the emphasis placed on investment spending rather than operational expenditure;

Amendment 327 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports ~~all~~rational and country-specific efforts towards improving the quality and growth-~~friendly~~targeted character of public expenditure;

Amendment 328 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. ~~Supports all efforts towards~~Believes that the Commission should urge Member States to improv~~ing~~e the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure by shifting from consumption to investment;

Amendment 329 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure, in particular as regards action to promote universal, free and high-quality education and health systems;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas it is imperative to break with the neoliberal principles that have been governing the policies imposed by the EU on the peoples and workers of the Member States, and whereas only sustainable economic growth based on decent wages, on work with rights, on state control of strategic sectors of the economy, on universal and free access to all levels of education, on promotion and socialisation of innovation will make it possible to boost the economy and competitiveness of EU Member States;

Amendment 330 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure; notes that some outlays categorised as current expenditure actually represent important economic investment, for example in the field of education and other social investment; points to the need to consider the impact of public expenditure on sustainability in all its aspects;

Amendment 331 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

~~22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report;~~deleted

Amendment 332 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

~~22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report;~~deleted

Amendment 333 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Welcom~~Notes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’' Report; is deeply worried that democratic influence on euro area economic governance is even further reduced and downward pressure on wages is further increased by the steps outlined in the Five Presidents' Report;

Amendment 334 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a ~~way~~n initial step to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’' Report; stresses however that the recommendations fall short of what is necessary to address the high unemployment, poverty, inequality, and lack of transparency and democratic accountability of the eurozone's economic governance

Amendment 335 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report; notes that this recommendation is published six months before Country- Specific Recommendations and welcomes the opportunity for discussion offered by this timing; calls accordingly on Member States to profitably use the time window provided to coordinate among themselves and with the Commission in order to better assimilate the recommendation made and better reflect the euro area dimension in their national economic policies;

Amendment 336 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Welcomes~~Notes with concern that the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to further deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report; are still based on the dogma of fiscal consolidation, the irreversibility of the single currency, and neoliberal policy prescriptions which clearly failed to support economic growth, employment and convergence in the euro area, thereby prolonging the never-ending economic and social crisis and accelerating the disintegration of the EU;

Amendment 337 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’' Report, particularly the recommendations on reforms that enhance productivity, foster job creation, raise competitiveness, improve the business environment and create flexible labour markets; in this regard, considers that the Green Paper on retail financial services is a positive step as it aims to fulfil the promise made to EU citizens of a real Internal Market and can provide tools for growth through daily actions and, for example, unleash the full potential of the digital economy;

Amendment 338 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination ~~in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report~~;

Amendment 339 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the euro area’s current account surplus continues to rise well above the level which would be in line with EU economic fundamentals, while Europe still faces an important investment gap;

Amendment 340 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report;

Amendment 341 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Welcomes the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as a way to deepen policy coordination in the follow-up to the Five Presidents’ Report and the Resolution of the European Parliament of 24 June 2015;

Amendment 342 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Believes that sound fiscal positions at national level and a high level of economic policy coordination are a pre- condition for effective in-depth reforms of euro area rules and institutions; recalls that timely, adequate and well- coordinated fiscal and structural policies will also be of the essence in order to prepare for and to accompany the future normalisation of ECB monetary policy so as to ensure that this process would have no unwanted contractionary effects on the economy;

Amendment 343 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 344 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 345 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. ~~Emphasises that, given its high level of~~Takes note that, despite its interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be viewed as one macroeconomic entity where convergence must be promoted; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to complement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country-specific recommendationsis not viewed as one macroeconomic entity;

Amendment 346 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Emphasises ~~that~~, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the ~~euro area needs to be viewed as one macroeconomic entity where convergence must be promoted; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to compl~~importance of enhanced action by national governments to implement necessary economic reforms and strengthen economic competitiveness; insists on substantial improvements in the ~~assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country-specific recommendations;~~rate of implementation of country-specific recommendations, particularly in countries where structural reforms are urgently needed.

Amendment 347 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 348 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Emphasises that, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be ~~view~~regarded as one macroeconomic entity where convergence must be ~~promot~~ensured; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to coeffectively implement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country-specific recommendations;

Amendment 349 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Emphasises that, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be viewed as one macroeconomic entity where convergence must be promoted; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to complement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country-specific recommendations; stresses furthermore that the requirement of convergence within the euro zone must not result in the creation of a two-speed Europe or further accentuate it;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the euro area’s current account surplus continues to rise, while the European Union still faces an important investment gap mainly because of a lack of meaningful institutional and structural reform;

Amendment 350 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 351 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Emphasises that, given ~~its high level of interdependence and~~ the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be viewed as one big macroeconomic entity ~~where convergence must be promoted~~; calls therefore for an in-depth ~~aggregate~~ assessment of macroeconomic imbalances; in ~~the euro area to complement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabili~~sists on introducing incentives~~; insists on full coherence between the euro area recom~~ for the implemendtation ~~and~~of country-specific recommendations for the Member States;

Amendment 352 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Emphasises that, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be viewed as one macroeconomic entity where convergence must be promoted; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to complement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; underlines the importance of an aggregate perspective also in the work of National Competitiveness Boards and calls for strengthening the Macroeconomic dialogue at European level; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country- specific recommendations, so that it is clear what contribution each euro area Member State should make in terms of the aggregate fiscal stance and macroeconomic rebalancing;

Amendment 353 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Emphasises that, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be viewed as one macroeconomic entity where co~~nvergence~~mpetitiveness and convergence towards the best performers must be promoted; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to complement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country-specific recommendations;

Amendment 354 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Cora van NIEUWENHUIZEN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Underlines that for the sake of the integrity of the whole European Union, steps towards any type of a separate euro area treasury with its own budget should not be taken in the short to medium term;

Amendment 355 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Recalls that monetary policy can succeed in supporting cyclical recovery but can only facilitate and not replace structural reforms necessary for structural recovery; underlines the Member States' and the European institutions' responsibility to restore confidence to enable private investments, entrepreneurship and active participation of citizens in the economic cycle;

Amendment 356 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Stresses that the single currency has an asymmetric and destructive impact on weaker economies, which are forced to undertake a painful adjustment of internal devaluation due to a currency that is overvalued with respect to their economies, while letting stronger euro area Members States exploit an unfair competitive advantage due to an undervalued currency relative to other members, thereby generating intolerable disparities and macroeconomic imbalances in the EU; emphasizes the urgent need for planning an orderly break-up of the monetary union and for immediately providing democratic mechanisms of voluntary withdrawal of a country from the euro area;

Amendment 357 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23b. Calls for further strengthening of the coordination of national policies in the euro area in order to prevent negative spill-over effects of inadequately designed national policies into other Member States;

Amendment 358 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)

23c. Agrees with the Commission that Member States and the EU as a whole should further pursue structural reforms to modernise the economies; Welcomes the Commission's priority for many Member States to continue growth- friendly fiscal consolidation;

Amendment 359 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

~~24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap;~~deleted

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the euro area’s current account surplus continues to rise, ~~while Europe still faces an important investment gap~~reflecting a strong decline in investment and persisting macroeconomic imbalances within the euro area;

Amendment 360 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; ~~calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap;~~

Amendment 361 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; ~~calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap;~~

Amendment 362 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes~~Takes not of the increased attention to the euro area’'s aggregate fiscal stance; ~~calls for~~ warns of losing sight of the individual Member States' situation if too much focus is put on aggregate~~r discussion on whether it~~ numbers; reminds that a fiscal deficit in one Member State cannot be ~~considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap~~offset by a fiscal surplus in another as far as the excessive deficit procedure is concerned;

Amendment 363 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap~~Takes notes of the assessment of a broadly neutral aggregate fiscal stance in the euro area;

Amendment 364 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes increased attention to~~Rejects the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance~~; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap~~ and the attempt made to ensure that this stance is seen through the prism of neutrality, since it believes that this is obstructing the implementation of counter-cyclical policies by the Member States, thus compromising their economic sovereignty even further;

Amendment 365 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; ~~calls for greater discussion on whether~~questions the idea that it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap; calls therefore for an expansionary aggregate fiscal stance reflecting the necessity to conduct countercyclical economic policies at the euro area level and addressing the risk of exporting deflation to the global economy;

Amendment 366 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregat~~Notes the problems in measuring an euro area fiscal stance, such as separating the economic cycle from the growth potential; considers it necessary to exempt public investment from debt accounting in the short-run and to abolish the fFiscal ~~stance; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap~~Compact and the Stability and Growth Pact to enable Member States to pursue counter-cyclical and growth-enhancing fiscal policies in line with the macroeconomic goal of full employment and a balanced current account, and in that way to also unburden and complement monetary policy;

Amendment 367 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance~~; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be~~, to be further developed with the help of the advisory European Fiscal Board; doubts whether the aggregate fiscal stance can be currently considered broadly neutral and appropriate given the large investment gap; calls on the Commission and Council to be ready to support more expansionary aggregate fiscal stance in case downside risks materialise and recovery is weaker than expected;

Amendment 368 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes~~Considers that the increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance~~; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap~~, which is expected to be broadly neutral in 2016, masks significant divergences and an uneven distribution of fiscal space among euro area countries; emphasises the need for a strong expansionary fiscal policy in both deficit and surplus countries in light of historically low interest rates, the large investment gap and excessive external surplus in the euro area, in order to support economic recovery in deficit countries and correct macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area;

Amendment 369 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’'s aggregate fiscal stance; calls ~~for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap;~~ on the Council to modify the Commission recommendation for a broadly neutral stance to be replaced with the recommendation for a countercyclical expansionary fiscal stance given the large investment gap and the persistent negative output gap; considers that the current fiscal stance, including the underlying contributions from single countries, is not appropriate to support a stronger nominal growth, to promote the internal rebalancing of the euro area and to address deflationary pressures; stresses that the 2015 broadly neutral fiscal stance has not supported the attainment of these objectives;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the ~~euro area’s~~ current account surplus in some members of the euro area continues to rise, while Europe still faces an important investment gap, and structural reforms in certain euro area members are being introduced only haltingly;

Amendment 370 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

~~24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be considered broadly neutral given the large investment gap;~~(Does not affect the English version.)

Amendment 371 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Strongly rejects any stance on Member States' fiscal policies at euro- area level or at wider EU level; takes the view that such guidelines, which are profoundly neoliberal, can never be considered impartial or independent, since as economic policy guidelines they necessarily contain within them ideological presuppositions;

Amendment 372 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)

24b. Points out that EMU and the EU’s economic governance framework, including the European Semester, both conform to the same neo-liberal approach and the same school of mainstream economic thought, and that their apologists are, in other words, attempting to persuade workers and the public that economic decisions are free of ideology and by nature purely technical rather than political; maintains that for all the window dressing, the European economic governance framework will continue to be based on neo-liberal assumptions and principles and imposed on the economic policies of Member States regardless of their constitutions or of the will of the people;

Amendment 373 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 374 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 375 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. ~~Supports~~Takes note of the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs~~, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they could use~~; recommends that high-surplus countries should reduce debt and taxes to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole;

Amendment 376 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States t~~aking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis~~o ensure compliance with the Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs~~, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they could use to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole~~;

Amendment 377 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective ~~positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and~~ stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they cshould urgently use to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole;

Amendment 378 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries ~~have significant fiscal space which they could use to the benefit of their populations and~~should implement measures to channel excess savings towards the domestic economy and thereby boost domestic investment to the benefit of the monetary union as a whole;

Amendment 379 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countrieHighlights that countries with the largest fiscal multipliers have little fiscal space vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements to conduct any meaningful fiscal policy, while high-surplus countries with lower fiscal multipliers have significant fiscal space, which they cshould use to boost demand and ensure wage and price increases to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the euro area’s current account surplus continues to rise, while Europe still faces an important investment gap, indicated, for instance, by gross fixed capital formation being some 2% GDP lower in 2015 (19.5%) than in the pre- crisis decade (21.4% for 2001-10), which significantly weakens the EU’s longer- term growth potential;

Amendment 380 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they could use to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole, with higher growth very likely offsetting the impact of deficit-based investment on debt sustainability;

Amendment 381 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries may have ~~significant~~ fiscal space which they could use to ~~the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole;~~ reduce taxes and invest in modernising their infrastructure, unless such measures would endanger sustaining their social welfare systems in the light of adverse demographic developments;

Amendment 382 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that ~~high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they could use to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole~~some countries currently have a budget surplus, but stresses that budget surpluses in the good times have to be used as a buffer for the bad times, as is the main idea behind the Stability and Growth Pact;

Amendment 383 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs~~, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they could use to the benefit of their populations and~~ ; reminds that countries with a public debt above 60% have very limited fiscal space regardless of their net trade position or the ~~mon~~budgetary ~~union as a whole~~performance in any single year;

Amendment 384 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space, which ~~they c~~continues to expand and which should be used to the benefit of their populations and of the monetary union as a whole; calls on the Commission to make explicit the suggested optimal allocation of the fiscal stance among individual member states and to make country specific recommendations consistent with it;

Amendment 385 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 386 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Acknowledge that exclusive focus on fiscal sustainability is insufficient to tackle euro area's economic imbalances from a global approach;

Amendment 387 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Agrees that ~~while~~ the euro area’'s high current account surplus is a welcome sign of the euro area’'s external competitiveness,; i~~t also implies a lack of internal investment and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adverse effect~~s aware that a Member State's current account surplus goes together with positive spill over effects across the value chain which benefit other Member States oin ~~growth and employment~~various ways;

Amendment 388 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. ~~Agre~~Notes that while the euro area’'s high current account surplus is a ~~welcome~~ sign of the euro area’'s external competitiveness, it ~~also implies a lack of internal investment and~~is well above EU economic fundamentals and is largely the result of weak domestic demand and reflects a lack of internal investment; stresses that the large current account surplus implies a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adverse effects on growth and employment;

Amendment 389 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Cora van NIEUWENHUIZEN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Agrees that while the euro area’s high current account surplus is a welcome sign of ~~the~~certain euro area member’s external competitiveness, it also implies a ~~lack of internal investment and a risk of~~need for euro appreciation; w~~hen monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with~~arns that a continuing accommodative monetary policy has adverse effects on growth and ~~employment~~monetary stability;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the euro area’s ~~current account surplus continues to rise, while Europe still faces an important~~public and private debt levels remain very high and are a drag on growth and hold back investment ~~gap~~;

Amendment 390 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Agrees that ~~while~~ the euro area’s high current account surplus is a welcome sign of the euro area’s external competitiveness,; i~~t also implies a lack of internal investment and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adv~~nsists that more must be done to enhance competitiveness and productivity so as to increase net exports´ contribution to aggregate demand; reiterates that greater productivity will sersve ~~effects on growth and employment~~to enhance potential growth and investment demand;

Amendment 391 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. ~~Agrees that while~~Is worried about the euro area’'s high current account surplus ~~is a welcome sign of the euro area’s external competitiveness, it also implie~~which signals a lack of internal investment and acarries the risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adverse effects on growth and employment; emphasises that beggar-thy-neighbour policies, relying of high current account surpluses and export driven growth, as pursued by China or Germany, are disruptive for the global economy and not viable for the euro area;

Amendment 392 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Agrees that while the ~~euro area’s~~ high current account surplus of some of the members of the euro area is a welcome sign of ~~the euro area’s~~ external competitiveness, it also implies a lack of internal investment ~~and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative~~, with adverse effects on growth and employment;

Amendment 393 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Agrees that while the euro area’s high current account surplus is a welcome sign of the euro area’s external competitiveness, it also implies a lack of internal investment and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adverse effects on growth and employment; considers that stronger domestic demand would be better for the euro area's sustainable growth as well as from a global viewpoint;

Amendment 394 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Agrees that while the euro area’'s high current account surplus partly is a welcome sign of the euro area’'s external competitiveness, partly it also simpl~~ies a lack of internal investment and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adverse effects on growth and employment~~y reflects weaker commodity prices and the depreciation of the euro; believes that the excess of savings is due to a lack of investor confidence in the euro area and its ability to establish a sustainable business environment for long-term investment; calls on the Member States to effectively implement structural reforms to modernise their economies and improve the business environment in coherence with the EU 2020 strategy;

Amendment 395 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. ~~Agrees that while~~Points out with concern that the euro area’s high current account surplus ~~is a welcome sign of the euro area’s external competitiveness, it~~reflects persisting and harmful macroeconomic imbalances among creditor and debtor countries within the currency union, rather than being a sign of external competitiveness for the euro area as a whole; highlights that this also implies a significant lack of internal investment ~~and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary po~~in the private and in the publicy s~~tarts to become less accommodative~~ectors, with adverse effects on growth and employment;

Amendment 396 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 397 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26a. Points out that while a persistent high current account surplus warrants monitoring in light of the macroeconomic imbalance procedure, it does not go together with the same risks as persistent high current account deficits; therefore warns against a symmetrical analysis of a trade deficit and a trade surplus;

Amendment 398 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26a. Emphasises that disparities in current accounts among Member States reflect their heterogeneity in productivity and competiveness and that this provides a permanent challenge for the monetary union; emphasizes that a significant and persistent current account surplus of a member state may be due to unsatisfactory competitiveness and lack of structural reforms in other member states, emphasizes that the absence of exchange rate flexibility aggravates the problem of current account disequilibria in the euro zone;

Amendment 399 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26a. Notes that while current account deficits pose greater risks in terms of financial instability of the given Member State than current account surpluses, the existence of a current account surplus in one country pushes for the existence of current account deficits in other countries, therefore an aggregate view is necessary in this regard; points out that while the MIP regulation establishes asymmetric thresholds for current account deficits and surpluses (-4%/+6% GDP), some Member States have maintained current account surpluses well in excess of 6% GDP for a number of years;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13

– having regard to the Commission communication of 103 February 2015 on making the best use of the flexibility within the existing rules of the stability and growth pact (COM(2015)0012),

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas despite several Member States have experienced sensible reductions of their current account deficits and the reduction of unit labour costs , net external debt in percentage of GDP has not decreased in most Member States;

Amendment 400 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26b. Reminds that countries with a very negative demographic evolution, such as Germany and Greece, will need to maintain a sufficient current account surplus in order to meet future pension requirements;

Amendment 401 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26b. Notes that while an effort to build up savings for future pension requirements in the euro area is understandable to some extent, export of savings also involves financial risks; considers that satisfaction of future pension needs in countries with adverse demographic outlooks depends largely on sustained economic growth, high employment and manageable economic dependency ratios; points out that adequate investment of today's savings in human capital and future productive capacity is crucial in this respect;

Amendment 402 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster ~~real economic and social convergence driven by~~ improvements in productivity and non- cost factors; underlines the importance of all Member States having sufficient ~~investment capacity, enabling balanced and sustainable~~ growth;

Amendment 403 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic ~~and social~~ convergence driven by enhanced improvements in productivity and ~~non- cost factors; underlines the importance of all Member States having sufficient investment capacity, enabling balanced and sustainable growth;~~cost competitiveness

Amendment 404 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 405 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic and social convergence driven by improvements in productivity ~~and non- cost factors; underlines the importance of~~; underlines that all Member States ~~having~~should have sufficient investment capacity, enabling balanced and sustainable growth;

Amendment 406 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic recovery and social ~~convergenc~~welfare driven by improvements in productivity and non- cost factors; underlines th~~e importance of all Member States having sufficient~~ at existing budgetary rules and the single currency artificially constrain Member States investment capacity, enpreventing their abili~~ng balanced~~ty to achieve a balanced, inclusive and sustainable growth;

Amendment 407 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic and social convergence driven by improvements in productivity and non- cost factors; underlines the importance of all Member States having sufficient investment capacity, reducing output gaps and enabling balanced and sustainable growth, which is crucial also to reduce debt/GDP ratios;

Amendment 408 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic and social convergence driven by improvements in productivity and non- cost factors; underlines the importance of all Member States ~~having sufficient investment capacity, enabling balanced and sustainable growth;~~ effectively implementing structural reforms and having sufficient investment capacity by leaving a safety margin in economic good times and improving the quality of public expenditure;

Amendment 409 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic and social convergence driven by improvements in productivity and non- cost factors; urges the social partners to consistently keep wage increases in line with productivity increases in order to avoid building up macro-economic imbalances of the kind which a country can practically only overcome by an internal devaluation; underlines the importance of all Member States having sufficient investment capacity, enabling balanced and sustainable growth; acknowledges that high public and private debt significantly reduce the capacity to invest and thus slows down growth;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas the investment gap especially in the euro area can be partially attributed to a lack of foreign direct investment, thereby reflecting the relative competitive disadvantages of the Economic and Monetary Union;

Amendment 410 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. The idea and purpose of a Eurozone fiscal capacity needs further deliberation to determine the function and form this capacity could have within a completed European Monetary Union

Amendment 411 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

~~28. Recognises the benefits of symmetrical adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability;~~deleted

Amendment 412 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

~~28. Recognises the benefits of symmetrical adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability;~~deleted

Amendment 413 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recognises the benefits of ~~symmetrical adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability~~regaining cost competitiveness;

Amendment 414 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recognises the benefits of asymmetrical adjustment, w~~here regaining c~~ith surplus countries taking measures to boost cdom~~petitiveness does~~estic demand, such that deficit countries are not required to undergo~~ing~~ deflation to regain cost competitiveness, which is detrimental to debt sustainability;

Amendment 415 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recognises the benefits of ~~symmetrical~~ adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not merely require undergoing deflation ~~which is detrimental to debt sustainability;~~

Amendment 416 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recognises the ~~benefits of symmetrical adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability~~need for each Member State to carry out the necessary adjustments in their own country, especially in order to avoid the extremely damaging spill-over effects resulting from a sovereign debt crisis; reminds that in an open world economy the effects of adjustments on bilateral trade are minimal; assesses that non-European exporting nations such as China would profit first and most from any increase in imports into one or several Member States;

Amendment 417 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. ~~Recogn~~Emphasises the benefits of symmetrical adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability; notes that large external deficits have been largely corrected, while large surpluses continue to accumulate in Member States without significant deleveraging needs; stresses that accumulated surpluses are also problematic for the surplus economies themselves and have led to output losses due to low investment and low internal demand;

Amendment 418 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recognises the benefits of a more symmetrical adjustment in nominal unit labour costs, where regaining cost competitiveness ~~does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability~~requires responsible wage setting but should not lead to deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability and overall economic performance; calls therefore on relevant actors in high- surplus countries to support faster wage increases and greater investment, enabling higher domestic demand and inflation in these countries and helping to achieve the ECB's price stability target of inflation close to but below 2%;

Amendment 419 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Re~~cognises the benefits of symmetrical adjustment, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability;~~ grets the asymmetrical adjustment process imposed on debtor countries through painful internal devaluation, while creditor countries continued accumulating surpluses through "beggar- thy-neighbours" policies; condemns the arbitrary and ineffective use by the Commission of the macroeconomic imbalance procedure, while highlighting the asymmetric design of the procedure itself which is also evident in the different thresholds set for detecting harmful deficits and surpluses; calls on the Commission to activate the excessive imbalance procedure against excessive current account surpluses;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~the~~ unemployment ~~rate is improving, but not enough to signi~~and poverty are not decreasing sufficaiently ~~curb un~~, and the employment ~~and poverty~~rate is not improving to an adequate level either;

Amendment 420 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls for m~~easures preventing a race to the bottom~~ore competition in terms of taxation and social standards~~, building on better use of social indicators in macroeconomic surveillance~~;

Amendment 421 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. ~~Calls for measures preventing a~~Acknowledges that there is no race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards~~, building on better use of social indicators in macroeconomic surveillance~~;

Amendment 422 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls for measures preventing a race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards~~, building on better use of social~~; calls on the Commission to properly integrate the social indicators such as for instance a stronger focus on GDP per capita, household disposable income and unemployment and poverty indicators, in macroeconomic surveillance and policy guidance;

Amendment 423 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls for measures preventing a race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards~~, building on better use of~~ without jeopardising the international competitiveness; welcomes the inclusion of three social indicators in the macroeconomic s~~urveillance~~coreboard; urges these indicators to be given the same status as the existing indicators in order to avoid a two class approach;

Amendment 424 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls for measures preventing a race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards, building on better use of social indicators in macroeconomic surveillance; points to the importance of poverty and inequality indicators in this context;

Amendment 425 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls for measures preventing a race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards~~, building on better use of social indicators in macroeconomic surveillance~~ leading to an increase in inequalities;

Amendment 426 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29a. Calls for the inclusion of additional social and environmental indicators which should be on at least an equal footing with the rest of the MIP indicators; is of the opinion that such indicators must also be able to trigger corrective action and not merely to 'monitor' the overall socioeconomic situation; insists that excessive unemployment, inequality and poverty are also threatening imbalances for the Eurozone; recalls its repeated requests to adopt indicators regarding resource efficiency, indicators on unit capital costs and other indicators relevant for monitoring progress towards updated EU2020 objectives, including non-cost competitiveness-related indicators in fields such as R&D, education and training;

Amendment 427 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29a. Expresses its concerns regarding the increase of the U.S. dollar interest rate, which may negatively affect the Foreign Direct Investment in the euro area in the medium term;

Amendment 428 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29a. Notes the European Council conclusions on the Economic and Monetary Union and calls on the Commission to start preparing the longer- term measures as soon as possible;

Amendment 429 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)

29b. Highlights that the current euro depreciation may not only affect the euro area's account surplus but also it may deal to a loss of the euro's relevance in the exchange market and, therefore, its significance in the world economy;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the employment rate is ~~improving but not enough~~still insufficient to significantly curb unemployment and poverty;

Amendment 430 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6

~~More effectiv~~Abolition of the European Semester ~~with stronger democratic accountability~~

Amendment 431 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6

~~More effective European Semester with stronger democra~~Democratic legitimacy and political accountability

Amendment 432 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 c (new)

29a. Insists that the Eurozone recommendation needs to be the starting point for an economic policy debate involving Members States and EU institutions ahead of the spring European Council to allow a greater efficiency of the European semester and a better ownership of all stakeholders;

Amendment 433 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that ~~bette~~the poor implementation record of country-specific recommendations re~~quires clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuin~~flects the inadequateness of the Commission's recipes to the real specific economic and social needs in each country; is of the opinion that improving the public debate at national level, ~~leading to~~in the attempt to achieve greater relevance and ownership; will not solve the lack of democratic legitimacy which is a structural feature of the current mechanism of macroeconomic coordination in the EU;

Amendment 434 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that better implementation of country-specific recommendations requires clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuine public debate at national level, leading to greater relevance and ownership; Welcomes, in this respect, the hitherto visits of members of the Commission in Member States in order to discuss the European Semester process and its documents; States, however, that further steps in order to increase the European Semester's national ownership should be taken;

Amendment 435 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that ~~better implementation of~~the country-specific recommendations are~~quires clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuine public debate at national level, leading to greater relevance and ownership~~ a blatant affront to sovereign, democratic decision-taking by the Member States’ peoples and workers concerning the future of their countries;

Amendment 436 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. BDeplores the poor implementation of country specific recommendations and believes that better implementation of country-specific recommendations requires clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuine public debate at national level, leading to greater relevance and national ownership;

Amendment 437 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that better implementation of country-specific recommendations requires to better identify clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuine public debate at national level, leading to greater relevance and ownership;

Amendment 438 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that better implementation of country-specific recommendations requires clearly articulated priorities at European level and ~~genuine public debate at national level, leading to greater relevance and ownership~~political willingness at national level;

Amendment 439 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that better implementation of country-specific recommendations requires clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuine public debate and commitment at national level, leading to greater relevance and ownership;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the employment rate is improving but not enough to significantly curb unemployment, particularly youth and long-term unemployment, and poverty;

Amendment 440 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Believes that better implementation of country-specific recommendations requires clearly articulated priorities at European level and genuine public debate at national and regional level, leading to greater relevance and ownership; in that context, welcomes Commission's decision to streamline the European Semester;

Amendment 441 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 442 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30a. Emphasizes that respecting Member States right to exercise their sovereign control over the monetary and fiscal policies represent the sole way to ensure democratic legitimacy and political accountability in the EU;

Amendment 443 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls for striking the right balance between making country-specific recommendations focused on key priorities and ensuring that they address all key challenges from the perspective of Europe 2020 targets;deleted

Amendment 444 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

Amendment 445 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. ~~Calls for striking the right balance between making country-specific recommendations focused on key priorities and ensuring that th~~Therefore considers it imperative to abolish the European Semester, including the country-specific recommendations, the Alert Mechanism Report, and the Annual Growth Survey, a~~ddress all key challenges from the perspective of~~nd to do away with the six-pack, the two-pack, the Stability and Growth Pact, the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance, and the Europe 2020 ~~targets;~~ strategy;

Amendment 446 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls for striking the right balance ~~between maki~~and distinction among country-specific recommendations focused on key priorities ~~and ensuring that they address~~entailing spillovers at EU level and those ensuring that all key challenges from the perspective of Europe 2020 targets are addressed and finally those based on the identification of benchmarking and good practices;

Amendment 447 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls for striking the right balance between making country-specific recommendations focused on key priorities and ensuring that they address ~~all key~~, where relevant, the challenges from the perspective of Europe 2020 targets, knowing that the European Semester was put into place at the height of the recent crises and was meant as an instrument geared to avoid the re-occurrence of a sovereign debt crisis, as well as for generally increasing competitiveness, growth and employment;

Amendment 448 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls for striking the right balance between making country-specific recommendations focused on key priorities and ensuring that they address all key challenges ~~from the perspective of Europe 2020 targets~~;

Amendment 449 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Lauds the Commission’s work to define country-specific recommendations relating to the Single Market, but calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate national and EU policies, while continuing on the path of structural reforms, so as to help strengthen the Single Market with a view to tackling obstacles in its performance and reaping its potential to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and create jobs especially for young people; highlights, in this regard, the need to maintain momentum as regards the policy priorities identified in the areas of services, networks and the digital economy; emphasises that the assessment of the implementation of the country-specific recommendations should also examine how the main stakeholders benefit from the Single Market;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the employment rate is improving but not enough to significantly curb unemployment and poverty, also because many new jobs are of precarious nature;

Amendment 450 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Stresses that existing mechanism and instruments of coordination unnecessarily prevent Member States to democratically choose the economic policies they deem necessary and adequate to their specific situation on the basis on arbitrary and ideological assumptions; calls for a radical rethink of the EU economic governance framework based on the full respect of national economic sovereignty; stresses the urgent need to set up a plan for an orderly and coordinated break up of the Eurozone;

Amendment 451 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Requests that plenary debates with the Commission and the President of the Eurogroup on the draft euro area recommendation become regular features in order to strengthen democratic dialogue and accountability;deleted

Amendment 452 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 453 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. ~~Request~~Appreciates thate plenary debates with the President of the Commission and the President of the Eurogroup on the draft euro area recommendation on 15 December 2015 and requests that this debate becomes a regular features of the European Semester in order to strengthen democratic dialogue and accountability; this will provide the democratic context to consider the positions expressed by the independent advisory European Fiscal Board;

Amendment 454 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. ~~Request~~Welcomes thate plenary debates with the Commission and the President of the Eurogroup on the draft euro area recommendation and requests it to become regular features in order to strengthen democratic dialogue and accountability;

Amendment 455 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Cora van NIEUWENHUIZEN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Requests that plenary debates with the Presidents of the Commission ~~and~~, of the ~~President of the Eurogroup~~Eurogroup and of the European Central Bank on the draft euro area recommendation become regular features in order to strengthen democratic dialogue and accountability;

Amendment 456 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Requests that plenary debates with the Commission and the President of the Eurogroup on the draft euro area recommendation become regular features in order to strengthen and complement existing democratic dialogue and accountability, for example the economic dialogue;

Amendment 457 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Requests that plenary debates with the Commission and the President of the Eurogroup on the Annual Growth Survey and on draft euro area recommendation ahead of their adoption become regular features in order to strengthen democratic ~~dialogue and accountability~~legitimacy and increase accountability; stresses that an interinstitutional agreement should also provide for the Parliament to co-decide on the EU's yearly economic policy guidance;

Amendment 458 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Welcomes Commission's participation at Plenary and Committee debates on the European semester cycle and appreciates its decision to take into account Parliament's views in the preparation of final documents;

Amendment 459 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Underlines that the spring European Council should remain the central moment where policy priorities are defined on the basis of input from the Commission, Parliament and the Council;~~deleted

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the employment rate is improving but not enough to significantly curb unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, and poverty;

Amendment 460 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Underlines that the spring European Council should remain the central moment where policy priorities are defined on the basis of input from the Commission, Parliament and the Council; calls therefore on the Council to adopt the euro area recommendations and conclusions on the Annual Growth Survey package after the Parliament has been able to take a position on them; affirms its resolve to consider these documents swiftly and to take a position well before the Spring European Council;

Amendment 461 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Underlines that the spring European Council should remain the central moment where policy priorities are defined ~~on the basis of input from the Commission, Parliament and the~~; reminds that the setting of the economic policy following the recommendation by the Council to the Member States is an executive act which needs to be subjected to democratic scrutiny by the European Parliament; reminds that the Treaty requires the European Parliament to be informed after the Council has adopted recommendations and also on the results of the multilateral surveillance; welcomes the invitation extended to the European Parliament to have its President delivering an opening speech at the Spring European Council;

Amendment 462 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

~~34. Highlights the importance of national parliaments debating country reports and country-specific recommendations and voting on national reform programmes;~~deleted

Amendment 463 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Highlights the importance of national parliaments debating country reports and country-specific recommendations and voting on national reform programmes; calls on Member States to involve social partners, local and regional authorities and other relevant stakeholders in a structured manner, taking advantage of the early publication of country reports; suggests that a code of conduct could be elaborated for this purpose; highlights the irreplaceable role of social partners in wage-setting and the vital role they should play in wider economic discussions, particularly when it comes to promoting productivity;

Amendment 464 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Highlights the importance of national parliaments debating country reports and country-specific recommendations and voting on national reform programmes as wells as national convergence/stability programmes; encourages broadening the debate in order to include local and regional authorities and social partners;

Amendment 465 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Highlights the importance of national parliaments debating country reports and country-specific recommendations and voting on national reform programmes and of a proper consultation and association of social partners;

Amendment 466 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Highlights the importance of national parliaments debating country reports and country-specific recommendations and voting on national reform programmes; in addition, calls in this context for stronger cooperation on the part of national parliaments with the European Parliament;

Amendment 467 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

~~35. Urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’ Report;~~deleted

Amendment 468 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

~~35. Urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’ Report;~~deleted

Amendment 469 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

~~35. Urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’ Report;~~deleted

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the share of environmental taxes in total revenue fell to 6,3% in 2013 compared to 6,5% in 2012 in the EU; whereas environmental taxes are less detrimental to growth than labour taxes; whereas, according to the IMF, fossil energy subsidies amount to 329 billions of dollars per year;

Amendment 470 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

~~35. Urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’ Report;~~deleted

Amendment 472 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’' Report; insists that this IIA should ensure that, within the framework of the Treaties, the structure of the European Semester allows for a meaningful and regular parliamentary scrutiny of the process, in particular as regards euro area recommendations; reminds that an IIA cannot confer competencies upon an institution which were not conferred to it by the Treaties;

Amendment 473 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’' Report; stresses that this agreement should amongst others provide for the Parliament's right to co-decide on the EU's yearly economic policy guidance;

Amendment 474 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. UrDiscourages the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement on economic governance, as suggested in the Five Presidents’ Report;

Amendment 48 #

Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da .whereas Europe is an economic area that is the most dependent on imported resources, compared to its competitors; whereas building a truly circular economy in Europe is thus a prerequisite for future economic growth;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the lack of meaningful structural reform and budgetary discipline in the Member States has pressured the European Central Bank to pursue an accommodating monetary policy which is endangering monetary stability;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15

~~– having regard to the Report on completing Europe’s economic and monetary union (‘Five Presidents’ Report’),~~deleted

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the single currency has had the effect of exacerbating divergences and imbalances between deficit and surplus countries, which reflects the fact that it is structurally impossible for the single currency to ensure real convergence and cohesion within a currency area that is very far from optimal;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the improvements that have been seen in the employment rate in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece stem from the manipulation of statistical information and a decline in the working age population, owing to a very significant increase in emigration;

Amendment 52 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas a very positive process has been launched by the Single Market Governance within the European Semester and the corresponding country- specific recommendations (CSRs) for a more competitive Europe which generates quality jobs with an equitable growth better attracting investors;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the 2008 crisis was not only of a cyclical nature but also of a structural nature, which explains its lasting effects;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the free movement of people, goods, services and capital is the cornerstone of the sustainable economic growth in the European Union’s Single Market;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas the euro area still lacks a procedure that provides for an orderly exit of its members, which has intensified centrifugal forces within the Economic and Monetary Union;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas the European Semester and related instruments such as the Annual Growth Survey, whose basic objective is to ensure that the Member States institutionalise austerity-based budgetary and economic policies regardless of their constitutional texts and the will of the people, in line with the debt and deficit targets laid down in the Stability and Growth Pact, the economic reform plans set out in their country-specific recommendations and the Europe 2020 Strategy targets for growth and employment, are profoundly neoliberal and antidemocratic in nature;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas the implementation of fiscal consolidation policies have resulted in a significant deterioration of public services and social protection, which led to increasing levels of absolute poverty and socio-economic inequalities;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)

Dc. whereas tax avoidance, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning have caused billions of losses in potential revenues to the public finances of several Member States, to the benefit of large corporations, thus undermining the basis for solidarity between countries and fair competition between enterprises;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)

Dd. whereas recent empirical studies found that structural reforms pursuing labour market liberalization do not have a statistically significant impact on output growth, unlike investments in R&D and innovation, which generate the highest productivity gains;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)

– having regard to the COP 21 agreement adopted at the Paris climate conference on 12 December 2015,

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)

De. whereas empirical evidence shows that financial sector expansion in developed countries inhibits economic growth and increases income inequalities, as reported in several studies conducted by international organisations, including IMF, BIS, OECD;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal responsibility, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence~~, complementing accommodative monetary policie~~; stresses that the policy objectives and tools underlying such policy mix are not consistent, in particular regarding the need to complementing accommodative monetary policies with the purpose of increasing internal demand, coping with low inflation and promoting symmetrical current account adjustments;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment~~, structural reform~~ and fiscal responsibility~~, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing~~; notes the lack of structural reform, which is made up for by accommodative monetary policies;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal responsibility, with increased emphasis on the adjustment capacity of Member-States, domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal responsibility, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies; Welcomes the fact that the document aims to further promote higher growth levels within the EU and to strengthen European recovery;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment~~, structural reform~~ and fiscal responsibility, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies; notes at the same time that structural reforms must in every case take into account social aspects as well;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcome~~Strongly regrets the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and considers the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal responsibility~~, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary po~~ as a reiteration of the same old strategy prescribed in all previous Annual Growth Surveys, which failed to deliver any meaningful signs of economic recovery, while prolonging the crisis; points out that, despite some emphasis on domestic demand, the overall strategy is based on supply-side policy instruments, which are inadequate to address the real cause of the current lack of growth associated to the lack internal demand and rising inequalicties;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, ~~structural~~productive reform and fiscal ~~responsi~~stability, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)

– having regard to the Commission communication of 28 November 2014 on the Economic Governance review (COM (2014)905),

Amendment 70 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Cora van NIEUWENHUIZEN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal responsibility, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies; underlines that major national efforts as well as stronger European coordination and instruments are needed to achieve a more robust economic recovery and sustainable, widely-shared prosperity;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal ~~responsibility~~consolidation, with increased emphasis on ~~domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies~~the effective implementation of structural reforms to ensure well- functioning labour, product, services and capital markets, quality education and training systems, modern and efficient social security systems and to promote innovation and entrepreneurship;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to include in the next AGS a fourth pillar based on a comprehensive strategy to move towards a low-carbon economy, in order to translate in concrete policy actions the results of the COP21 for the purpose of fighting climate change and promoting sustainable growth based on innovation, an efficient use of energy and resources, renewable energy, green investment and new employment opportunities;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Does not support the proposals contained in the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package, since overall they continue to emphasise policies which have so far failed to provide answers to the problems facing EU Member States, and have instead exacerbated those problems;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Regrets that the package does not contain any recommendation to use the margins of manoeuver and spin-off benefits arising from the decrease of oil price to create European added value, including to promote ecological transition;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

~~2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios;~~deleted

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios; points out that the still high levels of public debt in the EU result in an insufficient buffer in case of a new shock;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining de~~bt/GDP ratios~~ficit/GDP ratios; stresses however that public debt ratios continue to rise in countries suffering from low nominal GDP growth and low inflation; stresses that the latter hinders the possibility to attain a reduction in the private and public debt to GDP ratios; express concern over the high level of private debt which has shown only a marginal decrease since 2009;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios; recalls that GDP does not represent economic reality when the depreciation of capital goods is not fully recognised;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios, as a key strategy to reach a more solid, sustainable and efficient growth;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 30 September 2015 on cohesion policy and the review of the Europe 2020 Strategy,

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcomes~~Considers that improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios; are harmful and unbalanced if achieved through cutting expenditure in essential public services and productive investments;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, ~~in particular~~which resulted in gradually declin~~ing~~e of deficit and debt/ to GDP ratios; notes that there are still nine Member States under Excessive Deficit Procedure which requires further fiscal consolidation efforts;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios in some countries; is concerned about rising debt/GDP ratios in others;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios; deplores however the head-in-the-sand policy on the unsustainability of public debt in certain Member States in light of the current growth and inflation rates;

Amendment 84 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Cora van NIEUWENHUIZEN, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios; notes however that many Member States have limited fiscal space to cope with possible new economic shocks; therefore stronger European coordination and instruments should be considered to support individual Member States’ efforts;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular ~~gradually declining debt/GDP ratio~~a fall in headline budget deficits and gradually declining debt/GDP ratios but points out that public debt still remains very high in some Member States, which is a drag on growth and a burden for future generations;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes improvements in public finances in some places, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Regrets, however, that the cost of hosting the one million migrants that arrived in Europe in 2015 has weighed heavily on the public finances of the more fragile countries;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that ~~Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth~~the worsening global outlook means that domestic sources of growth need to be strengthened, involving a different combination of policies that will make it possible on the one hand to boost public and private investment, above all with a view to expanding and upgrading infrastructure, production equipment, and production and organisation techniques and methods, and on the other hand to stimulate domestic demand, in particular by restoring the income lost as a result of so-called austerity policies and by implementing a redistributive and progressive tax policy;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the European Union’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth, e.g. by meaningful structural reform, and better, as well as less, regulation;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2015 entitled ‘towards a European energy union’,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth by, in particular, enhancing innovation-driven efficiency and keeping labour costs in line with productivity;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that Europe’s global competitiveness policy remains ~~an important objective, while~~fundamentally focused on cost factors, while stressing the fact that the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth through strong demand side policies which include large public investments in R&D and innovation;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness, assessed in terms of innovation, research and development, education & training and public infrastructures remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that increasing Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, ~~while~~and that the worsening global outlook calls for further strengthening domestic sources of growth;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth in a good balance with reforms increasing the competitiveness of the Eurozone;

Amendment 95 #

Sylvie GOULARD, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth in order to make Europe’s economy more resilient; is concerned notably with increasing financial turmoil in emerging economies and consequent slow-down in global demand, the possibility of new financial crisis related to build-up of excess liquidity and growing social inequalities in many parts of the world, as well as geopolitical instability in Europe’s neighbourhood;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening ~~domestic sources of growth~~productivity as well as growth and employment by reducing macroeconomic imbalances, particularly current account deficits;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth as well;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Notes that particularly the euro area is still suffering from significant macroeconomic imbalances between Member States; calls for urgent action in Member States with current account surpluses to increase domestic demand, particularly through increased public investment and stronger wage growth.

Amendment 99 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence and correct macroeconomic imbalances~~, including by channelling excess savings towards the domestic economy and boosting investment~~;

source: 575.156

2016/01/19 REGI 46 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Acknowledges the new approach for a more streamlined European Semester organised in two successive phases, including publishing ~~the recommendations for the entire euro area early on, togeth~~country-specific and euro area analysis earlier, w~~ith this annual growth survey (AGS), preceding the country-specific recommendations (CSRs), thus giving Member States the opportunity to take the euro area recom~~hich gives an opportunity to the Member States to involve the local and regional authorities and other relevant stakeholders in defining economic policies and connecting Cohesion policy's instruments with CSRs, thus raising the ownership for the implemendtation~~s into account in national policymaking~~ of the CSRs;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge and has unevenly burdened some Member States; it is therefore necessary to mobilize available funds and seek synergies for added value results;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review; calls on the Commission to ensure, in the context of ~~the~~ European Semester, ~~as well as by proposing~~that the key challenges from Europe 2020 targets are properly addressed; reminds the Commission on the need to propose measures and methodology for better monitoring of the EUSI Funds' expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals; ~~believ~~stresses that the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review ~~will provide an opportunity to analyse and therefore enhance the value added by EU funding to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy~~should continue supporting delivery of the Europe 2020 strategy, which should remain the main priority of the EU budget; stresses that having in mind recent political developments, migration and refugee crisis should be also effectively addressed in the context of MFF review;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review, in the context of the European Semester, as well as by proposing measures and methodology for better monitoring of the EU Funds expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals; urges the adoption of Performance Based Budgeting methodologies in order to focus on activities with the highest potential leverage and the identification of negative priorities for which EU spending must be cut back or stopped; believes that the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review will provide an opportunity to analyse and therefore enhance the value added by EU funding to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 13 #

Tamás DEUTSCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review, in the context of the European Semester, as well as by proposing measures and methodology for better monitoring of the EU Funds expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals; underlines that cohesion policy, the main EU-wide investment policy, contributes inherently to the Europe 2020 goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; believes that the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review will provide an opportunity to analyse and therefore enhance the value added by EU funding to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 14 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review~~, in the context of the European Semester,~~ as well as by proposing measures and methodology for better monitoring of the EU Funds expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals including by making use of indicators going beyond GDP per capita; believes that the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review will provide an opportunity to analyse and therefore enhance the value added by EU funding to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Urg~~Stresses the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review, in the context of the European Semester, as well as by proposing measures and methodology for importance of the EU 2020 strategy for relaunching growth in Europe and urges the Commission to reactivate it in a bid to meet the targets; calls on the Commission to consider the possibility of a strategy analysis in the context of the European Semester, also with a view to ensuring better monitoring of the EU Funds expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals; ~~believes that~~stresses the importance of the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review under Article 2 of the MFA regulation, which will provide an opportunity to analyse and therefore enhance the value added by EU funding to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy; stresses that in order to optimise their results and to ensure the necessary investment to support recovery, this review of the MFF should be carried out in combination with the mid-term review of the EU 2020 strategy;

Amendment 16 #

Andrew LEWER, Ruža TOMAŠIĆ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review, in the context of the European Semester, as well as by proposing measures and methodology for better monitoring of the EU Funds expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals; believes that the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review will provide an opportunity to analyse and therefore enhance the value added by EU funding to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy; insists on the need to gradually increase the involvement of local and regional level actors in the early consultation process in the context of the mid-term review;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to take better account of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its key targets by improving its implementation and carrying out a further review, in the context of the European Semester, as well as by proposing measures and methodolog~~y for~~ies to better monitor~~ing of the EU~~ European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds expenditures related to Europe 2020 goals; believes that the forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) review will provide an opportunity to analyse, evaluate and t, where~~fore enhance the value added by EU funding~~ necessary, improve the added value of the ESI Funds to the goals of Europe 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Notes that resources from ESIF in 2014-2016 are expected to account for approximately 14% of total public investment on EU average, with the highest share reaching beyond 70% in some Member States; highlights the crucial importance of ESIF support for public investment programmes;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Notes the significance of EU investment for less developed regions along with the importance to ensure its capacity to attract further investment, thus promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Acknowledges the new approach for a more streamlined European Semester organised in two successive phases, including publishing the recommendations for the entire euro area early on, together with this annual growth survey (AGS)~~, preceding the country-specific recommendations (CSRs), thus giving Member States the opportunity to take the euro area recommendations into account in national policymaking~~;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines that the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe, should be complementary to local and regional investment strategies and the European Structural and Investment (ESI Funds), and that Member States should ~~closely involve th~~encourage local and regional authorities into promot~~ing~~e project pipelines and investment platforms; calls for further steps to be taken to ensure complementarity and synergies between the ESI Funds, the EFSI and other EU- subsidised programmes and initiatives, together with national public investments and private financial instruments, in order to obtain maximum added value and synergy by exploiting the full potential of such investments;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines that the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe, should ~~be complementary to~~not undermine the rationale for local and regional investment strategies and the European Structural and Investment (ESI Funds), and that Member States should closely involve ~~the~~all the relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations, local and regional authorities in promoting project pipelines and investment platforms; calls for further steps to be taken to ensure complementarity and synergies between the ESI Funds, ~~the EFSI~~ and other EU-subsidised programmes and initiatives, ~~together with national public investments and private financial instruments,~~ in order to obtain maximum added value and synergy by exploiting the full potential of such investments;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines that the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe, should be complementary to local and regional investment strategies and the European Structural and Investment (ESI Funds), and that Member States should closely involve the local and regional authorities and all other stakeholders concerned, in particular SMEs and NGOs, in promoting project pipelines and investment platforms; calls for further steps to be taken to ensure complementarity and synergies between the ESI Funds, the EFSI and other EU- subsidised programmes and initiatives, together with national public investments and private financial instruments, in order to obtain maximum added value and synergy by exploiting the full potential of such investments;

Amendment 23 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines that the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe, should be complementary to local and regional investment strategies and the European Structural and Investment (ESI Funds), and that Member States should closely involve the local and regional authorities in promoting project pipelines and investment platforms; welcomes the fact that the Commission intends shortly to issue guidelines for the complementarity of funds for the benefit of the Member States and other actors; calls for further steps to be taken to ensure complementarity and synergies between the ESI Funds, the EFSI and other EU-subsidised programmes and initiatives, together with ~~national public investments~~public and private fin~~ancial instru~~vestments, in order to obtain maximum added value and synergy by exploiting the full potential of such investments;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines that the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe, should be complementary to and in line with local and regional investment strategies and the European Structural and Investment (ESI Funds), and points out that Member States should closely involve the local and regional authorities from the outset in promoting project pipelines and investment platforms; calls for f~~urther step~~resh solutions to be ~~taken~~found to ensure complementarity and synergies between the ESI Funds, the EFSI and other EU-subsidised programmes and initiatives, together with national public investments and private financial instruments, in order to obtain maximum added value and synergy by exploiting the full potential of such investments;

Amendment 25 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines that the new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), as part of the Investment Plan for Europe, should be complementary to local and regional investment strategies and the European Structural and Investment (ESI Funds), and that Member States should closely involve the local and regional authorities in promoting project pipelines and investment platforms, placing the emphasis on investments for young entrepreneurs who are seeking investors; calls for further steps to be taken to ensure complementarity and synergies between the ESI Funds, the EFSI and other EU- subsidised programmes and initiatives, together with national public investments and private financial instruments, in order to obtain maximum added value and synergy by exploiting the full potential of such investments;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Notes~~Expresses its concern regarding the closer links between the objectives of the European Semester process and the programming of the ESI Funds for 2014- 2020, reflected in the Partnership Agreements, especially concerning improvements to the labour market, the reform of education systems, the functioning of public administration, improvements to the business and research and innovation environment, and social inclusion; considers that cohesion policy investments could play a very important role in supporting structural reforms and the fulfilment of the EU’s strategic goals by following up the relevant CSRs together with; considers that cohesion policy investments could play a very important role in supporting structural reforms but reiterates that the macroconditionality principle enshrined in the article 23 of the Common Provision Regulation is liable to jeopardise the achievement of the ~~eff~~objective ~~implementation of the Partnership Agreements~~of economic, social and territorial cohesion;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes the closer links between the objectives of the European Semester process and the programming of the ESI Funds for 2014-2020, reflected in the Partnership Agreements, especially concerning improvements to the labour market, the reform of education systems, the functioning of public administration, improvements to the business and research and innovation environment, and social inclusion; considers that cohesion policy investments ~~could~~ play a very important role in supporting structural reforms and the fulfilment of the EU’s strategic goals by following up the relevant CSRs together with the effective implementation of the Partnership Agreements; Emphasises the multiannual and long-term nature of programmes and objectives under the ESI Funds, as opposed to the annual cycle of the European Semester; stresses that the two procedures should be precisely coordinated, in order to reconcile the European Union's priorities and regional needs; stresses the regional component of cohesion policy and the associated need for flexibility in order to be able to take account of particular territorial challenges; calls on the Commission to supply detailed data on the interaction between cohesion policy and the European economic governance framework, and on the contribution made by the ESI Funds to the implementation of the CSRs and structural reforms;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes the ~~closer links between the~~ objectives of the European Semester process and the programming of the ESI Funds for 2014-2020, reflected in the Partnership Agreements, especially concerning improvements to the labour market, the reform of education systems, the functioning of public administration, improvements to the business and research and innovation environment, sustainable energy investments, health sector, access to finance and social inclusion; considers that cohesion policy investments could play a very important role in supporting structural reforms and the fulfilment of the EU’'s strategic goals by following up the ~~relevant CSRs together with the~~ effective implementation of the Partnership Agreements;

Amendment 3 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Acknowledges the new approach for a more streamlined European Semester organised in two successive phases, including publishing the recommendations for the entire euro area early on, together with this annual growth survey (AGS), preceding the country-specific recommendations (CSRs), thus giving Member States the opportunity to take the euro area recommendations into account in national policymaking; stresses that the Member States should draw up responsible budget policies that take account of the priorities set at regional level;

Amendment 30 #

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Urges the Member States and the Commission to ensure adequate administrative capacity in order to increase the quality of public services to ~~firms and citizens, and~~businesses, especially to SMEs and to citizens; reminds that the most of the errors and irregularities in Cohesion Policy occur because of lack of sound financial management and good economic governance and process wise most of the errors and irregularities occur in public procurement, therefore it is necessary to ensure improved transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, by utilising e-procurement and tackling corruption; calls, in this context, for the efficient use of ESI Funds to reform ~~struct~~public institutions, procedures and processes, human resource management and service delivery;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Urges the Member States and the Commission to ensure adequate administrative capacity in order to ~~increa~~optimise the quality of service to ~~firms and citizen~~users, and to ensure improved transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, by utilising e-procurement and tackling corruption; ~~calls, in this context, for the efficient use of ESI Funds to reform structures and processes, human resource management and service delivery;~~

Amendment 34 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Urges the Member States and the Commission to ensure adequate administrative capacity in order to increase the quality of service to firms and citizens, and to ensure improved transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, by utilising e-procurement and tackling corruption; calls, in this context, for the efficient use of ESI Funds also contributing to reform structures and processes, human resource management and service delivery;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Urges the Member States and the Commission to ensure adequate administrative capacity in order to increase the quality of service to firms and citizens, and to ensure improved transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, ~~by utilising~~for example, by means of innovative solutions such as e- procurement and tackling corruption; calls, in this context, for the efficient use of ESI Funds to reform structures and processes, human resource management and service delivery;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Urges the Member States and the Commission to ensure adequate administrative capacity in order to increase the quality of service to firms and citizens, and to ensure improved transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, by utilising e-procurement and tackling corruption; calls, in this context, for the efficient use of ESI Funds to reform structures and processes, human resource management and service delivery; insists on setting performance criteria in the field of budget execution and calls on the Member States to identify participatory methods of budget implementation;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has underlined that ESI Funds can play a vital role in supporting reform implementation and injecting investment directly into the real economy, if targeted wisely and effectively implemented; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to focus on improving the investment environment and points out that both CSRs and ex ante conditionalities within cohesion policy 2014-2020 have a key role to play in this context, as they have important positive spillover effects on the broader investment environment, for instance by enhancing access to credit for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that EU funding is used to its full potential and in the most effective and efficient way;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has underlined that ESI Funds can play a vital role in supporting reform implementation and injecting investment directly into the real economy, if targeted wisely and effectively implemented; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to focus on improving the investment environment and points out that ~~both CSRs and~~ ex ante conditionalities within cohesion policy 2014-2020 have a key role to play in this context, as they have important positive spillover effects on the broader investment environment; urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that EU funding is used to its full potential and in the most effective and efficient way;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has underlined that ESI Funds can play a vital role in supporting reform implementation and injecting investment directly into the real economy, if targeted wisely and effectively implemented; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to focus on improving the investment environment and points out that both CSRs and ex ante conditionalities within cohesion policy 2014-2020 have a key role to play in this context, as they have important positive spillover effects on the broader investment environment; stresses in this connection that at the time of adoption of the programmes only 75% of all ex ante conditionalities were fulfilled; urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that EU funding is used to its full potential and in the most effective and efficient way;

Amendment 4 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Expresses concern that despite moderate signs of recovery, the EU economy is still in a period of slow growth, high long-term and youth unemployment, increased poverty levels and widening regional disparities in terms of GDP per capita; therefore calls on the Commission and Member States to speed up the implementation of ESI Funds 2014-2020 and all activities which support the implementation, such as: simplification, taskforce for better implementation, building institutional capacity, etc.; stresses that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge in some Member States;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Welcomes the fact that the Commission has underlined~~Stresses that ESI Funds ~~can~~ play a vital role in supporting ~~reform implementation and injecting~~ investment directly into the real economy, ~~if targeted wisely~~being used to achieve the targets set out in the 2014-2020 reform and effectively implemented; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to focus on improving the investment environment and points out that both CSRs and ex ante conditionalities within cohesion policy 2014-2020 ~~have a key role to play in this context,~~contribute to this as they have important positive spillover effects on the broader investment environment; urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that EU funding is used to its full potential and in the most effective and efficient way;

Amendment 41 #

Andrew LEWER, Ruža TOMAŠIĆ, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has underlined that ESI Funds can play a vital role in supporting reform implementation and injecting investment directly into the real economy, if targeted wisely and effectively implemented; acknowledges that there is an urgent need to focus on improving the investment environment and points out that both CSRs and ex ante conditionalities within cohesion policy 2014-2020 have a key role to play in this context, as they have important positive spillover effects on the broader investment environment; urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that EU funding is used to its full potential and in the most effective and efficient way, whilst adhering to the principle of subsidiarity;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Notes the proposal by the Commission to set up the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP); urges the Commission to ensure that the programme, designed to deliver support upon a Member State’s request and through the management modes intended is implemented while i) avoiding additional administrative complexity and ii) is consistent with existing resources and arrangements for structural reform; calls on all the services concerned to work together upstream in order to coordinate activities and avoid overlaps when offering assistance for the efficient and effective use of Union funds.deleted

Amendment 43 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Notes the proposal by the Commission to set up the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP); urges the Commission to ensure that the programme~~, designed to deliver support upon a Member State’s request and through the management modes intended is implemented while i)~~ avoid~~ing~~s additional administrative complexity and ~~ii)~~ is consistent with existing resources and arrangements for structural reform; calls on all the services concerned to work together upstream in order to coordinate activities and avoid overlaps when offering assistance ~~for the efficient and effective use of Union funds.~~;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Notes the proposal by the Commission to set up the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP); urges the Commission to ensure that the programme funding, designed to deliver support upon a Member State’s request and through the management modes intended is ~~implemented while i) avoiding additional administrative complexity and ii) is consistent with existing resources and arrangements for structural reform~~deployed in accordance with the specific scope and purpose of each fund, in line with the objectives under the Treaty, including economic, social and territorial cohesion (Article 4 of Regulation 1303/2013) and that the programme is implemented while i) avoiding additional administrative complexity and ii) is consistent with existing resources and arrangements for structural reform; calls on the Commission to legislate more effectively, specifying in greater detail the methodology and indicators to be used for monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the programme, while avoiding unnecessary secondary legislation (delegated act); calls on all the services concerned to work together upstream in order to coordinate activities and avoid overlaps when offering assistance for the efficient and effective use of Union funds.

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Commission – in order to increase democratic control over economic management – to involve the European Parliament in the whole process more fully by means of an interinstitutional agreement, as proposed in the Five Presidents' Report of 22 June 2015; considers that this agreement should therefore, inter alia, also provide for regular exchanges of views between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission before publication of the Annual Growth Survey and before publication of the CSRs.

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Underlines the presence of Member States within different stages of economic cycles and therefore, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of the Eurozone's monetary policy, indicates the danger posed by regarding the Euro area only as one macroeconomic entity; Calls therefore for the promotion of convergence, cautiously taking into regard country-specific vulnerabilities and differences in macro-economic cycles including by providing an in-depth assessment of macroeconomic imbalances;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Expresses concern that despite moderate signs of recovery, the EU economy is still in a period of slow growth, high long-term and youth unemployment, increased poverty levels and widening regional disparities in terms of GDP per capita; ~~stresses that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge in some Member States;~~

Amendment 6 #

Andrea COZZOLINO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Mercedes BRESSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Expresses concern that despite moderate signs of recovery, the EU economy is still in a period of slow growth, high long-term and youth unemployment, increased poverty levels and widening regional disparities in terms of GDP per capita; stresses that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge in some Member States which requires a European-level response and joint effort;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Expresses concern that despite ~~moderate signs of recovery~~hesitant signs that the tide may be on the turn, the EU economy is still in a period of slow growth, high long-term and youth unemployment, ~~increased~~ poverty levels and widening regional disparities ~~in terms of GDP per capita~~; stresses also that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge in some Member States to be met in accordance with the principle of solidarity (Article 80 TFEU);

Amendment 8 #

Andrew LEWER, Ruža TOMAŠIĆ, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Expresses concern that despite moderate signs of recovery, the EU econom~~y is~~ies of many EU member states are still in a period of slow growth, high long-term and youth unemployment, increased poverty levels and widening regional disparities in terms of GDP per capita; stresses that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge in some Member States;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Expresses concern that despite moderate signs of recovery, the EU economy is still in a period of slow growth, high long-term and youth unemployment, increased poverty levels and widening regional disparities in terms of GDP per capita; stresses that the unprecedented inflow of refugees and asylum seekers over the last year has represented a great challenge in some Member States; stresses that the Member States’ specific recommendations should pursue achievable objectives, in the light of the new challenges;

source: 575.295

2016/02/02 BUDG 33 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Deplores the fact that the European Semester has little in the way of a parliamentary dimension and is of questionable value and that the proposals in the Five Presidents’ Report are ~~lacking in ambition on that point; considers it disappoint~~totally inadequate, being rooted as they are ing th~~at the first annual growth survey following that report has not been so produced as to be subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, as Parliament is calling for~~e dogma of fiscal consolidation and the irreversibility of the single currency;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the European budget helps directly to achieve two out of the three objectives charted in the Annual Growth Survey 2016 (relaunching investment, pursuing structural reforms, and implementing responsible fiscal policies); ~~welcom~~denounces the Commission’s proposal to channel European funding towards technical assistance to support structural reforms as a way to further the depression in those countries as well as exacerbating social tensions born from the crisis, at a time when we need appeasement;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the European budget helps directly to achieve two out of the three objectives charted in the Annual Growth Survey 2016 (relaunching investment, pursuing structural reforms, and implementing responsible and honest fiscal policies that are commensurate with stated political commitments); welcomes the Commission’s proposal to channel European funding towards technical assistance to support structural reforms;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the European budget helps directly to achieve two out of the three objectives charted in the Annual Growth Survey 2016 (relaunching investment, pursuing structural reforms, and implementing responsible fiscal policies); ~~welcomes the Commission’s proposal to channel~~recalls the important role of the European Structural and Investment Funds and European fFund~~ing towards technical assistance to support structural reform~~ for Strategic Investment concerning the achievement of the EU 2020 goals;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Considers that the European budget could relieve the strain on national budgets and bolster fiscal consolidation efforts by providing own resources as well as rationalising expenditure; firmly believes that wider ranging management of public money at EU level would make it possible to achieve economies of scale and hence cut spending, especially in the diplomatic and military fieldshelp to rationalise expenditure if it focuses on specific shared priorities; firmly believes that economic recovery in Europe is to be achieved through greater public investment at national level, free of the fiscal consolidation constraints imposed by the EU;

Amendment 14 #

Bernd KÖLMEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 16 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Younous OMARJEE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Considers that the European budget could both relieve the strain on national budgets and bolster fiscal consolidation and growth efforts by providing own resources ~~as well as rationalising expenditure~~; firmly believes that wider ranging management of public money at EU level would make it possible to achieve economies of scale and hence cut spending, especially in the diplomatic and military fields, while not calling into question the principle of shared management, particularly for the structural funds;

Amendment 17 #

Vladimír MAŇKA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Considers that the European budget ~~could~~shall relieve the strain ~~on national budgets and bolster fiscal consolidation efforts by providing own resources as well as rationalis~~while complementing and reinforcing public services, providing own resources as well as ensuring due assessment and effective accounting expenditure; firmly believes that wider ranging management of public money at EU level would make it possible to achieve economies of scale ~~and hence cut spending, especially in the diplomatic and military fields~~;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Considers that the European budget could relieve the strain on national budgets and bolster fiscal consolidation efforts by providing own resources as well as rationalising expenditure; firmly believes that wider ranging management of public money at EU level would make it possible to achieve economies of scale and hence cut spending, especially in the diplomatic and military fields; Calls for a reform of the own resources system introducing new own resources for the EU, as for example Financial Transaction Tax, a CO2 and a Kerosene tax, to deliver a fair, transparent, more independent and future oriented budget system;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Deplores the fact that the European Semester has little in the way of a parliamentary dimension and the proposals in the Five Presidents’ Report are lacking in ambition on that point; considers it disappointing that the first annual growth survey following that report has not been so produced as to be subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, as Parliament is calling forstill not been abandoned, as it is an instrument in the hands of unelected technocrats used to dictate economic and budgetary decisions on to once sovereign States;

Amendment 20 #

Isabelle THOMAS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses that it is illegal for the EU budget to be in deficit; notes that the Member States are making the EU budget an adjustment variable of national budgets and that this consolidation of national budgets by delaying payments for project initiators is counterproductive economically and financially; takes the view that the exclusion of Member States’ contributions from the calculation of the structural deficit would allow for a more accurate reading of the budgetary efforts made by the Member States;

Amendment 21 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 22 #

Marco ZANNI, Marco VALLI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges ~~that the~~an immediate review of euro area ~~hav~~governance wits own budget in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward reform efforts; believes the European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool; calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mixh a view to making it possible for Member States to leave the single currency in order to boost growth and job creation.

Amendment 23 #

Bernd KÖLMEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Urges that the euro area have its own budget in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward reform efforts; believes the European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool; c~~Calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost growth and job creation.

Amendment 24 #

Daniele VIOTTI, Pina PICIERNO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges that the euro area have its own budget in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward reform efforts; believes the European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool; calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost growth and job creationto dissolve itself so that each member state can adopt a national currency fitting its economy, instead of one that benefits Germany and feeds its monstrous trade surplus, hence assuring the return of prosperity, as is already the case in non-Eurozone countries that have already erased the loss due to the financial crisis.

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Urges that~~Welcomes the discussion on the euro area haveing its own budget ~~in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward reform efforts; belie~~, but stresses that that budget would need to offset shocks and reward reform efforts without in any way overlapping with or taking ovesr the ~~European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool~~remit and role of the general budget of the EU as provided for in the Treaties; calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost growth and job creation.

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges that the euro area have its own budget in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward reform efforts; believes the European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool; ~~calls~~stresses that greater integration within the euro area is indispensable in order to achieve economic and monetary union, and that budgetary union is one of the essential cornerstones for the proper operation of the euro; calls, to that end, for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost growth and job creation.

Amendment 27 #

Reimer BÖGE, Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU, Siegfried MUREŞAN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges th~~at the euro area have its own budget~~e creation of a budget line or specific funds in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward reform efforts; believes the European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool; calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost sustainable growth and decent job creation.

Amendment 28 #

Vladimír MAŇKA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges ~~that~~, as regards the eEuro ~~area have~~pean Parliament's position to the Eurozone and its ~~own~~ budget ~~in order to counteract asymmetric shocks and reward~~capacity, to take into consideration the conclusions of the Own- Initiative refpor~~m efforts; believes the European Stability Mechanism to be a prototype of such a tool~~t on the budgetary capacity for the Eurozone, which will be prepared in the course of 2016; calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost growth and job creation; supports proposals to build fiscal capacity in the form of macroeconomic stabilisation mechanisms in order to prevent both asymmetric and symmetric shocks; considers as forms of fiscal capacity European Unemployment Insurance (against asymmetric shocks) and European Anti-cyclic Investment Tool (against symmetric shocks); .

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Urges that the euro area ~~have its own budget in order to~~moves forward with measures to deepen the budgetary integration of the EMU with a view to ensuring fiscal discipline and counteracting asymmetric shocks ~~and reward reform efforts; believes the European S~~by supporting national reform efforts; stresses that any instrument or governance structure estabili~~ty Mechanism to be a prototype of such a to~~shed to this end must be fully integrated into the Treaties and subjected to democratic control; calls for budgetary policy and monetary policy to be brought into a policy mix to boost growth and job creation.

Amendment 3 #

Marco ZANNI, Marco VALLI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Takes the view that the EU ~~has no economic policy other than the sum of national policies; deplores the fact that there is no lever available – given the modest scale of the European budget – and~~is incapable of establishing an effective common economic policy in view of the enormous economic, social and political disparities between the Member States; stresses, furthermore, that economic forecasts, ~~economic~~ policy priorities, and the budget-making process do not stand in any form of coherent relationship, including at European level;

Amendment 30 #

Vladimír MAŇKA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Reminds that the Investment Plan for Europe, financed from the EFSI, is intended for financing high-risk investments, which would not be possible without the risk coverage carried by the EFSI; calls on the European Commission to verify that only high-risk projects, which fulfil the additionality principle, receive funding under EFSI; underlines in this respect that the European Parliament will evaluate the projects as well as their leverage effect in order to ensure that the EFSI guarantee fund in the EU budget is used in an appropriate way;

Amendment 31 #

Daniele VIOTTI, Pina PICIERNO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Points out the need to expand the scope of the annual growth survey, in order to follow an holistic approach and therefore include criteria beyond GDP such as employment and social cohesion related ones;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission to carry out the review of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) provided for in a political agreement concluded between Parliament, the Commission and the Council in June 2013; points out that the financial and humanitarian crises that hit the EU between 2009 and 2014 highlighted the inadequacy of the current MFF; points, furthermore, to the need for a far-reaching reform of EU financial programming that will take proper account of the objectives, funding and duration of the instruments available.

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the Commission to analyse the gender dimension of the European Semester and to take specific actions, e.g. such as gender budgeting, in order to counterbalance any existing asymmetries.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Takes the view that the EU ~~has no~~'s economic policy other than the sum of national policies; deplores the fact that there is no lever available – given the modest scale of the European budget – and that economic forecasts, economic policy priorities, and the budget-making process do not stand in any form of coherent relationshipies, in particular in the Eurozone, have been destructive for the member states;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Takes the view that the EU has no economic policy other than the sum of national policies;~~ deplores the fact that there is no lever available – given the modest scale of the European budget – and that economic forecasts, economic policy priorities, and the budget-making process do not stand in any form of coherent relationship;

Amendment 6 #