2021/2202(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

— having in regards Committee of the Regions opinion on Missing transport links in border regions of 8th February 2017 (CDR 4294/2016),

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the European Union and its immediate neighbours in the European Free Trade Association have 40 internal land borders and internal border regions, and whereas those regions cover 40 % of the EU’s territory, account for 30 % of the EU’s population ~~and~~, produce almost one third of EU GDP; and boost its economies and territories;

Amendment 100 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18 b. Emphasize the potential of the less inhabited border areas to develop sustainable and green economy thus making an added value to the local development in opening new green jobs;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Emphasises that cooperation among neighbouring Member States will be a central element in achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal and calls on the Member States to make the most of existing opportunities for cooperation under the applicable EU legal framework;

Amendment 102 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council ~~and the Commission~~, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the national and regional Parliaments of the Member States.

Amendment 11 #

Álvaro AMARO

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas border regions, especially those with a low population density and, in particular, rural areas, tend to experience more unfavourable development conditions and are generally less economically successful than other regions within Member States, and whereas their economic potential is not being fully tapped;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas border regions, especially those with a low population density, tend to experience ~~more un~~less favourable development conditions and are generally less economically successful than other regions within Member States, and whereas their economic potential is not being fully tapped;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas, despite the efforts that have been made, administrative, linguistic and legal barriers still abound and are hampering sustainable growth, socio- economic development and cohesion among and within border regions;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas some sectors face very specific obstacles that call for better coordination at EU level, such as the wine and spirits sectors, which are subject to heavy red tape to trade in neighbouring countries; whereas practical solutions, such as access to one-stop shops, must be made accessible to economic operators when possible;

Amendment 15 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on new challenges in border regions, such as teleworking, which has now become common and also causes social protection and tax law issues;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has ~~shown how fragile and interdependent Europe’s cross-border regions are and paralysed many~~unveiled cross-border regions’ exposure to detrimental disruptions of the Single Market and to the paralysis of public services, especially in healthcare settings, and whereas the pandemic has also disrupted the free movement of goods and essential medical equipment following the closure of national borders;

Amendment 17 #

Christian DOLESCHAL, Pascal ARIMONT, Manfred WEBER

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how fragile and interdependent Europe’s cross-border regions are and paralysed many services, especially in healthcare settings, and whereas the pandemic has also disrupted the free movement of people, goods and essential medical equipment following the closure of national borders;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas the COVID-19pandemic and the resulting border closures have highlighted the uniquevulnerability of border regions; both in terms of the economic fallout from themomentary collapse of cross-border health care services, the threat to thelivelihood of cross-border workers and the financial hardships befalling SMEsin border regions;

Amendment 19 #

Peter POLLÁK

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas some border regions are facing unprecedented critical infrastructure challenges related to the refugee crisis caused by Russia's ongoing military aggression in Ukraine. The new post-COVID situation also contributes to their vulnerability;

Amendment 2 #

Francisco José MILLÁN MON, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

– having regard to Decision (EU) 2020/2228 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 December 2020 on a European Year of Rail5 a; _________________ 5 a OJ L 437, 28.12.2020, p. 108-115.

Amendment 20 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas border regions would benefit from a supranational legal instrument capable of circumventing negative externalities that might arise from the deliberate actions of Member States to fragment the Single Market;

Amendment 21 #

Christian DOLESCHAL, Pascal ARIMONT, Manfred WEBER

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas mass departures from border regions, especially on the part of young people and skilled labour, illustrates the lack of economic opportunities in such regions and even more makes them less attractive in terms of employment and sustainable economic development;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas it is regrettable that the lack of cooperation between authorities in neighbouring Member States still creates an undue administrative and bureaucratic burden for both individuals and businesses in border regions;

Amendment 23 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

H a. whereas the conclusion of Partnership Agreements in the context of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy is lagging behind, undermining the allocation of vital resources in the territories in need ;

Amendment 24 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

H a. whereas fragmented and insufficient cross border cooperation can lead increased vulnerability to natural disasters and extreme weather events in border regions;

Amendment 25 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the EU also has maritime cross-border regions in the shape of islands in the Mediterranean and outermost regions in the Atlantic and Indian oceans; whereas the geographic remoteness of some European islands, coupled with their condition as border regions, exposes them to a combination of constraints in the labour market, in the field of transportation and healthcare which severely hampers their growth potential;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. whereas it is acknowledged that the unique vulnerability of border regions requires profound changes to financing methods in border regions in order to finally create a level playing field for border regions vis-à-vis the heartland;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)

I b. whereas there remains alack of language learning opportunities, as well as a lack of initiatives raising awareness about the benefits for border residents in learning a neighbouring language;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)

I c. whereas it is deplored that a true bottom-up approach in European Cohesion Policy is still prevented by the fact the institutions and actors that are closest du citizens, the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, are not entrusted with the independent management of funds from the EU Cohesion Policy Budget;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I d (new)

I d. whereas it is estimated that adopting the proposal for a European cross-border mechanism (ECBM) regulation, published in May 2018 by the Commission on the recommendation of the former Luxembourgish Council presidency, would have helped to overcome at least 30 %, and likely even 50 %, of the recognised obstacles to cross- border cooperation;

Amendment 3 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

— having regard to the UN IPCC report on Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the challenges border regions face vary from one region to the next depending on the legal, administrative, economic, demographic and geographical circumstances pertaining in the region concerned; emphasises the need for an effective use and greater coordination of EU funds to ensure a more comprehensive approach to before mentioned challenges; calls for bespoke approaches to be taken, to a certain extent, that are integrated and region-specific;

Amendment 31 #

Peter POLLÁK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the challenges border regions face vary from one region to the next depending on the legal, administrative, economic and geographical circumstances pertaining in the region concerned; calls for bespoke approaches to be taken, to a certain extent, that are integrated and region-specific; stresses the need to reflect on the challenges facing some border regions linked to Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine;

Amendment 32 #

Álvaro AMARO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the challenges border regions face, in particular rural and low-density areas, vary from one region to the next depending on the legal, administrative, economic and geographical circumstances pertaining in the region concerned; calls for ~~bespoke approaches to be taken, to a certain extent, that are integrated and region-specific~~the involvement of local authorities and communities, and bespoke approaches that are integrated and region-specific, as part of a multilevel governance framework;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Emphasises that the challenges border regions face vary from one region to the next depending on the legal, administrative, economic, environmental and geographical circumstances pertaining in the region concerned; calls for bespoke approaches to be taken, to a certain extent, that are integrated, tailor-made and region- specific;

Amendment 34 #

3 a. Recommends an EU initiative providing language courses for the neighbouring language at low cost for participants in all NUTS-3 regions whose territory borders a neighbouring Member State; this EU initiative shall also be charged with raising awareness of the benefits of learning the neighbouring language;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Points out the specific challenges of maritime borders and the need of recognizing them as specific borders with their own needs, especially due to language and cultural differences, administrative and legal burdens, socio- economic disparities and environmental issues;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Stresses that disproportionate burdens, such as the inherent structural disadvantages faced by all border regions should be compensated with a separate regime for regional aid designed specifically for border regions;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Demands that a sum of one billion euro of the EU’s Cohesion Policy Budget shall be reserved exclusively for the development of border regions at the beginning of every new programming period, starting with the period 2028-2034 (=“Borderland Billion”);

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3 d. Suggests that the “Borderland Billion” is to be entrusted directly to the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs), who are to be tasked with its independent management and distribution among projects;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3 e. Recommends that the “Borderland Billion” be deducted from the EU cohesion policy funding prior to distribution according to the country key as a special budgetary item;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)

— having regard to the agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 (the Paris Agreement),

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 f (new)

3 f. Recommends that changes to the EU Regional Aid Guidelines be made; considering that less than half of the EU’s total population are permitted to receive regional aid at the same time, it is suggested that within this rule, border regions shall be given priority;

Amendment 41 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 g (new)

3 g. Requests that European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation be entrusted with additional financial responsibilities, be given their own budget and the competency to directly approve projects and funding from ESI funds within their operational zone, in order to truly implement the new Policy Objective 5 of EU Cohesion Policy: “A Europe Closer to Citizens”;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the progress the Commission has made thus far in implementing its 2017 action plan, in particular via the ‘b-solutions’ initiative – which has made it possible to provide legal and administrative support to authorities in border ~~authoritie~~regions and to resolve 90 cases involving barriers to interaction – and via the support provided to improve access to employment, promote multilingualism in border areas and pool healthcare facilities;

Amendment 43 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Council to unblock the legislative process for the European cross-border mechanism (ECBM) regulation, or to propose an alternative to the ECBM in order to overcome the obstacles to the cross-border co-operation this mechanism could address; further calls on the Commission to put forward a new proposal for the mechanism, addressing potential concerns that had led to the Council to discontinuing its first reading of the regulation in question; reminds in this context, that the Parliament’s first reading position on this regulation included specific formulations that would have ensured its voluntary application, thus allaying such concerns of the Member States;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the EU institutions and on Member States to raise awareness among cross-border regions about the possibility to receive support from the European Commission under the b- solutions initiative; underlines that sharing knowledge about successful b- solutions might contribute to solve and prevent the emergence of new administrative and legal barriers;

Amendment 45 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Underlines, however, that b- solutions alone cannot represent an appropriate and effective response to the legal and administrative barriers affecting border regions;

Amendment 46 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Recognises the important role that macro-regions ~~and~~, Euroregions, non-profit organisations and associations play in promoting collective interests and in cross- border cooperation;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Recognises the important role that macro-regions and Euroregions play in promoting collective interests and in cross- border cooperation; calls on the Commission to initiate an in-depth assessment of Macro-regional strategies, with the purpose of evaluating their coherence with the renewed environmental and digital priorities of the European Union;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Considers that the role of the EU macro-regional strategies in addressing challenges related to the border regions should be further enhanced;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Emphasize the importance of small-scale and cross-border projects in bringing people together and in that way opening new potentials for sustainable local development and cross-border cooperation;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)

— having regard to its resolution of 13 June 2018 on cohesion policy and the circular economy (2017/2211(INI),

Amendment 50 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Points out that, despite the efforts that have been made, administrative, legal and linguistic barriers still abound, hampering sustainable growth, socio- economic development and cohesion among and within border regions;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Notes that in 2018 the European Commission issued a proposal for a Regulation on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context15a , better known as European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM); _________________ 15ahttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2018%3 A373%3AFIN

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Stresses the crucial role that investments in high quality public services have on building social resilience and coping with economic, health and social crises;

Amendment 53 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Points out that access to public services is crucial for the 150 million- strong population of internal cross-border areas, and is frequently hampered by numerous legal and administrative barriers; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts to remove these barriers, especially when related to health services, transport, education, labour mobility and environment;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Recalls that this mechanism aims to facilitate cooperation between cross- border regions on joint projects of a different nature (infrastructure, healthcare, labour, etc.) by allowing one of them to apply the legal provisions of the neighbouring Member State if the application of its own laws presents legal obstacles;

Amendment 55 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Emphasises that the ~~regulation on a European cross-border mechanism (ECBM)~~ECBM, as proposed by the Commission, would have contributed to removed more than 50 % of the barriers concerned, including those resulting from the lack of cross-border public transport, and limited access to employment, education, cultural and leisure services; with that in mind, deeply regrets the fact that the legislative procedure relating to the ECBM has been blocked by the Council;

Amendment 56 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Recalls that the ECBM proposal was supported by a wide majority in Parliament, as shown by the 2019 Parliament’s first reading vote15b, and by the Plenary debate following the oral question to the Council in October 2021; _________________ 15b https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-8-2019-0118_EN.html

Amendment 57 #

Peter POLLÁK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission to amend the current proposal, taking into account the conclusions of the Council’s Legal Service and looking to strike a balance between the co-legislators’ respective positions; calls on the Commission to ensure that this proposal takes into account the strengthening of cross-border regions facing the challenges of the war in Ukraine;

Amendment 58 #

Francisco José MILLÁN MON, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission to ~~amend the current proposal, taking into account the conclus~~resume negotiations with the Member States with a view to the rapid adoptions of ~~the Council’s Legal Service and looking to strike a balance between the co-legislators’ respective posit~~a system for clearing legal or administrative border hurdles in an effort to make life easier for the inhabitants of cross-border regions;

Amendment 59 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Commission to amend the current proposal, taking into account the conclusions of the Council’s ~~Legal Service and looking~~and Parliament's Legal Services, with a view to strike a balance between the co- legislators’ respective positions;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)

— having regard to the resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on a vision for Europe: The Future of Cross-border Cooperation7 a _________________ 7 a OJ C 440, 29.10.2021, p. 6-10.

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Welcomes the adoption of the 'Cross-Border Crisis Response Integrated Initiative (CB-CRII)' pilot project, intended to bolster border regions' resilience to future crises; urges the Commission's DG REGIO to implement the project11 a; _________________ 11 a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/ 214920/budg2021-doc6-tab-en.pdf

Amendment 61 #

Francisco José MILLÁN MON, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Considers that mutual trust, political will and a flexible approach among multi-level stakeholders, including civil society, are vital to overcoming the above mentioned persistent obstacles and boosting sustainable growth and development in border regions; calls, therefore, for better coordination, dialogue and a further exchange of best practices among authorities; urges the Commission and the Member States to enhance such cooperation; and also calls for the Member States to ensure adequate functional and financial autonomy of respective local and regional authorities;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Emphasises that alongside the damage caused by COVID-19, particularly the border closures that it triggered, border regions are also having to deal with the consequences of Brexit, which are creating new barriers to free trade and causing serious disruption to cross-border trade between the EU and the UK, making life more difficult for businesses in border regions; welcomes, in that regard, the agreement reached on the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to provide financial and legal support to Member States and regions affected by Brexit;

Amendment 63 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Emphasises that alongside the damage caused by COVID-19, border regions are also ~~having to deal~~confronted with the consequences of Brexit, which are creating new barriers to free trade and causing serious disruption to cross-border trade between the EU and the UK, making life more difficult for businesses and citizens in border regions; welcomes, in that regard, the agreement reached on the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to provide financial and legal support to Member States and regions affected by Brexit;

Amendment 64 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Encourages advancing the programmes for cooperation between the EU border regions at the external borders of the Union and the border regions of the neighbouring countries; recognises the challenges of this cooperation given the difference in relevant regulations that apply; considers this cooperation to be an important tool in advancing the EU enlargement policy;

Amendment 65 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Asks the Commission to anticipate the foreseeable damage in the border regions that will be most affected by the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine and to consider the creation of a specific Ukrainian conflict adjustment fund;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Notes with interest that the public consultation on overcoming border obstacles conducted by the Commission in 2020 showed that the main problem experienced by people living in border areas wasere, among others, the lack of reliable cross-border public transport services, the lack of digital services and their limited cross-border interoperability, obstacles directly due to language differences, obstacles related to the legislative processes, and to economic disparities;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Takes note that attractiveness of cross-border areas for life and investment heavily depend on quality of life, availability of public and commercial services for citizens and for businesses, as well as quality of transportation – the conditions which could be met and maintained only in close co-operation of national, regional and local authorities as well as businesses on both sides of the border;

Amendment 68 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Emphasises that the coordination of transport services in cross-border regions is still insufficient, partly owing to links that are missing or no longer in service, hampering mobility and blighting the prospects for cross-border development; emphasises, furthermore, that complex legal and administrative rules and regulations are hampering the development of sustainable cross-border transport infrastructure;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Emphasises the role of cohesion policy in addressing the main challenges facing the Union’s transport sector, including developing a well-functioning Single European Transport Area, connecting Europe through modern, multi-modal and safe transport infrastructure networks and shifting to low-emission mobility, inter alia through support for the completion of missing small cross-border rail links, thereby contributing to the European integration of border regions;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)

— having regard to the proposal of the Commission of 14 December 2021 on revision of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders9 a. _________________ 9 a COM(2021)0891 final.

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Underlines that creating additional cross-border transportation infrastructure, while being costly and environmentally challenging, might not always be a single best solution and therefore underlines the potential for boosting cross-border transportation links provided by soft measures, such as better coordination of public transportation schedules, inclusive planning and tailor- made innovations of cross-border local and regional authorities having grated sufficient autonomy to pursue common goals;

Amendment 71 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Welcomes the establishment of partnerships for the development of common services, as well as the harmonisation of timetables and ticketing, in some cross-border regions; calls on the Commission to keep supporting this type of initiative and asks it to encourage the carriage of bicycles on cross-border trains;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Calls for increased digitalisation of public services and reinforced interoperability policies to ensure that digital public services are interoperable and cross-border by default; Highlights the importance of support for digital innovation of public services and companies in cross-border regions and welcomes in this regard the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH);

Amendment 73 #

Francisco José MILLÁN MON, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Stresses the need to build an effective political legacy for the European Year of Rail, particularly in the cross- border regions; points out that rail's European and cross-border aspect brings people closer together, enables them to explore the EU in all its diversity and fosters socio-economic and territorial cohesion, particularly by improving connectivity within and with its geographical periphery, including by means of cross-border regional connections;

Amendment 74 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls on the Commission to carry out an in-depth analysis, gathering specific assessments and comparative statistics, on the socio-economic circumstances of cross-border SMEs;

Amendment 75 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14 b. Points out that, according to the 8th Cohesion Report, Interreg indicators show that only 68% of the 2023 targets for cross-border labour mobility had been met by the end of 2020, while in other areas the targets had been reached up to 495%; encourages the Member States to continue on this path in order to achieve the 2023 targets;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Acknowledges cross-border workers' tax and social security difficulties while teleworking; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to take account of those difficulties and take the requisite measures to solve them;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Calls on the Commission to start discussions on teleworking with the aim of proposing avenues for improvement, including by specifying the benefits and impact of teleworking in cross-border regions;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15c. Stresses that not all administrative documents have been translated into the languages of frontier workers; encourages, therefore, the Commission and the Member States to take steps to remedy that state of affairs;

Amendment 79 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Underlines, however that in absence of adequate supply of jobs or other economic opportunities as well as in case of low level of salaries, the well- educated workforce tends to migrate to regions where such opportunities are in adequate supply thus making situation in remote border areas even more challenging;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)

— having regard to the three thematic publications of the European Commission and of the Association of European Border Regions “More and better cross-border public services”10a ; “vibrant cross-border labour markets”10b; “border regions for the European Green Deal”10c, _________________ 10a https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2776/912236 10b https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2776/094950 10c https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2776/475773

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15 b. Believes that cohesion policy should be more geared towards investment in people as border regions’ economies can be boosted by an effective mix of investments in innovation, human capital, good governance and institutional capacity;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15 c. Believes that border regions with particular challenges should receive tailor-made support (e.g. greater synergies between ERDF/CF, ESF+ and EGF) for developing and implementing long-term strategies based on economic diversification and re-skilling and retraining policies for laid-off workers;

Amendment 82 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Urges the Member States to play a full part in the Commission’s efforts to complete the European Education Area, which, in tune with the European Skills Agenda and the European Research Area, will ensure access to targeted education and training on both sides of the border by providing shared education services and by ensuring the mutual recognition of diplomas, skills and qualifications and by encouraging learning;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure, asa matter of urgency, proper implementation and enforcement of relevant EU legislation as regards the rights of cross-border and frontier workers, improve their employment, working and health and safety conditions, address the need to revise the existing legislative frame work including Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems in order to strengthen the portability of right and ensure adequate social security coordination, review the role of temporary work agencies, recruiting agencies, other intermediaries and subcontractors with a view to identifying protection gaps in the light of the principle of equal treatment; urges Members States, in the context of the increased teleworking, to guarantee that those teleworking from their country of residence, have access to social security rights, labour rights and tax regimes, and certainty as regards the competent authority for their coverage; Underlines the need for strengthened cooperation between the Member States regarding the exchange of information on workers’ applicable legislation and collection of data on cross-border workers in order to bridge gaps in national practices, gain better access to available information, and create a predictable and accessible internal labour market;

Amendment 84 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

16 b. Believes that digitalisation provides an unprecedented opportunity to facilitate labour mobility while making compliance with applicable EU provisions faster and easier to control; calls on the Commission, in close cooperation with the European Labour Authority, to put forward a legislative proposal for a European social security pass for all mobile workers and non-EU nationals who are covered by EU rules on intra-EU mobility without further delay, which would provide the relevant national authorities and social partners with an instrument ensuring effective identification, traceability, aggregation and portability of social security rights and improving the enforcement of EU rules on labour mobility and social security coordination in the labour market in a fair and effective way in order to ensure a level playing field in the EU;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Recognises the that the COVID-19 pandemic has put an undue administrative burden on cross-border workers, especially in the health care sector and that therefore a renewed effort must be made to create better working and commute conditions for cross-border workers, through a faster and more comprehensive recognition of diplomas and other qualifications obtained after training, improved healthcare, expansion of local and long-distance transport and better access to information on job vacancies; calls for an increase in funds and additional flexibility in order for regional and local authorities in border regions to better coordinate neighbouring national legal and administrative systems, as this is required in order to improve the quality of life of cross-border workers; stresses that these problems pose an even greater threat to cross-border workers coming to and from non-EU countries;

Amendment 86 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Raises the issue that major challenges of the European Union can only be met by promoting cross-border cooperation between neighbouring regions (e.g. sustainable future of the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and other maritime basins; sustainable future for the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians and other mountain ranges; sustainable future for the large river basins of the Rhine basin, the Danube, the Meuse, etc.);

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Notes that most barriers hindering cross-border employment are legal in nature, arising from diverging national laws or general EU laws; urges the three institutions to agree as soon as possible on a EU framework allowing border regions to overcome such legal obstacles;

Amendment 88 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Points out that, currently, there is no mutual recognition of disability status among the EU Member States, and that this creates difficulties for persons with disabilities, as their national disability card might not be recognised in other Member States; believes that this failure is particularly limiting on cross-border workers and students with disabilities as it undermines their right to good services; recognises the value of the EU disability card, which enables mutual recognition of disability status in all Member States currently participating in the scheme; welcomes the fact that the Commission will propose that a European disability card is introduced by the end of 2023 for recognition in all Member States;

Amendment 89 #

17. Points out that there is already an important EU legal framework – including in particular the Birds, Habitats and Water Framework directives, as well as the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 – that must be fully, systematically and jointly implemented by the Member States in cross-border regions; points out that nature, the climate, natural disasters and diseases do not stop at national borders and calls for coordinated and coherent protection of Natura 2000 sites to ensure more integrated implementation measures;

Amendment 9 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)

— having regard to the report of the European Commission and of the Association of European Border Regions “b-solutions: solving border obstacles. A Compendium 2020-2021"11a, _________________ 11a https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2776/625110

Amendment 90 #

Francisco José MILLÁN MON, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Points out that there is already an important EU legal framework – including in particular the Birds, Habitats and Water Framework directives – that must be fully, systematically and jointly implemented by the Member States in cross-border regions; points out that nature, the climate, natural disasters and diseases do not stop at national borders; urges the national governments to take steps towards further harmonisation and coordination in the application of this and other directives;

Amendment 91 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Points out that there is already an important EU legal framework – including in particular the Birds, Habitats and Water Framework directives – that must be fully, systematically and jointly implemented by the Member States in cross-border regions; points out that nature, the climate, natural disasters and diseases do not stop at national borders; stresses that disaster risk management planning is an area in which cross-border cooperation is vital; calls on the Commission to monitor closely the cross-border component of national and regional climate change adaptation strategies by providing for specific measures to favour appropriate solutions;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Highlights the obligation for Member States under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to regularly conduct risk assessments and analyses of disaster scenarios which covers cross- border cooperation as well as reporting on key risks having a cross-border impact; calls on the Commission and Member States to increase cooperation on disaster risk management including improved early warning across in border regions; Welcomes in this regard the Interreg Rhine-Meuse projects on public safety, data collection, cross-border river management and administrative cooperation in the field of spatial planning for flood risk reduction;

Amendment 93 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Recalls that natural catastrophes occurred in 2021 affected several border regions in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany; notes that an enhanced cross-border cooperation in information sharing, exchange of best practices, and joint civil protection operations could ensure a more effective and prompt reaction;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Stresses that all border regions have to play a decisive role in tackling climate change challenges, in coordinated actions with their surrounding regions;

Amendment 95 #

Tonino PICULA, Nora MEBAREK, Andrea COZZOLINO, Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Camilla LAURETI, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

17 b. Points out that the climate change has a serious effect on the border regions including but not limited to the need to search for a common cross-border tailor- made solutions to such natural disasters as forest fires and floods;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Notes that border regions reap too few benefits from the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures and underlinesthe need to build on regulatory advances; highlights the potential of the European Cross-Border Mechanism in this context;

Amendment 97 #

Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Irène TOLLERET, Laurence FARRENG, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Notes that border regions reap too few benefits from the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures; calls on the Commission to finance more cross-border projects to produce, pool and store energy from renewable sources; believes that the opportunities for cooperation that already exist in the applicable EU legal framework must be harnessed to the full, and calls on the Member States to step up coordination in the cross-border regions to implement the EU strategy for energy system integration;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Underlines that the development of new public transport infrastructure should comply with sustainability and cost-efficiency requirements; calls therefore for the timely allocation of the Just Transition Fund to ensure an active role of border regions in the achievement of the goals of the Green Deal;

Amendment 99 #