2016/2303(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas technical assistance, whether at the initiative of the Commission or of the Member States, plays an important role in all phases of implementation of cohesion policy and is an important instrument for attracting and retaining high-quality employees in administration, creating a stable system for the management and use of the ESI Funds, and resolving bottlenecks in implementation and in assisting users to develop quality projects;

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas there is a need to optimise the link between technical assistance on the Commission’s initiative and technical assistance measures carried out at national and regional level;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the resources available for technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission were increased by comparison with the previous programming period, to 0.35 % of the annual allocation of the ERDF, ESF and CF, after deductions for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD); underlines the need for improving transparency on the use of technical assistance and reporting on results achieved;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the Commission’s activities funded by technical assistance, in particular its work on the TAIEX REGIO PEER 2 PEER instrument, the Competency Framework and Self-Assessment Tool ~~and the Integrity Pact~~, the Integrity Pacts, the Guide for practitioners on how to avoid the 25 most common errors on public procurement and the Study on stocktaking administrative capacity on public procurement in 28 Member States; calls on the Member States to make use of such initiatives to the extent possible; stresses that such instruments should have a greater role in the post-2020 cohesion policy;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the Commission’s activities funded by technical assistance, in particular its work on the TAIEX REGIO PEER 2 PEER instrument, the Competency Framework and Self-Assessment Tool and the Integrity Pacts; calls on the Member States to make use of such initiatives ~~to the extent possible~~; stresses that such instruments should have a greater role in the post-2020 cohesion policy and accordingly urges the Commission to raise awareness at local level regarding their use;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the Commission’s activities funded by technical assistance, in particular its work on the TAIEX REGIO PEER 2 PEER instrument, the Competency Framework and Self-Assessment Tool and the Integrity Pacts; calls on the Member States to make use of such initiatives to the extent possible; stresses that such instruments should have a greater role in the post-2020 cohesion policy; Recommends to extend the scope of the TAIEX REGIO PEER2PEER instruments to all partners in accordance with Article 5 of the CPR in order to ensure broad exchange of experience and facilitate capitalising on good practices;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Considers that the Commission should increase its efforts on contributing to capacity building of partners referred to in Article 5 of the CPR; Proposes to extend the scope of initiative of the Commission in the next funding period by directly engaging in the empowerment of partners in order to enable them to fully play their role in preparation and implementation of programmes;

Amendment 16 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Urges the Commission and Member States to use the experience and best practices derived from the TAIEX REGIO PEER 2 PEER initiative to develop fully the potential for regional policy to create jobs and ensure sustainable growth in line with the Europe 2020 strategy objectives.

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Considers necessary that the Commission should initiate an assessment on the effectiveness and added value from the implementation of the Integrity Pacts – Civil Control Mechanism for Safeguarding EU Funds.

Amendment 18 #

Maria SPYRAKI, Marc JOULAUD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Welcomes the positive impact of~~Notes the work of the Task Force for Greece and the Support Group for Cyprus on the implementation of the ESI Funds in those two countries, and in particular on absorption rates, while bearing in mind that this is only one of the indicators for a positive assessment of cohesion policy;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the positive impact of the work of the Task Force for Greece and the Support Group for Cyprus on the implementation of the ESI Funds in those two countries, and in particular on absorption rates; however notes that according to the European Court of Auditors special report entitled 'More attention to results needed to improve the delivery of technical assistance to Greece', there have been mixed results in achieving effective and sustainable reform;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas technical assistance, whether at the initiative of the Commission or of the Member States, plays an important role in all phases of implementation of cohesion policy; whereas options for use of technical assistance in the preparation phase of programmes should be explored;

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the positive impact of the work of the Task Force for Greece and the Support Group for Cyprus on the implementation of the ESI Funds in those two countries, and in particular on absorption rates; stresses the need to form a working group, based on the experiences of the 2007-2013 programming period, to support other Member States which are experiencing difficulties in implementing Cohesion Policy;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Takes note of~~Is deeply concerned about the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), and ~~recognises its potential benefits for~~deems that its rationale is totally inconsistent with the principles and objectives of cohesion policy, among other areas; ~~considers, however, that in case of~~opposes a possible prolongation of the programme, and stresses that resources should not be taken away from ESI Funds technical assistance; ~~calls on the Commission to ensure maximum coordination between the actions financed by the SRSP and the technical assistance provided under the ESI Funds;~~

Amendment 22 #

4. Takes note of the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), and recognises ~~its~~a number of potential benefits ~~for cohesion policy, among other areas~~; considers, however, that in case of a possible prolongation of the programme, this may detract from cohesion policy thematic objectives and that resources should not be taken away from ESI Funds technical assistance; calls on the Commission to ensure maximum coordination between the actions financed by the SRSP and the technical assistance provided under the ESI Funds so as to concentrate its efforts on achieving cohesion policy objectives as effectively as possible;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), and recognises its potential benefits for cohesion policy, among other areas; considers~~, however, that in case of a possible prolongation of the programme, resources should not be taken away from ESI Funds technical assistance~~ necessary the extension of the Structural Reform Support Programme post 2020, because coherence and consistency with the European Semester has to be improved by strengthening the link between cohesion policy and Country-Specific Recommendations; calls on the Commission to ensure maximum coordination and complementarities between the actions financed by the SRSP and the technical assistance provided under the ESI Funds;

Amendment 24 #

Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ, Martina MICHELS, Martina ANDERSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP)~~, and recognises its potential benefits for cohesion policy, among other areas~~; considers, however, that in case of a possible prolongation of the programme, resources should not be taken away from ESI Funds technical assistance; calls on the Commission to ensure maximum coordination between the actions financed by the SRSP and the technical assistance provided under the ESI Funds;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), and ~~recognises its~~looks forward to the potential benefits for cohesion policy, among other areas; considers, however, that in case of a possible prolongation of the programme, resources should not be taken away from ESI Funds technical assistance; calls on the Commission to ensure maximum coordination between the actions financed by the SRSP and the technical assistance provided under the ESI Funds;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the establishment of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), and recognises its potential benefits for cohesion policy, among other areas; considers, however, that in case of a possible prolongation of the programme, resources should not be taken away from ESI Funds technical assistance; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to ensure maximum coordination between the actions financed by the SRSP and the technical assistance provided under the ESI Funds;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Asks the Commission to include in future technical assistance provisions the possibility of making use of such assistance before the start of operational programmes;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes note of the technical assistance strategy prepared by the Commission’s DG for Regional and Urban Policy; suggests a broader technical assistance strategy or other coordinating mechanism covering all DGs that deal with the ESI Funds, as well as the activities of the Structural Reform Support Service related to cohesion policy, in order to streamline the support provided, avoid duplication and maximise synergies and complementaritbelieves that, in order make technical assistance as effective as possible, it must be tailored to the needs of the operational programme, which is not achieved through the adoption of generalized technical assistance strategies;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas local, regional and national authorities often lack the necessary capacity to efficiently and effectively implement the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) and organise a partnership with other public authorities including urban ones, economic and social partners and civil society representatives in accordance with Article 5 of the CPR; whereas administrative capacity varies greatly across Member States and regions;

Amendment 30 #

Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes note of the technical assistance strategy prepared by the Commission’s DG for Regional and Urban Policy; suggests a broader technical assistance strategy or other coordinating mechanism covering all DGs that deal with the ESI Funds, as well as the activities of the Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS) related to cohesion policy, in order to streamline the support provided, avoid duplication and maximise synergies and complementarities; calls on the Commission to report in particular on results achieved by the SRSS operations in Greece in designing and monitoring reforms;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes note of the technical assistance strategy prepared by the Commission’s DG for Regional and Urban Policy; suggests a broader technical assistance strategy ~~or other coordinating mechanism~~to ensure more effective coordination covering all DGs that deal with the ESI Funds, as well as the activities of the Structural Reform Support Service related to cohesion policy, in order to streamline the support provided, avoid duplication and maximise synergies and complementarities;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes note of the technical assistance strategy prepared by the Commission’'s DG for Regional and Urban Policy; suggests the development of a broader technical assistance strategy or other coordinating mechanism covering all DGs that deal with the ESI Funds, as well as the activities of the Structural Reform Support Service related to cohesion policy, in order to streamline the support provided, avoid duplication and maximise synergies and complementarities;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Highlights the importance of technical assistance in the domain of financial instruments, the use of which is exponentially increasing while they are rather complex by their nature; welcomes, in this respect, the partnership between the Commission and the European Investment Bank on the establishment of the fi- compass platform; ~~stresses, however, that a sign of greater capacity and simplification in this area should ultimately be a reduction of technical assistance;~~

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Highlights the importance of technical assistance in the domain of financial instruments, the use of which is exponentially increasing while they are rather complex by their nature; welcomes, in this respect, the partnership between the Commission and the European Investment Bank on the establishment of the fi- compass platform; welcomes the technical enhancements of the European Investment Advisory Hub for the combination of ESIF with the EFSI; stresses, however, that a sign of greater capacity and simplification in this area should ultimately be a reduction of technical assistance;

Amendment 35 #

6. Highlights the importance of technical assistance in the domain of financial instruments, the use of which is exponentially increasing while they are rather complex by their nature; welcomes, in this respect, the partnership between the Commission and the European Investment Bank on the establishment of the fi- compass platform; stresses, however, that a sign of greater capacity and simplification in this area should ultimately be a decrease in need for and respective reduction of technical assistance;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Highlights the importance of technical assistance in the domain of financial instruments, the use of which is exponentially increasing while they are rather complex by their nature; welcomes, in this respect, the partnership between the Commission and the European Investment Bank on the establishment of the fi- compass platform; stresses, however, that a sign of greater capacity and simplification in this area should ultimately be a reduction of technical assistance; stresses, furthermore, the need for complementarity with technical assistance measures carried out downstream at national and regional level;

Amendment 37 #

Daniel BUDA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Commission to better streamline the Technical assistance in order to cover areas where managing authorities and beneficiaries encounter most challenges like financial instruments, combining of ESI Funds' grants with EFSI and different financial instruments, with other Community programmes. There is a need for further enhancing of European Investment Advisory Hub and of European Investment Project Portal.

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the support provided to Member States under the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions (JASPERS) technical assistance facility, which provides expertise to Member States to help them prepare major projects cofinanced by the ERDF and CF; is looking forward to the special report of the European Court of Auditors foreseen for 2017, which will aim to check whether JASPERS has improved the development of assisted major projects cofinanced by the EU and thus contributed to higher project quality as well as to increasing Member States’ administrative capacity; stresses in this regard the need for a careful analysis of how JASPERS activity for the period 2007-14, providing independent quality review (IQR) has improved project quality and cut the time taken for approval of major projects by the Commission;

Amendment 39 #

Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ, Martina MICHELS, Martina ANDERSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes that, since technical assistance was first used in the area of cohesion policy, no global analysis has been carried out to establish the actual contribution it makes; points out that it is therefore difficult to make a detailed assessment of how important it is and of the contribution it makes in terms of administrative capacity-building and institutional strengthening with a view to ensuring that ESI Funds are managed in an effective way; calls, therefore, for an increase in information and transparency with regard to technical assistance activities, for Parliament to play a more significant role in monitoring and follow- up, and for a thoroughgoing, comprehensive study to be carried out on its contribution to the area of Cohesion Policy;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas partners in preparation and implementation of cohesion policy should also be targeted by technical assistance measures, in particular in the field of capacity building, networking and communicating on cohesion policy;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Recalls the importance of adequate and targeted indicators fit for measuring results and impacts of ESI Funds spending and availability of technical assistance for respective monitoring; Considers that the introduction of common indicators was a first step to this end, but comes along with a number of deficiencies, such as excessive focus on output, missing long- term perspective, mis-match of tailor- made information needs; Calls urgently on the Commission to invest in improving the reporting and evaluation system by developing more appropriate indicators ready for use in the next programming period;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission to prepare measures and resources to set up technical assistance for the implementation of EU macro-regional strategies, having taken into account the varied experiences and rates of success of implementing such strategies, as well as the fact that the strategies' participants include non-Member States and countries with limited funds and insufficient human resources; considers that this would be more effective in helping to prepare major projects at the macro-regional level that could receive funding under Cohesion Policy;

Amendment 42 #

Raffaele FITTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Stresses the importance of implementing specific technical assistance measures to promote re-industrialization in depressed areas so as to attract industrial investments in high-tech and innovative sectors with a low environmental impact;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Calls on the Commission to establish technical assistance, namely Member States Working Groups, in order to prevent delays in developing the bodies and operational programmes that will be needed under Cohesion Policy in the Member States after 2020;

Amendment 44 #

Raymond FINCH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Stress~~Notes that the available EU cofinancing for technical assistance at the disposal of the Member States under the five ESI Funds in the 2014-2020 programming period amounts to around EUR 13.4 billion;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Emphasises that technical assistance is in essence different from other actions financed by the ESI Funds and that it is particularly ~~difficult~~complicated task to measure its results; highlights, however, that, given its ~~necessity, the level of resources available under it and its~~ potential, there is a strong need for a coordinated, strategic and transparent approach;

Amendment 46 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Emphasises that technical assistance is in essence different from other actions financed by the ESI Funds and that it is particularly difficult to measure its results; highlights, however, that, given its necessity, the level of resources available under it and its potential, there is a strong need for a ~~coordinated,~~n approach that is strategic ~~and~~, transparent a~~pproach~~nd coordinated at the various levels of governance;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Emphasises that technical assistance is in essence different from other actions financed by the ESI Funds and that it is particularly difficult to measure its results; ~~highlights,~~ however, that, given its necessity, the level of resources available under it and its potential, there is a strong need for a coordinated, strategic and transparent approach and flexibility to meet needs identified by the authorities managing investment programmes in the Member States;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights that the 2019 performance review will shed ~~some~~ light on the results of the use of technical assistance in the 2014-2020 programming period but these ~~will~~results may come too late for the discussions on the post 2020-period;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights th~~at the 2019 performance review will~~e need for an intermediate performance review, followed by a programme review in 2019, to shed some light on the results of the use of technical assistance in the 2014-2020 programming period buand ensure that these ~~will~~do not come too late for the discussions on the post 2020-period;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the national, local and regional authorities have difficulties in retaining qualified personnel, who tend to leave for better-paid jobs in the private sector; whereas this is an important hindrance for the capacity of the public authorities to successfully implement the ESI Funds, in order to make optimum use of EIS funds, local, regional and national authorities need a sufficient number of trained and qualified staff;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights that the 2019 performance review will shed some light on the results of the use of technical assistance in the 2014-2020 programming period but these will come too late for the discussions on the post 2020-period; stresses the need, therefore, to include information in the debate on technical assistance after 2020 concerning the quality of the implementation of Cohesion Policy in the Member States;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Highlights that the 2019 performance review will shed some light on the results of the use of technical assistance in the 2014-2020 programming period but these will come too late for the discussions on the post 2020-period; calls, therefore, for a wider debate on ways how to assess the efficiency of technical assistance faster and more comprehensively;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Is concerned~~Notes that that in certain Member States technical assistance does not ~~reach the local and regional authorities in an effective way~~sufficiently and effectively reach the local authorities; highlights that it is crucial to establish sound communication channels between the different levels of governance in order to successfully implement the ESI Funds, ~~but also to~~while restoreing trust in the effective functioning of the EU and its policies;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is concerned that in certain Member States technical assistance does not reach the local and regional authorities in an effective way; highlights th~~at it is crucial to~~eir need for suitable information campaigns and the establishment of sound communication channels between the different levels of governance in order to successfully implement the ESI Funds, but also to restore trust in the effective functioning of the EU and its policies in the eyes of the public and the competent authorities;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 55 #

Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ, Martina MICHELS, Martina ANDERSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is concerned that in certain Member States technical assistance does not reach the local and regional authorities in an effective way; highlights that it is crucial to establish sound and transparent communication channels between the different levels of governance in order to successfully implement the ESI Funds, but also to restore trust in the effective functioning of the EU and its policies; welcomes, therefore, the multi-layered system of implementing Cohesion Policy in Poland (3 pillars of technical assistance) which enables more result- oriented, coordinated strategic and transparent approach and generates greater added value; calls on the Member States to develop mechanisms to involve ESI Funds beneficiaries in the implementation and monitoring of technical assistance;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is concerned that in certain Member States technical assistance does not reach the local and regional authorities in an effective way; highlights that it is crucial, therefore, to make more effort to ensure that technical assistance actually reaches those local and regional authorities, significantly boosting their capacities, and to establish sound communication channels between the different levels of governance in order to successfully implement the ESI Funds, but also to restore trust in the effective functioning of the EU and its policies;

Amendment 57 #

Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is concerned that in certain Member States technical assistance does not reach the local and regional authorities in an effective way; therefore calls on these Member States to step up their efforts to simplify technical assistance provisions; highlights that it is crucial to establish sound communication channels between the different levels of governance in order to successfully implement the ESI Funds, but also to restore trust in the effective functioning of the EU and its policies;

Amendment 58 #

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the national, local and regional authorities have difficulties in retaining qualified personnel, who tend to leave for better-paid jobs in the private sector or in the national-level authorities; whereas this is an important hindrance for the capacity of the public authorities to successfully implement the ESI Funds and to reach the goals of cohesion;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is concerned that in certain Member States technical assistance does not reach the local and regional authorities, which usually have the lowest capacity, in an effective way; highlights that it is crucial to establish sound communication channels between the different levels of governance in order to successfully implement the ESI Funds, but also to restore trust in the effective functioning of the EU and its policies;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Stresses that technical assistance focused on developing human potential must be used in the service of needs that were previously identified in employee development plans and specialised staff training;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Emphasises that the capacity of the lower levels of governance is also essential for the success of the new territorial development tools, such as Community-led Local Development (CLLD) and the Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI); Recalls the important role of Local Action Groups, in particular for implementation of CLLD, and considers that technical assistance shall be made available by Member States to support their valuable contribution to sustainable local development in the Union;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Emphasises that the capacity of the lower levels of governance is also essential for the success of the new territorial development tools, such as Community-led Local Development and the Integrated Territorial Investment; calls for the continued decentralisation of the implementation of Community-led Local Development; notes that while it may be difficult to measure the effects of technical assistance, it is by no means impossible, particularly when looking at benefit-cost ratio; emphasises that in some Member States, technical assistance provided for the establishment of a complete system for the implementation of the ERDF and the establishment of a system for the implementation of ITIs is showing a negative benefit-cost ratio; notes that ITIs account for 5% of the value of the ERDF, while technical assistance for the establishment of a system for the implementation of ITIs accounts for 50% of the value of the ERDF; calls, accordingly, for clear control mechanisms to be put in place, in particular as regards non-transparent negotiations on technical assistance;

Amendment 64 #

Raffaele FITTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Draws attention to the need for technical assistance activities to include support for technically and economically feasible projects, enabling Member States to put forward strategies eligible for cohesion policy funding;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Notes with concern that in the implementation of integrated actions for sustainable urban development, while tasks are delegated to urban authorities which act as intermediate bodies, they often do not receive the necessary technical assistance for building up their capacity; in this context considers that technical assistance should be enhanced on the level of urban areas, taking into view the role of urban authorities in cohesion policy, and the necessity to create strong capacity for further implementation of the European Urban Agenda and Pact of Amsterdam;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Notes that the 2014-2020 programming period provides for greater involvement of local authorities; stresses that this implies greater technical and administrative skills; asks the commission to study initiatives and mechanisms enabling local operators to fully exploit the programming opportunities provided by EIS fund regulations;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Draws attention to the European code of conduct on partnership, which defines the need to help the relevant partners strengthen their institutional capacity with a view to the preparation and implementation of programmes; considers, moreover, that the main principles and good practices enshrined in the article 5 of the European Code of Conduct and concerning the involvement of relevant partners in the preparation of the Partnership Agreement and programmes should be actually implemented, with particular focus on the issue of timely disclosure and easy access to relevant information;

Amendment 68 #

Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Draws attention to the European code of conduct on partnership, which defines the need to help the relevant partners strengthen their institutional capacity with a view to the preparation and implementation of programmes; stresses the need for clear guidelines to increase consistency and eliminate regulatory uncertainty;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights that the largest part of technical assistance resources is spent on staff costs which are necessary for the implementation of ESI Funds; ~~considers, how~~believer,s that this funding should not under any circumstances act as a substitute for national financing in this area, and that there should be a gradual strategic shift towards activities which generate greater added value for cohesion policy in general, such as communication or experience-sharinghuman resources can be a stimulus and an incentive for the progressive improvement of public administration standards in the Member States; calls on the Commission to develop effective synergy mechanisms for the benefit of the public and of recipients;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas technical assistance provided by large firms to the national, local and regional authorities should not become an everlasting and standard practice but rather be used for the better training of the current staff in very specific cases (e.g. at the beginning of new programming periods) ;

Amendment 70 #

Raffaele FITTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights th~~at the largest part of technical assistance resources is spent on staff costs which are necessary for the implementation of ESI Funds~~e need to entrust technical assistance, with funding, to qualified nationals able to provide ongoing support; considers, however, that this funding should not under any circumstances act as a substitute for national financing in this area, and that there should be a gradual strategic shift towards activities which generate greater added value for cohesion policy in general, such as communication or experience- sharing;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights that the largest part of technical assistance resources is spent on staff costs which are necessary for the implementation of ESI Funds; ~~consider~~stresses, however, that this funding should not under any circumstances act as a substitute for national financing in this area, and that there should be a gradual strategic shift towards activities which generate greater added value for cohesion policy in general, such as communication or experience- sharing;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights that the largest part of technical assistance resources is spent on staff costs which are necessary for the implementation of ESI Funds; considers, however, that this funding should not under any circumstances act as a substitute for national financing in this area, and that there should be a gradual strategic shift towards activities which generate greater added value for cohesion policy in general, such as capacity building, communication or experience- sharing;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights that the largest part of technical assistance resources is spent on staff costs which are necessary for the implementation of ESI Funds; considers, however, that this funding should not under any circumstances act as a substitute for national financing in this area, and that there should be a gradual strategic shift towards activities which generate greater added value for cohesion policy in general, such as communication or experience- sharing; stresses that many Member States are not applying the Code or Delegated Regulation (EU) No 240/2014;

Amendment 74 #

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ, Daniel BUDA, Maria SPYRAKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Stresses the importance of including institutions that are not part of the management system, but which have a direct impact on it and whose capabilities are an important factor in the implementation of Cohesion Policy; recalls that these institutions must be offered assistance to expand their administrative capacities through education, knowledge exchange, networking and establishing the IT systems that are needed to manage the projects;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Stresses that increased communication on and visibility of the results and successes achieved with the support of ESI Funds can contribute to regaining citizens' confidence and trust in the European project; calls, therefore, for the creation of a separate envelope for communication within the technical assistance at the initiative of the Member State;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission to promote the fungibility of technical assistance measures to allow for economies of scale to be made and for the financing of measures common to various ESI Funds;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. ~~Stress~~Urges that that future technical assistance ~~in the future should be increasingly focused on the beneficiary/project level;~~ should not be concentrated centrally but should also be provided for intermediate bodies and, in particular, the beneficiaries, given that they are the end- users of the funding

Amendment 78 #

Jens NILSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. ~~Stresses that~~Calls for technical assistance in the future ~~should~~to be increasingly focused on the beneficiary/project ~~level~~organiser and for this to be documented in the partnership agreement between the Commission and the Member State concerned;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that technical assistance in the future should be ~~increasingly focused on~~tailor made to the beneficiary/project level, taking into account their diverse specific features, and avoiding one-size-fits-all approach;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas there is space for improving the monitoring and evaluation of technical assistance despite the ~~fact that there is~~emphasis on more result orientation in the 2014- 2020 programming period;

Amendment 80 #

16. Stresses that technical assistance in the future should be increasingly focused on the beneficiary/project level in order to ensure the supply of innovative and well- designed projects fitting in with already existing strategies; highlights that technical assistance may be used for testing innovative solutions-pilot projects;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that technical assistance in the future should be increasingly focused on the beneficiary/project level, in particular through establishing a network of info-points to enable potential beneficiaries to learn about available sources of funding, operational programmes and open calls, as well as to learn how to fill in application forms and implement projects;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that technical assistance in the future should be increasingly focused on the beneficiary/project level, regardless of whether it relates to the public economic sector or to the civil society sector;

Amendment 83 #

Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ, Martina MICHELS, Martina ANDERSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that technical assistance in the future should be increasingly focused on the beneficiary/project level rather than dealing with excessive procedural and bureaucratic complications;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Takes the view that technical assistance must contribute to the sustainability of projects, i.e. the amount of time they last, focusing on key areas of cohesion policy and favouring long-term outcomes, for example projects that create lasting employment;

Amendment 85 #

Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ, Martina MICHELS, Martina ANDERSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Calls for streamlining and enhancing Technical assistance for the purpose of ensuring more effective visibility of cohesion policy and awareness rising among citizens, to achieve wide dissemination of the impact of the ESI Funds.

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16b. Points out that technical assistance must be seen as a simple, flexible instrument that can be adjusted to suit changing circumstances, and therefore as being really useful in the process of managing ESI Funds, the allocation of which also requires the flexibility necessary to respond to new and unusual situations and to emergencies;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for better reporting by Member States in the post-2020 programming period of the types of actions financed by technical assistance, as well as the results achieved; stresses that greater transparency is needed in order to increase the visibility of technical assistance and track how and where it is spent; with the aim of achieving better accountability, including a clear audit path; considers that regularly updated and publicly available databases of actions planned and undertaken by the Member States should be considered in this respect, drawing on the experience of the Commission's Open Data Portal for the ESI Funds;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Asks for a stricter control on the results of the activities of large private firms providing technical assistance to the public administrations, also in order to prevent conflict of interests and wasting of European and national funding;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

17 b. Invites national, regional and local authorities to not rely on the technical assistance provided by private entities for extended periods of time but rather, in a general perspective, to carry out 'train the trainer' programs and empower their own staff, possibly with the long-term goal of hiring new qualified personnel and thus of building a more competent, self-reliant and specialised class of public administrators;

Amendment 9 #

Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ, Martina MICHELS, Martina ANDERSON

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas there is space for improving the monitoring and evaluation of technical assistance despite the fact that there is more result orientation in the 2014- 2020 programming period and that almost half of this period has elapsed;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased use of technical assistance in the area of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) and related programmes, ~~which~~and especially in the field of cross-border cooperation, as those areas have their own specificities and require support in all phases of implementation, with a view to enhancing that cooperation and increasing the stability of the programmes concerned;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased ~~use~~availability of technical assistance in European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) programmes, which have their own specificities and require support in all phases of implementation;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Asks the Commission to consider all these elements in the context of the preparation of the legislative proposals for post-2020 cohesion policy, i.e. experience from the current and previous programming period;

Amendment 93 #