2018/2046(BUD) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that the Single Market is one of Europe´s greatest achievement, which has allowed persons, goods, services and capital to move more freely in the Union, has boosted the EU Gross Domestic Product by 1,7% and created 3,6 million of additional jobs since 1990 and considers therefore that the completion of the Single Market should remain one of the priorities in the 2019 Budget as it is crucial to make the Union a more competitive and dynamic knowledge- based economy, to the benefit of both its citizens and its businesses;deleted

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the increased level of commitment appropriations for the modernisation of the customs union in support of the implementation of the Union Customs Code (Code) and of the development of the electronic customs systems, since the full and uniform implementation of the Code is essential to better protect the citizens and the financial interests of the Union and e-customs constitutes one of the priority areas for a better functioning of the internal market; and underlines that the simplification of customs procedures and effective enforcement of customs systems are essential to combat fraud and drive competition

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the increased level of commitment appropriations for the modernisation of the customs union in support of the implementation of the Union Customs Code (Code) and of the development of the electronic customs systems, since the full and uniform implementation of the Code is essential to better protect the citizens and the financial interests of the Union and ensure ethical competition, while e-customs constitutes one of the priority areas for a better functioning of the internal market;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the increased level of commitment appropriations for the modernisation of the customs union in support of the implementation of the Union Customs Code (Code) and of the development of the electronic customs systems, since the full and uniform implementation of the Code is essential to better protect the citizens and the financial interests of the Union and e-customs constitutes ~~one of the priority areas for~~the major challenge over the coming years in ensuring a better functioning of the internal market;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Welcome~~Regrets the increased level of commitment appropriations for the modernisation of the customs union in support of the implementation of the Union Customs Code (Code) and of the development of the electronic customs systems, since the full and uniform implementation of the Code is essential to better protect the citizens and the financial interests of the Union and e-customs constitutes one of the priority areas for a better functioning of the internal market;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that challenges in the consumer protection of Union citizens still remain, in particular as regards the digital economy and the development of cross- border retail trade in the Union and consequently ~~regret~~notes that the appropriations for the Consumer Programme in the draft budget 2019 are not sufficient; ~~calls, therefore, for an adequate funding to the consumers programme in order to ensure a high level of protection for consumers, in particular vulnerable consumers;~~

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that challenges in the consumer protection of Union citizens still remain, in particular as regards the digital economy and the development of cross- border retail trade in the Union and consequently regrets that the appropriations for the Consumer Programme in the draft budget 2019 are not sufficient; calls, therefore, for an adequate funding to the consumers programme in order to ensure a high level of protection for consumers, in particular vulnerable consumers, and ensure that fresh challenges to consumer protection policies are suitably addressed;

Amendment 16 #

Antanas GUOGA, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Inese VAIDERE, Eva MAYDELL, Philippe JUVIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that challenges in the consumer protection of Union citizens still remain, in particular as regards the digital economy and the development of cross- border retail trade in the Union and consequently regrets that the appropriations for the Consumer Programme in the draft budget 2019 are not sufficient; calls, therefore, for an adequate funding to the consumers programme in order to ensure a high level of protection for consumers, in particular vulnerable consumers and finalise the implementation of a genuine European digital single market;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Stresses the importance of internal market governance tools in ensuring not only proper application of EU rules but also better information and assistance for consumers and businesses; Calls, therefore, to increase the relevant budget line 02 03 04 in order to ensure better functioning of the Single Market and specifically information and assistance services;

Amendment 18 #

Antanas GUOGA, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Inese VAIDERE, Eva MAYDELL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Recommends that the Commission support awareness programmes regarding their rights and appropriate action in response to infringements thereof;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Notes that 91,6 % of citizens and businesses are unaware of any European- level information or assistance service1a and is of the opinion that consumer and businesses awareness of the information and assistance tools, in particular Your Europe portal and European Consumer Centres Network, is of paramount importance and that a significant effort is needed to increase it and therefore expects an important increase of funding allocations; _________________ 1a2017 data taken from Study on information and assistance needs of businesses operating cross-border within the EU, including gap and cost analysis p.30.

Amendment 2 #

Antanas GUOGA, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Inese VAIDERE, Eva MAYDELL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that the Single Market is one of Europe´s greatest achievement, which has allowed persons, goods, services and capital to move more freely in the Union, has boosted the EU Gross Domestic Product by 1,7% and created 3,6 million of additional jobs since 1990 and considers therefore that the completion of the Single Market should remain one of the priorities in the 2019 Budget as it is crucial to make the Union a more competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, to the benefit of both its citizens and its businesses; stresses, in this connection, the need to make the EU more competitive and calls for a budget allocation to help transform activities for a digital world;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6 c. Notes that EU institutions already reached informal agreement on the Commission's proposal for a Regulation on establishing a single digital gateway to provide information, procedures, assistance and problem solving services and expects adequate funding allocations already in 2019 for the preparation of the gateway;

Amendment 21 #

Antanas GUOGA, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Inese VAIDERE, Eva MAYDELL, Birgit COLLIN-LANGEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)

6 d. Reminds the Commission, in the context of the entry into application on 3 December 2018 of the Regulation(EU) 2018/302 on addressing unjustified geo- blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market, of its commitment to perform by March2020 a substantive analysis of the feasibility of extending the scope of the regulation to fully cover copyright- protected electronically supplied services, including audio-visual services, in the full scope of this regulation and therefore calls for adequate funding allocation for this purpose already in 2019;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME ) is a crucial tool to encourage an entrepreneurial culture, to support existing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and ensure their competitiveness, sustainability and growth, help them embrace digital transformation, as well as to promote the advancement of the knowledge society, and expects that the reduction on payment appropriations for COSME in the draft budget 2019 is only due to a detailed calculation of outstanding amounts by the Commission, since it is of capital importance to avoid bottlenecks and shortages in the payment of COSME actions;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Welcom~~Deplores the increase in commitment appropriations in the draft budget 2019 on the budget line 02 02 01 ‘Promoting entrepreneurship and improving the competitiveness and access to markets of Union enterprises’ while maintains concerns on the level of programmed payment appropriations, since improving SMEs’ access to finance remains a key priority for IMCO in the 2019 Budget;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Welcomes the increase in appropriations in the 2019 draft budget line 33 04 01 'Safeguarding consumers’ interest and improving their safety and information'; stresses that improving average consumer education and awareness is of paramount importance in the digital single market;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Calls for the reinforcement of Single Market tools that increase awareness of internal market rules; underlines the continuation of financial allocations for SOLVIT, the European Consumer Centres Network and Fin-Net;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8 b. Highlights the importance of standards for EU market competitiveness; recalls that adequate financial support is necessary for the activities of European Standard Organisations (ESOs);

Amendment 27 #

Antanas GUOGA, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Inese VAIDERE, Eva MAYDELL, Birgit COLLIN-LANGEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Asks for the financing of all the pilot projects endorsed by IMCO and in particular the ones on “Monitoring of possible unfair consumer profiling and price adjustment by airlines” (that investigates whether airlines practise the so-called “consumer profiling” in order to adjust the flight fares), on “Application of web accessibility requirements in web- authoring tools and platforms by default” (that encourages and supports the adoption of the relevant accessibility requirements of the European Standard EN 301 549 v1.1.2 by awarding grants to firms), and on “Assessing alleged differences in the quality of products sold on the Single Market” (that develops further relevant consumer and market- related research on alleged dual quality of food products).deleted

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Asks for the financing of all the pilot projects endorsed by IMCO and in particular the ones on “Monitoring of possible unfair consumer profiling and price adjustment by airlines” (that investigates whether airlines practise the so-called “consumer profiling” in order to adjust the flight fares), on “Application of web accessibility requirements in web- authoring tools and platforms by default” (that encourages and supports the adoption of the relevant accessibility requirements of the European Standard EN 301 549 v1.1.2 by awarding grants to firms), and on “Assessing alleged differences in the quality of products sold on the Single Market” (that develops further relevant consumer and market-related research on alleged dual quality of ~~food~~ products on the Single Market).

Amendment 29 #

Antanas GUOGA, Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Inese VAIDERE, Eva MAYDELL, Birgit COLLIN-LANGEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. In regard to the pilot project on "Assessing alleged differences in the quality of products sold on the Single Market", calls on the Commission to ascertain that Members of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee are closely involved in the planning and oversight of all activities related to this pilot project and reiterates that the role of MEPs should be prominent in informing the general public about results of the final report;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that the Single Market is one of Europe´s greatest achievement, which has allowed persons, goods, services and capital to move more freely in the Union, has boosted the EU Gross Domestic Product by 1,7% and created 3,6 million of additional jobs since 1990 and considers therefore that the completion of the Single Market ~~should~~must remain one of the priorities in the 2019 Budget as it is crucial to make the Union a more competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, to the benefit of both its citizens and its businesses;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Stresses the need to link all Internal Market programmes to General Regulation (EU) No 2016/679 on the protection of personal data;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Draws attention to the fact that current appropriations under budget lines 020201, 02010401 and 020202 are weakening the prospects for business growth, the development of SMEs and micro-enterprises and access to finance.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that a healthy consumer environment is a key factor for the completion of the Single Market and for economic growth throughout Europe and highlights that Union legislation on consumer protection has given predictability and confidence to citizens and businesses in many areas such as passenger rights, consumer rights and the fight against unfair commercial practices and unfair contract terms, the fight against tax evasion and the fight against monopolies or market dominance, and stresses, in this regard, that a strong consumer protection policy is needed to enhance consumer safety and awareness and to adapt consumer rights to social, technological and economic change ;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that a healthy consumer environment is a key factor ~~for the completion of the Single Market and for economic growth throughout Europe and highlights that Union legislation on~~in economic growth and highlights that consumer protection has given predictability and confidence to citizens and businesses in many areas such as passenger rights, consumer rights and the fight against unfair commercial practices and unfair contract terms;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that a healthy and empowered consumer environment is a key factor for the completion of the Single Market and for economic growth throughout Europe and highlights that Union legislation on consumer protection has given predictability and confidence to citizens and businesses in many areas such as passenger rights, consumer rights and the fight against unfair commercial practices and unfair contract terms;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Notes at the same time that unsafe and non-compliant products are still a reality on European Union markets, as highlighted by a number of recent scandals, thereby underlining the need to earmark funding for more efficient and coordinated market supervision and measures to ensure consumer safety;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses that Single Market policy should be a priority as part of the push for better budget spending, and that equivalent savings should be found in other areas to meet spending commitments;

source: 623.907

2018/07/11 ENVI 18 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Karin KADENBACH, Pilar AYUSO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines that 20,1 % of the total commitments in the draft budget for 2019 (2019 DB) are climate-related; regrets that in spite of the aim to have 20 % of the Union budget expenditure linked to addressing climate change, the Union budget trend would deliver only 19,3 % for the current MFF period; stresses that every effort should be made to reach the 20 % target; highlights that an appropriate level of financial support is crucial for climate change mitigation and adaptation;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that permanent and temporary posts authorised under the 2019 DB remain unchanged compared to the 2018 budget for ECDC, EEA and EMA, while those posts increase for EFSA (+1)1a and ECHA (+3); highlights that, where appropriate, more financial and human resources must be allocated to those agencies in order to fulfil their mandate and execute their tasks, and in order to promote a science-based approach in the Union; _________________ 1a EFSA has requested an additional post to cover the position of Head of EU Agencies Support Service Office in Brussels. The financing of this post will be shared among the EU Agencies, without requiring additional budget in this respect.

Amendment 11 #

Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY, Adina VĂLEAN, Karin KADENBACH, Bolesław G. PIECHA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Acknowledges that the posts authorised under the 2019 draft budget for ECHA are to increase by three; points out that such increase is intended to bring ECHA’s biocide resources closer to the level originally foreseen and to make up for resources lacking in 2018; notes however that ECHA has been assigned additional tasks under the revised Waste Framework Directive1a for which no posts or funding is currently scheduled in the 2019 draft budget; notes furthermore that new tasks for ECHA are also foreseen in the pending recast of Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on persistent organic pollutants1b and in the EU Poison Centre regime, and calls for sufficient resources to be made available for ECHA to undertake those new activities; _________________ 1a Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives (OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3), as recently amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 (OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109). 1bRegulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC (OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 7).

Amendment 12 #

Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY, Adina VĂLEAN, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Karin KADENBACH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Highlights that in addition to a significant increase in existing tasks, the EEA has been assigned with new responsibilities which result in an increase in EEA's financial and staff needs, while respecting the objectives of staff reduction and budget stabilisation; stresses that without an increase in the establishment table, there is a risk of substantial disruption in the EEA’s ability to support environmental policy development and implementation at Union and national level;

Amendment 13 #

Bolesław G. PIECHA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes in particular that ECHA has been assigned additional tasks under the revised Waste Framework Directive1a, for which no posts or funding is currently scheduled in the 2019 draft budget; notes furthermore that new tasks for ECHA are also foreseen in the pending recast of the Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on persisting organic pollutants1b and under the EU Poison Centre regime; strongly calls for sufficient resources to be made available for ECHA to undertake those new activities; _________________ 1aDirective 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives (OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p.3) as recently amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 (OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109). 1bRegulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC (OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p.7).

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Regrets the increased diversion of funds to 'Security and Defence' when such funds would be far more constructively spent on areas such as the Common Agriculture Policy and Cohesion funds, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission to swiftly implement pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs) in the field of the environment, public health and food safety;

Amendment 16 #

Karin KADENBACH, Biljana BORZAN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that PP-PAs in the field of the environment, public health and food safety should receive adequate funding throughout their life cycle, so that they can achieve their full potential.;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Notes that EMA is facing an increased workload and further budgetary needs in 2019 as a consequence of the decision of the UK to withdraw from the Union; believes that additional financial resources and staff should be authorised for a limited period so that EMA can transfer and retain the critical knowledge and skills necessary to continue to carry out its tasks effectively and to resume currently postponed activities;

Amendment 18 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Recalls the accountability to taxpayers and consumers and therefore urges strong annual budget discipline in order to take into account the financial burden of citizens; stresses that the cost effectiveness of current policies, programmes and measures should be reviewed annually and, where necessary, appropriate measures taken.

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that 8,2 % of total commitments are related to reversing the decline in biodiversity; calls for sufficient resources to be allocated to the protection of biodiversity; recalls that according to the Commission Communication ‘A budget for Europe 2020’, financing the Union Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and its objective of halting and reversing the decline in biodiversity in the Union requires the mainstreaming of biodiversity throughout the Union budget;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that 8,2 % of total commitments are related to reversing the decline in biodiversity; calls for ~~sufficient~~an increase in the resources to be allocated to the protection of biodiversity;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes the increase of EUR 31,3 million in commitments for LIFE (+6 %); regrets, however, that LIFE represents only 0,3 % of the 2019 DB;

Amendment 5 #

Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the proposed EUR 68,3 million in commitments (+2,9 %) and EUR 61,3 million in payments (+9,6 %) for health; regrets that this amount is only a very small and insignificant share (0,04 %) of the 2019 DB and 1,8 % of heading 3 (in commitments);

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Considers that resources for health should be increased, especially those earmarked for research into mental illness; calls on the Commission, with the next multiannual financial framework in mind, to examine what programmes it could implement to increase the amounts earmarked for research and development in this field, and to report back to Parliament;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Takes note of the proposed EUR 297,7 million in commitments (+6,3 %) and EUR 245,8 million in payments (-1 %) for food and feed; regrets, however, that this amount is only 0,18 % of the 2019 DB and 8% of heading 3 (in commitments);

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Notes the ~~strong~~ increase in the commitments for the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) (EUR 149,6 million, +350 %), which is a cornerstone of Union solidarity,; stresses that this increase is necessary as the 2019 DB includes the impact of the Commission proposal to revise the UCPM;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

source: 625.408

2018/07/13 TRAN 77 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Takes note of the proposed draft budget for the EU Transport policy in heading 1a, Title 6 ‘mobility and transport’; insists that the EU transport policy is essential for economic, social and environmental sustainability and therefore priority should be given to the quality of co-financed projects rather than their quantity or size; underlines the importance of the overall competitiveness and the social and territorial cohesion of the Union; stresses thus that this policy needs an ambitious budget for the transport sector in order to maintain the credibility of on-going projects, secure long-term investment and mobilise complementary private financing;

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the European Union is founded on, inter alia, the value of equality between men and women and Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that the promotion of such equality is a fundamental principle of the Union~~, requiring gender equality to be incorporated into all policies and addressed at all levels of the budgetary process via gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting~~;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Believes the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to be a vital instrument providing significant European added value in terms of optimising the transport network in the EU as a whole by linking together and/or modernising new and existing transport infrastructure; points to the need to keep promoting the high-speed rail projects connecting western and eastern parts of Europe;

Amendment 10 #

Christine REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas the EU is committed to promoting gender equality and equal opportunities and whereas women and men should therefore equally benefit from public funds and services; but whereas despite the EU’s high level political commitments to gender equality and gender mainstreaming, spending decisions do not take gender equality into account in all policy areas;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Recalls that in the near future, Europe will have to face increasing challenges linked to transports, such as climate change mitigation and increasing demand in freight transport, that will have to include energy transition and new forms of mobility, and recalls that such challenges will require sufficient funding for Europe to remain inclusive and competitive;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas the ~~Union and its Member States~~Member States of the European Union are, collectively ~~are~~, the world’s leading donor of global development aid, providing over 50 % of all such aid; whereas the reduction of aid from other donors in the fields of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and women’s reproductive health requires an increase in current Union funding, especially in those fields with a particular gender dimension;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Recommends that CEF Transport funding targets investments in the core network corridor as a primary objective; furthermore, stresses the importance to support investments in rail freight corridors in order to attain a low-carbon single rail area while improving the sustainability of the transport sector;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas the EU has committed itself in the Joint Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment to make progress in making its trade and development policies more gender- responsive in order to report on this in 2019; whereas the Parliament has adopted a resolution on Gender Equality in EU Trade Agreements that call for several new measures in the field of gender and trade that requires strong budgetary and political commitments;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Underlines that within the obligations of the Paris agreement, the EU co-financing of the further electrification of railway infrastructure must be intensified;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas trafficking in human beings is a devastating crime that threatens society’s most disadvantaged members, mainly women and girls, exploited in the prostitution industry;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Points out that there are two key transport policy areas closely related to infrastructure development, i.e. the establishment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and the promotion of Motorways of the Sea and inland waterways, a project seeking to relieve the strain on land transport corridors and which could provide their ‛waterborne leg’; maintains that it is vitally important for the sustainability of transport in the EU for freight and passenger traffic to be shifted from the roads to means of transport carried by rail, sea, or inland waterway; points, therefore, to the vital importance of allocating the necessary funding for the development of the ERTMS and for the promotion of Motorways of the Sea and inland waterways;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Co~~mmission and the Council to systematically~~uncil to use gender budgeting for relevant public expenditure, including when negotiating and concretising the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) with the aim of ~~being gender-responsive and of~~ achieving the SDGs by promoting and implementing SDG 5 on Gender Equality;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Emphasises that the budget needs to reflect stronger focus on the improvement of the railway network, such as high-speed rail network combined with improved conventional cross-border rail networks and night train services, as well as low-emission ferries can contribute to a modal shift away from short-distance flights towards more sustainable travel;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission and the Council to systematically use gender budgeting ~~for~~in all public expenditure, including when negotiating and concretising the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) with the aim of being gender-responsive and of achieving the SDGs by promoting and implementing SDG 5 on Gender Equality and gender mainstreaming throughout all SDGs;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Regrets the slow-pace deployment of ERTMS and recalls its crucial contribution in ensuring the interoperability of the European railways; therefore, recommends that targeted funding combining grants and financial instruments is funnelled to accelerate the deployment of ERTMS along the core network corridors;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Is committed to safeguard the promotion and protection of gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights in the 2019 budgetary procedure; calls on the Member States and the Commission to integrate the gender-equality perspective in the entire process for the 2019 Budget so that public budget revenues and expenditures advance gender equality and women’s rights;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Recalls the importance to foster extensive synergies between CEF Transport and CEF Digital in order to maximise the financial leverage for projects aimed at boosting the digitalisation of the TEN-T corridors;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses that gender budgeting must become an integral part of the budgetary procedure in all budget lines, and not only in programmes in which the gender impact is most obvious, so that budgetary expenditure becomes an effective tool for promoting gender equality;

Amendment 18 #

Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Believes that the EU budget contribution to the transport-related agencies should reflect their tasks; notes that the budget allocated for EASA is stable, that the budget for EMSA has slightly increased and that the budget allocated for ERA has decreased compared to the previous budget year; recalls that the scope of competence for ERA, EASA and EMSA has recently been broadened which requires adequate funding and staffing to ensure the successful uptake of their new responsibilities; recalls, within this context, the very significant evolution of the EASA mandate resulting from the recent adoption of its revised basic regulation with new competences (e.g. drones, ATM/ANS, environment, cyber security, research, international presence), and therefore the budget proposal on EASA should be increased in terms of human and financial resources to be adequately resourced to maintain a high level of safety for EU citizens and increase the Europe leadership in support of the competitiveness of the EU industry worldwide;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Is concerned that despite strong inter-institutional and political statements, gender equality objectives are not explicitly stated in EU budget documents nor taken into account in all stages of the budget process and that over the past years, tracking of budgetary commitments for the promotion of gender equality has become impossible due to the deletion of specific budgetary lines for gender equality; Stresses the necessity of linking gender equality goals with dedicated budgetary allocations; adds that these allocations should serve both mainstreaming and targeted actions as the dual approach is key to positively impact gender equality;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 19 #

Christine REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Recalls that gender budgeting is one dimension of a broader gender mainstreaming strategy and points out the importance of implementing gender mainstreaming in all the stages of the policy cycle; stresses that there is a clear window of opportunity to properly implement gender mainstreaming when designing new policies and bodies;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Takes note of the proposed draft budget for the EU Transport policy in heading 1a, Title 6 ‘mobility and transport’; insists that the EU transport policy is essential for the ~~overall competitiveness and~~global European integration, for the social and territorial cohesion of the Union, and for overall competitiveness ; stresses thus that this policy needs an ambitious budget for the transport sector in order to ~~maintain the credibility of on-going projects,~~guarantee an appropriate network of infrastructures and ensure its correct functioning, as well as a its safety; it is also important to secure long-term investment and mobilise complementary private financing;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the European Union is founded on, inter alia, the value of gender equality ~~between men and women~~ and Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that the promotion of such equality is a fundamental principle of the Union, requiring gender equality to be incorporated into all its policies and activities and addressed at all levels of the budgetary process via gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that Galileo and EGNOS are widely used in the transport sector and that EGNOS has been fully operational since 2011; stresses that Galileo is entirely financed by the EU budget and that its full deployment will bring major benefits for the EU economy by providing real services to its industries and citizens; takes note that Galileo currently operates with 22 satellites and that its full deployment should be achieved by 2020 once its 30 satellites will be in orbit; considers therefore, and taking into account the pressing challenge of cybersecurity, that it is of the utmost importance that an appropriate budget is allocated to secure the next satellites launches; draws attention to the key tasks of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) as regards Galileo and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS); believes that the GSA has to be sufficiently staffed to ensure that European satellite navigation system programmes (GNSS) operate properly and can be exploited to advantage;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Stresses that ‘a modern, focused EU budget’, cannot be achieved without a clear and comprehensive gender perspective that is key to enable better and more evidence-based decision-making, which in turn contributes to ensuring an effective use of public funds and EU added value in all its actions;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that Galileo and EGNOS are widely used in the transport sector and that EGNOS under the safety monitoring of EASA has been fully operational since 2011 for the benefit of all transport modes; stresses that Galileo is entirely financed by the EU budget and that its full deployment will bring major benefits for the EU economy by providing real services to its industries and citizens; takes note that Galileo currently operates with 22 satellites and that its full deployment should be achieved by 2020 once its 30 satellites will be in orbit; considers therefore, and taking into account the pressing challenge of cybersecurity, that it is of the utmost importance that an appropriate budget is allocated to secure the next satellites launches;

Amendment 21 #

Renaud MUSELIER, Franck PROUST

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Requests a holistic approach in the design of the new European Labour Authority (ELA) by introducing a requirement to implement gender budgeting in the ELA Regulation and an individual budget line in the budget 2019 to implement gender mainstreaming within the framework of competences of ELA;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that space is a key sector for the EU, that Galileo and EGNOS are widely used in the transport sector, and that EGNOS has been fully operational since 2011; stresses that Galileo is entirely financed by the EU budget and that its full deployment will bring major benefits for the EU economy by providing real services to its industries and citizens; takes note that Galileo currently operates with 22 satellites and that its full deployment should be achieved by 2020 once its 30 satellites will be in orbit; considers therefore, and taking into account the pressing challenge of cybersecurity, that it is of the utmost importance that an appropriate budget is allocated to secure the next satellites launches;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reaffirms its request for increased resources, e.g. under the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the EU cohesion fund, to uphold women’s economic and social rights, especially through women’s employment and investment in high-quality, affordable public care services, and to reduce gender inequality, including through the use of existing instruments at Union and Member State level;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Believes that improving the efficiency of the transport sector and reducing its level of emissions are interdependent objectives that research and innovation can greatly contribute to achieve in association with the relevant EU Agencies; welcomes therefore the proposed stability for the budget allocated under the programme Horizon 2020 to SESAR 2, Shift2Rail, Clean Sky 2 and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 joint undertakings;

Amendment 23 #

2. Reaffirms its request for increased resources, e.g. under the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the EU cohesion fund, to uphold women’s economic and social rights, especially through women’s employment and investment in high-quality public care services, and to reduce gender inequality, including through the use of existing instruments at Union and Member State level and by allocating an individual budget line for that purpose;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Believes that improving the efficiency of the transport sector and reducing its level of emissions are interdependent objectives that research and innovation can greatly contribute to achieve; ~~welcomes therefore the proposed stability for~~deplores the fact that no increases have been provided for in the budget allocated under the programme Horizon 2020 to SESAR 2, Shift2Rail, Clean Sky 2 and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 joint undertakings;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reaffirms its request for ~~increased~~a better mobilisation of the already substantial financial resources~~, e.g.~~ under the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the EU cohesion fund, to uphold women’s economic and social rights, especially ~~through~~as regards women’s employment and investment in high-quality public care services, and to reduce gender inequality~~, including through the use of existing instruments at Union and Member State level~~;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Maintains that efficient green logistics management encompassing all transport modes in the EU can do much to relieve traffic congestion and reduce CO2 emissions; urges the Commission to promote digitalisation in logistics, including for example cargo-pooling initiatives; draws attention to the fact that Motorways of the Sea are cornerstones of logistics and that ports and hinterland interconnections are the main hubs for multi-modal transport schemes;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls for appropriations to support women’s entrepreneurship and to ensure and encourage access for women to loans and equity finance through Union programmes and funds, such as COSME, Horizon 2020 and the European Social Fund;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Emphasises that the EU transport infrastructure policy must turn a stronger integrative focus on these three aspects: - interconnectivity between the corridors and the comprehensive network and cross-border connections must be a priority, - intermodality should be a basis for decisions on projects, and - interoperability must be a condition for co-financing transport projects;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Calls for equal participation of girls and young women in the measures covered by that initiative to be ensured and special attention to be paid to quality offers of training and employment for them, including in the digitalised economy, ICT and STEM sectors;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Highlights the importance of ensuring appropriate funding for SESAR programme, both for R&D and for the implementation of Air Traffic Management (ATM) system, which will enable to tackle the growing traffic demand, while taking into consideration the needs of all airspace users;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Member States to ensure well-structured gender budgeting initiatives that promote gender equality through education and health services, notably comprehensive sexuality education and SRHR services;deleted

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Calls on the Commission to increase the reserved amount within the CEF budget line for co-financing to at least EURO 150 million for the re- establishment of regional missing rail links that were dismantled or abandoned;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need to increase resources for combating all forms of violence against women and girls, as well as gender-based violence against LGBTQI people, including by reinforcing the Daphne funding within the framework of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme for the period 2014 to 2020~~, as well as ensuring that~~ and, with a view to the preparation of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the need to provide for a separate budget line for this specific objective; calls for funding isto be made available for actions aimed at the effective implementation of the Istanbul Convention, paying special attention, and offering financial support, to the ongoing training of judicial and non-judicial staff who deal with complaints of sexual abuse and gender-based violence;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6 c. Calls on the Commission to combine the co-financing of the Euro- velo network with the comprehensive rail network;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Stresses the need to increase resource~~Regrets the tendency of the last years to cut EU funds for combating all forms of violence against women and girls, as well as gender-based violence against LGBTQI people~~, including by reinforcing the Daphne funding~~ and stresses the need to increase resources dedicated to that purpose, including by dedicating an independent budget line for Daphne within the framework of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (REC) for the period 2014 to 2020 with at least the same level of spending of 2011, as well as ensuring that funding is made available for actions aimed at the effective implementation of the Istanbul Convention;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Takes note of the proposed draft budget for the EU Transport policy in heading 1a, Title 6 ‘mobility and transport’; insists that the EU transport policy is essential for the free movement of persons and goods and the overall competitiveness and the social and territorial cohesion of the Union; stresses thus that this policy needs an ambitious budget for the transport sector in order to maintain the credibility of on-going projects, secure long-term investment and mobilise complementary private financing;

Amendment 3 #

Renaud MUSELIER, Franck PROUST

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas Gender budgeting is an application of gender mainstreaming in the budgetary process and means a gender based assessment of budgets, incorporating the gender perspective at all levels of the budgetary process and restructuring revenues and expenditures in order to promote gender equality 1a __________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/1680596143

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets that the EU is not always successful in communicating about the direct effects of its policies and financial programmes~~, often for a lack of assessment of these impacts~~; points out that, with respect to the transport sector, the overall lack of awareness about passengers’ rights in the EU – whether the sector involved is the airline industry or, more especially, rail, given that Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 is not applied consistently from one Member State to the next – is very concerning; underlines that at a time wheren disinformation campaigns can easily be launched, a greater support must be devoted to this matter;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses the need to ~~increase resources for~~ combat~~ing~~ all forms of violence against women ~~and~~, men, girls, as well as gender-based violence against LGBTQI people, including by reinforcing the Daphne funding within the framework of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme for the period 2014 to 2020, as well as ensuring that funding is made available for actions aimed at the effective implementation of the Istanbul Conventionnd boys, without taking account of their gender, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinions, their national or social origin, whether or not they belong to a national minority, their state of health, disability, marital status, or any other circumstances;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets that the EU is not always successful in communicating about the direct effects of its policies and financial programmes~~, often for a lack of assessment of these impacts~~; points out that, with respect to the transport sector, the overall lack of awareness about passengers’ rights in the EU is very concerning; underlines that at a time wheren disinformation campaigns can easily be launched, a greater support must be devoted to this matter;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission to put particular attention on the participation of citizens in transparent decision-making and monitoring the development of large projects that have a total investment volume of over EURO 1 billion.

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the EU and the Member States to include concrete measures and allocate adequate financial resources to combat violence against women and girls and ensure protection of migrant and refugee women, as well as women in irregular situation, from violence; insists on targeted investments to ensure women´s rights and safety in the whole asylum procedure;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions are useful opportunities for the European Parliament to give a direct financial incentive to initiatives supporting its legislative work and for which the Commission is directly accountable; regrets that results stemming from those projects and actions are not always consistently reported and asks the Commission to present by the end of the mandate a thorough analysis of the projects financed under this legislature; requests a preparatory action including relevant EU agencies to design a masterplan for the promotion of certifiable industry standards based on innovative non- intrusive technologies to ensure safety, security and the reduction of waiting times at airports.

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Reminds that one of the requirements to implement gender budgeting is to foresee independent budget lines for gender equality goals defined in a programme; requests, therefore, to also assign an independent budget line to the objective in REC programme dedicated to promote gender equality and to advance gender mainstreaming;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions are useful opportunities for the European Parliament to give a direct financial incentive to initiatives supporting its legislative work and for which the Commission is directly accountable; regrets that results stemming from those projects and actions are not always consistently reported and asks the Commission to present by the end of the mandate a thorough analysis of the projects financed under this legislature, as well as guidelines spelling out not just the aims, but the method of selecting them.

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Recalls that a very significant number of refugees and asylum seekers entering the EU are women and children; highlights that gender mainstreaming is also among the founding principles of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and reiterates its call for the gender dimension to also be taken into account in migration and asylum policies by allocating specific funds dedicated to prevent gender-based violence and ensuring access to health and reproductive health and rights;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Notes that there is as yet no specific budget heading for tourism and considers this to be a regrettable omission, bearing in mind the importance of that sector and its contribution in terms of GDP.

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls on the Union and its Member States to intensify their efforts to eradicate trafficking in women and girls for sexual exploitation through adequate budgetary commitments across the union and increasingly invest in victim´s rights and protection, as well as actions decreasing the demand for trafficked women and girls;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Union and the Member States to promote women’s rights organisations, the empowerment of girls and women’s representation in decision- making through EU development aid; recalls the urgent need to increase Union funding for SRHR in order to counter the impact of the financing gap left by the US after the reinstatement and expansion of its ‘global gag rule’;deleted

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Urges the Commission to prioritise investment to support and protect Human Rights Defenders, and specifically women human rights defenders, who face unique gender-based obstacles and threats in their work, by giving them visible political support and recognition, in particular by means of urgent grants under the EIDHR emergency fund for human rights defenders at risk;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Underlines the need to counteract the shrinking space for civil society and in particular calls on the Union and the Member States to increase both the political and financial support to women’s rights organisations and women’s human rights defenders both within the Union and worldwide;

Amendment 39 #

Renaud MUSELIER, Franck PROUST

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Considers that with a view to reaching its commitments to achieve SDG 5 and in particular its target to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights (SRHR), the Commission should include earmarked funding for SRHR, including family planning, through an explicit SRHR budget line or by designating SRHR as an objective under its various budget lines such as health, education, youth empowerment, human rights, gender;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Takes note of the proposed draft budget for the EU Transport policy in heading 1a, Title 6 ‘mobility and transport’; insists that the EU transport policy is essential for the overall competitiveness and the social and territorial cohesion of the Union; stresses thus that this policy needs an ambitious budget for the transport sector in order to maintain the credibility of on-going projects, and secure long-term investment ~~and~~to bolster European businesses with a view to mobiliseing complementary private financing;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas inequality is a growing problem in the Union as shown in the current backlash against women’s rights and gender equality, and whereas the Union budget must increasingly be designed to make a significant contribution to safeguarding and developing social rights, and improving gender equality and the situation of women;deleted

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Urges the Union and the Member States to increase support to girls’ and women’s social, economic and cultural rights in partner countries; calls in this context on all parties to ensure GAP II implementation is improved based on results from annual reports;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

~~6. Recalls the important role of the European Institute for Gender Equality and calls for the Institute’s budget, staff establishment plan and independence to be maintained.~~deleted

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Union to support the development of new measures that will promote and support gender equality, women´s human rights and their economic empowerment in its trade policies, and allocating adequate financial resources for these commitments;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the crucial role played by the CEF in the transport sector for achieving the completion of the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks, and points out that the CEF requires a stable ~~and~~financing based on long-term planning and provided on the appropriate ~~financing~~scale; regrets that, in the past, budget cuts have been made ato the detriment of the CEF and insists that any new cuts in this programme isare not acceptable; takes note that the Commission proposes for ~~the~~ CEF Transport an increase of 39.4% and 5.3% respectively in commitments and payments and considers that, taking into account that 2019 is the first year of the current multi annual financial framework ~~where~~in which additional financing can be requested for projects which started between 2014 and 2016, these amounts are a minimum; expresses great surprise at the huge amount earmarked for military mobility under the CEF;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas women spend more time than men on unpaid care work, which is one of the main reasons for women’s underrepresentation in the labour market; whereas the demand for high-quality, accessible and affordable childcare and long-term care services is higher than current supply and some families from disadvantaged backgrounds have difficulties in affording to private care services;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Welcomes the relocation of the money from the Cohesion Fund for an amount of EUR 1.7 billion in 2019 to CEF Transport programme; recalls that these funds are earmarked exclusively 'TEN-T' infrastructure projects in the Member States eligible for the Cohesion Fund;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly called for sufficient funding and sought to keep as high a profile as possible for the Daphne specific objective of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme to protect women and girls against violence;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses that the Rail Baltica project, based on the European track gauge, is one of the most important of its kind in the EU, but that the proposed funding is inadequate; calls on the Commission, therefore, to ensure that EU financing is maintained at the same unchanging level;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas gender-responsive budgets and related policies aimed at contributing towards achieving gender equality lead to more sustainable and inclusive growth and employment and increase transparency and accountability of public expenditure;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes that a new CEF Transport call has been launched in May 2018 to support the policy orientations of the 3rd Clean Mobility Package and that additional calls will be launched in 2019; recalls the success of the 2017 blending call and urges the Commission to repeat such a call for the year 2019; stresses, this year again, the necessity to ensure the complementarity between CEF and other funds, in particular the EFSI, to maximise the EU added-value in project financing and trigger additional private investment in large scale innovation such as ERTMS and digital enhancements; at the same time reminds that in the domain of CEF Transport financial grants shall remain the main instrument to fund infrastructure and cross-border projects along the TEN-T corridors;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas one of the main objectives of the draft general budget for the European Union proposal for 2019 is strategic investment and sustainable growth in order to support economic cohesion and create jobs, in particular for young people; whereas, in this regard, it is important to also focus on enhancing women’s potential in all sectors of the economy, including the digitalised economy, information and communication technologies (ICT) and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); whereas, with a specific focus on gender in those areas, it is necessary to address the significant gender gap and the Union-wide skills shortfall in the ICT and STEM sectors;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes that a new CEF Transport call has been launched in May 2018 to support the policy orientations of the 3rd Clean Mobility Package and that additional calls will be launched in 2019; recalls the success of the 2017 blending call and urges the Commission to repeat such a call for the year 2019; stresses, this year again, the necessity to reserve grants for sustainable rail and waterway infrastructure with high EU added value and to ensure the complementarity between CEF and other funds, ~~in particular the EFSI~~and to reserve the EFSI for revenue generating projects, to maximise the EU added-value in project financing and trigger additional private investment;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas international organisations such as the IMF strongly promote gender responsive budgeting as a good governance standard tool in public finance and consider gender budgeting as good budgeting; whereas the OECD recognizes gender budgeting as a key tool to implement gender equality in the context of public finance; whereas the joint declaration of the EP, the Council and the Commission attached tothe2014- 2020 MFF commits the three institutions to “integrating, as appropriate, gender responsive elements in the EU budget” but whereas the Commission's "Strategic Engagement for gender equality" 2016- 2020states that ”Gender budgeting is not applied systematically to the EU general budget";

source: 623.881

2018/07/16 AFET 133 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Acknowledg~~Notes the increase in commitment appropriations for Heading 4, a~~lthough note~~nd regrets that most of that increase is due to the larger contribution toward the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRiT); calls for the termination of the proposed 2019 contribution to the FRiT;

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the Union has an increasingly ambitious trade agenda, as outlined in the ‘Trade for all’ strategy; underlines the need for giving enough political and administrative support to ensure that trade deals can be agreed within appropriate timeframes; stresses that the funding for Aid for Trade initiatives should be increased and sufficient resources should be allocated to DG Trade of the Commission to enable it to carry out the increasing number of activities, in particular to ensure the implementation and enforcement of the provisions included in both the bilateral and multilateral agreements; highlights the importance of performing assessments prior to, during and following the conclusion of such agreements in achieving a more inclusive strategy; in this regard recognises the need for gender-disaggregated data; reiterates the need to adequately finance the implementation of Trade Defense Instruments (TDIs) to promote quick investigations and to allow for their swift adoption;

Amendment 1 #

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Marc TARABELLA, Eric ANDRIEU, Maria NOICHL, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the EUR 60 billion in commitments and EUR 57,8 billion in payments that the Commission proposes in the Draft Budget (DB) 2019 for Heading 2, which, in relation to the 2018 budget, respectively represent an increase of 1,2% for commitment appropriations and 3,0% for payment appropriations; notes, however, that as far as the EAGF is concerned, this increase is attributable to the lower amount of assigned revenue estimated to be available to the EAGF in the DB 2019 compared to the 2018 budget; recommends that all should be made to avoid an accumulation of backlog payments for the next MFF (2021 - 2027);

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Underlines the need for sufficient funding for the Western Balkans and regrets, in this regard,~~Welcomes the proposal to cut the allocation for political reform in the Western Balkans by EUR 10 million;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1 d. calls on the Commission to assess the impact of existing FTAs on the respect of Human Rights by governments and economic actors involved, to allocate sufficient funds for this purpose in the budget, and to draw lessons from the results for the negotiation of future FTAs;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses the importance of identifying support measures to consolidate the role of farmers in the supply chain, as well as new ways of encouraging farmer organisations;

Amendment 11 #

Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the ~~need for~~strategic importance of providing sufficient funding for the Western Balkans in order to consolidate their path toward accession and regrets, in this regard, the proposal to cut the allocation for political reform in the Western Balkans by EUR 10 million;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the urgent need for a thorough reorganisation of the Union budget and its structure in the context of the review of the next MFF and with regard to the trade policy agenda, and calls on the Commission to take the initiative on this vis à vis the Council and Parliament; Notes that the conclusion of each new free trade agreement means substantial revenue losses for the Union’s own- resources budget; calls on the Commission to provide precise estimates of the revenue losses expected to result from each of the free trade agreements currently under negotiation and to indicate clearly what budgetary restructuring is to be undertaken to offset the lost amounts; calls on the Commission to present proposals on the contribution international trade is intended to make in relation to the restructuring of the budget and the Union’s own resources, also in light of the next MFF;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Regrets that the support measures for the Russian embargo have not been prolonged given that numerous EU producers are still being negatively affected; acknowledges that certain Member States that did not have trading relations with Russia were indirectly affected by the embargo imposed by it and stresses that the support measures must cover losses incurred through the flooding of markets with products intended for Russia;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the need for sufficient funding for the Western Balkans, a key priority area for the EU, and regrets, in this regard, the proposal to cut the allocation for political reform in the Western Balkans by EUR 10 million; stresses the need for sufficient funding to implement the 2018-2020 Action Plan of the Western Balkans Strategy, prioritising support to the rule of law and regional integration; calls for the contribution of IPA II to Erasmus+ to be doubled, as foreseen by the Strategy;

Amendment 12 #

Marietje SCHAAKE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the urgent need for a thorough reorganisation of the Union budget and its structure, including a more ambitious and substantive role for the European Parliament, in the context of the review of the next MFF and with regard to the trade policy agenda, and calls on the Commission to take the initiative on this vis à vis the Council and Parliament;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Regrets that the support measures for the Russian embargo have not been prolonged given that numerous EU producers are still being negatively affected; calls for the effects of the Russian embargo to be offset by the EU general budget and not CAP funds, since farmers cannot be made to shoulder the responsibility for EU diplomatic policy;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the need for sufficient funding for the Western Balkans and regrets, in this regard, the proposal to cut the allocation for political reform in the Western Balkans by EUR 10 million; requests for this trend to be reversed, taking into account that political reforms are the backbone of any democratic transformation and implicitly of the EU accession process;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the ~~urgent~~ need for a thorough reorganisation of the Union budget and its structure in the context of the review of the next MFF and with regard to the trade policy agenda, and calls on the Commission to take the initiative on this vis à vis the Council and Parliament;

Amendment 13 #

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Nicola CAPUTO, Eric ANDRIEU, Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI, Maria NOICHL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. RInsists that any revenue to the Union budget deriving from any assigned revenues or repayments of irregularities from agriculture in previous years should remain under heading 2 ; regrets that the support measures for the Russian embargo have not been prolonged given that numerous EU producers are still being negatively affected;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

~~4. Supports the reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey and the reorientation toward civil society in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights;~~deleted

Amendment 14 #

Elsi KATAINEN, Nils TORVALDS, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Mirja VEHKAPERÄ, Pavel TELIČKA, Hilde VAUTMANS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Asks the Commission to assess the existing tools aimed at promoting SME internationaliszation regarding their coherence with other Union SME support instruments as well as regarding subsidiarity, non-duplication and complementarity in relation to Member State programmes; calls on the Commission to further finance SMEs internationalization programmes and to endeavour to provide a rules of origin calculator tailored to SMEs that should specifically enable them to use the preferences available under existing agreements with a view to increasing the preference utilisation rate;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Regrets that the support measures for the Russian embargo have not been prolonged given that numerous EU producers are still being negatively affected; calls for support measures for the dairy sector where market difficulties can still be found due to the Russian ban;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Supports the reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey and the reorientation toward civil society in view of the continuing backsliding~~Calls for the cut of all the funds allocated to Turkey until the occupation withdrawal of the North onf the ~~rule of law, democracy and fundamental right~~Republic of Cyprus;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Asks the Commission to assess the existing tools aimed at promoting SME internationalisation regarding their coherence with other Union SME support instruments as well as regarding subsidiarity, non-duplication and complementarity in relation to Member State programmes; calls on the Commission to set up a scheme to promote internships and business exchange programmes for professionals from SMEs in the Union and in partner countries;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Regrets that the support measures for the Russian embargo have not been prolonged given that numerous EU producers, particularly dairy and fruit and vegetables producers, are still being negatively affected, through no fault of their own;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Supports the reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey and the reorientation toward civil society in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights~~Calls for an immediate suspension of all funds allocated to Turkey;

Amendment 16 #

Czesław Adam SIEKIERSKI, Jarosław KALINOWSKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the involvement of civil society and social partners in the implementation of trade agreements can benefit the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Common Commercial Policy, that the citizens of the Union are asking to be more involved and engaged with Union trade policy and that the Commission has made this citizens’ interest a priority; considers that it is crucial that enough resources are allocated to actively involve citizens in Union trade policy-making and to raise a higher degree of awareness of its benefits among European citizens; calls for the inclusion of Domestic Advisory Groups and Joint Platforms, that are now under budgeted, into citizens’ dialogue as they are the main vehicles for achieving the effective participation of civil society in the enforcement and monitoring of trade and sustainability chapters of trade agreements; calls for the development of the key performance indicators against which they wish to assess the performance of customs administrations at national and Union level; calls on Member States to take a more active role in explaining the added value of Union trade policy since it is the Member States that formulate the negotiating mandates;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Regret~~Urges that ~~the~~ support ~~measures for the Russian embargo have not been prolonged given that numerous EU producers~~for agricultural producers be kept at the current level with regard to the Russian embargo, given that numerous EU producers - mainly growers of fruit and vegetables - are still being negatively affected;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Support~~Recognizes the reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey ~~and the reorientation toward civil society~~; notes with concern the substantial increase for HUMA and IPA; proposes that funding for Turkey is terminated in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the citizens of the Union are asking to be more involved and engaged with Union trade policy and that the Commission has made this citizens’ interest a priority; considers that it is crucial that enough resources are allocated to actively involve citizens ~~in Union trade policy-making~~and civil society organisations in Union trade policy-making; observes that the current practise of organising the Commission's dialogue with civil society in the form of conference days has proven insufficient to harvest the full potential of analysis and proposals coming from citizens and their organisations; recommends to make better use of technologies offered by the digital age to facilitate consultations open for civil society input;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Insists that any revenue to the Union budget deriving from any assigned revenues or repayments of irregularities from agriculture in previous years should remain under Heading 2, given the uncertain circumstances the agricultural sector is faced with; recalls in that respect that the Russian embargo has not been lifted and has severe negative effects notably for the fruit and vegetables sector and the dairy sector; calls therefore on the Commission to provide effective support to sectors affected by those crises and for the creation of a new crisis reserve that does not rely on an annual financial discipline mechanism for its funding so that it can react in a timely manner to crisis situations that emerge;

Amendment 18 #

Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Gabriel MATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Supports the reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey ~~and the reorientation toward civil society~~ in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights;

Amendment 18 #

Sander LOONES

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that the citizens of the Union are asking to be more in~~volv~~formed and engaged with Union trade policy and that the Commission has made this citizens’ interest a priority; considers that it is crucial that enough resources are allocated to actively involve citizens ion Union trade policy-making;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the increased funding proposed by the European Commission for promotion measures, which ~~are crucial to expand the share of European exports on markets across the world~~confirms the effectiveness of the improvements made by the last reform; considers that promotion measures are crucial to expand the share of European exports on markets across the world and to deal with the restrictions imposed by certain third countries on EU products, such as the Russian embargo or the recent US decision to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on the imports of Spanish ripe olives;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. SIn line with the principle of conditionality, supports ~~the~~a reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey ~~and the reorientation toward civil society in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental~~in all budget lines, in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights; at the same time, direct support to civil society, as well as people-to-people contacts should be further strengthened in the context of the growing polarisation of the Turkish society and measures taken by the authorities against fundamental rights and freedoms as well as against human rights defenders in the aftermath of the coup attempt; in this sense, special emphasis should be paid to media freedom and LGBTI rights;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Commission to increase its support from the budget 2019 for Domestic Advisory Groups agreed in bilateral trade agreements of the Union with third countries;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the increased funding proposed by the European Commission for promotion measures, which are crucial to expand the share of European exports on markets across the world; underscores the importance of new markets for maintaining competitiveness and increasing the resistance of European agriculture to market crises such that arising from the Russian embargo;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Acknowledge~~Regrets the increase in commitment appropriations for Heading 4, although notes that most of that increase is due to the larger contribution toward the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRiT);

Amendment 2 #

Marietje SCHAAKE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the Union has an increasingly ambitious trade agenda, as outlined in the ‘Trade for all’ strategy; stresses that the funding for Aid for Trade initiatives should be increased and sufficient resources should be allocated to DG Trade of the Commission to enable it to carry out the increasing number of activities; underlines the need to ensure sufficient funding is available for cooperation and assistance with third countries to promote and facilitate their adherence to bilateral and multilateral trade initiatives and agreements, including the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Kimberley Process and the international Alliance for Torture-Free Trade;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Insists on the need to provide funds to compensate for the economic losses suffered by farmers due to market crises and sanitary or phytosanitary crises such as Xylella fastidiosa, and reiterates the need to use the available margins under Heading 2 in cooperation with Heading 3 to this effect; insists that compensation for eradication should also cover rehabilitation of agroecosystems including the soil, as well as establishing robust biological diversity, especially ensuring genetic diversity of the planting stock that ideally includes resistance to or tolerance of the disease or pest; considers that one of the aims of any aid granted should be to ensure balanced, biologically diverse agro-ecosystems and landscapes that are less susceptible to future attacks;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Emphasises that the trade-related technical support and economic assistance provided by the European Neighbourhood Policy to Union partners in the East border and to the post-Arab- Spring countries make an important contribution to stability in those regions;

Amendment 20 #

Timothy Charles Ayrton TANNOCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the increased funding proposed by the European Commission for promotion measures, which are crucial to expand the share of European exports on markets across the world; notes, however, that any strategy based on exports and the opening up of the agricultural market to the outside can only lead to the ruin of European farmers;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Takes the view~~Notes that the current ratio of contributions to the FRiT from the Union budget (EUR 1 billion) and Member States (EUR 2 billion) shwould be ~~maintained; calls for a corresponding reduction in~~altered by these propos~~ed 2019 contribution to the FRiT~~als;

Amendment 21 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Elsi KATAINEN, Ulrike MÜLLER, Hilde VAUTMANS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Commission to invest in a study on the contribution of the Union's trade policy to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including recommendations to bring the policy in line with the Agenda 2030;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Recalls the accountability to taxpayers and consumers and therefore urges strong annual budget discipline in order to take into account the financial burden of citizens; stresses that the cost effectiveness of current policies, programmes and measures should be reviewed annually and, where necessary, appropriate measures should be taken;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that the current ratio of contributions to the FRiT from the Union budget (EUR 1 billion) and Member States (EUR 2 billion) should be maintained; calls for a corresponding reduction in the proposed 2019 contribution to the FRiT, in line with Parliament’s position expressed in its Report on the mandate for the budgetary trilogue; in addition, it must be ensured that any contribution from heading 4 to the FRiT will not lead to a reduction in the funds available for the existing programmes; furthermore, insists on the need to closely monitor the use of funds of the FRiT and the full compliance of the disbursements with its legal basis;

Amendment 22 #

Czesław Adam SIEKIERSKI, Jarosław KALINOWSKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Calls on the Commission to dedicate staff in all of the Union's external missions to trade relations, and to instruct them to promote in particular fair & ethical trade;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Points to the effects of the extreme drought affecting the Member States in recent months, causing considerable losses to agriculture and jeopardising a large number of businesses, and highlights in this regard the need to guarantee special support measures aimed at helping the worst-affected farmers;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that the current ratio of contributions to the FRiT from the Union budget (EUR 1 billion) and Member States (EUR 2 billion) should be maintained; calls for a corresponding reduction in the proposed 2019 contribution to the FRiT; insists that the Commission reinforces the monitoring of the use of the FRiT and that it reports regularly in adequate detail to the budgetary authorities on the compatibility of the actions financed with the underlying legal basis in general and the types of actions listed in article 3.2. of the FRiT in particular;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Stresses the need for a sufficient funding level of the Macro Financial Assistance to ensure that future requests for loans can be accommodated;

Amendment 23 #

Sabine LÖSING, Takis HADJIGEORGIOU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Welcomes the European Commission's commitment to maintain the current funding level for the bee- keeping sector, which is crucial to help cover expenditure for national programmes;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that the current ratio of contributions to the FRiT from the Union budget (EUR 1 billion) and Member States (EUR 2 billion) should be maintained; calls for a corresponding reduction in the proposed 2019 contribution to the FRiT; calls on the Commission to effectively monitor that these funds are accurately targeting refugee projects and not used for any other purposes;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Emphasises that the Brexit will constitute a significant diminution in EU revenues and in order to achieve a smooth transition of current EU policies until the time for the next multiannual financial framework, calls for higher preparedness for the expected loss of revenue.deleted

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Welcomes the increased allocations for research and development related to agriculture under Horizon 2020;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Is concerned by the fact~~Notes that the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will continue to be under considerable stress in 2019, exacerbated by the use of ENI funds to finance the Syria pledge and projects under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; ~~calls for these new commitments to be fully compensated by reinforcements;~~

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Warns that if a free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc does not have adequate protection for sensitive sectors in EU agriculture, many European producers will come under further financial strain;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Is concerned by~~Acknowledges the fact that the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will continue to be under considerable stress in 2019, exacerbated by the use of ENI funds to finance the Syria pledge and projects under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; ~~calls for these new commitments to be fully compensated by reinforcements;~~

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Emphasises that the Brexit will constitute a significant diminution in EU revenues, reminds that the future UK financial contributions related to her cooperation with the EU are yet to be determined, and, in order to achieve a smooth transition of current EU policies until the time for the next multiannual financial framework, calls for higher preparedness for the expected loss of revenue.

Amendment 26 #

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Eric ANDRIEU, Tibor SZANYI, Maria NOICHL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Believes that the EU can make a vital contribution to the promotion of healthy eating habits based on sustainable production, especially among children, and therefore considers it essential to make full use of the ceilings foreseen for the EU school schemes in the current regulation; therefore calls on the Member States to strengthen their national programs to ensure full utilisation of the maximum available allocations (250 million euros for the EU);

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Is concerned by the fact that the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will continue to be under considerable stress in 2019, exacerbated by the use of ENI funds to finance the Syria pledge and projects under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; calls for ~~these new commitments to be fully compensated by reinforcement~~a more efficient allocation and usage of funds;

Amendment 27 #

Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Gabriel MATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Recalls that any new Union initiative, including those in the field of defence, should be financed by additional funds and not be detrimental to existing budget lines;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Takes note of the recent transfers from Pilar I to Pilar II decided by France, Lithuania and Netherlands, which have led to a decrease in the appropriations for direct payments in the DB 2019; deplores the insufficient execution of payments to young farmers in recent years and encourages Member States to promote the use of those appropriations the following year in order to boost generation renewal;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Is concerned by~~Notes the fact that the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will continue to be under considerable stress in 2019, exacerbated by the use of ENI funds to finance the Syria pledge and projects under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; calls for these new commitments to be fully compensated by reinforcements;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Notes that, albeit varying results, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) is under budgeted, does not operate systematically and thus is inadequate to balance the side-effects of automation, digitalisation and globalisation; observes the success of similar initiatives in comparable economies; underlines the need for additional funds and resources to finance the EGF and to increase its effectiveness and its operability; in this regard considers the elimination of unnecessary burdens key in achieving a higher degree of efficiency; underlines the importance of trainings in providing un-employed workers with the instruments needed for a successful re-integration into the labour market;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Reaffirms the vital importance of the school fruit and vegetables scheme, especially given the current level of child malnutrition in the Union; calls on the Commission, therefore, to reduce the bureaucracy involved and stresses the need to promote healthy eating habits in children and the consumption of organic fruit and vegetables;

Amendment 29 #

Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. IHighlights that the situation in the southern neighborhood continues to represent a significant challenge for the Union; is concerned by the fact that the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will continue to be under considerable stress in 2019, exacerbated by the use of ENI funds to finance the Syria pledge and projects under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; calls for these new commitments to be fully compensated by reinforcements;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Recalls that Article 8 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union firmly establishes that "In all its activities, the Union shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between men and women" and that, therefore, the Union has a duty to mainstream gender equality in all its policies, guaranteeing that men and women benefit equally from social changes, economic growth and the creation of decent jobs, doing away with discrimination and promoting respect for women's rights in the world; in this regard calls on the Commission for the inclusion of Gender chapters in all the newly negotiated trade agreements and to provide the necessary resources for their implementation;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Welcomes the school milk and fruit schemes as a successful measure and stresses that the schemes contribute to children eating healthily and that the funds for them should therefore remain in the long term;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Acknowledges the increase in commitment appropriations for Heading 4, although notes that most of that increase is due to the larger contribution toward the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRiT); underlines that given the multiple challenges the EU is facing on the international scene, external action can only be credible if enough resources are provided;

Amendment 3 #

Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Gabriel MATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the Union has an increasingly ambitious trade agenda, as outlined in the ‘Trade for all’ strategy; stresses that the funding for Aid for Trade initiatives should be increased and sufficient resources should be allocated to DG Trade of the Commission to enable it to carry out the increasing number of activities; requests that the Union’s Trade related assistance shall put a stronger emphasis on supporting the increase of local and intra-regional trade in our partner countries and regions, and thereby strengthening the self-reliant and lasting national economic development of countries involved;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Insists that any revenue to the Union budget deriving from any assigned revenues or repayments of irregularities from agriculture in previous years should remain under Heading 2;

Amendment 30 #

Urmas PAET, Hilde VAUTMANS, Javier NART, Marietje SCHAAKE, Patricia LALONDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Is deeply concerned by the fact that the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) will continue to be under considerable stress in 2019, exacerbated by the use of ENI funds to finance the Syria pledge and projects under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; calls for these new commitments to be fully compensated by reinforcements; stresses the strategic importance of the Eastern and Southern near neighbourhood of the EU;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Deplores the insufficient execution of payments to young farmers in recent years and encourages Member States to promote the use of those appropriations the following year in order to boost generation renewal; notes that, for farmers, such renewal implies, above all, a new CAP embodying a set of public supply regulation mechanisms that guarantee fair prices for producers, while ensuring food sovereignty for the Member States;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

~~7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to Ukraine and Tunisia; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya;~~deleted

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Deplores the insufficient execution of payments to young farmers in recent years and encourages Member States to promote the use of those appropriations the following year in order to boost generation renewal; points out that the shortage of workers in agriculture is a factor limiting the development of the agricultural sector and stresses the need for support measures to attract workers to the agricultural sector;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

~~7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to Ukraine and Tunisia; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya;~~deleted

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Deplores the insufficient execution of payments to young farmers in recent years and encourages Member States to promote the use of those appropriations the following year in order to boost generation renewal; considers that support for young people should focus more on their present needs rather than encouraging them to undertake major investments;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to ~~Ukraine and~~ Tunisia; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya; calls for the suspension of all financial support provided to Ukraine until the full implementation of paragraphs 4 to 8 of the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements of 11th February 2015;

Amendment 33 #

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Marc TARABELLA, Eric ANDRIEU, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Maria NOICHL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to Ukraine, in particular as regards the persisting conflict in Eastern Ukraine, and to Tunisia~~; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya~~, in particular in its fight against poverty and youth unemployment; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya, in light of recent political developments on the ground; in this sense, particular attention should be paid to ensuring EU funding to Libya is not used to finance arbitrary detentions and detention of vulnerable persons, in particular children, in line with the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, and that migrants are treated in full respect of international human rights standards; insists on the need for proper monitoring of implementation and reform progress in the partner countries concerned;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Highlights the importance of the rural development commitments and spending, and their potential for the creation of economic activity and jobs particularly in peripheral areas with higher unemployment rates, especially for younger generations; insists that the initiatives targeting young farmers, including region-specific programmes, should be maintained, which would support innovation and the necessary generation renewal; considers that support for young people should focus on their present needs, while avoiding to encourage them to take on excessive debt;

Amendment 35 #

Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to Ukraine and Tunisia; calls for more funding in support of Libya, while noting that the stabiliszation of ~~Libya~~the country will only be a first step and further efforts will be needed for reconstruction and reforms;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses the importance of rural development commitments and spending and their job creation potential in areas worse hit by unemployment; underlines the need to continue to provide initiatives for young farmers that promote innovation and generational renewal; observes that access to farm investment funding instruments should be better adapted to the investment needs and higher risk profiles of new entrants;

Amendment 36 #

Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Gabriel MATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to Ukraine and Tunisia; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya; calls for increased support for political reforms and democratic processes in Georgia and the Republic of Moldova;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Asks for the maintenance of the appropriations for POSEI programmes at the maximum levels foreseen in the EU regulation, underlining the relevance of those programmes for the resilience of the agricultural producers and highlights the fragile economic situation of the outermost regions, which are still strongly hit by the crisis and the structural disadvantages referred to in article 349 of the TFEU (remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate and economic dependence on a few products).

Amendment 37 #

Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Gabriel MATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to continue to provide increased support to Ukraine and Tunisia; calls for more funding in support of the stabilisation of Libya, including with regard to supporting civil society and upholding human rights standards and international law;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Welcomes the increased support for research and innovation dedicated to the supply of safe and high quality food; stresses that it is essential that funds earmarked for research in the agri-food sector, in particular from the Horizon 2020 budget, remain fully available as such in order to stimulate innovation and smart solutions in the agricultural and rural development sectors;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

~~8. Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for the protection of human rights defenders;~~deleted

Amendment 38 #

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Nicola CAPUTO, Marc TARABELLA, Eric ANDRIEU, Tibor SZANYI, Maria NOICHL, Michela GIUFFRIDA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Underscores the importance of pilot projects and preparatory actions for innovation in the agricultural and rural development sectors: asks for continued support for ongoing and new pilot projects and preparatory actions;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

~~8. Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for the protection of human rights defenders;~~deleted

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Is deeply concerned about the CAP cuts envisaged in the European Commission's proposal for 2021-2027 and in particular for the ORs and POSEI.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes with regret the reduction in funding of financial support for encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community; calls for the budget to be reinstated at current levels without any reduction;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Calls for additional funding to be earmarked for the olive-growing and olive oil sector to offset losses to farmers caused by the Xylella fastidiosa outbreak, to step up prevention measures in Europe and to restructure the sector and consolidate scientific research into the pathogen and its carrier;

Amendment 40 #

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Nicola CAPUTO, Marc TARABELLA, Eric ANDRIEU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

~~8. Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for the protection of human rights defenders;~~deleted

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Regrets the substantial reduction of the budget line concerning the voluntary coupled support scheme, given that coupled aids are an essential tool to preserve crops that present several agricultural and environmental benefits;

Amendment 41 #

Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Gabriel MATO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

~~8. Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for the protection of human rights defenders;~~deleted

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Expresses its satisfaction at the 25% increase in appropriations intended to combat animal diseases and plant pests, as the Unionis facing significant risks and increased outbreaks.

Amendment 42 #

Timothy Charles Ayrton TANNOCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for the protection of human rights defenders~~Welcomes the approach to link development goals with wider security concerns; welcomes in this regard the 6% increase to the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the significant increase of funding within this directed to the Middle East;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for the protection of human rights defenders at risk, including through the Human Rights Defenders Mechanism (ProtectDefenders.eu), given the increased crackdowns in a number of countries; moreover, sufficient funding for EU electoral observation missions must be ensured, as a means to contribute to the strengthening of democratic institutions and building of public confidence in electoral processes, thus promoting stability and reinforcing other foreign policy objectives;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Asks for more funding under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and the ProtectDefenders Mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Regrets the cuts in the EU contribution to the European-Inter University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC) and its Global Campus of Human Rights, that will seriously undermine the functioning of this flagship EU academic programme; calls on the Commission to maintain its financial allocation to EIUC at a consistent level compared to past contributions;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

~~9. Calls for Union support for the Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be strengthen~~deleted.

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. ~~Calls for~~Notes the Union's support for the Middle East Peace Process, ~~the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be strengthened.~~calls for ensuring that funds are not used in any way towards terrorist activity, incitement or murder;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for Union support for the ~~Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA~~security of Israel to be strengthened.

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for ~~Union~~enhanced EU support for the ~~Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be strengthened.~~viability of a two-state solution, the Palestinian Authority, civil society in both Israel and Palestine and UNRWA; expresses alarm at the increase in destruction and confiscation of EU- funded humanitarian assistance in the West Bank; deplores the lack of resolve of the EEAS and the Commission, as highlighted by the European Court of Auditors, to secure compensation from and guarantees of non-repetition by the Israeli authorities; expects the Commission to deduct the equivalent of these losses from bilateral EU assistance to Israel;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Notes~~Is concerned that the draft budget completely exhausts the margins for Heading 4, leaving the Union very little room for manoeuvre in the event of unforeseen external crises;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses that international trade is a core tool for the Union foreign policy which, if sufficiently funded and implemented by means of coherent strategies, contributes to sustainable development, particularly in developing countries; considers the Common Commercial Policy as one of the Union's most powerful tools to tackle migration causes;

Amendment 5 #

Timothy Charles Ayrton TANNOCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor, in a timely manner, the price volatility of agricultural products, which has adverse effects on farmers' incomes, and to react promptly and effectively when needed;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for a strengthening of the Union's support for ~~the Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be strengthened.~~conflict resolution and mediation of international conflicts, including the Middle East Peace Process; notes the 3% increase for funding to UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority; whilst recognising its importance and necessity, calls for more oversight to ensure that funds do not reach recognised terrorist groups;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for ~~Union support~~funding for the Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be ~~strengthened.~~ceased to avoid the financing of terrorist groups such as Hamas;

Amendment 52 #

Brando BENIFEI, Arne LIETZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for Union support for the Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be ~~strengthened.~~reviewed following a full audit;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for Union support for the Middle East Peace Process, the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to be strengthened in line with the European Parliament resolution of 8 February 2018 on the situation of UNRWA1a, in view of the worsening situation on the ground and the decision of the United States to drastically reduce its engagement; _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA- PROV(2018)0042.

Amendment 54 #

Hilde VAUTMANS, Patricia LALONDE, Urmas PAET, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Considers the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) budget to be still under heavy pressure, with the expansion of a number of Common Security and Defence (CSDP) missions risking to exacerbate the problem in 2019; calls for a reversal of the reduction proposed by the Council for other crisis management measures and operations, which would result in less flexibility in dealing with unexpected crises, and to increase CFSP budget commensurably; underlines the importance of continued implementation of the development and security nexus in the Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace and calls for additional funds which are to be implemented under the existing IcSP components;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Welcomes the increase in commitment appropriations for confidence building, security and the prevention and settlement of conflicts in Mediterranean countries; underlines in this context the need for appropriate support of vulnerable groups, in particular (unaccompanied) children, women and victims of sexual violence in and outside armed conflict;

Amendment 56 #

Sabine LÖSING, Takis HADJIGEORGIOU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Strongly rejects the establishment of the so-called European Peace Facility since it shall be used to finance training and equipment for the military in third countries as well as EU military operations and will be off-budget and therefore by-passing parliamentary scrutiny and oversight;

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Notes the substantial increase in the 2019 budget for humanitarian aid; stresses that Member States themselves should decide whether humanitarian and/or emergency aid is provided and to which countries; proposes that humanitarian aid is excluded from the 2019 EU budget;

Amendment 58 #

Marietje SCHAAKE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Welcomes the recent adoption of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) in order to support European Defence cooperation and innovation and stresses the importance of cross-border participation of SMEs and Mid-Caps;

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Calls for additional funds for the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, given its significant role in crisis response, crisis preparedness, conflict prevention and peace-building;

Amendment 6 #

Urmas PAET, Hilde VAUTMANS, Javier NART, Marietje SCHAAKE, Patricia LALONDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Welcomes the increase in funding for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) for the Union to better enforce its role on the global level;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses that international trade is a core tool for Union foreign policy which, if it is sufficiently funded and implemented by means of coherent strategies, contributes to sustainable development, particularly in developing countries;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1 d. Stresses that it is essential that funds earmarked for research in the agri- food sector, in particular from the Horizon 2020 budget, remain fully available as such in order to stimulate and enhance innovation and smart solutions in the agricultural and rural development sectors, as is the case with funds from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to enable broadband to be installed in rural areas; underlines the importance of practical applicability of results at farm level and the role of agricultural extension services; notes that integrated 'smart' solutions – such as smart villages, precision farming, digitalisation, the shared and circular economy, and social initiatives – can contribute to agriculture and overall well-being in rural areas; urges the Commission to plan funding for 'smart' approaches in the light of the CAP reform and the Cork 2.0 Declaration; highlights the fact that those 'smart' solutions should maintain coherence with environment, climate and biodiversity policy objectives, ensure close cooperation with relevant stakeholders from all Member States; stresses the importance of investing in precision agriculture with a view to streamlining production methods and reducing losses and of incentivising and supporting initiatives tailored to the needs of smallholdings without economies of scale so that they can benefit from new technologies;

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9 b. Welcomes the integration of the European Defence Industrial Programme in the 2019 draft budget; considers that, together with the on-going preparatory action for the EU defence research, this programme will contribute to the development of a European defence industry;

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9 b. Calls for increased support to non- proliferation and disarmament, in line with the obligations stemming from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and in line with the European Parliament resolution of 27 October 2016 on nuclear security and non-proliferation1a; _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0424.

Amendment 62 #

Brando BENIFEI, Arne LIETZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9 c. Calls for Erasmus+ contributions from all external financing instruments to be increased, as people-to-people contacts and youth mobility are one of the key strategies to enhance the impact of EU external action and its visibility among the public of our partner countries;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)

9 d. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in developing countries; calls for an increased allocation for climate action, which better reflects the EU's strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy.

Amendment 7 #

Urmas PAET, Hilde VAUTMANS, Javier NART, Marietje SCHAAKE, Patricia LALONDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Underlines the importance of a progressive framing of the common EU's defence policy and the need to support further funding to ensure its implementation;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses that a responsible trade policy of the Union has to deal with its impacts inside and outside the Union; observes that the Union’s trade agreements accelerate economic transformation and modernisation processes in partner countries and regions, as well as in EU Member States, and that the subsequent relocation of jobs translates into job-losses for certain economic sectors, for skills no longer used, and for unskilled workers; Emphasises that experience shows that accompanying measures are needed to cope with, or at least mitigate the consequences of such modernisation processes for labour and domestic markets, and calls on the Commission to allocate the respective funds for ex-ante consultations and ex-post measures in budget related to trade negotiations;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)

1 e. Stresses that storage programmes have proved effective in times of crisis and that a reduction in the financial resources earmarked in the planning process would be counter-productive;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

~~3. Underlines the need for sufficient funding for the Western Balkans and regrets, in this regard, the proposal to cut the allocation for political reform in the Western Balkans by EUR 10 million;~~deleted

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. calls on the Commission to monitor better the impact of the existing FTAs on decent work, and to allocate the necessary funds for this purpose in the budget;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)

1 f. Regrets the announced cuts to the CAP budget in the Commission’s MFF proposals; points out in particular that agriculture policy is a common policy and any cuts to the CAP budget would have disproportionate effects as they cannot be substituted by national funds due to state aid rules.

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the need for ~~sufficient~~decreased funding for the Western Balkans and ~~regrets, in this regard, the proposal to cut the allocation for political reform in the Western Balkans by EUR 10 million~~to cut all the funds allocated to the illegal entity of Kosovo, until its full reintegration in the Republic of Serbia and also the funds allocated to Albania and Montenegro, until these countries have real results in the fight against organized crime;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. calls on the Commission to assess the impact of the existing trade agreements on climate change, and to allocate sufficient recourses to this purpose in the budget;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the increase in appropriations proposed by the European Commission for producer organisations in the fruit and vegetable sector, and stresses their growing contribution to rebalance the bargaining power in the food supply chain and continues to stress the need to finance measures to increase membership levels among agricultural producers;

source: 625.471

2018/07/17 REGI 16 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Tamás DEUTSCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the importance of cohesion policy as the main investment policy of the Union that helps to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between and within EU regions, enhances smart, sustainable and inclusive ~~economic growth~~growth, creates new jobs and fights unemployment, fosters innovation in urban and rural areas and encourages local and regional authorities to make the transition towards a carbon free economy; notes that every 1 Euro invested in cohesion policy has a proven return on investment by 174%1 and less investment would mean less growth and jobs for citizens; underlines that cohesion policy is beneficial for all Member States; calls for cohesion funds to maintain their role as the main investment policy of the European Union with a budget that is commensurate with the ambitious goals of cohesion policy; _________________ 1 Commission Staff Working Document of 19 September 2016 entitled ‘Ex post evaluation of the ERDF and Cohesion Fund 2007-13’ (SWD(2016)0318).

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Reminds the Commission of the delays in designating national managing authorities; points to the fact that, as of 31 May 2018, national authorities still need to be assigned for 16 programmes; calls on the Commission and the Member States to cooperate actively to complete the designation process as soon as possible to ensure a smooth implementation of the current programmes; calls on the Member States to make every effort to increase their absorption capacity and expedite the implementation of projects so as to limit the delays caused by sluggish cohesion financing during the current financial year;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses once again the need to improve the implementation of financing and reduce administrative burdens, and calls on the Member States to work more closely with the Commission working party to ensure better implementation and hence consolidate cohesion financing management capacities;

Amendment 12 #

Elsi KATAINEN, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Urmas PAET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcom~~Notes the proposal to increase the budget of the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP) by EUR 80 million for 2019-2020, with EUR 40 million for the 2019 draft budget, bringing the overall envelope of the SRSP to EUR 222,8 million, cautions that any increase should be financed through the mobilisation of the special instrument and at no expense to cohesion policy;

Amendment 13 #

Marc JOULAUD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Notes the overwhelmingly positive impact cohesion funds have in conflict areas;, including in the Northern Ireland Peace Programme; calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue ~~its~~their support for the peace process through the continued funding of ~~the PEACE and associated programme~~certain specific programmes, such as the PEACE programme, under conditions to be determined and without prejudice to the ongoing negotiations.

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Highlights the need for improvements in terms of visibility and communication of EU funding both to potential beneficiaries and to EU citizens in general ; urges Commission together with Member States to raise awareness of the varied EU investment possibilities, to showcase innovative projects and to share good practices.

Amendment 15 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Jozo RADOŠ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Points out that funding from the European territorial cooperation programmes, that is to say, for cross- border cooperation on the EU’s external borders, helps to bolster enlargement policy.

Amendment 16 #

Elsi KATAINEN, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Urmas PAET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Calls on the Commission to look for further synergies and complementarities with ESIF and other research, innovation and competitiveness- related EU programs, such as Horizon, for instance to foster innovation and digitalisation in rural areas and rural economies.

Amendment 2 #

Elsi KATAINEN, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Urmas PAET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the importance of cohesion policy as the main investment policy of the Union that helps to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between and within EU regions, enhances smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, improves SMEs competitiveness and access to global markets, fosters innovation in urban and rural areas and encourages local and regional authorities to make the transition towards a carbon ~~free~~neutral economy; notes every 1 Euro invested in cohesion policy has a proven return on investment by 174%1 and less investment would mean less growth and jobs for citizens; calls for cohesion funds to maintain their role as the main investment policy of the European Union; _________________ 1 Commission Staff Working Document of 19 September 2016 entitled ‘Ex post evaluation of the ERDF and Cohesion Fund 2007-13’ (SWD(2016)0318).

Amendment 3 #

Marc JOULAUD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the importance of cohesion policy as the main investment policy of the Union that helps to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between and within EU regions and to prevent areas from being left behind, enhances smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, fosters innovation in urban and rural areas and encourages local and regional authorities to make the transition towards a carbon -free economy; notes that every 1 Eeuro invested in cohesion policy has a proven return on investment by 174%1 and less investment would mean less growth and jobs for citizens; calls for cohesion funds to maintain their role as the main investment policy of the European Union; _________________ 1 Commission Staff Working Document of 19 September 2016 entitled ‘Ex post evaluation of the ERDF and Cohesion Fund 2007-13’ (SWD(2016)0318).

Amendment 4 #

Tamás DEUTSCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls that cohesion policy is one of the most important instruments to tackle the main priorities defined in the Commission’s draft budget for 2019 - building a stronger and more resilient European economy; bringing solidarity and security within and beyond EU borders; and ensuring a proper implementation of the EU budget; highlights the importance of improving the visibility of EU funds and better communicating the results of cohesion policy;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls that cohesion policy is one of the most important instruments to tackle the main priorities defined in the Commission’s draft budget for 2019 -: building a stronger and more resilient European economy; reducing disparities within the EU; creating jobs; bringing solidarity and security within and beyond EU borders; and ensuring a proper implementation of the EU budget;

Amendment 6 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Jozo RADOŠ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with satisfaction that, having experienced under-implementation in the first years of the 2014-2020 period, the implementation of current programmes is finally reaching its cruising speed with improved execution of payments and project selection rate; draws attention to the fact that the delays encountered at the start of the programming period may result in a backlog in payment applications in 2019; acknowledges the efforts made by the Commission to prevent the emergence of an unnecessary backlog; in this regard, urges that sufficient levels of payment appropriations must be provided in order for implementation to proceed smoothly;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Given that, according to the latest report (30 June 2018) on disbursements broken down by Member State, some Member States are lagging quite a long way behind in terms of funds disbursed, calls on the Commission to ascertain the shortcomings and take measures with a view to improving the uptake of ESI Funds;

Amendment 8 #

Tamás DEUTSCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the proposed 1,1 % rise in the level of payment appropriations, with decreases of 8,9 % and 3,6 % respectively for Cohesion fund and European territorial cooperation, as well as the 2,8 % increase in commitment appropriations under Heading 1b in the 2019 draft budget compared to the previous budget; is concerned that those amounts may not be sufficient to match the pace of implementation of the programmes under that heading and to prevent the reconstitution of a backlog of unpaid claims, which would undermine the credibility of cohesion policy; stresses therefore the need of a higher level of payment appropriations to fulfil commitments;

Amendment 9 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the proposed 1,1 % rise in the level of payment appropriations, with decreases of 8,9 % and 3,6 % respectively for Cohesion fund and European territorial cooperation, as well as the 2,8 % increase in commitment appropriations under Heading 1b in the 2019 draft budget compared to the previous budget; is concerned that those amounts may not be sufficient to match the pace of implementation of the programmes under that heading and to prevent the reconstitution of a backlog of unpaid claims, or to show that the EU is able to fulfil its commitments and hence enhance its credibility;

source: 625.501

2018/07/18 CULT 21 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Notes with disappointment that the 2019 draft budget for Erasmus+ does not~~Recalls that Erasmus+ remains a highly valued and hugely popular programme promoting youth learning mobility, as demonstrated by the volume of applications received, which exceeds the funding available; deeply regrets that the 2019 draft budget for Erasmus+ falls well below Parliament’s expectations, failing to go beyond the programmed figures under the ~~MFF; calls for at least~~current MFF, including in providing the remaining available top- up funding for the programme agreed under the MFF revision ~~(around 26 million EUR) to be allocated in 2019; reiterates~~; calls, therefore, for an increase of 20% of the funding over the draft budget 2019 (DB 2019), across all four Erasmus+ budget lines, in order to cater for current needs, to respond to citizens’ expectations of the programme, and to provide European youth with the future they expect from the EU; reiterates, in that regard, its support for a tripling of Erasmus+ funding in the next MFF and its intention to fight for that increase;

Amendment 10 #

Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Welcomes the inclusion of support to the music sector within the new Creative Europe programme; notes that this builds on the success of the pilot initiative within the Commission and the Preparatory Action “Music Moves Europe” proposed by the committee;

Amendment 11 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to conduct a full-scale review – to be provided to Parliament – of all activities under the ‘multimedia actions’ line to ensure that they deliver on their core aims ~~and that the next MFF strikes the right funding balance across actions; calls for extra funding~~; calls for an additional 4.2 million EUR in commitment appropriations in 2019 to secure the important work of Euranet Plus for the remainder of the MFF; reiterates that the network’s current ‘hand- to-mouth’ existence is unsustainable, necessitating a long-term solution ~~in the~~ ; notes that the funding aim for Euranext ~~MFF~~Plus from 2020 onwards is 8.4 million EUR annually;

Amendment 12 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Urges the Commission to conduct a full-scale review – to be provided to Parliament – of all activities under the ‘multimedia actions’ line to ensure that they deliver on their core aims and that the next MFF strikes the right funding balance across actions; calls for extra funding in 2019 to secure the work of Euranet Plus for the remainder of the MFF; reiterates that the network’s current ‘hand-to- mouth’ existence is unsustainable, necessitating a long-term solution in the next MFF;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Emphasises the value of Europe for Citizens in enhancing citizens’ understanding of the EU and fostering a sense of citizenship; insists that the planned cuts to the programme to fund the revamped European Citizens’ Initiative be reversed; deplores the fact that the legislative proposal for the new E~~uropean Citizens’ Initiative~~CI failed to detail the budgetary impact on Europe for Citizens, thus depriving the legislator of essential information; beyond the restoration of these funds to the budget line, calls for a 10% funding increase over the DB 2019 - based on current MFF programming figures - to provide the minimum necessary increase for a programme that suffers from persistent under-funding and low project success rates, thus frustrating the expectations of applicants;

Amendment 14 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Emphasises~~Has doubts about the value of Europe for Citizens ~~in enhancing citizens’ understanding of the EU and fostering a sense of citizenship; insists that the planned cuts to the progr~~, a programme which promotes the EU among Member State citizens, relying on a biased narrative of the history of Europe, particularly in its ‘commemoration’ work, as demonstrated by Council Regulation No 390/2014 establishing that programme, and on a presentation which follows the samme ~~to fund the revamped European Citizens’ Ini~~direction of the diverse identiati~~ve be reversed; deplores the fact~~es of the peoples of Europe; notes that the legislative proposal for the new European Citizens’ Initiative ~~failed to detail the~~will have a budgetary impact on Europe for Citizens~~, thus depriving the legislator of essential informa~~ and that the Citizens’ Initiative may be a means of democratic expression for citizens wanting to make their voices heard at the EU institutions;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Recalls that the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union poses particularly acute challenges for the European Schools, especially given the size of the English language section (around 21% of all pupils) and the prevalence of English as a second language (61% of all pupils in the 2016- 2017 school year); believes that important budgetary and educational questions remain to be addressed with regard to the long-term provision of first-class English- language teaching and the continued recognition of the European baccalaureate in the UK, notwithstanding the provisions in article 120 of the draft withdrawal agreement; urges the Commission and the Board of Governors to report to the Committee on Culture and Education on its long-term plans to deal with the challenges of Brexit;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Points out that the mid-term evaluation of the programme (Deloitte and Coffey, 2017) brought to light some shortcomings in Europe for Citizens, particularly in its second branch, on democratic engagement and civic participation, given that ‘civic participation’ is a vague term and some projects supported under that branch have not demonstrated their added value;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses, in particular, that Europe for Citizens cannot have the purpose or effect of interfering in the Member States’ domestic affairs, particularly their migration policies, under the guise of aid to vulnerable groups, and is concerned about the recommendations in the most recent study by the Directorate-General for Internal Policies (May 2018) in this regard;

Amendment 18 #

Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that culture- and education- related projects are supported across a range of Union programmes and instruments, notably the ESI Funds, EFSI and Horizon 2020; urges the Commission to improve cross-programme synergies to deliver effective spending.; calls on the Commission, in particular, to fully exploit potential synergies existing between various EU programmes – such as Horizon 2020, the Connecting Europe Facility, Erasmus+, EaSI, Creative Europe and COSME, EFSI and ESI Funds to support more projects in the field of cultural and creative industries;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that culture- and education- related projects are supported across a range of Union programmes and instruments, notably the ESI Funds, EFSI and Horizon 2020; urges the Commission to improve cross-programme synergies to deliver effective spending.; stresses, however, that synergies between the European Social Fund and the Erasmus+ programme cannot have the purpose or effect of hijacking the original Erasmus+ objectives for the sake of projects on inclusion or combating radicalisation, particularly in sports, whose effectiveness has not been proven;

Amendment 2 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes ~~with disappointment~~ that the 2019 draft budget for Erasmus+ does not go beyond the programmed figures under the MFF; calls for at least the remaining top-up funding for the programme under the MFF revision (around 26 million EUR) to be allocated in 2019; reiterates its support for a tripling of Erasmus+ funding in the next MFF, provided that the content of the Erasmus+ programme and the distribution of its budget in its main branches is acceptable;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Points to the potential of Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions (PPPAs) as means to test out measures in Union policy areas and introduce new innovative initiatives that could become long-term Union measures; stresses that a number of PPPAs proposed by the committee in the current parliamentary term have proved hugely successful, paving the way for the design of the new generation of education and culture programmes; regrets that the pre- assessment of PPPAs by the Commission leaves very limited time for opinion-giving committees in the Parliament to address the ratings and comments; regrets, furthermore, that in some instances the ratings and comments provided by the Commission are not entirely objective, and appear to have been influenced by institutional or personal preferences; recalls that failure to enact a PPPA inside the Commission can never be a reason for a low assessment grade;

Amendment 21 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Helga TRÜPEL, Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Urges the Committee on Budgets to review the procedure for handling and deciding on Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions, which currently lacks transparency and does not give sufficient space for individual opinion- giving committees to shape the political priorities on PPPAs within their respective policy remits; asks the Committee on Budgets to engage more actively with the individual opinion-giving committees prior to its vote on the PPPA package and to consider how it could devolve more responsibility to the opinion- giving committees – potentially through a non-binding financial envelope for each committee, based on Parliament’s priorities and past spending in the relevant policy area among other criteria - for adopting their own priority PPPAs; suggests that such an approach might help respond to the Commission’s criticism regarding the proliferation of PPPA proposals over recent years by promoting a more focused, priority-based method in committees;

Amendment 3 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Reiterates its concern at the manner in which the European Solidarity Corps was initially set up without a legal base and without a stand-alone budget line; is, furthermore, uncomfortable that the final decision on sources of funding for the Corps - with the exception of the stipulation on Erasmus+ - has been left to the annual budgetary procedure; confirms that it will scrutinise the amending letter from the Commission with great care to ensure that the trilogue agreement is fully respected;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. expresses concern about the direction that the Erasmus+ programme has been taking since the Paris Declaration of 2015, which focuses on the objectives related to civic, social and intercultural competences, with particular attention given to projects including refugees and asylum seekers, according to the June 2018 study by the Committee on Culture and Education of Parliament’s Directorate-General for Internal Policies; considers that this direction goes against the original objectives of the Erasmus+ programme, which were in line with those of the Europe 2020 programme and focused on training (particularly in foreign languages), the employability of young Europeans and the competitiveness of European education systems;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. stresses that the objectives of certain Erasmus+ programme branches, particularly Key Action 2 on cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, should be clarified with a view to making it clear which projects can be supported under its aegis and to limiting red tape so that it is not crippling for small organisations seeking to apply to take part in projects;

Amendment 6 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Helga TRÜPEL, Luigi MORGANO, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. stresses that the new budget allocations for Erasmus+ should go towards improving mobility for socially disadvantaged students, for example, those from rural areas, particularly through the student loan guarantee mechanism;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the value of Creative Europe in supporting the EU’s audio- visual and cultural sectors~~; is pleased to note that the new programme proposal makes provision~~ and insists that funding levels should match the ambitions of the programme; notes, with respect to the MEDIA sub-programme, that, in order to fund all high-quality projects, the budget would need to be increased by some 44%; calls, therefore, for a substantial 22% funding increase over the DB 2019 to tackle low application success rates, to reinforce support~~ing media pluralism and freedom and media literacy under the cross-sectoral strand; asks, in the meantime, for the budget line on digital content~~ for European cinema operators’ networks and to incorporate - and finance - the successful Preparatory Action on the sub-titling of cultural content without jeopardising the financing of core actions; reiterates that both the Culture sub-programme and the cross-sectoral strand remain chronically underfunded and calls for a funding increase of at least 10% over the DB 2019 on both lines; proposes, with respect to the Culture sub-programme, and a~~udiovisual and other media industries (09 02 05) to be reinforced to boost efforts to tackle fake news through enhanced media literacy work;~~ dditional 3 million EUR funding over the DB 2019 - on top of the 10% increase - to scale up the already successful, but currently limited, trial action on the individual mobility of artists and culture professionals in preparation for the next Creative Europe programme;

Amendment 8 #

Morten LØKKEGAARD, Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI, Luigi MORGANO, Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the value of Creative Europe in supporting the EU’s audiovisual and cultural sectors; ~~is pleased to~~ notes that the new programme proposal makes provision for supporting media pluralism and freedom and media literacy under the cross-sectoral strand; asks, in the meantime, for the budget line on digital content and audiovisual and other media industries (09 02 05) to be reinforced to boost efforts to tackle fake news through enhanced media literacy work;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Is pleased to note that the new Creative Europe programme proposal makes provision for supporting media pluralism and freedom and media literacy under the cross-sectoral strand; asks, in the meantime, for the budget line on digital content and audio-visual and other media industries (09 02 05) to be reinforced to boost efforts to tackle fake news through enhanced media literacy work and to provide direct support to organisations monitoring and promoting media freedom and pluralism;

source: 625.470

2018/07/19 DEVE 83 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the SDGs 2030 must be reflected in the budget for 2019, while focusing on long-term efforts to eradicate poverty, as stipulated in Article 208 TFEU; recalls that its implementation has to cut across the Union’s internal and external policies, as well as integrate in a balanced and coherent manner the three dimensions of sustainable development, addressing the interlinkages between the different SDGs;

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

The core objectives of the CFP are to balance the viability of a sector of strategic economic importance for the European Union – a sector which contributes to food supply, employment and the economic and social cohesion of the EU’s coastal and outermost regions – with the need to preserve marine ecosystems by developing economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries.

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Reitera~~Notes wit~~s rejection of~~h concern the use of development funds for non-development objectives such as border management or military capacity building and underlines that funding that does not fulfil official development assistance (ODA) criteria must be sourced from other instruments than the DCI and/or EDF;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that, four years after its adoption on 15 May 2014, the level of implementation of the 2014-2020 EMFF remains unsatisfactory, as 4.5% of the budget has been implemented to date (part of the EMFF under shared management); hopes that EMFF implementation levels will increase over time, and stresses that the poor implementation levels are due in part to red tape at national and EU level; points out that funds will be needed to support the fishing sector while the landing obligation is being introduced;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses that, while the flexibility and rapidity with which the sums concerned can be used is an advantage in terms of good management of the funds, these advantages cannot in any way justify development funds being diverted elsewhere, constraints on the power of scrutiny of Parliament, the only democratically elected body, or the systematic scheduling of actions for the long term; calls therefore for the creation of extraordinary instruments, such as the fiduciary funds, to be restricted as much as possible and for these principles to be taken into account in structuring the next MFF;

Amendment 11 #

Arne LIETZ, Maria NOICHL, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ, Vincent PEILLON, Elly SCHLEIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that, four years after its adoption on 15 May 2014, the level of implementation of the 2014-2020 EMFF remains unsatisfactory, as 4.5% of the budget has been implemented to date (part of the EMFF under shared management); hopes that ~~EMFF~~access to the EMFF will be simplified so that its implementation levels ~~will~~ increase over time, and stresses that the poor implementation levels are due in part to red tape at national and EU level;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the Union and its Member States must honour their collective commitment, confirmed in 2015, to raise their ODA to 0,7 % of their GNI by 2030; calls on the Commission and the Member States to present binding timelines for progressive increases towards this level; calls the Member States to exclude the in donor costs out of the ODA calculation; reiterates the commitment made by the Commission to dedicate at least 20% of its total ODA to human development and social inclusion; calls for an increased allocation of its 2019 ODA to health, education and social protection, in order to reach its commitment by the end of the current MFF; stresses in particular the need to promote and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights, thereby countering the Global Gag Rule which was reinstated by the United States government;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Notes that the European Maritime & Fisheries Fund in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 when compared to the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 is comparatively 13 % lower in constant figures which indicates a significant cut that will have a detrimental impact on fishermen and their local communities, particularly on FLAGs;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the Union and its Member States must honour their collective commitment, confirmed in 2015, to raise their ODA to 0,7 % of their GNI by 2030; recalls the EU’s collective commitment to provide the LDCs with, in the short-term, between 0,15 % and 0,20 % of GNI allocated to ODA; stresses that the EU’s collective ODA fell by 2,4% in 2017 compared to 2016 figures; is concerned that if GNI remains at 0,11 % in 2016, the EU will not be in a position to honour its commitments to the LDCs; calls on the Commission and the Member States to present binding timelines for progressive increases towards this level; calls the Member States to exclude the in donor costs out of the ODA calculation;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the need to make sufficient financial provision for co-financed activities, so that funding is available for the coastal ~~and~~, small-scale ~~fishing sectors~~, and recreational fishing sectors; considers it particularly important, in addition, that appropriate funding be earmarked for the upgrading of fisheries infrastructure; takes the view that, on the basis of the general framework provided by the EMFF, it is the Member States which must set their funding priorities in such a way as to respond to the specific problems facing these sectors;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the Union and its Member States must honour their collective commitment, confirmed in 2015, to raise their ODA to 0,7 % of their GNI by 2030; calls on the Commission and the Member States to pre~~sent binding~~pare and present a plausible timelines for ~~progressive~~such a gradual increases towards this level; ~~calls the Member States to exclude the in donor costs out of the ODA calculation~~affirms that Union development assistance should be spent more effectively and that ODA should be targeted to sectors where it is needed the most, namely capacity building, good governance, health, education, agriculture, water supply and sanitation, as well as energy; emphasises on the need for maintenance support with sufficient access to spare parts and locally-trained technical experts;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Stresses the importance of the social and economic dimension of fishing for local communities and some maritime and coastal regions; recognises the need to maintain enough financial provisions for enabling coastal, artisanal and small scale fleet sectors to obtain funding;

Amendment 15 #

Charles GOERENS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses that the EMFF must be simplified and put to use so that fishermen can be compensated for any expenses incurred as a result of the landing obligation;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Stresses that the EMFF must be simplified and put to use so that fishermen affected by time and area closures can be compensated;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls for an incentive-based approach to development by introducing the more-for-more principle, taking as an example the European Neighbouring Policy; believes that the more and the faster a country progresses in its internal reforms in relation to the building and consolidation of democratic institutions, the respect for human rights and the rule of law, the more support it should receive from the Union;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that scientific data are essential to improving our understanding of the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, which in turn is a prerequisite for achieving maximum sustainable yields; draws attention to the need to improve the gathering of scientific data and to foster cooperation and exchanges of scientific data between the maritime and fisheries sector, on the one hand, and the scientific community, on the other; points out that scientific data need to be collected on the impact of recreational fishing on fish stocks;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Insists, given the important role played by the United Kingdom in development, that close ties are retained between the EU and the United Kingdom after its departure in order to minimise ensuing losses;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Reiterates the importance of drawing on rigorous and independent scientific opinions when assessing the state of fishery resources, so that management decisions can be taken which make it possible to achieve maximum sustainable yields (MSY); urges Member States to use EMFF funding for the purposes of scientific data collection which is a key task for enabling rational and science-based decisions to be taken on fisheries policy issues;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Recognises that no country has ever developed without engaging in further trade relations with their neighbours and the rest of the world; further encourages the financing of aid for trade activities, in order to allow developing countries to participate to a much greater degree in global value chains in the future; stresses in this context the increasing importance of digital connectivity in order to achieve a more balanced distribution of the globalisation benefits in favour of developing countries;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Points out, in that context, that scientific research must also be carried out on different types of pollution, often from land, which significantly affect some fish stocks;

Amendment 2 #

Charles GOERENS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the SDGs 2030 must be reflected in the budget for 2019, while focusing on long-term efforts to eradicate poverty, as stipulated in Article 208 TFEU; calls on the Commission and on the Member States to make the SDGs 2030 a strategic priority and to reflect it in the Union budget;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that the EU budget for 2019 should incorporate the commitment and payment appropriations required to meet the funding needs of the CFP, ensure long-term investment, and mobilise additional private financing; takes the view that an appropriate level of readily available funding is needed in order to put the CFP properly into effect and to guarantee the sustainability of aquaculture and European fishing activities;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Underlines the high importance of supporting micro-, small- and medium- sized enterprises and calls in particular for the establishment of local solutions for a better access to finance with a further strengthening of micro-finance loan and guarantee systems;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses the importance of ~~the~~fairer monitoring of fishing activities, one of the pillars of the CFP; takes the view that this activity must continue to receive EU funding without negatively impacting funding for progressive programmes and that Member States must step up their efforts to make use of the resources in question;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Calls for an enlargement of the “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” programme beyond Europe in particular to developing countries while providing the necessary financial means;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses the importance of ~~maintain~~increasing the current level of financing for the European Fisheries Control Agency, so that it can properly carry out its inspection and surveillance tasks in the fisheries sector and its future task of harmonising controls as part of the 'future control regulation'; calls for the role of the EFCA be enhanced, so that the objectives of the CFP can be achieved and the EFCA itself can step up its activities in the areas of the governance of fishing fleets and the supervision of monitoring procedures;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3e. Encourages the establishment of vocational dual training institutions in which young people, while undergoing a professional apprenticeship programme with an emphasis on practical aspects of a profession, will have theoretical lectures at specialised professional schools;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses the importance of maintaining the current level of financing for the European Fisheries Control Agency~~, so~~ and that ~~it can properly carry out its~~the EFCA must focus on its only tasks of inspection and surveillance ~~tasks~~ in the fisheries sector; calls for the role of the EFCA be enhanced, so that the objectives of the CFP can be achieved and the EFCA itself can step up its activities in the areas of the governance of fishing fleets and the supervision of monitoring procedures;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Given the dramatic situation in the field of humanitarian aid, insists to mobilise more funds from the emergency aid reserve; reiterates that education plays a key role in preventing man-made humanitarian crises by avoiding conflicts and welcomes that already a significant amount of humanitarian aid is spent on education in emergencies; calls, however, for a steady increase of this share, as in emergency situations education is essential for the population’s development after the emergency stage has passed, not forgetting that this emergency stage can sometimes even last for several years;

Amendment 23 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses the importance of maintaining the current level of financing for the European Fisheries Control Agency, so that it can properly carry out its inspection and surveillance tasks in the fisheries sector; calls for the role of the EFCA be enhanced, so that the objectives of the CFP can be achieved and the EFCA itself can step up its activities in the areas of the governance of fishing fleets and the supervision of monitoring proceduresfull sharing of information between SFPAs for the quotas for Member State flagged vessels when they are to conduct fishing activities in a different Member State´s waters to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Given the dramatic situation in the field of humanitarian aid, insists t~~o mobilise more funds from the emergency aid reserve~~hat the current global humanitarian needs are reflected with a significant funding increase for humanitarian aid budget lines; reiterates that education plays a key role in preventing man-made humanitarian crises by avoiding conflicts and welcomes that already a significant amount of humanitarian aid is spent on education in emergencies; calls, however, for a steady increase of this share and for more support to the Erasmus+ DCI budget line;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Points out that the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) can only perform its role if provided with sufficient technical, economic and financial resources; calls on the Commission to ensure sufficient funding for the appropriations devoted to the EFCA in order to enable it to fulfil its tasks, in particular those attributed in the proposal on a European Border and Coast Guard package;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Given the dramatic situation in the field of humanitarian aid, insists to mobilise more funds from the emergency aid reserve; reiterates that education plays a key role in preventing man-made humanitarian crises by avoiding conflicts and welcomes that already a significant amount of humanitarian aid is spent on education in emergencies; calls~~, howev~~ for greater, f~~or a steady increase of this share~~lexibility and responsiveness when mobilising and adjusting emergency aid funds to rapidly deal with new humanitarian emergency situations;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Points out that the European Fisheries Control Agency's activities must be extended with a view to improving border checks on imported seafood products, as stressed in the report on the implementation of control measures for establishing the conformity of fisheries products with access criteria to the EU market;

Amendment 26 #

Linda McAVAN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Given the dramatic situation in the field of humanitarian aid, insists to mobilise more funds from the emergency aid reserve; reiterates that education plays a key role in preventing man-made humanitarian crises by avoiding conflicts ~~and~~, protecting children and providing them with perspectives; welcomes that already a significant amount of humanitarian aid is spent on education in emergencies; calls, however, for a steady increase of this share;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Notes that one of the challenges facing the fisheries sector is generational renewal and that this must be fostered by taking special policy and financial support measures to encourage young people to work in the sector and offer them conditions similar to those in other sectors of the economy; consequently, to make the sector more attractive, the current social conditions should be improved and brought into line;

Amendment 27 #

Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Given the dramatic situation in the field of humanitarian aid, insists ~~to mobilise~~ more funds from the emergency aid reserve be easy to mobilise; reiterates that education of both boys and girls plays a key role in preventing man-made humanitarian crises by avoiding conflicts and welcomes that already a significant amount of humanitarian aid is spent on education in emergencies; calls, however, for a steady increase of this share;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 28 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Calls for the scope of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund to be extended so that it would facilitate the introduction of the principle of a capped Single Boat Payment scheme;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Notes the exhaustion of margins and flexibility mechanisms within the Union budget and in the Union’s external action, which are often used to mobilise additional funds to respond unforeseen needs, including humanitarian crises; in relation to this, opposes the Commission’s proposal for the funding of the second tranche of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT) that has not left sufficient margins under the Heading IV and MFF special instruments for unforeseen humanitarian crisis, due to the unfulfilled commitment by the Members States to contribute with EUR 2 billion by means of bilateral to the FRT; is concerned by the continued mobilisation of the European Development Fund (EDF) reserve to top- up contributions to the Union Trust Fund for Africa, most recently by EUR 500 million; stresses that this transfer of founds not only diverts money away from the EDF objectives of eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development and towards migration management, but also severely limits the possibility to mobilise additional funds for future humanitarian crises in the ACP region in the coming years; calls again on Member States to increase their contributions to the FRT and the EU Trust Fund for Africa, for which pledged contributions currently amount to EUR 3 billion (before the additional EUR 500 million) from the Union budget and European Development Fund, and only EUR 430 million from EU Member States and other donors;

Amendment 29 #

Arne LIETZ, Maria NOICHL, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Emphasises the need to use the EMFF and other Union funding schemes to facilitate young people’s access to jobs in the fishing industry;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the SDGs 2030, in particular Goal 3 on health, Goal 4 on education, Goal 5 on gender equality and Goal 13 on climate action require appropriate Union assistance and must be reflected in the budget for 2019, while focusing on long-term efforts to eradicate poverty, as stipulated in Article 208 TFEU;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that the EU budget for 2019 should incorporate the commitment and payment appropriations required to meet the funding needs of the CFP; takes the view that an appropriate level of readily available funding is needed in order to ~~put the CFP properly into effect~~fully implement the CFP and to guarantee the sustainability of aquaculture and European fishing activities;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Believes that promoting peace, security and justice in developing countries is of paramount importance for the Union in order to address the root causes of migration; recognises that expenditure relating to security is particularly relevant in the current efforts to comprehensively address the security- development nexus and deliver on Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Agenda;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Takes the view that Brexit must not be used as a pretext for reducing funding; considers that the European Union must find the resources needed to fund the ~~CFP~~European Maritime & Fisheries Fund properly.

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Underlines the importance of increasing the attribution of funds aiming at supporting good governance, democracy and the rule of law in developing countries in order to promote accountable and transparent institutions, support capacity building and foster a participatory decision-making and public access to information;

Amendment 31 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Takes the view that ~~Brexit must not b~~funding will need to be stable to help the use~~d as a pretext for reducing funding~~ctor to adapt to Brexit; considers that the European Union must find the resources needed to fund the CFP properly.

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Recalls the importance to support expenditure directly linked to the achievement of the objectives of the humanitarian aid policy, inter alia, expenditure on technical and administrative assistance;

Amendment 32 #

Arne LIETZ, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Elly SCHLEIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Stresses the negative impact a "hard" Brexit would have on the trade of seafood products; notes that the sea route for Irish seafood exports to reach mainland Europe takes 26 hours, whereas the landbridge to Europe via Britain takes 12 hours; notes that the landbridge that facilitates Irish exports reaching Union markets in a timely fashion would be adversely impacted due to the implementation of trade controls and barriers; stresses the importance of using financial resources to assist in alleviating the bureaucratic and regulatory impact this would have to maintain market stability and safeguard enterprises, fish producers and processers;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Emphasises the importance of maintaining payment appropriations in the humanitarian aid chapter at least on the same level as commitment appropriations, in order to avoid severe and constant lack of funds for payments, complicated urgent interventions and led to the accumulation of unpaid bills, with negative effects also on implementing partners;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Emphasizes the importance of the provision of clean water and of the building of additional wastewater disposal facilities;

Amendment 35 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Draws attention to the scale and implications of energy poverty in developing countries and to the Union’s strong involvement in efforts to reduce such poverty; underlines the need for strong and concerted efforts by governments and stakeholders in affected countries to reduce energy poverty and attain SDG 7, especially with regard to remote rural areas in off-grid energy regions;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Calls for sufficient financial resources to UNRWA in order to ensure continuous support for Palestinian refugees in the region;

Amendment 37 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)

4e. Welcomes the increase on the appropriations to support development initiatives in developing countries carried out by or for civil society organisations and local authorities; in the area of Humanitarian aid reminds the Commission and the Council of the Grand Bargain commitment on localization, which commits to paying at least a quarter of all humanitarian aid funding as directly as possible to local and national responders, therefore calls for a revision of the current Humanitarian Aid Regulation (dating from 1996) to ensure that the future financing for humanitarian aid continues to be based on needs and in line with the Humanitarian Aid Consensus, but is also adapted to a changing context and becomes more effective, notably in terms of advancing the humanitarian/development nexus and contributing to implement the commitments made at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, and as part of the Grand Bargain;

Amendment 38 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)

4f. Reiterates the importance of focusing on main humanitarian crises, including forgotten humanitarian crises; calls to guarantee humanitarian funding for the following crises: Yemen (22 million people in need of humanitarian aid), Syria crisis including neighbouring countries (more than 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria), as well as for forgotten humanitarian crises such as Sahel (1,6 million children at risk of suffering from severe acute malnutrition and 6.8 million people food insecure) and DRC (13 million people in need and more than 2 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition);

Amendment 39 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Elly SCHLEIN, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 g (new)

4g. Highlights the need to guarantee humanitarian and development aid for the Sahel; stresses that chronic poverty, climate change, intensification of conflicts and a nearly lean season this year have resulted in 6.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid in a region with structural fragilities restricting access to basic social services; therefore calls to increase humanitarian and development funding for the region to cover both life- saving interventions and longer term efforts to tackle the root causes of vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity and to strengthen basic social services;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the SDGs 2030 must be reflected in the budget for 2019, ~~while focusing on~~thereby demonstrating the priority given to long- term efforts to eradicate poverty, as stipulated in Article 208 TFEU;

Amendment 4 #

Arne LIETZ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses the need for a renewed focus on and resources for combatting plastic pollution in the oceans and Union waters;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 h (new)

4h. Stresses that the need to implement the humanitarian/development nexus should be reflected in the budget 2019, in focusing on key sectors such as nutrition; calls therefore on the Commission, and in particular ECHO and DEVCO to close the humanitarian and development gap by dedicating both humanitarian and longer term funding to nutrition in the budget 2019, hence enabling children with severe acute malnutrition to access the treatment in all contexts, emergency and development alike;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in the development countries; calls for ~~an increased allocation~~better support in climate action, which ~~better reflects the strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy in order to tackle climate change~~is coherent with the engagement of the Union and the Member States as regards climate change; calls to support communities in the development of preventive and resilience-building measures against natural disasters.

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in the development countries; calls for an increased allocation in climate action, which better reflects the strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy in order to tackle climate change; recalls that access to drinking water is a key factor in social and economic development, making it possible to tackle poverty and provide access to education and healthcare.

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in the development countries; calls for an increased allocation in climate action, which better reflects the strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy in order to tackle climate change; calls for Member States and others to hold to the commitments they have made on combating global warming and climate change.

Amendment 44 #

Arne LIETZ, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ, Enrique GUERRERO SALOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in the development countries; calls for an increased allocation in climate action, which better reflects the strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy by promoting in particular the renewable energy sector in order to tackle climate change.

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in the development countries; calls for an increased allocation in climate action, which better reflects the strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy in order to tackle climate change; stresses, that the allocation shall come from other funds than development funding.

Amendment 46 #

Heidi HAUTALA, Maria HEUBUCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls that the effects of climate change have a tangible impact on several aspects of human life and are increasingly being felt in the development countries; calls for ~~an increased allocation~~further resources from other instruments than the DCI and/or EDF in climate action, which ~~better~~ reflects the strong commitment to and increased engagement in climate diplomacy in order to tackle climate change.

Amendment 47 #

Enrique GUERRERO SALOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Recalls that in the context of climate change and the need for climate adaptation, investments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Preparedness in development programmes are crucial, to prevent human suffering and the loss of lives, to help preserve results achieved through development cooperation in partner countries and to reduce the need for emergency responses;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Regrets that the Commission has not delivered on the objective to allocate 20% of its ODA to human development and social inclusion and even reduces the relevant budget line; requests therefore a strong increase of these appropriations;

Amendment 49 #

Arne LIETZ, Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ, Vincent PEILLON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Underscores the importance of pilot projects and preparatory actions; asks for continued support for on-going and new pilot projects and preparatory actions;

Amendment 5 #

Patrizia TOIA, Elly SCHLEIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that the Union has committed to comprehensively protect and promote the rights of the child in its external policy, in line with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; stresses the importance of implementing the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child in Union external relations; calls on the Commission to monitor and report on child rights progress in Union external programmes;

Amendment 5 #

Heidi HAUTALA, Maria HEUBUCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that the Union fisheries sector is largely concentrated in certain regions which rely heavily on fishing, and that fishing, particularly local inshore fishing, contributes to the socialo-economic and cultural fabric of many coastal, peripheral and outermost regions;

Amendment 50 #

Charles GOERENS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Emphasises the importance to keep the strongest cooperation possible with the United Kingdom in the field of development cooperation after the Brexit;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Notes the proposed increase by 134% of the cooperation with the Middle East budget line and the increase by 6 % of the migration and asylum budget line; regrets the lack of explanation by the Commission regarding the two increases in a context where migration flows to Europe have decreased sharply; proposes therefore to reduce corresponding appropriations in order to finance the necessary increase of the human development budget line.

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its firm rejection of the use of development funds for non- development objectives such as border management or military capacity building and underlines that funding that does not fulfil official development assistance (ODA) criteria must be entirely sourced from other instruments than the DCI and/or EDF; reiterates that to be effective in combating poverty over the long-term, and in accordance with Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, actions tackling the deep-rooted causes of poverty should be chosen in preference to others that meet the criteria for official development assistance;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that the Union fisheries sector is largely concentrated in certain regions which rely heavily on fishing, and that fishing contributes to the social and cultural fabric of many coastal ~~and~~, outermost regions and islands;

Amendment 7 #

Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Reiterates its rejection of~~Supports the use of development funds for non-development objectives such as border management or military capacity building and underlines that funding that does not fulfil official development assistance (ODA) criteria must be sourced from other instruments than the DCI and/or EDFsecurity capacity building, but also for military capacity building in countries where the state is deficient and where re-establishing authority and national sovereignty is essential and therefore private entities and public development agencies may operate with a view to national development; underlines that official development assistance (ODA) criteria are not to be interpreted in a rigid and bureaucratic way which would prevent projects combining security and development from being funded by the DCI, the EDF or any other development cooperation instrument;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its rejection of the use of development funds for non-development objectives such as border management or military capacity building and underlines that funding that does not fulfil official development assistance (ODA) criteria must be sourced from other instruments than the DCI and/or EDF; reaffirms its support for budgetisation of the EDF, and emphasises the importance of restricting the budgets allocated to the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions respectively;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Considers that the external dimension of the CFP makes it essential that realistic budgetary forecasts be drawn up with a view to funding sustainable fisheries partnership agreements with third countries;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its rejection of the use of development funds for non- development objectives such as border management or military capacity building and underlines that funding that does not fulfil official developFully recognizes the complex nature of many challenges and the need for multifaceted and complementary response actions, but insists on the need for clarity in funding arrangements a~~ssistance (ODA) criteria must be sourced from other instruments than the DCI and/or EDF~~nd respect for international commitments;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that, four years after its adoption on 15 May 2014, the level of implementation of the 2014-2020 EMFF remains unsatisfactory, as 4.5% of the budget has been implemented to date (part of the EMFF under shared management); hopes that EMFF implementation levels will increase over time, and stresses that the poor implementation levels are due in part to red tape at national and EU level as well as a lack of ambition in Member States, notably when it comes to ensuring a full and timely implementation of the landing obligation;

source: 625.480

2018/07/23 ECON 41 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Sven GIEGOLD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on the priorities outlined in the European Semester, and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines that the most pressing issues lie especially in the area of security and defence, while economic development, growth and youth unemployment are among other crucial areas to be addressed;deleted

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls for a 2019 EU budget that can promote effectively social development, sustainable growth, economic, social and territorial cohesion, innovation, public investment, respect for the environment and the protection of biodiversity, peace and external and internal solidarity, in particular towards migrants;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that the Union Budget is fundamentally an investment budget;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Considers that the EU budget should continue to support economic recovery in the European Union and provide sufficient resources to meet transnational challenges such as climate change and immigration; consequently, calls for the 2019 budget to be bigger than that of 2018 in real terms;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the importance of ensuring sufficient resources for the coordination and surveillance of macroeconomic policies and communication and outreach to citizens and stakeholders with regard to the future of EMU including the euroharmful effects to the southern EU Member States in particular by the EMU including the euro; calls into question the utility of the continued existence of the EMU; Calls for a new programme supporting Member States leaving the euro in a controlled manner;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the importance of ensuring sufficient resources for the coordination and surveillance of macroeconomic policies ~~and~~which should prioritise on reducing poverty and lifting citizens out of the risk of poverty, a sector which has been growing in recent years, as well as on boosting the purchasing power of all citizens across all EU regions; transparent communication and outreach to citizens and stakeholders with regard to the future of the EMU including the euro should continue;

Amendment 16 #

Simona BONAFÈ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the importance of ensuring sufficient resources for the coordination and surveillance of macroeconomic policies ~~and~~, for social and economic convergence, and for communication and outreach to citizens and stakeholders with regard to the future of EMU including the euro;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Calls for increased funding for programmes to promote employment with rights and for the social inclusion of young people, ensuring that EU funds do not encourage the creation of unpaid internships, precarious working conditions or the replacement of permanent jobs with temporary posts or unpaid internships;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Denounces the fact that, despite the conclusion of the economic adjustment programmes, Member States that were subjected thereto face serious problems at economic and social level and are still affected by the consequences and the policies imposed by the Troika; calls, therefore, for the creation of an emergency plan to support the economy of those countries that were subjected to the Troika’s intervention, and for this plan to provide financial resources and the necessary exceptions to the functioning of the single market and common policies;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2 c. Calls for the creation of specific support programmes for countries which consider that membership of the euro area has become unsustainable and unbearable, providing for adequate compensation for the losses caused, within the framework of a negotiated exit from the single currency for those Member States which seek to leave it;

Amendment 2 #

Kay SWINBURNE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on the priorities outlined in the European Semester, and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; ~~underlines that the most pressing issues lie especially in the area of security and defence, while economic development, growth and youth unemployment are among other crucial areas to be addressed;~~

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Underlines that~~Stresses that despite the creation of the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) ~~role is essential in fostering consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better func~~, it is clear that new banking and financial crises are far from being avoided, especially because the fundamental question~~ing~~ of financial ~~markets and assuring consumer protection; calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure adequate resources for the ESAs~~speculation has not been changed yet;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Underlines that~~Stresses the importance of the role played by the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) ~~role is essential~~ in fostering consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better functioning of financial markets and assuring consumer protection; ~~calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure adequate resources for the ESAs;~~

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Underlines that~~Questions whether the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) role is essential in fostering consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better functioning of financial markets and assuring consumer protection; ~~calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure adequate resources for the ESAs;~~

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines that the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) role is essential in fostering consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better functioning of financial markets and assuring consumer protection; calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure ~~adequat~~that the resources ~~for the ESA~~allocated would allow ESAs to be adequately staffed and to have secure and efficient IT systems;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines that the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) role is essential in ~~fostering~~enhancing a genuine European approach to financial supervision, fostering supervisory convergence, consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better functioning of financial markets and assuring retail investor and consumer protection; calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure adequate resources for the ESAs;

Amendment 25 #

Sven GIEGOLD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines that the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) role is essential in fostering consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better functioning of financial markets and assuring consumer protection; calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure adequate resources for the ESAs taking proper account of the gradually increasing amount of tasks devolved to them;

Amendment 26 #

Kay SWINBURNE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines that the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) role is essential in fostering consistent application of Union law and better coordination between national authorities, ensuring financial stability, promoting better functioning of financial markets and assuring consumer protection; calls on the Committee on Budgets to ensure adequate resources for the ESAs where fully rationalised;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Emphasises that the European Banking Authority’s (EBA) work should not be disrupted by Brexit and its relocation; underlines the importance of finalising the corresponding legislation as a matter of urgency to allow sufficient time for a cost-efficient relocation; stresses that the relevant upcoming legislations should fully respect the role of the European Parliament in the procedures leading to future possible setups and relocations of European Agencies;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Understands the significant increase in ESAs’ budget estimates for 2019 caused mainly by the introduction of new tasks proposed in the ESAs review and other currently negotiated legislative files; considers that conditional budget lines covering the cost of the new tasks should be introduced and will only be triggered after the laws are adopted; recognises that such funding will only apply until a new funding mechanism is adopted;deleted

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Understands the significant increase in ESAs’ budget estimates for 2019 caused mainly by~~Notes that the introduction of new tasks ~~proposed in~~for the ESAs re~~view and other currently negotiated legislative files; considers that conditional budge~~sulted in a significant lin~~es covering the cost of the new tasks should be introduced and will only be triggered after the laws are adopted; recognises that such funding will only apply until a new funding mechanism is adopted~~crease in their budget estimates for 2019;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on testablished priorities ~~outlined in the European Semester,~~ and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines that the most pressing issues ~~lie especially in the area of security and defence, while~~requiring urgent action relate to economic development, growth and youth unemployment ~~are among other crucial areas to be addressed~~;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Understand~~Questions the significant increase in ESAs’ budget estimates for 2019 caused mainly by the introduction of new tasks proposed in the ESAs review and other currently negotiated legislative files; considers that conditional budget lines covering the cost of the new tasks should be introduced and will only be triggered after the laws are adopted; recognises that such funding will only apply until a new funding mechanism is adopted;

Amendment 31 #

Sven GIEGOLD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Understands the significant increase in ESAs’ budget estimates for 2019 caused ~~mainly~~also by the introduction of new tasks proposed in the ESAs review and other currently negotiated legislative files; considers that conditional budget lines covering the cost of the new tasks should be introduced ~~and will only be triggered after the laws are adopted~~; recognises that such funding will ~~only~~ apply at least until a new funding mechanism is adopted;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Understands the significant increase in ESAs’ budget estimates for 2019 caused mainly by the introduction of new tasks proposed in the ESAs review and other currently negotiated legislative files, however insists on full transparency regarding the distribution of these additional financial resources ; considers that conditional budget lines covering the cost of the new tasks should be introduced and will only be triggered after the laws are adopted; recognises that such funding will only apply until a new funding mechanism is adopted;

Amendment 33 #

Kay SWINBURNE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Understands the potentially significant increase in ESAs’ budget estimates for 2019 caused mainly by the introduction of new tasks proposed in the ESAs review and other currently negotiated legislative files; considers that conditional budget lines covering the cost of the new tasks should be introduced and will only be triggered after the laws are adopted; recognises that such funding will only apply until a new funding mechanism is adopted and introduced;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Underlines the importance of finalising the revision of the Regulation establishing ESAs before the end of the 8th legislature of the European Parliament in order to introduce, according to the evolution of the scope of institution-specific supervision, the possibility of appropriate and proportionate calibrated fees for market participants partly replacing contributions of national competent authorities without at the same time compromising the independence of the ESAs;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Emphasises that ESAs should continuously strive to increase their efficiency without compromising on the quality of their work with a focus on continuous re-assessment of working methods and of effective use of human and financial resources.deleted

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. EHighlights the need for the ESAs to be adequately financed and staffed in order to be able to perform the tasks assigned to them; emphasises that ESAs should continuously strive to increase their efficiency without compromising on the quality of their work with a focus on continuous re-assessment of working methods and of effective use of human and financial resources; reminds that the ESAs must stick strictly to the tasks assigned to them by the Union legislator and must not seek to de facto broaden their mandate beyond these assignments.

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Emphasises that ESAs should continuously strive to increase their efficiency without compromising on the quality of their work with a focus on continuous re-assessment of working methods ~~and of~~, transfer of knowhow and other forms of mutual assistance between ESAs, as well as on the effective use of human and financial resources.

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on the priorities outlined in the European Semester, and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU ~~full or partial~~ responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines that ~~the most pressing issues lie especially~~ boosting a socially balanced and sustainable economic development, addressing economic and social pressures stemming th~~e area of security and defence, while economic development, growth and~~rough irregular migration, fostering convergence between EU regions, and tackling youth unemployment are among other most crucial areas to be addressed;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Considers that the 2019 budget should allocate more resources to the welcoming and support of refugees and migrants, particularly for Member States on the southern and eastern border of the EU and for those that are meeting their commitments in this regard;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Underlines the need to ensure the adequate resources to support the Union action to fight aggressive tax planning, tax fraud and tax evasion;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on ~~the priorities outlined in the European Semester, and on~~ addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility ~~as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018~~; underlines that the most pressing issues lie especially in the area of ~~security and defence, while~~ economic development, growth and youth unemployment ~~are among other crucial areas to be addressed~~; underlines the importance of the sustainable development goals in overcoming these issues;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on the priorities outlined in the European Semester, in particular on pursuing structural reforms to modernise European economies and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines that the most pressing issues ~~lie especially~~notably lie in the areas of security and defence, ~~while~~ economic development, growth and youth unemployment ~~are among other crucial areas to be addressed~~;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to ~~focus~~take account onf the ~~priorities outlined in~~constraint to which a group of countries in the euro area are subject within the framework of the European Semester, and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines that the most pressing issues lie especially in the area of ~~security and defence, while~~ economic development, growth ~~and~~, youth unemployment a~~re among other crucial areas to be add~~nd social progressed;

Amendment 8 #

Simona BONAFÈ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on the priorities outlined in the European Semester, and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines ~~that~~among the most pressing issues ~~lie especially in the area of security and defence, while economic development, growth and youth unemployment are among other crucial areas to be addressed~~the area of sustainable economic growth, with a particular focus on social cohesion and youth unemployment, and the area of security and defence;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the 2019 budget to focus on the priorities outlined in the European Semester, in the resolutions of the European Parliament and in the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, and on addressing the main concerns of EU citizens that are within EU full or partial responsibility as outlined e.g. in the Eurobarometer 2018; underlines that the most pressing issues lie especially in the area of security and defence, while economic development, growth and youth unemployment are among other crucial areas to be addressed, along with slowing down climate change, reducing inequalities, and the financing of migration, asylum and refugee policies;

source: 625.516

2018/07/25 LIBE 40 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the increase (+6.7%) of commitment appropriation for Heading III (Security & Citizenship) from 3.49 billion euros in 2018 to 3.73 billion euros in 2019; highlights that this increase requires to top- up the ceiling of Heading III by more than 25% to supplement it by 927.5 million euros in 2019 ( +10% compared to 2018); notes that this is the fifth year in a row that the flexibility instrument is invoked to support actions that are under implementations since 2015; ~~invit~~welcomes, therefore, the Commission~~, as part~~’s proposal ofn the ~~new~~ post -2020 MFF, ~~to establish a permanent and sustainable mechanism for~~which increases financing for migration and security actions ~~and to only rely on flexibility mechanisms for financing true unforeseen crises~~;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9 million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute cross-border crime; regrets ~~however that Eurojust is the only JHA agency facing budgetary cuts in 2019, involving~~ a counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5 million euros (-5.4%); expresses its concern that such a reduction is untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice; calls on the Commission to provide Eurojust with a budget for 2019 that is at least at the same level than in 2018 (€38.6 million), while providing Eurojust with a total of 217 posts for 2019; points out as well in this context that the current Commission proposal for the funding of Eurojust in the next 2021-2027 MFF is insufficient as it corresponds to a cut of 15% on an annual basis compared to 2018;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9 million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute cross-border crime; regrets however that ~~Eurojust is the only JHA agency facing budgetary cuts in 2019, involving a counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5~~funding for the Justice Program will be reduced by 2.5 million euros (5.4%); further regrets the reduction in Eurojust's budget of 1 million euros (-~~5.4%)~~2.7%) in 2019; expresses its concern that such a reduction iss are untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice; calls on the Commission to provide Eurojust with a budget for 2019 that is at least at the same level than in 2018 (€38.6 million), while providing Eurojust with a total of 217 posts for 2019; points out as well in this context that the current Commission proposal for the funding of Eurojust in the next 2021- 2027 MFF is insufficient as it corresponds to a cut of 15% on an annual basis compared to 2018;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9 million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute cross-border crime; regrets however~~Regrets that Eurojust is the only JHA agency facing budgetary cuts in 2019, involving a counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5 million euros (- 5.4%); expresses its concern that such a reduction is untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice; calls on the Commission to provide Eurojust with a budget for 2019 that is at least at the same level than in 2018 (€38.6 million), while providing Eurojust with a total of 217 posts for 2019; points out as well in this context that the current Commission proposal for the funding of Eurojust in the next 2021- 2027 MFF is insufficient as iIt corresponds to a cut of 15% on an annual basis compared to 2018;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9 million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute cross-border crime against the financial interests of the Union; regrets however that Eurojust is ~~the only JHA agency~~ facing budgetary cuts in 2019, involving a counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5 million euros (- 5.4%); expresses its concern that such a reduction is untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice~~; calls on the Commission to provid~~, especially in the area of terrorism and cross-border crime; calls for a slight increase of the Eurojust ~~with a~~ budget ~~for~~ 2019 ~~that is at least at the same level than in 2018 (€38.6 mill~~compared to the level of 2018 in order to avoid negative impactson its operation), while providing Eurojust with a total of 217 posts ~~for 2019;~~ ;points out as well in this context that the current Commission proposal for the funding of Eurojust in the next 2021- 2027 MFF is insufficient as it corresponds to a cut of 15% on an annual basis compared to 2018;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9 million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute cross-border crime; regrets however that Eurojust is ~~the only JHA a~~one of the JHA agency agencies together with the Fundamental Rights Agency facing budgetary cuts in 2019, involving a counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5 million euros (- 5.4%); expresses its concern that such a reduction is untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice; calls on the Commission to provide Eurojust with a budget for 2019 that is at least at the same level than in 2018 (€38.6 million), while providing Eurojust with a total of 217 posts for 2019; points out as well in this context that the current Commission proposal for the funding of Eurojust in the next 2021- 2027 MFF is insufficient as it corresponds to a cut of 15% on an annual basis compared to 2018;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9 million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute cross-border crime; regrets however that Eurojust is the only JHA agency facing budgetary cuts in 2019, involving a counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5 million euros (- 5.4%); expresses its concern that such a reduction is untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice; calls on the Commission to provide Eurojust with a budget for 2019 that is a~~t least at the same level than in 2018 (€38.6 million), while~~dequate to address its increasing caseload and coordination activities and to provid~~ing~~e Eurojust with a total of 217 posts for 2019; points out as well in this context that the current Commission proposal for the funding of Eurojust in the next 2021- 2027 MFF is insufficient as it corresponds to a cut of 15% on an annual basis compared to 2018;

Amendment 16 #

Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Gérard DEPREZ, Petr JEŽEK, Jeroen LENAERS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Welcomes that the proposed funding for Frontex matches the initial request of the agency; points out, however, that the proposed number of posts does not take into account any anticipated needs for ETIAS, the application which should amount to a total of 20TAs and 67 CAs for 2020 when operations start; believes that 20 staff should be frontloaded to ensure a smooth and timely delivery of the core processes and infrastructures in 2021; considers that the correction co-efficient should be increased in order to address the geographical imbalance in relation to Frontex staff and the Agency's difficulties to reach the targets set out in the establishment plan;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. underlines Europol´s increasing role in combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as in strengthening cross- border cooperation in the field of law enforcement; deeply regrets that the draft EU budget for 2019 put forward by the Commission implies a reduction of 21 million EUR and 38 temporary agent posts, compared to the proposal for 2019 agreed by the Member States in the Europol Management Board; calls for appropriate funding adjusted to the Agency´s needs;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Regrets the counter-productive reduction of commitment appropriations for the Justice Program by -2.5 million euros (-5.4%); expresses its concern that such a reduction is untenable given the operational growth and the political priorities in security and justice; welcomes the establishment of a budget of 4.9million euros for the EPPO which will prosecute crimes against the financial interest of the European Union (PIF crimes);

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Regrets the proposed reduction of the budget and establishment plan of Eurojust, in contrast to other JHA Agencies, which implies that the EU stops half-way in its actions to fight present security threats as it does not allow for an effective judicial follow-up. Eurojust is the only EU body in a position to guarantee this through coordination and cooperation of investigative authorities in the fight against terrorism, cybercrime, migrant smuggling and organised crime; providing Eurojust with sufficient financial means is an essential prerequisite for the agency’s proper functioning and for the development of all its strategic and operational activities; urges to reinforce Eurojust with a budget for 2019 of € 41.2 million and a total of 217 posts; stresses the need to match the budgetary needs of Eurojust with a realistic forecast in the MFF 2021-2027 in line with the position of the European Parliament on the need to provide sufficient resources in the MFF 2021- 2027 to JHA agencies, and in particular to Eurojust, to avoid systematic recourse to the flexibility provisions of the MFF every year;

Amendment 2 #

Monika HOHLMEIER, Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Gérard DEPREZ, Petr JEŽEK, Jeroen LENAERS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Notes~~Underlines that tackling internal security must remain one of the Union’s main priorities and stresses the role of the Internal Security Fund (ISF) as the key financial instrument to support Member States in the area of security, including the fight against terrorism and radicalisation, serious and organised crime and cybercrime; Notes, however, the rebalancing of commitment appropriation between ISF and AMIF in favour of the latter following outcome of the mid-term review of the two programs and as a result of the continued pressure on the migration front; ~~welcom~~notes the very significant increase of AMIF commitment appropriation by 401.7 million euros (+56%) in order to finance the new Dublin legislation (assuming it is adopted by the end of 2018) and an envelope of 175 million euros requested for Greece following notably, the end of the Emergency Humanitarian Support instrument on 1 January 2019;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. stresses that the proposed 2019 budget does not meet the levels required by Europol´s role in fighting trans-border serious crime, including money laundering and cybercrime and in preventing and fighting terrorism; this even represents a substantial reduction compared to the budget currently being implemented; is concerned that insufficient budgeting has led to the de- prioritization of important operational technological initiatives and activities; asks for financial allocations of 143,3 million EUR, in line with the Agency´s draft budget for 2019 endorsed by the Member States and the Commission in the Management Board;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the level of funding of EASO which according to the agency matches its initial request to the Commission; regrets however that this is not the case for eu-LISA; points out that 2019 will be an extremely challenging year for eu-LISA given the substantial increase of its tasks and budget allocated and that it will need an adequate reinforcement of its resources to deliver according to its new mandate; highlights that commitment appropriations are necessary for eu-LISA, especially for the execution of its planned activities in 2019, including the second phase of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and the Schengen Information System (SIS II);

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes that the level of funding ~~of EASO which according to the agency~~proposed for EASO matches ~~its~~the initial request of the agency to the Commission; regrets however that this is not the case for eu-LISA; points out that 2019 will be an extremely challenging year for eu-LISA given the substantial increase of its tasks and budget allocated and that it will need an adequate reinforcement of its resources to deliver according to its new mandateexpects the Commission to presents an amending budget to increase the funding for operations if the level of operational support requested by Member States increases in 2019;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Welcomes the level of funding of EASO which according to the agency matches its initial request to the Commission; regrets however that this is not the case~~Regrets the insufficient funding allocated for eu-LISA; points out that 2019 will be an extremely challenging year for eu-LISA given the substantial increase of its tasks and budget allocated and that it will need an adequate reinforcement of its resources to deliver according to its new mandate;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Expresses its concern regarding the proposed funding as well as staffing for eu-LISA given the increasing complexity of its tasks, including the updating of existing databases (SIS, Eurodac and VIS) and the implementation and operational management of other large-scale IT systems in the JHA domain (EES, ETIAS,ECRIS-TCN); believes that the lack of funding for operational matters can no longer be compensated through extensive external support, the outsourcing of functions or a reprioritisation of already planned activities as has been the case in previous years; emphasizes the necessity to reinforce eu-LISA's resources and provide for 25 additional contract agents to allow the agency to deliver according to its mandate, including on the second phase of AFIS;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Welcomes the increase in funding for Frontex; notes, however, that the proposed establishment plan does not take into account any anticipated needs for ETIAS applications system which should amount to a total of 20 TAs and 67 CAs staff to join the EBCGA in year 2020 in order to deliver in due time the core processes and infrastructures and to enable the starting date of operations in 2021. Such a frontloading of posts would need to go hand in hand with an increase of financial resources amounting to EUR 2 million.

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Underlines Europol´s increasing role in combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as in strengthening cross- border cooperation in the field of law enforcement; deeply regrets that the draft EU budget for 2019 put forward by the Commission implies a reduction of 21 million EUR and 38 temporary agent posts compared to the proposal for 2019 agreed by the Member States in the Europol Management Board; asks for financial allocations of 152,3 million EUR, in line with the Agency´s draft budget for 2019 endorsed by the Member States and the Commission in the Management Board;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the increase (16%) of EDPS administrative expenditure to cover its new responsibilities for the Secretariat of the European Data Protection Board, its additional needs in relation with the new data protection rules in the EU institutions and for the monitoring and ensuring compliance with the data protection rules of ex-third pillar agencies; regrets that the Budget of FRA was not increased as the agency is expected to be confronted to new tasks and responsibilities in 2019 as fundamental rights are under an ongoing pressure; stresses, in particular, that the amount of additional tasks assigned to FRA have grown significantly since 2015, when the EU was confronted with an increased arrival of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers; proposes, therefore, to properly expand its financial and human resources in order to adequately perform its new tasks stemming from requests of the EU institutions, Member States and EU Agencies;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the increase (16%) of EDPS administrative expenditure to cover its new responsibilities for the Secretariat of the European Data Protection Board, its additional needs in relation with the new data protection rules in the EU institutions and for the monitoring and ensuring compliance with the data protection rules of ex-third pillar agencies; regrets that the Budget of FRA was not increased as the agency is expected to be confronted to new tasks and responsibilities in 2019 as fundamental rights are under an ongoing pressure; regrets that the Fundamental Rights Agency’s mandate still limits its role in support of fundamental rights; underlines that the Agency should be able to offer opinions on legislative proposals on its own initiative and that its remit should extend to all areas of rights protected under the Charter, including, for instance, issues of police and judicial cooperation;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Welcom~~Notes the increase (16%) of EDPS administrative expenditure to cover its new responsibilities for the Secretariat of the European Data Protection Board, its additional needs in relation with the new data protection rules in the EU institutions and for the monitoring and ensuring compliance with the data protection rules of ex-third pillar agencies; ~~regrets that the Budget of FRA was not increased as the agency is expected to be~~Welcomes the level of funding of FRA in order to confront~~ed to~~ its new tasks and responsibilities in 2019 ~~as fundamental rights are under an ongoing pressure;~~.

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes the rebalancing of commitment appropriation between ISF and AMIF in favour of the latter following outcome of the mid-term review of the two programs and as a result of the continued pressure on the migration front; welcomes the very significant increase of AMIF commitment appropriation by 401.7 million euros (+56%) in order to finance the new Dublin legislation (assuming it is adopted by the end of 2018) ~~and an~~, in that regard calls on the Commission, in any event, to prioritise relocations in 2019, welcomes also the envelope of 175 million euros requested for Greece following notably, the end of the Emergency Humanitarian Support instrument on 1 January 2019;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Stresses that the proposed EU 2019 subsidy to the EMCDDA shall be increased to meet essential operational needs, as EMCDDA is required to enhance its role regarding the coordination and development of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), as well as to fund properly non-routine data collection for wastewater analysis and for acute recreational drug and toxicity of new psychoactive substances in EU.

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls for an increase of the AD posts created for the Fundamental Rights Officer of Frontex to help the Agency gain high-level expertise on the topic of fundamental rights and cope with the additional tasks that the Fundamental Rights Officer is faced with;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Points out that more human and financial resources are needed to enable CEPOL to fully implement its 2015 renewed legal basis, which broadened its target group from senior police officers to law enforcement officials across the EU and its neighbourhood; believes that this will help to close training gaps preventing Member State’s law enforcement services from fully utilising EU level cooperation instruments and systems in the fields of organised crime, terrorism and illegal migration, whilst addressing fundamental rights as a cross cutting issue in law enforcement training;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Highlights the very significant increase from 10 billion euros in 2018 to 11.38 billion euros in 2019 (+13.1%) of commitment appropriations as well as of payment appropriations (17,0%) for heading IV (Global Europe); welcomes the proposed full use for 2019 of the unallocated margin under heading IV, as well as 1 116,2 million euros from the Global margin for commitments in order to reinforce Humanitarian Aid and the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) for the pledges made at the 2018 Syria conference; notes that 1.45 billion euros are budgeted in the EU budget to finance the “Facility for Refugees in Turkey II” (FRT II) and that 560 million euros are budgeted for addressing the Syrian Crisis; ~~stresses the very steep increase of EU contribution of the EU budget to the FRT II;~~ calls on the Commission to effectively monitor the proper allocation and implementation of this contribution in view of the ongoing deterioration in fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law and the lack of judicial independence in Turkey.

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Highlights the very significant increase from 10 billion euros in 2018 to 11.38 billion euros in 2019 (+13.1%) of commitment appropriations as well as of payment appropriations (17,0%) for heading IV (Global Europe); welcomes the proposed full use for 2019 of the unallocated margin under heading IV, as well as 1 116,2 million euros from the Global margin for commitments in order to reinforce Humanitarian Aid and the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) for the pledges made at the 2018 Syria conference; notes that 1.45 billion euros are budgeted in the EU budget to finance the “Facility for Refugees in Turkey II” (FRT II) and that 560 million euros are budgeted for addressing the Syrian Crisis; stresses the very steep increase of EU contribution of the EU budget to the FRT II; calls on the Commission to effectively monitor the proper allocation and implementation of this contribution in view of the ongoing deterioration in fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law and the lack of judicial independence in Turkey.;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Highlight~~Notes the very significant increase from 10 billion euros in 2018 to 11.38 billion euros in 2019 (+13.1%) of commitment appropriations as well as of payment appropriations (17,0%) for heading IV (Global Europe)~~; welcomes~~ and the proposed full use for 2019 of the unallocated margin under heading IV, as well as 1 116,2 million euros from the Global margin for commitments in order to reinforce Humanitarian Aid and the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) for the pledges made at the 2018 Syria conference; ~~note~~Regrets that 1.45 billion euros are budgeted in the EU budget to finance the “Facility for Refugees in Turkey II” (FRT II) and that 560 million euros are budgeted for addressing the Syrian Crisis; stresses the very steep increase of EU contribution of the EU budget to the FRT II; calls on the Commission to effectively monitor the proper allocation and implementation of this contribution in view of the ongoing deterioration in fundamental rights and freedoms, the rule of law and the lack of judicial independence in Turkey.

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to revise the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), in order to strengthen the overall approach to disaster management; stresses that the increase in commitment (46,1%) and payment (33,6%) appropriations of UCPM in 2019 compared to 2018 reflects the expected uptake for actions in third countries; considers as positive that the 2019 allocation of Humanitarian Aid activities includes increases, relative to the financial programming, of 120 million euros and 3,2million euros for scaling up disaster-preparedness actions;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Commission to develop appropriate professional insertion schemes for contractual agents of agencies that incur personnel cuts due to decrease of budgetary and staffing allocations;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Reiterates that the Commission must continue to focus on Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights issues - particularly in view of democratic backsliding in some EU Member States - including by proposing stronger monitoring and redress mechanisms;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes the rebalancing of commitment appropriation between ISF and AMIF in favour of the latter following outcome of the mid-term review of the two programs ~~and as a result of the continued pressure on the migration front~~; welcomes the very significant increase of AMIF commitment appropriation by 401.7 million euros (+56%) in order to finance the new Dublin legislation (assuming it is adopted by the end of 2018) and an envelope of 175 million euros requested for Greece following notably, the end of the Emergency Humanitarian Support instrument on 1 January 2019;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6 c. Encourages the Commission to strengthen support for investigative journalism, including cross-border investigative journalism, and media freedom though dedicated funds as a measure contributing to combatting crime and raising awareness among the EU citizens.

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes the rebalancing of commitment appropriations between ISF and AMIF in favour of the latter following outcome of the mid-term review of the two programs and as a result of the continued pressure on the migration front; ~~welcom~~further notes the very significant increase of AMIF commitment appropriations by 401.7 million euros (+56%) in order to finance the new Dublin legislation (assuming it is adopted by the end of 2018) and an envelope of 175 million euros requested for Greece following notably, the end of the Emergency Humanitarian Support instrument on 1 January 2019;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Recalls that the fair and transparent distribution of funding between the different objectives of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund was a priority for Parliament during negotiations leading to the adoption of that fund; calls on the Commission accordingly to increase the number of budget lines under the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund to facilitate a better readability and transparency of how the financial resources allocated to the different objectives and thus to those budgetary lines that will be spent; calls, in particular, on the Commission to separate expenditure on enhancing fair return strategies from expenditure on legal migration and promoting the effective integration of third-country nationals in all future draft budgets as proposed in the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs for the 2015, 2016 and2018 Budget;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. considers that, as regards AMIF, priority should be given to projects supporting asylum seekers and integration of migrants and refugees; acknowledges the positive contribution of regional and local authorities as well as civil society organisations in that regard, and asks for the EU and the Member states to support their actions including by granting them direct access to AMIF;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Regrets the decrease in appropriations for the Internal Security Fund (ISF) by €191.5m for 2019; takes the view that any increase of allocations to the AMIF should be matched by an increase in funding for border control and tackling cross border crime;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Stresses the significant role played by civil society organisations in saving the lives of migrants and asylum seekers at the external borders as well as in safeguarding, promoting and implementing their rights; calls for more financial support to be given to strengthen the activities of civil society;

source: 625.566

2018/07/26 EMPL 30 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Geoffroy DIDIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that sustainable growth anrequires structural reforms to labour markets, to the banking sector and capital markets and to public administration as well as targeted investment, which isn t~~he key to~~urn will help in the creation of quality jobs and increased prosperity for all ~~and~~; believes that it is necessary to direct ~~the~~ structural funds ~~and investments more effectively towards~~to regions that need it most as long as these areas have the ability to absorb them and deliver good results; notes that efficient investments will deliver the best value for money including job creation, promoting inclusive growth, reducing inequalities and boosting upward social convergence;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Acknowledges the modest increase proposed by the Commission in the appropriations of heading1b - Economic, social and territorial cohesion (+2,8 % in commitment appropriations and +1,1% in payment appropriations);

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Rejects~~Believes that any reductions to the budgetary programming for the employment, social affairs and inclusion lines ~~and recalls that a proper balance between commitment and payment appropriations must be found~~must be made on a case by case basis by identifying under performing budget lines where investments are not having the desired effect; recalls that a proper balance between commitment and payment appropriations and results based policy making must represent the cornerstone for future spending in order to allow these policies to reach their full potential;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Rejects any reductions to the budgetary programming for the employment, social affairs and inclusion lines and recalls that a proper balance between commitment and payment appropriations must be found in order to allow these policies to reach their full potential; is particularly concerned about the cuts introduced by the Council on these areas as this might prevent the EY from delivering and from living up to citizens' expectations;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its call that adequate appropriations and especially payment appropriations are ensured in Budget 2019 for the ESF given that it is entering a period of intense implementation and payment requests by Member States will increase ~~and therefore regrets the proposed decreased in payment appropriations (- 2.6%)~~;

Amendment 14 #

Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcom~~Notes the proposal to increase the commitment appropriations for the FEAD and the EGF (+2% for each); ~~regrets, however,~~welcomes that savings have been identified elsewhere in the EU budget including the decrease (-60%) of the payment appropriations for the EGF, as well as the decreases (respectively 1.5% and -0.4%) of the commitment and payment appropriation for the EaSI;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the proposal to increase the commitment appropriations for the FEAD and the EGF (+2% for each); ~~regret~~notes, however, the decrease (-60%) of the payment appropriations for the EGF, as well as the decreases (respectively 1.5% and -0.4%) of the commitment and payment appropriation for the EaSI;

Amendment 16 #

Geoffroy DIDIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the proposal to increase the commitment appropriations for the FEAD and the EGF (+2% for each); regrets, however, the decrease (-60%) of the payment appropriations for the EGF, as well as the decreases (respectively 1.5% and -0.4%) of the commitment and payment appropriation for the EaSI; stresses that the commitment appropriations for 'Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship' will have to be maintained at an ambitious level;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Underlines that, in the context of on-going budgetary constraints, gaining the full support from citizens is extremely important in order to reaffirm and achieve our social and employment commitments under the EU 2020 strategy; believes that the challenge faced by the EU will not be to spend more, but to spend more efficiently;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses, furthermore, that the budget lines supporting European social dialogue and measures for social partners are of prime importance when it comes to strengthening social partners’ involvement, for example in the European Semester and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and thus regrets the decrease in payment appropriations (-21.8%) proposed by the Commission as regards industrial relations and social dialogue;deleted

Amendment 19 #

Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Jana TOOM, António MARINHO E PINTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. SRecalls that the EU is in a context of near-stagnation and insufficient wage growth and that both the Commission and the ECB recommend a general increase in wages and an improvement in the quality of employment; stresses, furthermore, that the budget lines supporting European social dialogue and measures for social partners are of prime importance when it comes to strengthening social partners’ involvement, for example in the European Semester and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and thus regrets the decrease in payment appropriations (- 21.8%) proposed by the Commission as regards industrial relations and social dialogue; highlights that well functioning industrial relations systems have a positive impact in productivity, employment creation and maintenance, jobs quality and decent wages;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that sustainable growth and investment is the key to creation of ~~quality jobs~~decent jobs leading to quality employment and increased prosperity for all and that it is necessary to direct the structural funds and investments more effectively towards promoting inclusive growth, reducing inequalities and boosting upward social convergence;

Amendment 20 #

Geoffroy DIDIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses, furthermore, that the budget lines supporting European social dialogue and measures for social partners are of prime importance when it comes to strengthening social partners’ involvement, for example in the European Semester and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; a~~nd thus~~cknowledges the slight increase in commitment appropriations (6,4%) but regrets the decrease in payment appropriations (- 21.8%) proposed by the Commission as regards industrial relations and social dialogue;

Amendment 21 #

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Brando BENIFEI, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Eva MAYDELL, Tom VANDENKENDELAERE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Highlights that youth unemployment in certain Member States remains unacceptably high in the European Union and that the situation of young people in NEET situations (not in education, employment, or training) and the long-term unemployed, is particularly worrying; highlights that young people are the group most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; emphasises that, in order to address these issues, it is of the utmost importance to ensure continued, increased and timely funding of the Youth Guarantee through the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), as well as adequate support to measures tackling inequalities, also beyond employment, through the ESF;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Calls for the commitment appropriations of the YEI to be maintained for 2019 at the same level as for 2018, i.e EUR 350 million; recalls its demand for adequate funds for fundamental tools devoted to the future of young people and that the Youth Guarantee is a well- targeted program for a temporary and very specific problem of youth unemployment, which still remains very high;

Amendment 23 #

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Brando BENIFEI, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Eva MAYDELL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Calls for the commitment appropriations of the YEI to be ~~maintained for 2019 at the same level as for 2018, i.e EUR 350 mill~~aligned with performance-based budgeting as outlined in the joint statements from previous Budgetary agreements in which the Commission committed itself to draw lessons from the results of the Youth Employment Initiative evaluation;

Amendment 24 #

Jean LAMBERT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Calls for the commitment appropriations of the YEI to be ~~maintain~~increased for 2019 ~~at the same level as for 2018, i.e EUR 350 million~~to EUR 500 million in line with the recommendation of the Court of Auditors;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. CNotes the European Commission’s proposal of an increase for the YEI of EUR 233,3 million for 2019; but considers that the overall YEI budget is still not sufficient to ensure that the Youth Guarantee reaches its targets, and therefore calls for the commitment appropriations of the YEI to be maintained for 2019 at the same level as for 2018, i.e EUR 350 million;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Highlights the important contribution of the agencies in dealing with a wide range of employment and social issues; stresses, in this connection, that their tasks are growing constantly and that they must therefore be given the necessary resources to fulfill their tasks and ensure the best possible results in support of EU legislative and policy objectives; regrets, therefore, the proposed decrease in the funding of Cedefop (-5.8% in both committments and payments); reiterates its concern about the negative budgetary impact of the growing Irish country coefficient, which increasingly risks undermining the financial capability of Eurofound to deliver on its mandate; expects the Union institutions to take action to offset the effects, as expressed in Eurofound’s 2016 discharge report; emphasises the need for additional funding in order to maintain the level of research carried out by the agency, in particular to secure the work done on pan-European surveys;

Amendment 27 #

Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Jana TOOM, António MARINHO E PINTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Welcom~~Notes the ~~cre~~proposal for a regulation ofn the European Labour Authority, which is expected to begin operating in 2019; highlights the need to provide ~~for additional funding to ensure that sufficient financial resource~~appropriate funding which is are set aside for its establishment; regrets that the funding proposed by the Commission (EUR 11 million, appropriations are to be entered into the reserve until such time as the basic act is adopted by the legislator) is of a lower magnitude than the one of other EU agencies in the area of employment and social affairs; insists that this funding cannot be accomplished by redeploying allocations from the other employment and social affairs agenciesflective of the tasks set out in any final agreement on the regulation in order to ensure that sufficient financial resources are set aside for its establishment;

Amendment 28 #

Jeroen LENAERS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Welcomes the creation of the European Labour Authority, which is expected to begin operating in 2019; highlights the need to provide for ad~~ditional~~equate funding to ensure that sufficient financial resources are set aside for its establishment; regrets that the funding proposed by the Commission (EUR 11 million, appropriations are to be entered into the reserve until such time as the basic act is adopted by the legislator) is of a lower magnitude than the one of other EU agencies in the area of employment and social affairs; insists that this funding cannot be accomplished by redeploying allocations from the other employment and social affairs agencies;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Welcomes the creation of the European Labour Authority, which is expected to begin operating in 2019; highlights the need to provide for a~~dditional~~ppropriate funding to ensure that sufficient financial resources are set aside for its establishment; regrets that the funding proposed by the Commission (EUR 11 million, appropriations are to be entered into the reserve until such time as the basic act is adopted by the legislator) is of a lower magnitude than the one of other EU agencies in the area of employment and social affairs; insists that this funding cannot be accomplished by redeploying allocations from the other employment and social affairs agencies;

Amendment 3 #

Geoffroy DIDIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that sustainable growth and investment is the key to creation of quality jobs and ~~increas~~shared prosperity for all and that it is necessary to direct the structural funds and investments more effectively towards promoting inclusive growth, reducing inequalities and boosting upward social convergence;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Welcomes the creation of the European Labour Authority, which is expected to begin operating in 2019; highlights the need to provide for additional funding to ensure that sufficient financial resources are set aside for its establishment; regrets that the funding proposed by the Commission (EUR 11 million, appropriations are to be entered into the reserve until such time as the basic act is adopted by the legislator) is of a lower magnitude than the one of other EU agencies in the area of employment and social affairs; insists that this funding cannot be accomplished by redeploying allocations from the other employment and social affairs agencies; notes that the EURES portal will gradually be shifted under the ELA in 2019 and 2020 and calls for assurance that this transfert of activities does not lead neither to any cut in the EURES budget nor to any disruptions in the functionning of the portal;

Amendment 4 #

Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ, Brando BENIFEI, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Eva MAYDELL, Jeroen LENAERS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that the 2019 budget should contribute towards achieving the employment and social targets set out in Europe 2020 targets in the ~~social and e~~imployement ~~area and the successful implement~~ation of the Proclamation ofn the European Pillar of Social Rights at both Union and national level within their respective competences, particularly when it comes to combating youth and long-term unemployment, rising inequalities, social exclusion and poverty, in particular child poverty; stresses, in this regard, that the 2019 budget cannot be understood outside the context of the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF) and that that efficient and effective spending is equally as important as the total budget ceilings;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that the 2019 budget should contribute towards achieving the Europe 2020 targets in the social and employment area and the successful implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly when it comes to combating youth and long-term unemployment, rising inequalities, social exclusion and poverty, in particular child poverty; stresses, in this regard, that the 2019 budget cannot be understood outside the context of the 2014- 2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF);

Amendment 6 #

Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Jana TOOM, António MARINHO E PINTO, Robert ROCHEFORT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Emphasises that the 2019 budget should contribute towards achieving the Europe 2020 targets in the social and employment area and the successful implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, particularly when it comes to combating youth and long-term unemployment, rising inequalities, social exclusion and poverty, in particular child poverty; stresses, in this regard, that the 2019 budget cannot be understood outside the context of the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF); highlights that programming funds in the social and employment area shall create synergies to help reduce social divergences and inequalities that have been exacerbated by the crisis; warns that any reductions in the budget for these areas will only create difficulties for these policies to be effective and reach their targets;

Amendment 8 #

Geoffroy DIDIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Believes that the principle of European added value should represent the cornerstone of all future expenditure and that Union funding under Heading 1a and 1b should not be used to subsidise national approaches, but rather to complement and enhance national programmes, in particular in the area of job creation; believes that Union funding should therefore reflect a performance- based public budgeting model in which each budget line is accompanied by measurable objectives and outputs;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes the overall year-on-year increase proposed by the Commission in the appropriations of heading 1 – Smart and inclusive growth (+3.91 % in commitment appropriations and +1,83 % in payment appropriations);

source: 625.410

2018/09/05 ITRE 37 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the increase of 3,9 % in commitment appropriations and 1,8 % in payment appropriations in the budget lines related to the remit of ITRE Committee under Heading 1a of the general budget of the Union compared to 2018; further welcomes the focus of the 2019 general budget on growth, innovation, ~~competitiveness~~sustainability, climate change, and the transition to ~~renewable energies~~a highly energy efficient and fully renewables based economy and energy system in line with the Union´s commitments under the Paris Agreement and on the success of young and female researchers and entrepreneurs; calls on the Commission to provide increased and sufficient financial resources for those priorities;

Amendment 10 #

Aldo PATRICIELLO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the necessity to develop leadership in innovation and in disruptive technologies; requests, therefore, that the Commission respect the breakdown of Horizon 2020 budget as described in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council and welcomes the proposed increase of 8,5 % in commitment appropriations for the 2019 general budget; notes with deep concern the strong underfunding of Horizon 2020 under the MFF 2014-2020 resulting in a lower success rate for applications than in the previous MFF period which means that fewer high-quality projects in the field of research and innovation are receiving Union funding and deeply regrets this, pledging to find instruments that guarantee at least 70% of the take-up of available resources; reiterates, therefore, its deep concerns about the unambitious level of funding for Horizon Europe as proposed by the Commission for the next MFF and intends to secure a bare minimum of EUR 120 billion in 2018 prices for this programme during the upcoming MFF 2021-2027 negotiations;

Amendment 11 #

Patrizia TOIA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Insists on the necessity to adequately finance a programme for Union actions to improve the competitiveness of enterprises, with special emphasis on small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs); stresses that an SME-focused programme should complement other Union programmes and should also be built on the solid experience from the predecessor programme COSME with the aim of enhancing access to markets inside and outside the Union, improving framework conditions for businesses and the competitiveness of enterprises and promoting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial culture;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses that the average success rate in Horizon 2020 is 11.6% – and as low as 3% for some programmes; takes into account that almost 75% of the projects evaluated as scientifically excellent have remained unfunded due to lack of budget; urges Commission to ensure that the budget is significantly larger than the budget for Horizon 2020, and that it is ring-fenced to avoid future cuts;

Amendment 13 #

Răzvan POPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Takes the view that the 2019 EU budget should be used to underpin all relevant instruments to combat youth unemployment, particularly in economically lagging regions of the EU, focusing on the promotion of business and digital skills.

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Reiterates that investment in research and innovation needs to be stepped up with a view to improving access to knowledge, promoting social development and raising living standards;

Amendment 15 #

3. ~~Recognises the importanc~~Takes note of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI); recalls that, in order to secure additional funding for EFSI, Horizon 2020 and CEF had to be reduced; stresses that the general budget of the Union should not be financing new initiatives to the detriment of existing Union programmes and policies; intends to deliver on the commitment made by Parliament during the EFSI negotiations to reduce insofar as possible the impact on those programmes and to increase appropriations for the affected lines for 2019;stresses that according to the Article 41 (2) TEU any expenditure arising from actions having military or defence implications should not be financed from the Union budget.

Amendment 16 #

Nadine MORANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises the importance and the success of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI); recalls that, in order to secure additional funding for EFSI, Horizon 2020 and CEF had to be reduced; stresses that the general budget of the Union should not be financing new initiatives to the detriment of existing Union programmes and policies; intends to deliver on the commitment made by Parliament during the EFSI negotiations to reduce insofar as possible the impact on those programmes and to increase appropriations for the affected lines for 2019;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises the importance of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI); but recalls that, in order to secure additional funding for EFSI, Horizon 2020 and ~~CEF~~the interlinking mechanism had to be reduced; stresses that the general budget of the Union should not be financing new initiatives to the detriment of existing Union programmes and policies; intends to deliver on the commitment made by Parliament during the EFSI negotiations to reduce insofar as possible the impact on those programmes and to increase appropriations for the affected lines for 2019;calls for it to make use of existing margins, coupled with the flexibility instrument and thereby offset the budgetary impact on those programmes during the 2019 financial year.

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recognises the importance of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI); recalls that, in order to secure additional funding for EFSI, Horizon 2020 ~~and CEF~~ had to be reduced; stresses that the general budget of the Union should not be financing new initiatives to the detriment of existing Union programmes and policies; intends to deliver on the commitment made by Parliament during the EFSI negotiations to reduce insofar as possible the impact on th~~ose~~is programmes and to increase appropriations for the affected lines for 2019;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Reminds the importance of fostering extensive synergies between CEF-Transport and CEF-Digital in order to maximize the financial leverage for projects aimed at boosting the digitalization of the TEN-T corridors;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcom~~Rejects Council cuts of 3,61 % in commitment appropriations and 0,22 % in payment appropriations in budget lines related to ITRE under Heading 1a of the Union budget 2019 compared to the Commission’s proposal; notes the increase of 3,9 % in commitment appropriations and 1,8 % in payment appropriations in ~~the~~ budget lines related to the remit of ITRE Committee under Heading 1a of the ~~general budget of the Union compared to 2018; further~~Union budget compared to 2018 in the Commission’s proposal; welcomes the focus of the 2019 ~~general~~ budget on growth, innovation, competitiveness, climate change, the transition to renewable energies and on the success of young and female researchers and entrepreneurs; ~~calls on the Commission to provide increased and sufficient financial resources for those priorities;~~

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the importance of finalising the Energy Union while achieving the European climate goals by fulfilling the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainability Goals; urges the Commission to provide the necessary funding ~~for investments in these fields, as well as to tackle energy poverty and just transition; In this respects welcomes the Commission’s estimates that climate spending will reach~~and insists on greater coherence between the Union´s commitment under the Paris Agreement and its funding policies for the five mutually supportive dimensions of the Energy Union as stipulated in the European Parliament’s report on Accelerating clean energy innovation (2017/2084(INI)); recalls in this context the adopted ‘energy efficiency first’ principle as well as the target for the Union to become number one in renewables as well as to tackle energy poverty and just transition; takes note of the fact that the Commission’s proposal would enable reaching the target of 20 % of the budget being dedicated to climate spending in the 2019 budget; regrets, however, that the Commission has not followed up on Parliament’s request regarding offsetting the lower allocations made during the first years of the MFF; considers this proposal to be insufficient since in total only 19,3 % of the Union budget 2014-2020 would be dedicated to climate-related measures, which would prevent the Union from meeting its target of climate mainstreaming of at least 20,1 % ~~in the 2019 budget~~during 2014-2020, also if it again allocates only 20 % of the budget to climate protection in 2020;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 22 #

Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the importance of ~~finalis~~completing the Energy Union while achieving the European climate goals by fulfilling the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainability Goals; urges the Commission to provide the necessary funding for investments in these fields, ~~as well as to tackle energy poverty and just transition~~to support the European industry in the transition and to guarantee a level playing field; In this respects welcomes the Commission’s estimates that climate spending will reach 20,1 % in the 2019 budget;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the importance of ~~finalis~~achieving at the ~~Energy Union while achieving~~same time the European climate goals by fulfilling the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainability Goals; urges the Commission to provide the necessary funding for investments in these fields, as well as to tackle energy poverty and just transition; In this respects welcomes the Commission’s estimates that climate spending will reach 20,1 % in the 2019 budget;

Amendment 24 #

Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Is aware of the high importance of the budget lines for societal challenges, and more specifically of the budget line for improving lifelong health and wellbeing to increase the standard of living in the Union; encourages the Commission to maintain sufficient funding for such purposes and deplores the proposed Council cuts;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Underlines the importance of achieving the goals of the Digital Single Market to enhance the Union’s digitalisation and the digital inclusion of the European economy, public sector and citizens; recognizes in this respect the importance of initiatives such as WIFI4EU; deplores Council cuts for this initiative;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Underlines that SMEs are an essential part of the European economy as they provide a high number of employments within the Union and sees the need to create an SME-friendly business environment, as well as to support SME clusters and networks; notes, however, with deep concern the Council cuts on the SME instrument that send a contradictory signal to European businesses;

Amendment 28 #

Jens GEIER, Massimiliano SALINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Takes note of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP); stresses that such an activity should be endowed with fresh resources given its significant impact on the Union budget; is concerned about the Council cuts to CEF and to European space programmes such as leadership in space and Copernicus to fund the EDIDP as financial resources should not be withdrawn from civil programmes to support programmes in the area of defence;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)

4e. Underlines the need to reform the European mobility sector in order to achieve sustainable, clean and competitive transport in the Union, to make the Union's car industry fit for the future and to achieve our climate goals; stresses, therefore, the need for sufficient funding for programmes supporting these goals like CEF-Transport and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 (FCH 2) Joint Undertaking; is thus concerned about Council cuts for these programmes;

Amendment 3 #

Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the increase of 3,9 % in commitment appropriations and 1,8 % in payment appropriations in the budget lines related to the remit of ITRE Committee under Heading 1a of the general budget of the Union compared to 2018; further welcomes the focus of the 2019 general budget on growth, innovation, competitiveness, climate change, the transition to renewable energies and on the success of young and female researchers and entrepreneurs; calls on the Commission to provide increased and sufficient financial resources for those priorities, whilst acknowledging the expected reduction of the total EU budget in the light of Brexit;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls the importance of adequate financial and staff resources for all agencies under ITRE-remit to ensure that they can properly fulfil their tasks; stresses that the 5 % cut in staff and the redeployment pool are ended with this general budget and urges the Commission to refrain from similar actions in the future; insists that resources be increased in accordance with the increase of tasks of concerned agencies; in this respect, welcomes the increases in staff for ENISA and GSA, but notes with concern the insufficiency of those increases; urges the Commission to provide adequate funding to instruments supporting curiosity-driven science on a competitive basis, such as the European Research Council, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) and the FET Open (Future and Emerging Technologies) instruments;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Recalls the importance of adequate financial and staff resources for all agencies under ITRE-remit to ensure that they can properly fulfil their tasks; stresses that the 5 % cut in staff and the redeployment pool are ended with this general budget and urges the Commission to refrain from similar actions in the future; insists that resources be increased in accordance with the increase of tasks of concerned agencies; in this respect, welcomes the increases in staff for ENISA and GSA~~, but~~; notes with concern the insufficiency of those increases, in order for them to fulfil their mandate, including the need to recruit and maintain highly specialised experts and to plan for future roles and responsibilities;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Welcomes the European Defence Industrial Development Programme; notes that new initiatives should also be supported with fresh resources, to ensure the smooth functioning of the programme; is concerned in this regard about the Council cuts to CEF and to European space programmes such as leadership in space and Copernicus;

Amendment 34 #

Christelle LETARD-LECHEVALIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Underlines that, as the United Kingdom has stated that it will contribute to the 2019 and 2020 budgets, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union is not expected to directly impact programmes under ITRE-remit in the current financial year;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Underlines that, as the United Kingdom has stated that it will contribute to the 2019 and 2020 budgets, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union is not expected to directly impa~~Recognises that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom will have direct consequences for the European Union budgets and could affect programmes under ITRE-remit;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Underlines that given the current economic situation, it is highly important to establish and strengthen the support mechanism for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises;

Amendment 37 #

7. Stresses that a failure by the Union to deliver on its ~~legal and political commitments on payment appropriation~~budgetary commitments would seriously harm its reliability and have a serious negative impact on trust in the ability of Union institutions to fulfil their role,; emphasises that this is enhanced by the fact that the Union approaches the end of the current MFF and that therefore the implementation of the multiannual programmes needs to be advanced quickly.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the increase of 3,9 % in commitment appropriations and 1,8 % in payment appropriations in the budget lines related to the remit of ITRE Committee under Heading 1a of the general budget of the Union compared to 2018; further welcomes the focus of the 2019 general budget on growth, innovation, competitiveness, ~~climate change, the transition to renewable energies~~digitalisation, climate change and on the success of young and female researchers and entrepreneurs; calls on the Commission to provide increased and sufficient financial resources for those priorities;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Reiterates that Union budget should be of benefit to the citizens and should be focused primarily on sustainable growth and quality jobs, energy transition to more efficient and renewable-based energy system, fight against climate change, and eradicating energy poverty; underlines, in this regard, that public money shall not be spent for military investments or defence implications;

Amendment 6 #

Răzvan POPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Takes the view that research, SMEs and competitiveness will continue to make a decisive contribution to job creation and growth across the EU; considers that the budget allocated to the successful Horizon 2020 and Cosme programmes in 2019 should be sufficient to ensure their continuation.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the necessity to develop leadership in innovation, in particular eco- innovation, and in disruptive technologies; requests, therefore, that the Commission respects the breakdown of Horizon 2020 budget as described in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council and welcomes the proposed increase of 8,5 % in commitment appropriations for the 2019 general budget; notes with deep concern the strong underfunding of Horizon 2020 under the MFF 2014-2020 resulting in a lower success rate for applications than in the previous MFF period which means that fewer high-quality projects in the field of research and innovation are receiving Union funding; reiterates its concern about the results of the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020 showing that the programme is currently below target with regards to climate and sustainability spending; reiterates, therefore, its deep concerns about the unambitious level of funding for Horizon Europe as proposed by the Commission for the next MFF and intends to secure a bare minimum of EUR 120 billion in 2018 prices for this programme during the upcoming MFF 2021-2027 negotiations and underlines its position that, following the Paris Agreement, climate-related spending should be significantly increased compared to the current MFF;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines the necessity to develop leadership in innovation and in disruptive technologies; requests, therefore, that the Commission respect the breakdown of Horizon 2020 budget as described in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council and welcomes the proposed increase of 8,5 % in commitment appropriations for the 2019 general budget; notes with deep concern the strong underfunding of Horizon 2020 under the MFF 2014-2020 resulting in a lower success rate for applications than in the previous MFF period which means that fewer high-quality projects in the field of research and innovation are receiving Union funding; reiterates, therefore, its deep concerns about the unambitious level of funding for Horizon Europe as proposed by the Commission for the next MFF and intends to secure a bare minimum of EUR 120 billion in 2018 prices for this programme during the upcoming MFF 2021-2027 negotiations;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Uunderlines the necessity to develop leadership in innovation and in disruptive technologies; re~~ques~~grets, therefore, th~~at the Commission respect the breakdown of Horizon 2020 budget as described in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council and welcom~~e significant Council cuts in commitment appropriations of EUR 0,3 billion and of EUR 18 million in payment appropriations in the Common Strategic Framework for Research and Innovation with an overwhelmingly negative impact on Horizon 2020 and especially regrets cuts in relevant budget lines such as Strengthening research in future and emerging technologies and Strengthening European research infrastructure; notes the proposed increase of 8,5 % for Horizon 2020 in commitment appropriations for the 2019 general budget~~; notes with deep concern~~ in the Commission’s proposal; reminds the strong underfunding of Horizon 2020 under the MFF 2014-2020 resulting in a lower success rate for applications than in the previous MFF period which means that fewer high-quality projects in the field of research and innovation are receiving Union funding; reiterates, therefore, its deep concerns about the unambitious level of funding for Horizon Europe as proposed by the Commission for the next MFF and intends to secure a bare minimum of EUR 120 billion in 2018 prices for this programme during the upcoming MFF 2021-2027 negotiations;

source: 627.620

2018/09/06 CONT 27 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the 2019 draft Union Budget amounts at EUR166 billion in commitments, corresponding to a 3% increase over 2018, investing in a ~~stronger and more resilient European economy and promoting solidarity and security on bo~~European economy, but once again falling far short of what is required to reverse the s~~ides of the Union’s border~~ocial and economic divergence resulting from EU and euro policy objectives;

Amendment 10 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Draft opinion
Subheading 3 a (new)

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the ~~unsustainable~~current structure of CAP expenditure: 44,7 % of all Union farms had an annual income of less than EUR 4000, and in 2016 on average the upper 10% of the beneficiaries of CAP direct support received around 60 % of the payments; notes that the distribution of direct payment largely reflects the concentration of land, 20 % of farmers also owning 80 % of the land, keeping in mind the differences between individual Member States;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the unsustainable distr~~ucture~~ibution of CAP expenditure: 44,7 % of all Union farms had an annual income of less than EUR 4000, and in 2016 on average the upper 10% of the beneficiaries of CAP direct support received around 60 % of the payments; notes that the distribution of direct payment largely reflects the concentration of land, 20 % of farmers also owning 80 % of the land;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to carefully analyse the causes of the overall decline in farmer income since 2013, particularly in relation to costs versus profits for the various elements right along the food-supply chain (producers, processors, transport, retailers etc - this should then reveal where most of the profit goes), and to define a new key performance objective accompanied by outcome and impact indicators, aiming at mitigating the income inequalities between famers;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to carefully analyse the causes of the overall decline in farmer income since 2013 and to perform a needs assessment and define a new key performance objective accompanied by outcome and impact indicators, aiming at mitigating the income inequalities between famers;

Amendment 15 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to carefully analyse the causes of the overall decline in farmer income since 2013 and to define a new ~~key performance objective accompanied by outcome and impact indicato~~CAP safeguarding the production rights of each Member State and guaranteeing fair prices for producers, aiming at mitigating the income inequalities between famers;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. ~~Is worried that more than three years after the start of the 2014-2020 period, Member States have designated only 77 % of~~Reminds the Commission that, although almost all the programme authorities responsible for the cohesion policy funds~~; as of 1 March 2017 the Commission received final accounts with expenditure covering just 0,7 % of the budget allocated for the entire programming period; as of mid- 2017, the delays i~~ have been designated, delays have occurred; expresses concern about these delays and their impact on budget implementation, were greater than they were at the same point in the 2007-2013 period; notes that consequently, the outstanding commitments at the end of the current financing period could be even higher than in the previous onehile acknowledging that implementation of the ESI Funds programmes was expedited in 2017 and anticipating that this trend will continue; calls for provision to be made for adequate payment appropriations to ensure proper implementation;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. Is worried that more than three years after the start of the 2014-2020 period, Member States have designated only 77 % of the programme authorities responsible for cohesion policy funds; as of 1 March 2017 the Commission received final accounts with expenditure covering just 0,7 % of the budget allocated for the entire programming period; as of mid- 2017, the delays in budget implementation were greater than they were at the same point in the 2007-2013 period; notes that consequently, the outstanding commitments at the end of the current financing period could be even higher than in the previous oneCalls attention to the recurring danger that the outstanding commitments at the end of the current financing period could be even greater than in the previous one, as a consequence of the seriously delayed implementation of the European Structural and Investment Funds; is deeply concerned that as of mid-2018 there still remain 13 programmes out of a total of 564 for which responsible national authorities have yet to be designated, and that the implementation rate for the 2014-2020 period amounts to no more than 20% as of 31 July, 2018 - which is twice less than the rate at the same point of time in the 2007-2013 period;

Amendment 18 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY, Nedzhmi ALI, Wolf KLINZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to speed up the delivery of cohesion policy programmes and related payments, as well as to use resources at its disposal to assist Member States to strengthen their administrative capacity, with a view to reducing the length of the implementation ~~period, initially,~~time to year n+2;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to speed up the delivery of cohesion policy programmes and related payments with a view to reducing the length of the implementation period in the next Multiannual Financial Frameworks, initially, to year n+2;

Amendment 2 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the budget of the Union is presented in sections corresponding to activities led by the institutions (activity- based budgeting); considers that this presentation does not ensure a clear and rapid understanding of the objectives pursued, particularly in the area of security and defence, in which there are significant budgetary increases; by contrast notes that the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is presented by headings corresponding to policy areas;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to speed up the delivery of cohesion policy programmes and related payments with a view to reducing the length of the implementation period~~, initially,~~ to year n+2;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

~~16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to build stronger coordination between cohesion, economic governance and the European semester.~~deleted

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to build stronger coordination between cohesion, economic governance and the European semester. with a view of rebalancing the Semester, ensuring priority for policies promoting greater social equity and social cohesion;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ~~build stronger coordination between~~introduce a more balanced approach to ensure social, economic and territorial cohesion, for economic governance and the European semester.

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 17

~~17. Calls on DG HOME to consider defining, in cooperation with DG DEVCO and DG NEAR, a key performance indicator related to the elimination of the underlying and root causes of irregular migration;~~deleted

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

18. Takes note that the Commission estimates that a total of EUR 2,3 billion will be required in 2019 under heading 3 Security and citizenship to address the challenges of migration and security but deplores the fact that the European Court of Auditors has noted in its last annual report that "the overall amount of funds mobilised for the refugee and migration crisis was not reported by the Commission and is difficult to estimate"(Court’s annual report 2016, paragraph.2.28); fears that this is still the case in the draft budget 2019, and may therefore complicate the identification of needs that might arise; welcomes the fact that the Commission is finalising a comprehensive overview of data on immigration;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

19. Recalls that the Commission ~~consider~~explained that it is “difficult if not impossible to provide an estimated cost paid for migrants/seeker country by country as the management of migratory flows comprises a wide range of activities”1 ; ~~would therefor like to be informed on how the Commission had been able to draft precise estimates regarding this policy area;~~ _________________ 1 Reply to written question 23- CONT hearing of Commissioner Avramopoulos of 29 November 2016.

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Notes, however, that there is a humanitarian element to EVERY migration crisis which by necessity will usually involve emergency measures; such measures should never be obstructed because of budgetary questions, neither in the initial process of simply saving lives nor in the follow-up procedures;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 – point a – indent 1

- further reducing the number of objectives and indicators it uses for its various performance reports and focusing on those which best measure the ~~performance of the Union budget~~social, environmental and economic performance of the Union budget, while avoiding however a one size fits all approach;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 – point a – indent 2

- presenting financial information in a manner that makes it comparable with performance information, where applicable, so that the link between spending and performance is clear;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Committee on Budget of the European Parliament, in coordination with the sectorial committees of this Parliaments, to promote a real culture of “result orientation” aiming at ~~optimizing the use of funds and consider reallocating funds from programmes showing low performance~~fostering social, economic and territorial equality;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Committee on Budget of the European Parliament, in coordination with the sectorial committees of this Parliaments, to promote a real culture of “result orientation” aiming at ~~optimiz~~increasing the ~~use of funds and consider reallocating funds from programmes showing low performance~~levels of implementation and achieving the envisaged results and objectives;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Subheading 2 a (new)

Europe 2020 Strategy

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Underlines that the Europe 2020 Strategy contains priority targets and objectives for the current programming period, therefore, the Union budget is a crucial instrument for the implementation of the Strategy’s targets and results envisaged; is concerned, however, that according to key economic and social indicators the Union has still not achieved these objectives and results, while inequalities and divergences within the Union and its Member States have persisted, thus putting at risk the European project itself;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Notes that, according to the Commission, the contribution of the total 2019 draft budget to the Europe 2020 Strategy is estimated to be 66.2 % (EUR 106 958,3 million) thus remaining at the level of previous years; insists, in the light of resource constraints, that the Commission should make every effort for better targeting the available resources and for more efficient utilization of funds committed in order to significantly improve the implementation of the main objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy where lack of progress is most worrying - the reduction of poverty levels and the advancement of social inclusion;

source: 627.639

2018/10/03 BUDG 164 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that Parliament's reading of the 2019 Budget fully reflects the political priorities adopted by an overwhelming majority in its abovementioned resolutions of 15 March 2018 on general guidelines and of 5 July 2018 on a mandate for the trilogue; recalls that at the core of those priorities arRecalls that at the core of the priorities for the EU budget should be: sustainable growth, innovation, competitiveness, security, the fight against climate change and the transition to renewable energy and migration, and a particular focus on young people and fight against poverty;

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth ~~and foster job creation~~, security and protection of its borders ; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, education, infrastructure, SMEs and employment, particularly among the young people of Europe, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth and job creation, including Horizon 2020, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and COSME;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. Calls for enhanced Union support to ~~the Middle East Peace process, the Palestinian Authority and~~ UNRWA, in line with its resolution of 8 February 2018 ~~on the situation of UNRWA9~~ [1], in view of the worsening situation on the ground and the decision of the United States to ~~drastically reduc~~withdraw its annual contribution to the agency; specifies that the proposed increase its e~~ngagement; _________________ 9 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0042.~~xclusively dedicated to UNRWA in order to compensate the relevant loss;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. Calls for enhanced Union support to the Middle East Peace process~~, the Palestinian Authority~~ and UNRWA, in line with its resolution of 8 February 2018 on the situation of UNRWA9 , in view of the worsening situation on the ground and the decision of the United States to drastically reduce its engagement; _________________ 9 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0042.

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)

46 a. Is particularly concerned that school curriculum and textbooks authorised by the Palestinian Authority contain hate speech and violent depictions. Recalls that all teaching and training programmes that are financed from Union funds should reflect common values and comply with UNESCO standards for peace and tolerance in school education. Decides therefore to put 5 % of the appropriations in support for Palestine in the reserve until the Palestinian Authority complies with the request;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48

48. In line with the principle of conditionality, supports a reduction in the amount allocated to Turkey in all budget lines, in view of the continuing backsliding on the rule of law, democracy and human rights; at the same time, deems it necessary to further strengthen the direct support to civil society, as well as people-to-people contactsUrges the need to stop any funding to Turkey, a country that does not respect several of the basic principles of freedom and democracy;

Amendment 104 #

Reimer BÖGE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)

48 a. Deems it necessary to increase appropriations for the Turkish Cypriot Community budget line for the purpose of contributing decisively to the continuation and intensification of the mission of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, the wellbeing of Maronites wishing to resettle and that of all enclaved persons as agreed in the 3rd Vienna Agreement, and of supporting the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, thus promoting trust and reconciliation between the two communities;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50

50. ~~Considers that Council’s cuts are unjustified and do not reflect~~Welcomes the repeated Council practice of foreseeing cuts for the rHea~~l needs; restores therefore the DB for all Commission administrative expenditure, including administrative and research support expenditure in Headings 1 to 4~~ding 5 and stresses the fact that all administrative expenditures related to the EU Institutions should be reduced as much as possible in order to provide savings and to avoid any waste of taxpayers' money; asks for a lower renegotiation of the current EU Institutions’ rent contracts;

Amendment 106 #

Dennis de JONG, Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50

50. Considers that Council’s cuts are unduly justified ~~and do not reflect the real needs; restores there~~; regrets the increase in Heading 5 for administrative expenditure; underlines that a large part of that increase is due to additional appropriations needed fore the ~~DB for all Commission administrative expenditure, including administrative and research support expenditure in Headings 1 to 4~~pensions of EU officials; takes note that the number of pensioners is expected to rise further in the coming years and asks therefore for a revision of the privileges and advantages of the EU pensions and allowances scheme; calls for a new and fairer approach to administrative expenditure, starting from the cut of the highest salaries and pensions of EU staff;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)

50 a. Considers that in its resolution of 18 April 2018 on the Integrity Policy of the Commission, Parliament expressed its concerns with the appointment procedures for its senior officials, reiterates its call on the Commission to review before the end of 2018 its administrative procedure for the appointment of senior officials with the objective of fully ensuring that the best candidates are selected within a framework of maximum transparency and equal opportunities; calls on the Commission to also review its recruitment policies for officials more generally with a view to avoid conflicts of interest, such as were noted by NGO’s (https://corporateeurope.org/power- lobbies-revolving- doors/2018/04/financial-regulators-and- private-sector-permanent-revolving);

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)

50 a. Deplores the slow rollout of the European Anti-Fraud Office's new Content Management Database (OCM); invites the Commission to provide Parliament with an in-depth evaluation of the OCM IT project, in particular regarding project design, full costs – including unplanned additional costs –, implementation, users' experience, and a list of issues encountered, as per the recommendations made by the OLAF Supervisory Committee1a; _________________ 1a OLAF Supervisory Committee Opinion No 1/2018 on the OLAF preliminary draft budget for 2019.

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)

50 a. Believes that savings with regard to the transitional allowances for Commissioners can be provided, in order to give a solidarity message to EU citizens and to reallocate such economic resources to initiatives and programmes in favour of taxpayers;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth and foster job creation; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, education, infrastructure, SMEs and employment, particularly among the young people of Europe, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth ~~and job creation~~, including Horizon 2020, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and COSME;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a (new)

50 a. Condemns the lack of transparency and efficiency in the EU building policy, leading to a huge waste of taxpayers’ money;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51

51. ~~Endorses, as a gen~~Regrets the overall ~~rule, the Commiss~~increase of the allocation's ~~estimates of the budgetary needs of agencies; considers, therefore, that any further cuts proposed by the Council would endanger~~for the decentralised agencies, and asks therefore for a complete revision of the role of the pEurope~~r func~~an agencies questioning oif the ~~agencies and would not allow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned~~ir tasks and objectives could not be better accomplished by existing Commission Directorates- General or by Member States, in order to prevent duplication of roles and costs and also improving transparency;

Amendment 112 #

Dennis de JONG, Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51

51. Endorses, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of the budgetary needs of agencies; considers, therefore, that any further cuts proposed by the Council would endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and would not allow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned; notes with particular irritation the arbitrary cuts to CEPOL and EIGE of merely 10.000 and 50.000 Euro respectively and invites the Council to share with the Parliament the substantial details on why it considers these cuts to be necessary and reasonable;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51

51. Endorses, as a general rule, the Commission's estimates of the budgetary needs of agencies; considers, therefore, that any further cuts proposed by the Council would endanger the proper functioning of the agencies and would not allow them to fulfil the tasks they have been assigned; is concerned that in general the visibility of agencies for European citizens is still limited, whereas for their accountability and independence a high level of visibility is required;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)

51 a. Recalls that most of the agencies pointed out that they do not want to be dependent on fees, which do not guarantee a steady flow of income; furthermore, stresses that conflicts of interest as a consequence of having to rely on fees should be avoided; calls upon the Commission to examine the possibility of introducing a system whereby the fees are paid to the Commission instead of to the agencies directly and that the agencies continue to be funded through the EU- budget;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52

52. Recalls the importance for the Union focusing on competitiveness for growth and jobs; considers, in this context, that additional appropriation and staff are needed for the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER); ~~welcom~~notes the creation of the European Labour Authority (ELA); restores the substantial Council’s cuts in the appropriations for the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs),while putting parts of their appropriations into reserve pending progress on the ESAs’ review;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52

52. Recalls the importance for the Union focusing on competitiveness for growth and jobs; considers, in this context, that additional appropriation and staff are needed for the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER); ~~welcome~~rejects the creation of the European Labour Authority (ELA); restores the substantial Council’s cuts in the appropriations for the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs),while putting parts of their appropriations into reserve pending progress on the ESAs’ review;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52

52. Recalls the importance for the Union focusing on competitiveness for growth and jobs; considers, in this context, that additional appropriation and staff are needed for the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER); welcomes the creation of the European Labour Authority (ELA) and underlines the need to mobilize fresh resources for it; restores the substantial Council’s cuts in the appropriations for the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs),while putting parts of their appropriations into reserve pending progress on the ESAs’ review;

Amendment 118 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53

53. In the context of the challenges the Union is still facing in terms of security, and bearing in mind the necessity for a coordinated European response, decides to reinforce the appropriations for the EUROPOL, CEPOL, EUROJUST, ~~EPPO,~~ and the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA);

Amendment 119 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53

53. In the context of the challenges the Union is still facing in terms of security, and bearing in mind the necessity for a coordinated European response, decides to reinforce the appropriations for the EUROPOL, EU-LISA, CEPOL, EUROJUST, EPPO, and the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA);

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth and foster job creation; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, education, infrastructure, SMEs and employment, particularly among the young people of Europe, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth and job creation, including Horizon 2020, the components of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) that are not related to defence spending or furthering our reliance on fossil fuels, and COSME;

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54

54. Expects the pressure on some Member States’ migration and asylum systems, as well as on their borders, to remain high in 2019,; stresses that ~~while the budgetary resources and the number of posts for~~especially after the State of the Union speech 2019 and the announcement of a new operational arm of 10 000 staff of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) and ~~the~~a reinforced European Asylum Support Office (EASO), proposed by the Commission and supported by the Council, seem adequate for the time being, the future needs of the agencies in terms of operational resources and staff will have to be closely monitoredthe current and future budgetary resources and the number of posts for FRONTEX and EASO will have to be closely monitored and possibly updated for the 2019 budget; awaits, therefore, the Commission's Amending Letter;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54

54. Expects the pressure on some Member States’ migration and asylum systems, as well as on their borders, to remain high in 2019 and possibly escalate, stresses that while the budgetary resources and the number of posts for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), proposed by the Commission and supported by the Council, seem adequate for the time being, the future needs of the agencies in terms of operational resources and staff will have to be closely monitored;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54

54. Expects the pressure on some Member States’ migration and asylum systems, as well as on their borders, to remain high in 2019, stresses that while the budgetary resources and the number of posts for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), proposed by the Commission and supported by the Council, seem adequate for the time being, the future needs of the agencies in terms of operational resources and staff will have to be closely monitored; asks the Commission to provide an overview of the budgetary needs for the budget of 2019 for the proposed reforms of these agencies as soon possible;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)

54 a. Notes that EMA is facing an increased workload and further budgetary needs in 2019 as a consequence of the decision of the UK to withdraw from the Union; believes that additional financial resources and staff should be authorised for a limited period so that EMA can transfer and retain the critical knowledge and skills necessary to continue to carry out its tasks effectively and to resume currently postponed activities;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 b (new)

54 b. Highlights the need for an adequate level of financial appropriations for agencies which will be dealing with new additional tasks, such as EFSA and its increased workload related to plant health, pesticides and novel foods in 2019;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55

55. Reiterates its position that the 5 % staff reduction target has been successfully reached; expresses its intention to include a common statement by all institutions that confirms the end of this one-time exercise; considers that the new posts adopted in its position are needed to fulfil additional tasks due to new policy developments and new legislation;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55 a (new)

55 a. Recalls that the Inter-Institutional Working Group on Decentralised Agencies' Resources 2 concluded its work by adopting recommendations on lessons learned from the approach to achieving the 5% staff reduction target, the treatment of new tasks, evaluations of agencies, the sharing of agencies, the evaluation of agencies with multiple locations and the model for fee-financing agencies; welcomes the ratification of these recommendations by the institutions; expresses its intention to continue scrutinize the Commission work on these recommendations in the future;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56 a (new)

56 a. Welcomes the launch of Discover EU, the distribution of 15 000 Interrail tickets to 18-year-old Europeans in 2018, as well as the Commission proposal of EUR 700 million for the MFF 2021-2027, which fits well with the EU’s ambitions to promote learning mobility, active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity among all young people; decides to continue the Preparatory Action in 2019 and is determined to continue it also in 2020;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57

57. Recalls the usefulness of special instruments to provide flexibility over and ~~beyond~~above the extremely tight ceilings of the current MFF and welcomes the improvements brought about by the mid- term revision of the MFF Regulation; calls for an extensive use of the Flexibility Instrument, and the Global Margin for Commitments ~~and~~in the ~~Contingency Margin~~2019 budget in order to finance the wide range of new challenges and additional responsibilities that the Union budget is facing; recalls also the significance of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), the Emergency Aid Reserve (EAR) and the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF);

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58

58. ~~Reiterates its concerns that, despite recent catching-up, under-execu~~Asks that the commitment appropriations in payments has reached record low in the past three years, notably in subheading 1b; regrets that such delays prevent Union priorities and projects to deliver their full potential to citizens in a timely manner; points to the fact that, as a result, the DB leaves an unprecedented margin of EUR 19,3 billion below the payment ceiling; reinforces payment appropriations on those lines which are amended in commitment appropriationthe Budget of the European Union not be increased before a complete stabilisation of the backlog of outstanding payment claims;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth and foster job creation evenly within all its regions; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, education, infrastructure, SMEs and employment, particularly among the young people of Europe, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth and job creation, including Horizon 2020, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and COSME;

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59

59. Maintains unchanged the overall level of its budget for 2019, in line with its resolution on it estimates of revenue and expenditure adopted by the plenary on 19 April 201810 , at EUR 1 999 144 000; incorporates budgetary-neutral technical adjustmeRegrets that the level of its budget for 2019 has been set aside at EUR 1 999 144 000, almost 2 billion, and it has not been reduced compared to 2018; regrets that Parliament’s budget for 2019 does not provide for lower appropriations compared to the budget implementations of previous years, taking also into accounts t~~o reflect updated information which was not available earlier this year; _________________ 10~~hat from March 2019 the number of MEPs will be reduced due to the Brexit; notes therefore with dissatisfaction that political costs continue to rise each year; Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0182.

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60

60. ~~Note~~Regrets that the level of estimates for 2019 ~~corresponds to 18,53 %, which is lower than that achieved in 2018 (18,85 %) and the lowest part of Heading V in m~~represents an outrageous amount never reached before, not taking into account also the reduction of members fore th~~an fifteen years~~e next parliamentary term;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60

60. Notes that the level of estimates for 2019 corresponds to 18,53 %, which is slightly lower than that achieved in 2018 (18,85 %) ~~and the lowest part of Heading V in more than fifteen years~~;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 a (new)

60 a. Calls for a reduction of at least 15% in Members’ monthly salaries, daily allowances and economic benefits, including GEA, in order to give a strong signal to European citizens, who are facing a difficult economic, social and historical situation; invites its Bureau to review the implementing measures of the Statute for Members in order to provide as more savings as possible with regard to Members’ benefits;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 b (new)

60 b. Calls for a complete annulation of the expenditures related to European political parties and political foundations; stresses the fact that the European political parties and political foundations should become totally reliant on own resources and cut their dependency on Parliament's budget;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 c (new)

60 c. Believes that the EP car service should be used by Members exclusively for reaching Parliament premises from the airport/station or vice versa, and that EP minivans and minibuses should be used in this regard; recalls that Members have the opportunity to freely use rail transport in Belgium;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 d (new)

60 d. Regrets that the costs of the geographic dispersion of Parliament amount to several million per year, exceeding also 200million in a year; recalls that the estimate of the environmental impact of that dispersal is between 11 000 to 19 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions; calls on the Council to find a solution toward a single seat for the European Parliament in order to not waste taxpayers' money;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61 a (new)

61 a. Acknowledges that, according to the European Court of Auditors, the costs of the geographic dispersion of Parliament amount to EUR 114 million per year and notes the finding, in its resolution of 20 November 2013 [Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0498] on the location of the seats of the European Union’s Institutions, that 78 % of all missions by Parliament staff coming under the Staff Regulations arise as a direct result of the fact that Parliament’s services are geographically dispersed; recalls that the estimate of the environmental impact of that dispersal is between 11 000 to 19 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions; reiterates its call on the Council to develop a comprehensive strategy in order to agree on a single seat for Parliament;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62 a (new)

62 a. Takes note of the Bureau decision to decide to select two options, structural renovation and redesign, for further elaboration of the PHS building; urges the Secretary-General and the Bureau to publish a detailed budget for each of these options in addition to all technical specifications;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64

64. Welcomes the decision of 25 September 2018 of the General Court confirming the Parliament’s refusal to grant access to documents relating to MEPs’ subsistence allowances, travel expenses and parliamentary assistance allowances (Judgment in Cases T-639/15 to T-666/15 Maria Psara and Others v Parliament and T-94/16 Gavin Sheridan v Parliament);deleted

Amendment 14 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth and foster job creation; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, digitalisation, education, infrastructure, SMEs and employment, particularly among the young people of Europe, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use of resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth and job creation, including Horizon 2020, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and COSME;

Amendment 140 #

Nils TORVALDS, Pavel TELIČKA, Gérard DEPREZ, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64

64. ~~Welcom~~Notes the decision of 25 September 2018 of the General Court confirming the Parliament’s refusal to grant access to documents relating to MEPs’ subsistence allowances, travel expenses and parliamentary assistance allowances (Judgment in Cases T-639/15 to T-666/15 Maria Psara and Others v Parliament and T-94/16 Gavin Sheridan v Parliament); regrets the decision of the Bureau to block a substantial reform of the General Expenditure Allowance; continues to support a substantial reform of the General Expenditure Allowance as proposed by the Working Group on the GEA as this would create greater transparency by allowing an auditor to check the relevant accounts;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64

64. ~~Welcome~~Regrets the decision of 25 September 2018 of the General Court confirming the Parliament’s refusal to grant access to documents relating to MEPs’ subsistence allowances, travel expenses and parliamentary assistance allowances (Judgment in Cases T-639/15 to T-666/15 Maria Psara and Others v Parliament and T-94/16 Gavin Sheridan v Parliament);

Amendment 143 #

Dennis de JONG, Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 a (new)

64 a. Takes note of the decision of 25 September 2018 of the General Court confirming the Parliament’s refusal to grant access to documents relating to MEPs’ subsistence allowances, travel expenses and parliamentary assistance allowances (Judgment in Cases T-639/15 to T-666/15 Maria Psara and Others vParliament and T-94/16 Gavin Sheridan vParliament); reminds the Bureau that the plenary has appealed for greater transparency and an urgent need to audit the General Expenditure Allowance; welcomed, in this regard, the creation of an ad hoc working group for defining and publishing the rules concerning the use of the general expenditure allowance; regrets, however, that the based on the report of its working group the Bureau could only agree on a non-exhaustive list of eligible expenses, and on the need for each Member of Parliament to have a separate bank account dedicated to funds received as part of the General Expenditure Allowance; reiterates its call on the Bureau to make the following additional changes concerning the General Expenditure Allowance: - all receipts pertaining to the General Expenditure Allowance shall be kept by Members; - the unspent share of the General Expenditure Allowance shall be returned at the end of the mandate;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 a (new)

64 a. Recalls its request to the Bureau to take actions for a full alignment of allowance rates incurred in respect of duty travel between Parliament’s three places of work between officials, other servants and APAs as from next legislative term; considers that no rise of the parliamentary assistance envelope is needed for this purpose;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64 b (new)

64 b. With a view to next parliamentary term, calls again on the Conference of Presidents to revise the Implementing provisions governing the work of delegations and missions outside the European Union, considering the possibility for APAs, subject to certain conditions, to accompany Members on official Parliament Delegations and Missions;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65

65. Recalls that on 23 October 1997, in its resolution on the general budget for 1998, the European Parliament called upon its Bureau to request the Court of Auditors to investigate Parliament’s voluntary pension scheme, which led to the issuance of the Court of Auditor’s opinion no. 5/99 dated 16 June 1999 on the “Pension Fund and Scheme for Members of the European Parliament”; calls now on the Bureau to urgently request the Court of Auditors to produce another such opinion on the pension scheme and fund in 2019; takes the view that the Decision 2005/684/CE on the Statute for Members needs to be revised, in order to amend Article 14 and bring the pension entitlements of the MEPs into line with the social security systems for ordinary citizens of individual Member States, as regards both the calculation of the amount and the age, and contribution-related requirements which entitle them to a pension; calls for a recalculation of the pensions paid out from the EU budget for former members who accrued such an entitlement prior to, and following, the entry into force of the current Statute;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66

66. ~~recall~~observes that, in a note to the Bureau dated 8 March 2018, its Secretary- General accepted that the pension fund linked to the Member’s voluntary pension scheme “will exhaust its capital well before the end of the pension obligations and possibly already by 2024”; calls therefore upon the Secretary-General and the Bureau~~, while respecting fully the Statute for Members,~~ to urgently establish with the pension fund a clear plan ~~for the Parliament assuming and taking over its obligations and responsibilities for~~in order to avoid that any additional cost its ~~Member’s voluntary pensio~~in sch~~eme immediately after the 2019 electio~~arge of EU citizens;

Amendment 149 #

Indrek TARAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66

66. recalls that, in a note to the Bureau dated 8 March 2018, its Secretary-General accepted that the pension fund linked to the Member’s voluntary pension scheme “will exhaust its capital well before the end of the pension obligations and possibly already by 2024”; calls therefore upon the Secretary-General and the Bureau, while respecting fully the Statute for Members, to urgently establish with the pension fund a clear plan for the Parliament assuming and taking over its obligations and responsibilities for its Member’s voluntary pension scheme immediately after the 2019 elecDeplores the increasing and ever more substiantial actuarial deficit of the fund, urges the Bureau and the Secretary General, while respecting fully the Statute for Members, to explore all options to minimise the burden for the Parliament's Budget, including but not limited to levies on the pension paid out, increase of the retirement age for subsribers of the fund, and an end to indexations;

Amendment 15 #

Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls for the EU to increase its efforts to boost cohesion and social convergence in Europe; proposes that the European Social Fund budget, and notably the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) be doubled to overcome poverty in Europe;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66

66. recalls that, in a note to the Bureau dated 8 March 2018, its Secretary-General accepted that the pension fund linked to the Member’s voluntary pension scheme “will exhaust its capital well before the end of the pension obligations and possibly already by 2024”; recalls furtherefmore upon the Secretary-General and the Bureau, while respecting fully the Statute for Members, to urgently establish with the pension fund a clear plan for the Parliament assuming and taking over its obligations and responsibilities for itsthat Parliament is the guarantor for the payment of pension rights when and if this fund is unable to meet its obligations; expresses its serious concerns with the fact that this way tax-payers money is wasted; asks the Secretary-General to develop proposals for dissolving the fund, while returning to participating (former) Member’s ~~voluntary pension scheme immediately after the 2019 election~~the contributions they paid themselves;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)

66 a. Reiterates its call to find a workable solution, fully respecting the Staff Regulations, for those APAs who, having worked for two parliamentary terms in the end of the current term, will not been titled to access to the European pension rights scheme, when they will reach the pension age, since they will be lacking some time out of the ten years'service needed, due to early elections in 2014 and the delays in the validation of the APAs new contracts because of heavy workload during the periods after the elections of 2009 and 2014;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)

66 a. Observes that a policy of limiting the higher wage scales and other similar expenses might prevent the need for any cuts to staff numbers;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)

68 a. Demands, for the implementation of the requirements of EP resolution of 26th of October 2017 on combating sexual harassment and abuse in the EU, further support to cover the cost of the external expertise needed to widen the external audit that has been implemented on the “Advisory committee”, dealing with harassment complaints concerning members of the European Parliament, to the “Staff advisory committee for Parliament’ staff” on harassment prevention; demands as well, for the same purpose, for further support to cover the cost of additional staff competent to manage the harassment cases within the EP, gathering in a dedicated service staff with medical, psychological, legal, and human resources management background, and specific expertise in this field;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)

68 a. Recalls the 2014 ECA analysis which estimated the costs of the geographic dispersion of the Parliament to be EUR 114 million per year; furthermore, notes the finding from its resolution of 20 November 2013 on the location of the seats of the European Union’s Institutions1a that 78 % of all missions by Parliament statutory staff arise as a direct result of the Parliament's geographic dispersion; emphasises that the report also estimates the environmental impact of the geographic dispersion to be between 11 000 to 19 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions; reiterates the negative public perception caused by this dispersion and calls therefore for a roadmap to a single seat and a reduction in the relevant budget lines; _________________ 1a OJ C 436, 24.11.2016, p. 2.

Amendment 155 #

Indrek TARAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)

68 a. Urges the Secretary-General of the European Parliament to devise detailed arrangements for the full sharing of back office functions and services between Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee;

Amendment 156 #

Dennis de JONG, Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76

76. ~~Maintains unchanged the overall level of the Ombudsman’s budget for 2019 as proposed by the Commission in the DB~~Increase only one line above DB in line with the creation of 2 additional posts to cope with an increase in the workload;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76

76. Maintains unchanged the overall level of the Ombudsman’s budget for 2019 as proposed by the Commission in the DB; stresses that the number of cases at the European Ombudsmanhas increased significantly and that the Office of the European Ombudsman risks of becoming quickly understaffed and underfunded; stresses that, moreover, this lack of resources may hinder the Ombudsman taking up new and highly necessary tasks, such as the assistance of whistleblowers inside the EU-institutions, which the Ombudsman expressed her willingness to take upon herself, if Commission and Parliament were to decide that an EU referral body for whistle blowers is required;

Amendment 158 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77

77. Decides ~~not~~ to restore the DB in the line cut by the Council~~, due to a high increase of the total budget as compared to the previous year~~;

Amendment 159 #

Indrek TARAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77

77. Decides ~~not~~ to restore the DB in thall but one line cut by the Council~~, due to a high increase of the total budget as compared to the previous year~~;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Reiterates its commitment to its pledges made during the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) negotiations, namely to minimise the impact of EFSI-related cuts on Horizon 2020 and CEF in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure; proposes, therefore, not only to offset those cuts by restoring the original annual profile of those two programmes, in order to allow them to fully accomplish the objectives agreed during the adoption of the relevant legislation, but also revising the character of the EFSI in order to turn it into an ambitious social and environmental public investment plan for Europe, detached of its condition of financial instrument and engaged with a transition plan for an ecological change of production model;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78

~~78. Restores the DB on all lines cut by the Council;~~deleted

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78

78. ~~Restores the DB on all lines cut by the Council~~Underlines that the EEAS has proved to be useless and expensive and asks therefore for a complete deletion of all the budgetary lines concerning this Service;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79

~~79. Increases a number of lines above the DB in line with EEAS own estimates;~~deleted

Amendment 163 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 a (new)

79 a. Reiterates Parliament’s support to the Strategic Communication Capacity and reinforces it to deliver a stronger coordinated EU response to the challenge of disinformation;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80

80. Restores the 28 posts + 5 more and related appropriations cut by the Council as it is a moderate staff increase that is justified by the EEAS’s significant new responsibilities, in particular those connected to Brexit (creation of a new Union delegation in London and a new unit in the headquarters), and ~~the adoption of a number of initiatives in the field of security and defence in recent months~~recalls the importance of the EEAS role in third countries where human rights defenders are at risk.

Amendment 17 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Highlight~~Notes that youth unemployment remains unacceptably high in certain Member States and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; ~~decides therefore to reinforce the Y~~believes that Member States have the primary role in dealing with youth Eunemployment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid-term revisionand that such measures are best delivered at national level; believes that a one-size-fits all EU blueprint cannot hope to meet the variety and intricacies of the challenges faced by all Member States;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights that youth unemployment remains unacceptably high in certain Member States and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; decides therefore to reinforce the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid-term revision; and urges for making this initiative anemployment plan linked to a social and environmental public plan for Europewhich engages to the Member States to increase the level of absorptionof the funding and create more quality youth employment;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights that youth unemployment remains unacceptably high in certain Member States especially in the economically lagging regions situated at the EU’s periphery, and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people along with pensioners and people with special needs are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; decides therefore to reinforce the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid- term revision;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that Parliament's reading of the 2019 Budget fully reflects the political priorities adopted by an overwhelming majority in its abovementioned resolutions of 15 March 2018 on general guidelines and of 5 July 2018 on a mandate for the trilogue; recalls that at the core of those priorities ~~are:~~is the socioeconomic convergence of all EU territories based on sustainable growth, innovation, competitiveness, security, the fight against climate change and the transition to renewable energy and migration, and a particular focus on young people;

Amendment 20 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights that youth unemployment remains unacceptably high in certain Member States and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; decides therefore to reinforce the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid-term revision; underlines however that the YEI should be further improved and be made more efficient, notably by ensuring that it brings real European added value to youth employment policies in the Member States and does not replace the financing of former national policies;

Amendment 21 #

Nils TORVALDS, Gérard DEPREZ, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights that youth unemployment is the lowest since 2000 in the Union, but remains unacceptably high in certain Member States and that the situation of young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) situations and the long-term unemployed is particularly worrying; stresses that young people are the most at risk of poverty and social and economic exclusion; decides therefore to reinforce the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) beyond the level proposed by the Commission; stresses that such reinforcement should in no way be seen as a frontloading of the YEI allocation endorsed in the context of the MFF mid-term revision;

Amendment 22 #

Marco VALLI, Laura AGEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Recalls the necessity to a strong fight against poverty and stresses the importance to make available sufficient resources to the EFS with the aim to allow Member States to implement minimum income schemes for an effective action against poverty;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that cohesion policy plays a primary role in the development and growth of the Union; emphasises Parliament’s commitment to ensuring adequate appropriations for those programmes that represent one of the core policies of the Union; in this context it is important to mention that the EU Cohesion policy must not be an end in itself; based on this goal the programmes within the EU Cohesion policy have to be monitored and assessed regularly; in case the measurable objectives of programmes are not reached, an adaptation of the programmes or even a new definition of objectives has to be taken into consideration; in addition it has to assess how effective an extensive private sector promotion and especially direct payments to private actors are in the context of EU Cohesion policy;such policies potentially are creating distortions of competition; instead, priorities have to be set on public investments in order to ensure equal competition for all;

Amendment 24 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that cohesion policy plays a primary role in the development and growth of the Union; emphasises Parliament’s commitment to ensuring adequate appropriations for those programmes that represent one of the core policies of the Union; welcomes the fact that more and more Member States consider that structural funds should be a tool for guaranteeing solidarity in all Union policies, in particular regarding the migration issues;

Amendment 25 #

Răzvan POPA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that cohesion policy plays a primary role in the development and growth of the Union, acting as a key investment instrument and should continue providing balanced development and further convergence in Member States and region; emphasises Parliament’s commitment to ensuring adequate appropriations for those programmes that represent one of the core policies of the Union;

Amendment 26 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets that, under current projections, only 19,3 % of the Union budget 2014 – 2020 would be devoted to climate-related measures, failing thus to reach the target of 20 %; understands that this is largely due to delays in cohesion policy and the rural development programmes; urges Member States, who manage them, to speed up their implementation with a focus on climate- related spending in order to offset the lower allocations made during the first years of the MFF; calls on the Commission to develop an action plan within programmes having massive potential to contribute to reaching the climate-related spending target; calls also for a robust, annual consolidation exercise to progress towards the mainstreaming target, with concrete and coherent safeguards that guarantee climate proof budgetary decisions are in line with the EU’s commitments under the Paris agreement, with comprehensive reporting and monitoring of results anda realistic assessment of climate change needs that corrects overestimations and proposes additional measures in case the exercise shows that targets will not be met;

Amendment 28 #

Jordi SOLÉ, Indrek TARAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets that, under current projections, only 19,3 % of the Union budget 2014 – 2020 would be devoted to climate-related measures, failing thus to reach the target of 20 %, an objective which pre-dates the Paris Climate agreement and should anyway be revised upwards; understands that this is largely due to delays in cohesion policy and the rural development programmes; urges Member States, who manage them, to speed up their implementation with a focus on climate- related spending in order to offset the lower allocations made during the first years of the MFF; calls on the Commission to develop an action plan within programmes having massive potential to contribute to reaching the climate-related spending target;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Regret~~Notes that, under current projections, ~~only~~ 19,3 % of the Union budget 2014 – 2020 would be devoted to climate- related measures, failing thus to reach the target of 20 %; understands that this is largely due to delays in cohesion policy and the rural development programmes; urges Member States, who manage them, to speed up their implementation with a focus on climate- related spending in order to offset the lower allocations made during the first years of the MFF; calls on the Commission to develop an action plan within programmes having massive potential to contribute to reaching the climate-related spending target;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that Parliament's reading of the 2019 Budget fully reflects the political priorities adopted by an overwhelming majority in its abovementioned resolutions of 15 March 2018 on general guidelines and of 5 July 2018 on a mandate for the trilogue; recalls that at the core of those priorities are: sustainable growth, innovation, competitiveness, security, tackling flows of refugees and migration, the fight against climate change and the transition to ~~renew~~sustainable energy ~~and migration~~supply, and a particular focus on young people;

Amendment 30 #

Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Considers that sufficient means should be provided in the EU budget for the achievement of economic, social and territorial cohesion in the outermost regions of the European Union (OR) as well as for specific measures in these regions provided for by Article 349 TFEU, in line with the objectives and principles set out in the Commission communication of 24 October 2017 (COM(2017)0623) on ‘A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions’;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Reiterates its disappointment with the low level of financial appropriations that the European Commission, in spite of its commitment to halt and reverse the decline of biodiversity, proposed to devote to biodiversity protection; regrets the expected decrease of biodiversity mainstreaming from 8,3% to 8,2% of total proposed commitment appropriations in 2019;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines that Heading 3 has been largely mobilized in the recent years to address the migratory and refugee crisis and that such actions should continue for as long as needed; calls on the Commission to actively monitor the adequacy of allocations under Heading 3 and make full use of all available instruments to respond in a timely manner to any unforeseen event that might require additional funding in the area of migration; decides to reinforce the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund to fully cover the needs of the Union in the field of migration, notably to support Members States in improving integration measures and practices for migrants; notes, once again, that the Heading 3 ceiling is inadequate to provide appropriate funding to the internal dimension of those priorities, as well as to other priority programmes~~, for example~~ in the fields of culture, citizenship, justice and public health; considers that ~~willingness of~~ local authorities ~~to do more than planned in their National Programme under shared management,~~with the willingness to support the Union Resettlement Programme, should ~~be further~~have the possibility to be directly supported through the direct management strand of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF);

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 35 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines that Heading 3 has been largely mobilized in the recent years to address the migratory and refugee c~~risis~~hallenge and that such actions should continue for as long as needed; calls on the Commission to actively monitor the adequacy of allocations under Heading 3 and make full use of all available instruments to respond in a timely manner to any unforeseen event that might require additional funding in the area of migration; decides to reinforce the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund to fully cover the needs of the Union in the field of migration, notably to support Members States in improving reception conditions, integration measures and practices for ~~migrant~~asylum seekers and migrants, enhancing solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States and fair and effective return strategies; notes, once again, that the Heading 3 ceiling is inadequate to provide appropriate funding to the internal dimension of those priorities, as well as to other priority programmes, for example in the field of security, justice, citizenship and culture; considers that willingness of local authorities to do more than planned in their National Programme under shared management, to support the Union Resettlement Programme, should be further supported through the direct management strand of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF);

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines that Heading 3 has been largely mobilized in the recent years to address the migratory and refugee crisis and that such actions should continue for as long as needed; calls on the Commission to actively monitor the adequacy of allocations under Heading 3 and make full use of all available instruments to respond in a timely manner to any unforeseen event that might require additional funding in the area of migration; decides to reinforce the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund to fully cover the needs of the Union in the field of migration, notably to support Members States in improving integration measures and practices for migrants, including family reunification that fosters social inclusion and integration, and paying particular attention to child-right compliant returns’ policy that has the best interests of the child as a primary consideration; notes, once again, that the Heading 3 ceiling is inadequate to provide appropriate funding to the internal dimension of those priorities, as well as to other priority programmes, for example in the field of culture; considers that willingness of local authorities to do more than planned in their National Programme under shared management, to support the Union Resettlement Programme, should be further supported through the direct management strand of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF);considers that the AMIF line aimed at strengthening and developing the common European asylum system and enhancing solidarity and responsibility- sharing between the Member States should focus at reinforcing child protection to provide adequate services and sustainable solution for children that are in the children’s best interest, notably fostering alternatives to detention;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines that Heading 3 has been largely mobilized in the recent years to address the migratory and refugee crisis and that such actions should continue and be reinforced as much and for as long as needed; calls on the Commission to actively monitor the adequacy of allocations under Heading 3 and make full use of all available instruments to respond in a timely manner to any unforeseen event that might require additional funding in the area of migration with a special attention to the case of island regions falling under the scope of Article 174 TFEU; decides to reinforce the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund to fully cover the needs of the Union in the field of migration, notably to support Members States in improving integration measures and practices for migrants; notes, once again, that the Heading 3 ceiling is inadequate to provide appropriate funding to the internal dimension of those priorities, as well as to other priority programmes, for example in the field of culture; considers that willingness of local authorities to do more than planned in their National Programme under shared management, to support the Union Resettlement Programme, should be further supported through the direct management strand of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF);

Amendment 38 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 39 #

Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Considers that an efficient fight against corruption and tax evasion practised by multinational companies and the richest individuals would make it possible to return to the national budgets of the Member States an amount estimated by the Commission at EUR 1 trillion per year; notes that there is in this matter a real deficit of action from the EU; Stresses in this regard the urgent need to establish a European Authority empowered to combat tax fraud and fiscal evasion;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that Parliament's reading of the 2019 Budget fully does not fully reflects the political priorities adopted by an ~~overwhelming~~ majority in its abovementioned resolutions of 15 March 2018 on general guidelines and of 5 July 2018 on a mandate for the trilogue; recalls that at the core of those priorities are: sustainable growth, innovation, ~~competitiveness, security,~~ the fight against climate change and the transition to renewable energy and migration, and a particular focus on young people;

Amendment 40 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Recalls the necessity to ensure solidarity and a fair sharing of responsibilities among all Member States, in particular within the framework of the revision of the Dublin regulation; regrets indeed that until now there is not an effective system of redistribution of refugees, that causes an unequal load for some Member States;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Insists that in the light of recent security concerns across the Union, funding under Heading 3 should also pay particular attention to measures which will lead to enhancing security of Union citizens; decides for this reason to reinforce agencies in the field of Justice and Home Affairs which, due to increased workload and additional tasks, have been facing shortage of staff and funding in the past years;highlights the need for reflection on the causes of a lack of economic security for the European population, and its links to the lack of social protection, precarious labour conditions, and inequalities which drive social conflicts.

Amendment 42 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Insists that in the light of recent security concerns across the Union, funding under Heading 3 should also pay particular attention to measures which will lead to enhancing security of Union citizens; decides for this reason to reinforce agencies in the field of Justice and Home Affairs such as Europol, Cepol, eu-Lisa, Eurojust, European Public Prosecutor's Office, which, due to increased workload and additional tasks, have been facing shortage of staff and funding in the past years;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates that part of the solution to the migratory and refugee crisis as well as to the security concerns of Union citizens lies in addressing the root causes of migration and devoting sufficient financial means to ~~external~~ instruments that aim at tackling issues such as poverty, lack of employment, education and economic opportunities, instability, conflict and climate change; is of the opinion that is of the Uopinion ~~should make optimal use of financial means under Heading 4 w~~that Member States should recognize their responsibility for a number ongoing conflicts, and economic exploitation, as well as ending the unethichal pr~~oved to be insufficient to equally address all external challenges~~actice of externalising EU borders to third countries in order to allow for the optimal use of financial means under Heading 4;

Amendment 44 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates that part of the solution to the migratory and refugee c~~risis~~hallenge as well as to the security concerns of Union citizens lies in addressing the root causes of migration and devoting sufficient financial means to internal and external instruments that aim at tackling issues such as poverty, lack of employment, education and economic opportunities, instability, conflict and climate change in the European Neighbourhood and Africa ; is of the opinion that the Union should make optimal use of financial means under Heading 4 which proved to be insufficient to equally address all external challenges;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Acknowledges the challenges posed to some Member States by the large influx of migrants and asylum seekers; regrets that all efforts to establish a fair and humane migrant scheme at Union level have been unsuccessful so far; reiterates the need for a distribution plan for refugees and asylum seekers across the Union; considers that, in the meantime, appropriations under subheading 1b should be handled in a flexible manner, for instance by reallocating them from Member States currently refusing to accept refugees towards the accommodation of refugees and asylum seekers in other Member States;

Amendment 46 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that Parliament has not been duly involved in the discussions on the extension of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT); reiterates its longstanding position that new initiatives must not be financed to the detriment of existing ~~Union external~~successful Union projects; maintains, while recalling its support for the continuation of the FRT, that, given the stretched situation under Heading 4 to respond to external challenges, including migration, the Union budget should contribute to the financing of the second tranche in the same proportion as for the first one, i.e. EUR 1 billion, while the Member States should contribute EUR 2 billion to its financing;

Amendment 47 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Restores all cuts proposed by Council to the Draft Budget (DB) 2019 across all headings, with limited exceptions in Heading 4 and subheading 1b; ~~fails to understand the reasoning behind the proposed cuts~~refuses to accept the proposed cuts to programs with the highest European added value, for example those to Horizon 2020 and CEF, two programmes already affected by redeployments to EFSI, or majority of cuts to external policies; stresses that the logic behind Council’s cuts is not substantiated by the actual implementation figures and ignores the varying implementation patterns of certain programmes;

Amendment 48 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that Parliament has not been duly involved in the discussions on the extension of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT); reiterates its longstanding position that new initiatives must not be financed to the detriment of existing Union external projects; maintains, while recalling its support for the continuation of the FRT, that, given the stretched situation under Heading 4 to respond to external challenges, including migration, the Union budget should contribute to the financing of the second tranche in the same proportion as for the first one, i.e. EUR 1 billion, while the Member States should contribute EUR 2 billion to its financing, provided Turkey complies the Human Rights;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Recalls to the Council and to the Commission that would be more efficient to apply the austerity criteria, to all those wasteful administrative expenses, the unjustified building policy, or the travel expenses of MEPS, in order to bring the EU institutions practices closer to the citizens living standards; the limiting of higher wage scales is required to avoid cuts to staff numbers, which are needed to carry out the important role of the EU;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that ~~the Union~~Member States continues to face numerous challenges and is convinced that, especially ahead of the UK withdrawal from the Union and the 2019 European elections, Union citizens expect the necessary financial resources to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to allow the Union to effectively respond to the abovementioned challenges and improve the day-to-day life of its citizens European citizens expect the Union budget to be more efficient, transparent, performance-based and with concrete reductions of the administrative expenditures and wastes of money;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Reject~~Notes Council’s ~~unjustified~~ EUR 794 million cuts to subheading 1a, which represent just over half of the overall Council cuts in commitments in MFF headings; notes that such cuts run counter to Council’s stated political priorities; ~~is concerned moreov~~notes further that they could hamper implementation of programmes that play a ~~vital~~ role in the creation of ~~jobs and~~ growth, which could have a ~~negative impact on the economic recovery under way i~~n impact on the Union;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Rejects Council’s unjustified EUR 794 million cuts to subheading 1a, which represent just over half of the overall Council cuts in commitments in MFF headings; notes that such cuts run counter to Council’s stated political priorities; is concerned moreover that they could hamper implementation of programmes that play a vital role in the creation of jobs and growth, which could have a negative impact on the econom~~ic recovery under way in the Union~~y;

Amendment 52 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Recalls that Erasmus+ remains a highly valued and hugely popular programme promoting youth learning mobility, as demonstrated by the volume of applications received, which exceeds the funding available~~, and notes also that it helps foster a strong sense of European identity; deeply regret~~; Notes that the 2019 draft budget for Erasmus+ falls well below Parliament’s expectations, failing to go beyond the programmed figures under the current MFF; ~~considers it therefore essential to reinforce the education and training and youth strands of Erasmus +, as a corollary to the strengthening of the Youth Employment Initiative under subheading 1b;~~

Amendment 53 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Recalls that Erasmus+ remains a highly valued and hugely popular programme promoting youth learning mobility and vocational training, as demonstrated by the volume of applications received, which by far exceeds the funding available, and notes also that it helps foster a strong sense of European identity and encouragement for young people to take part in European democracy; deeply regrets that the 2019 draft budget for Erasmus+ falls well below Parliament’s expectations, failing to go beyond the programmed figures under the current MFF; considers it therefore essential to reinforce the education and training and youth strands of Erasmus +, as a corollary to the strengthening of the Youth Employment Initiative under subheading 1b;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights yet again the fact that SMEs are an essential part of the Union economy and play a crucial role in job creation throughout the Union; believes that there is a need to create an SME- friendly business environment, as well as to support SME clusters and networks, , especially concerning the economically independent SMEs, at all levels, of the transnational and oligopolistic network, and supporting also cooperative companies which bring social, solidarity and ethic practices; notes, however, with deep concern the Council cuts to the SME instrument, which send a contradictory signal to businesses in the Union; considers that the Union budget can be a key tool in making SMEs more competitive and more innovative and in fostering the spirit of enterprise in the Union; recalls in this regard COSME and Horizon 2020;

Amendment 55 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights yet again the fact that SMEs are an essential part of the Union economy and play a crucial role in job creation throughout the Union; believes that there is a need to create an SME- friendly business environment, as well as to support SME clusters and networks; notes, however, with deep concern the Council cuts to the SME instrument, which send a contradictory signal to businesses in the Union; considers that the Union budget and access to finance backed by it can be a key tool in making SMEs more competitive and more innovative and in fostering the spirit of enterprise in the Union; recalls in this regard COSME and Horizon 2020;

Amendment 56 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights yet again the fact that SMEs are an essential part of the Union economy and play a crucial role in job creation throughout the Union; believes that there is a need to create an SME- friendly business environment, as well as to support SME clusters and networks; notes, however, with deep concern the Council cuts to the SME instrument, which send a contradictory signal to businesses in the Union; considers that the Union budget can be a key tool in making SMEs, startups and microenterprises more competitive and more innovative and in fostering the spirit of enterprise in the Union; recalls in this regard COSME and Horizon 2020;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Expresses its intention to pay particular attention to the implementation by the Commission of the agreements found on the European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the European Solidarity Corps, which should be set out in the Amending Letter, to be issued by the Commission in October 2018;deleted

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Expresses its intention to pay particular attention to the implementation by the Commission of the agreements found on the European ~~Defence Industrial Development Programme and the European~~ Solidarity Corps, which should be set out in the Amending Letter, to be issued by the Commission in October 2018;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that the Union continues to face numerous challenges and is convinced that, especially ahead of the UK withdrawal from the Union and the 2019 European elections, Union citizens expect the necessary financial resources to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to allow the Union to effectively respond to the abovementioned challenges and improve the day-to-day life of its citizenssavings are necessary; Based on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, the EU's second-largest net contributor (in absolute numbers) will leave. The maintenance of the overall spending level at the expense of taxpayers in the remaining EU Member States is not acceptable. Instead, the EU budget needs to be subject to a major reform. In the modernized budget, more attention needs to be paid to the benefits that can be more easily achieved by mutual cooperation;

Amendment 60 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. EWelcomes the commitment to a renewed EU defence agenda, namely through the agreement on the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP); expresses its intention to pay particular attention to the implementation by the Commission of the agreements found on the European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the European Solidarity Corps, which should be set out in the Amending Letter, to be issued by the Commission in October 2018;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Raises the necessity of the implementation of a programme for providing economic and social security by establishing a policy of investment aligned with the needs of the working classes; an employment policy based on economic security and social protection and a more sustainable environment;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Recalls that youth unemployment rates remain unacceptably high in the Union; emphasises that, in order to address this issue, it is of importance to ensure proper funding of the Youth Guarantee schemes through YEI and the European Social Fund (ESF); welcomes the agreement on the needBelieves that Member States have the primary role in dealing with youth unemployment and that such measures are best delivered at national level. Recognise that the causes of youth unemployment, social exclusion and poverty differs across the EU, and can include underlying structural problems in the labour market and social security systems. Believes that a one-size-fits all EU blueprint cannot hope to meet the variety and intricacies of the challenges faced by all Member States. Regrets therefore the agreement to provide fresh funding for YEI, and the inclusion of the corresponding appropriations in the DB 2019; By considers nevertheless that, given the challenges and risks posed by youth unemployment, YEI should benefit from increased appropriations and therefore decides to bring YEI to EUR 580 million in commitments in 2019; considers that this increase is in addition to the amount for YEI currently programmed for the 2014-2020 period;stent adherence to the subsidiarity principle and increased efficiency, considerable savings can be accomplished without more contributions required from Member States.

Amendment 63 #

Nils TORVALDS, Gérard DEPREZ, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Recalls that youth unemployment rates~~Welcomes the decreasing rate of youth unemployment at Union level, with 14,8 % (1.10.2018) which is lower than before the economic crisis, but regrets that the level still remains unacceptably high in ~~the Union~~certain Member States; emphasises that, in order to address this issue, it is of importance to ensure proper funding of the Youth Guarantee schemes through YEI and the European Social Fund (ESF); welcomes the agreement on the need to provide fresh funding for YEI, and the inclusion of the corresponding appropriations in the DB 2019; considers nevertheless that, given the challenges and risks posed by youth unemployment, YEI should benefit from increased appropriations and therefore decides to bring YEI to EUR 580 million in commitments in 2019; considers that this increase is in addition to the amount for YEI currently programmed for the 2014- 2020 period;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Recalls that youth unemployment rates remain unacceptably high in the Union, not least in its peripheral regions; emphasises that, in order to address this issue, it is of importance to ensure proper funding of the Youth Guarantee schemes through YEI and the European Social Fund (ESF); welcomes the agreement on the need to provide fresh funding for YEI, and the inclusion of the corresponding appropriations in the DB 2019; considers nevertheless that, given the challenges and risks posed by youth unemployment, YEI should benefit from increased appropriations and therefore decides to bring YEI to EUR 580 million in commitments in 2019; considers that this increase is in addition to the amount for YEI currently programmed for the 2014- 2020 period;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 66 #

Marco VALLI, Laura AGEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22 a. Stresses the necessity to build a strong action against poverty across all the Member States: reinforces at this purpose the EFS with the aim to allow Member States to implement minimum income schemes;

Amendment 67 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. In line with the agreement reached on the revision of the Structural Reforms Support Programme (SRSP), agrees with the transfer of EUR 40 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 17,2 million in payment appropriations from subheading 1b to Heading 2;deleted

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Considers that ESF-funded projects play a crucial role for the successful integration of Roma into the societies of the respective Member States; deplores the fact that some Member States do not make full use of the resources available for such Roma-related projects and divert funding to other priorities; invites Member States to increase their efforts in that regard, so that the Union's Roma integration policy can reach its full potential;

Amendment 7 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET, Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights that ~~the Union continues to face numerous challenges and is convinced that, especially~~ ahead of the UK withdrawal from the Union ~~and~~, the ~~2019 European elections, Union citizens expect the necessary financial resources to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to allow the Union to effectively respond to the abovementioned challe~~Union needs the necessary financial resources to respond to citizens expectations and allow the Union to effectively tackle the numerous challenges it faces such as the fight against youth unemployment, the security as well as humanitarian and migratory challenges, the fight against climate changes and to improve the day- to-day life of its citizens;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recalls that the Commission’s proposal to increase appropriations to finance the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) needs is largely due to a significantly lower amount of assigned revenue being expected to be available in 2019; Highlights the importance of reduction of the EAGF. In principle, funding programmes must be designed to initiate a development, resolve or mitigate problems and thus lead to a lasting improvement of the situation. They should therefore set an impetus, but they should not constitute a permanent subsidy. Stresses that since subsidies which have already begun raise expectations among the recipients of payments, each subsidy must be limited in time. In addition, the objectives of agricultural policy are to be regularly examined for their effectiveness and to promote innovation in the agricultural sector;

Amendment 71 #

Nils TORVALDS, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Notes the Council’s cuts of EUR 310 million in commitment appropriations (-0,52 % compared to DB 2019) and EUR - 328,13 million in payment appropriations (-0,57 % compared to DB 2019), but considers that the Commission’s Amending Letter should remain the basis for any reliable revision of EAGF appropriations and restores the DB levels accordingly, pending an examination of that Amending Letter in conciliation;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Points out the essential role played by the Union decentralised agencies in the area of the environment, public health and food safety in aiding the Union and the Member States make informed, science-based decisions about protecting and improving the environment and public health, while enhancing cooperation between Member States to address the concerns of Union citizens; underlines the need to at least reinstate the budgetary appropriations and staffing and increase these if new tasks have been assigned, of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), European Environment Agency (EEA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA);

Amendment 73 #

Petri SARVAMAA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Decides to propose an increase of EUR 20 million above the level of DB for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to promote innovation in the agriculture and forestry sectors and to ensure the profitability and sustainability of these livelihoods in the future;

Amendment 74 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Decides, in line with its Europe 2020 targets and with its international commitments to tackle climate change, to propose an increase of EUR ~~15,6~~20 million above the level of the DB for climate- related actions;

Amendment 75 #

Monika HOHLMEIER, Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

~~29. Decides, in the light of the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the SRSP revision, to lift the reserve introduced by the Council on the amounts transferred from subheading 1b;~~deleted

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29 a. Points to the effects of the extreme drought affecting the Member States in recent months, causing considerable losses to agriculture and jeopardising a large number of businesses, and highlights in this regard the need to guarantee special support measures aimed at helping the worst-affected farmers;

Amendment 77 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates its long-standing conviction that the Heading 3 ceiling has proven vastly insufficient to adequately fund the internal dimension of essential challenges related ~~on the one hand to internal security, and on the other hand to migration~~to migration, a lack of funding has been further compounded by the fundamentally flawed approach to migration at the European level;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates its long-standing conviction that the Heading 3 ceiling has proven vastly insufficient to adequately fund the internal dimension of essential challenges related on the one hand to internal security, and on the other hand to refugees and migra~~tion~~nts;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates its long-standing conviction that the Heading 3 ceiling has proven vastly insufficient to adequately fund the internal dimension of essential challenges related on the one hand to internal security and citizens' safety, and on the other hand to migration;

Amendment 8 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA, Marie-Pierre VIEU, Liadh NÍ RIADA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Calls for a real spending review in order to provides as more savings as possible on projects that so far have not shown a real added value;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Expects the pressure on some Member States’ migration and asylum systems, as well as on their borders, to remain high in 2019, and is of the opinion that additional funding is needed in the field of migration, also in view of any future, unpredictable needs in this area; reinforcIs of the opinion that additional funding is needed in the field of migration, in order to address the root causes offorced migration that is the result of poverty, climate change and war; calls for a recognition of the EU’s role in these causes of migration; urges the reinforece of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund as regards supporting ~~legal migration to the Union~~migrant population at risk, safe route and rescue operation policy, and promoting the effective integration of third-country nationals ~~and enhancing fair and effective return strategies~~, in particular to support Member States in improving integration measures for migrants, especially children and unaccompanied minors;

Amendment 81 #

Jordi SOLÉ, Indrek TARAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Expects the pressure on some Member States’ migration and asylum systems, as well as on their borders, to remain high in 2019, a~~nd is~~s in the years that will follow, and is therefore of the opinion that additional funding is needed in the field of migration, also in view of any future, unpredictable needs in this area; reinforces therefore the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund as regards supporting legal migration to the Union and promoting the effective integration of third-country nationals and enhancing fair and effective return strategies, in particular to support Member States in improving integration measures for migrants, especially children and unaccompanied minors;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Welcomes the increase in commitment appropriations for ASMIF in order to finance the new Dublin II legislation (assuming it is adopted by the end of 2018) and rejects the Council’s decision to move the corresponding appropriations into a reserve;

Amendment 85 #

Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Underlines that internal security must remain one of the Union’s main priorities and stresses the role of the Internal Security Fund (ISF) as the key financial instrument to support Member States in the area of security, including in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation, serious and organised crime and cybercrime; decides therefore to increase budgetary appropriations of the ISF, also to strengthen support for border management and to provide assistance for victims of terrorist acts;deleted

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Regrets that after the publication, on 3 February 2014, of its first EU Anti- Corruption report, the Commission refused to continue this practice of annual reports and instead integrated anti-corruption policies in the Economic Semester; notes that the country-specific reports in the context of the economic semester do not contain a clear description of the state of play, nor do they contain recommendations on anti- corruption measures for all Member States; urges the Commission once more to submit to Parliament a second EU Anti-Corruption report, and in this context not to evaluate anti-corruption efforts only in terms of economic loss but to also analyse the detrimental effects of corruption for the fundamental rights of European citizens;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Points out the essential role played by the Union agencies in the area of justice and home affairs in enhancing cooperation between Member States to address the concerns of Union citizens; decides to increase budgetary appropriations and staffing of European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL), European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), eu- LISA, European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust) ~~and for the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)~~;

Amendment 88 #

Gérard DEPREZ, Louis MICHEL, Nils TORVALDS, Jean ARTHUIS, Nedzhmi ALI, Urmas PAET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Points out the essential role played by the Union agencies in the area of justice and home affairs in enhancing cooperation between Member States to address the concerns of Union citizens; decides to increase budgetary appropriations and staffing of European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL), European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), European Union Agency for the operational management of Large-Scale IT Systems (eu- LISA), European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (Eurojust) and for the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO);

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35 a. Insists, in that context, that the EPPO be adequately financed and staffed; notes that in the draft budget for 2019 the Union contribution amounts to a total of EUR 4 911 000; points out that this appropriation is intended to cover EPPO’s staff-related expenditure, infrastructure, other administrative expenditure and operational expenditure; notes that only 35 staff posts are foreseen, which implies that after deducting the posts for 23 European Prosecutors, only 12 posts are foreseen for administrative tasks; considers that this is not realistic, in particular with regard to the two additional Member States that have recently decided to join the EPPO; decides, therefore, to frontload the staff increase foreseen for 2020, and to align the grading of the Chief Prosecutor and the European Prosecutors to those of OLAF's and Europol's management level;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that Europe's citizens expect the Union to strain every sinew to ensure economic growth and foster job creation; recalls that meeting those expectations requires investments in research and innovation, education, infrastructure, and SMEs and to foster employment, particularly among the young people of Europe~~, and that any failure in that regard will foster disillusionment with the European ideal; expresses wonderment~~; expresses disapproval that the Council yet again proposes cuts to the very programmes that are designed to make the Union economy more competitive and innovative; stresses moreover that many of these programmes, for example Horizon 2020, are heavily oversubscribed, which constitutes a poor use resources and means that many excellent projects do not receive funding; highlights also the fact that programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon 2020 and the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) provide a vivid demonstration of the advantages of working together across the Union and help create a feeling of European belonging; decides therefore to reinforce considerably Erasmus + and to strengthen programmes that contribute to growth and job creation, including Horizon 2020, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and COSME;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Regrets Council’s arbitrary cuts of more than EUR 35 million in commitment appropriations to numerous programmes in the areas of ~~culture,~~ citizenship, justice and public health, despite these programmes’ excellent implementation rates and already insufficient levels of financing that leave many high-quality projects unfunded; restores all lines at least to the level of the draft budget ~~while proposing additional increases to relevant lines~~;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Regrets Council’s arbitrary cuts of more than EUR 35 million in commitment appropriations to numerous programmes in the areas of culture, citizenship, justice, food and feed and public health, despite these programmes’ excellent implementation rates and already insufficient levels of financing that leave many high-quality projects unfunded; restores all lines at least to the level of the draft budget while proposing additional increases to relevant lines;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. ~~Stresses~~Questions strongly the value of Creative Europe; in supporting the Union’s audio- visual and cultural sectors and insists that funding levels should match the ambitions of the programme; calls for an increase in committee appropriations for the MEDIA and the Culture sub-programmes, inter alia to tackle low application success t is an illusion to hope that the national identity could gradually be replaced by a European identity; the coexistence of several identities characte~~s; also increases appropriations for multimedia actions and for strengthening~~rizes the European Union. "More Europe" is not the solution; rejects therefore the fin~~ancial capacity of SMEs in the European cultural and creative sector~~crease for the MEDIA and the Culture sub-programmes;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Stresses the value of Creative Europe in supporting the Union’s audio- visual and cultural sectors and insists that funding levels should match the ambitions of the programme; calls for an increase in committee appropriations for the MEDIA and the Culture sub-programmes, inter alia to tackle low application success rates; also increases appropriations for multimedia actions and for strengthening the financial capacity of SMEs in the European cultural and creative sectors; highlights the importance of audio-visuals in the fight against fake news, especially in the context of upcoming European elections.

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Recalls that the implementation of the SDGs has to cut the EU´s internal and external policies, whereas a special focus should be given to the provision of sufficient good-quality food, clean water and the building of additional wastewater disposal facilities in order to deliver on SDG 2 and 6; furthermore, draws the attention to the scale and implications of energy poverty in developing countries and demands additional action to reduce energy poverty in line with SDG 7, in particular in remote rural areas in off- grid energy regions;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Believes that promoting peace, security and justice in developing countries are paramount in addressing the root causes of forced migration and corresponding humanitarian challenges in the Southern Neighbourhood; underlines the importance of supporting good governance, democracy, the rule of law and vibrant civil society to effectively combat poverty over the long-term, and address the challenges of the climate change in developing countries; decides therefore to increase resources for the Development and Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the Southern part of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) under its various strands, to reflect also the considerable stress under which ENI will continue to be in 2019;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Believes that promoting peace, security and justice in developing countries are paramount in addressing the root causes of migration and corresponding humanitarian challenges in the Southern Neighbourhood; underlines the importance of supporting good governance, democracy, the rule of law and vibrant civil society to effectively combat poverty over the long-term, and address the challenges of the climate change in developing countries; stresses the necessity to strongly support confidence building, security, the prevention and settlement of conflicts, poverty reductions and sustainable development as priorities in the southern neighbourhood as well exemplified by the situation in Libya; decides therefore to increase resources for the Development and Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the Southern part of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) under its various strands, to reflect also the considerable stress under which ENI will continue to be in 2019;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Calls on an incentive-based approach to development by introducing the more-for- more principle, taking as an example the European Neighbouring Policy; believes that the more and the faster a country progresses in its internal reforms in relation to the building and consolidation of democratic institutions, the respect for human rights and the rule of law, the more support it should receive from the EU;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43

43. Recalls that the Union has committed to comprehensively protect and promote the rights of the child, girls and women as well as people with disabilities and special needs in its external policy; stresses the importance of implementing the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child in European Union, the European Union Gender Action Plan and European Disability Policy in external relation;

Amendment 99 #