2022/2046(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) was designed to help the EU emerge stronger and more resilient following the COVID-19 pandemic and to support key policy areas such as the green transition, digital transformation and economic, social and territorial cohesion as well as crisis preparedness;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

B c. whereas Members states should aim to reduce the cost of doing business by lowering VAT and energy taxes, abolishing levies on energy and flexible application of state aid rules;

Amendment 11 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

B c. whereas strategic autonomy has become a core political priority for the EU, especially in the transport sector, which has been hit by global semiconductors' shortages forcing factory closures in the car industry, hence highlighting to what extent the EU is dependent on a limited number of third- countries' actors in a complex geopolitical context for the semiconductors' value chain;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission to urgently carry out an economic and social assessment of the consequences of the war on all modes of transport in the EU market and to swiftly present, where necessary, support, including through further legislative and/or financial measures within MFF framework, to mitigate the negative effects and to ensure the well-functioning, level-playing field and the fair completion for the European transport sector;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission to urgently carry out an economic and social assessment of the consequences of the war on all modes of transport in the EU market and to swiftly present, where necessary, support, including through further legislative and/or financial measures, to mitigate the negative effects and to ensure the well-functioning and fair level playing field for the European transport sector;

Amendment 14 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes the RRF as a key instrument and a unique opportunity for the EU to ensure a sustainable, connected, interoperable and resilient transport infrastructure; notes that, according to the Commission RRF scoreboard, the total estimated expenditure in sustainable mobility in the 22 NRRPs approved so far amount to €70.7 billion, which corresponds to 15.7% of the total expenditures in the plans; welcomes the fact that these expenditures have been allocated mainly to support railway infrastructure, urban transport mobility, the roll-out of charging infrastructure or the procurement of clean vehicles; regrets, however, the strong national differences in the share of sustainable mobility expenditure, ranging from 2,0% to 32,7% of national NRRP’s expenditure, and the resulting disappointing signal sent towards infrastructure investment and the completion of the TEN-T;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Calls on the Commission to continue exploring ways to support the transport of passengers or any kinds of goods towards/from Ukraine and its neighbouring EU countries as humanitarian aid and to provide for the necessary relief in terms of road tolls, infrastructure charges, access during weekends, taxation etc;

Amendment 16 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Supports the Commission’s proposal to conclude transport agreements with Ukraine and Moldova, by partly liberalising road transport for their hauliers, which will allow to shift important export goods from sea routes – currently unavailable due to the Russian military aggression – and to make increased use of EU sea ports for the export and import goods to and from Ukraine; strongly supports in this respect the rapid rehabilitation of formerly abandoned rail and waterway links between Ukraine and Romania in particular; calls on the Commission to explore financial support within the MFF;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its calls for increased financing of transport infrastructure through EU funding, particularly the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)~~; suggests to this end, for the current multiannual financial framework (MFF), the mobilisation of unused funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and calls on~~, given the rising needs of the transport sector; calls for the necessary adjustment of the 2021-2027 MFF through its forthcoming revision, taking also into account the new geopolitical context; acknowledges in that regard the Commission’s intention to use the CEF to support interoperability and connectivity projects of the Union's transport network with Ukraine; further urges the Commission to plan a successor programme to CEF II for the MFF 2028- 2034, with reinforced funding;

Amendment 18 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its calls for increased financing of transport infrastructure through EU funding, particularly the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF); suggests to this end, for the current multiannual financial framework (MFF), the mobilisation of unused funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility to ensure the completion of the core network by 2030 and calls on the Commission to plan a successor programme to CEF II for the MFF 2028- 2034, with reinforced funding;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its calls for increased financing of transport infrastructure through EU funding, particularly the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF); suggests to this end, for the current multiannual financial framework (MFF), the mobilisation of unused funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and calls on the Commission to plan an ambitious successor programme to CEF II for the MFF 2028- 2034, with reinforced funding;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas the recent crises, in particular the Russian ~~war~~aggression against Ukraine, pose severe challenges for the EU transport sector and its workers, in particular supply chain disruptions and high inflation rates resulting from different factors such as rising energy prices, and require a coordinated response at EU level backed by adequate budgetary means; furthermore, high inflation rates might hamper the financial soundness of infrastructure projects for project promotors and transport operators due to unexpected increases of costs;

Amendment 20 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Observes that a significant share of available RRF loan support has currently not been requested by Member States; highlights that in the inflationary context, pushing interest rates higher, the RRF loan support could become more attractive to Member States; encourages therefore Member States to make use of the funding available to address bottlenecks, missing links, cross-border sections, support alternative fuels and digitalisation of transport;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Calls on the Commission to support Ukraine and its efforts to strengthen rail connections between Ukraine and the EU. Specific funds should be provided to increase the wagon shifting and transhipment capacity at the Ukrainian border in connection with increasing upstream and downstream rail infrastructure capacity both on the EU and Ukrainian side;

Amendment 22 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that the CEF is a key enabler for achieving the objectives of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) policy; points out that investment needs in the TEN-T are estimated at EUR 500 billion to complete the core network by 2030 and EUR 1500 billion for the entire network by 2050 and that measures introduced by the revision of Regulation 1315/2013 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network could imply additional investments needs representing an increase of around 30% in the average annual investments; stresses also that the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) plays a key role in implementing the CEF through a centralised governance and direct management, which has proven to be an an efficient model of governance to progress in the completion the TEN-T network, and calls therefore for an enhanced budget ensuring that it has the necessary means to meet our infrastructure deployment objectives; advocates for EU funds to replicate CEF governance by promoting dedicated funds under direct management; highlights the strategic value of the TEN-T and CEF for meeting new objectives as regards the EU sustainable and smart mobility strategy, enhanced military mobility in the EU and stronger connectivity with our strategic partners in non-EU countries;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that the CEF is a key enabler for achieving the objectives of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) policy, in particular the completion of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and cross-border missing links; points out that investment needs in the TEN-T are estimated at EUR 500 billion to complete the core network by 2030 and EUR 1500 billion for the entire network by 2050 including measures for accelerated ERTMS deployment and the implementation of technical specifications for interoperability ; highlights the strategic value of the TEN-T and CEF for meeting new objectives as regards the EU sustainable and smart mobility strategy~~, enhanced military mobility in the EU and stronger connectivity with our strategic partners in non-EU countries~~ and a fast and widespread deployment of alternative fuels infrastructures throughout the Union;

Amendment 24 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that the CEF is a key enabler for achieving the objectives of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) policy; points out that investment needs in the TEN-T are estimated at EUR 500 billion to complete the core network by 2030 and EUR 1500 billion for the entire network by 2050; highlights the strategic value of the TEN-T and CEF for meeting new objectives as regards the EU sustainable and smart mobility strategy~~, enhanced~~; emphasises in this regard the need to prioritise rail investments in order to foster a comprehensive modal shift at all levels, both for passengers and freight, realising full electrification on the TEN-T network, enabling ERTMS timely and completing the current cross- border missing links; considers that military mobility needs in the EU ~~and~~require a proper impact assessment and should not come at the expense of projects providing stronger connectivity with our strategic partners in non-EU countries;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Strongly regrets the severe cut of the final envelope on the newly created military mobility budget line under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF II) programme 2021-2027, when adopting the figures under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, especially in light of the current needs; calls on the Commission to find and present solutions to significantly increase the military mobility budget line under the CEF II programme and suggests the mobilisation of unused funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in this regard in order to strengthen our common European security; emphasizes the importance of ensuring that military mobility aspects are thoroughly assessed and addressed both in terms of infrastructure and funding, with a view to ensure optimal cross-border cooperation and mobility within the Union; in this respect, calls on the Commission to propose targeted support of major infrastructure projects better connecting all Member States and to increase transport infrastructure connections with the Western Balkans, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine; asks in particular for a strengthening of all major dual use infrastructure leading to the Union’s Eastern border;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Regrets that the portion of the CEF Transport dedicated to military mobility is only €1.69 billion in the 2021- 2027 MFF; calls for a substantial and rapid increase of the military mobility envelope in order to increase investments for adapting the TEN-T network for dual civil and defence use;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Deplores the undue reallocation of EUR 400 million from CEF, including EUR 250 million from CEF-Transport, to finance the Chips for Europe Initiative; regrets this technical budgetary practice, which reduces the CEF budget at a time when the transport sector is facing multiple challenges;

Amendment 28 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Recalls that any new legislation applying to the transport sector implies additional responsibilities for EU transport agencies; highlights in particular that the European Rail Agency (ERA) has the smallest budget among these agencies despite the outstanding environmental and climate performance and other benefits of rail transport at a time when railways and modal shift are core policy priorities and given its responsibilities in the deployment of ERTMS; calls therefore for an increase of the budget of EU transport agencies in order for them to be able to participate effectively to the implementation of the new transport legislation resulting from the Green Deal and Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Reiterates that the funding for European transport agencies and joint undertakings should match their level of responsibility;

Amendment 3 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas the recent crises, in particular the Russian war against Ukraine, pose severe challenges for the EU transport sector, its businesses and its workers, in particular supply chain disruptions and rising fuel and energy prices, and require a coordinated response at EU level backed by adequate budgetary means;

Amendment 30 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Regrets the recent downscale of the EU funding available to the European Railway Agency (ERA) and recommends that over the next few years the Agency is provided with a level of resources and EU subsidies more commensurate to the increasingly urgent tasks concerned with the implementation of the Fourth Railway Package and with the need to ensuring sustained progress towards the creation of the Single European Railway Area;

Amendment 31 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3 d. Highlights the importance of TEN-T network for stronger connectivity with our strategic partners in non-EU countries. In the view of the Russian war in Ukraine, stresses that the funding of the TEN-T network revision shall well reflect and further focus on the extension of connection towards the Eastern Neighbourhood as well as revising priorities of the Eastern Member States towards cross-border missing links. Requests also the Commission to propose an 'EU-Eastern Europe' or 'Eastern Partnership' Transport Community, including an Eastern Europe Investment Framework, which could be partly modelled on the Western Balkans Transport Community;

Amendment 32 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3 e. Calls on the Commission to provide the necessary funding in the EU Member States for developing of the dual use infrastructure with strategic role required in meeting present and future needs; emphasises the necessity to improve the EU capacity to assess and control the ownership and the investments in the field of strategic infrastructure, as a key aspect for guaranteeing the security of the EU and our citizens;

Amendment 33 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)

3 f. Considers that the Russian attack on Ukraine and the resulting transport needs within the EU have underlined the necessity for the EU railway system to accommodate higher volumes of passengers and freight; calls therefore on Member States to accelerate the standardisation, harmonisation and interoperability of the railway systems across Member States and on the Commission to continue monitoring the implementation and the remaining shortcomings.

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recommends further strengthening synergies between the CEF and other programmes such as Horizon Europe and InvestEU, ~~in order~~ to support, in~~novation, sustainability and safety in the transport sector and optimise the use of budgetary resources~~ particular, EU joint undertakings related to transport, in order to boost innovation and research in sustainability, performance and safety in the sector;

Amendment 35 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recommends further strengthening synergies between the CEF and other programmes such as Horizon Europe ~~and InvestEU~~, InvestEU and European Structural and Investment Funds, in order to support innovation, sustainability and safety in the transport sector and optimise the use of budgetary resources; recommends, also, to further optimise the use of blending tools in order to attract private investors for financing transport infrastructures;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recommends further strengthening synergies between the CEF and other programmes such as Horizon Europe ~~and~~, InvestEU and RePowerEU, in order to support competitiveness, innovation, sustainability and safety in the transport sector and optimise the use of budgetary resources;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recommends further strengthening synergies between the CEF and other programmes such as Horizon Europe and InvestEU, ensuring that the minimum thresholds on climate-related expenditure are fulfilled and prioritising investments in rail over other modes, in order to support innovation, sustainability and safety in the transport sector and optimise the use of budgetary resources;

Amendment 38 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Welcomes the role of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and related national plans in stimulating the recovery in the transport and tourism sectors while advancing the Union’s priorities for a green and digital transition; calls on the Commission to support the Member States in committing the relevant projects by the end of 2026, paying particular attention to accelerating priority projects of the TEN- T such as cross-border projects; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that the tourism sector receives a proper share of assistance under the RRF;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Welcomes new strategic initiatives, such as the EU Chips Act and the Secure Connectivity Programme, in response to the current geopolitical crisis and acknowledges the lack of dedicated budgetary lines in the current MFF; reiterates that reallocation of resources from existing Programmes should be limited and that should not negatively affect the overall CEF Transport objectives and the deployment of sustainable transport infrastructure. In this regard, calls on the Commission to carry out a solid budgetary assessment of those initiatives in the context of the mid- term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, in order to provide new adequate resources;

Amendment 4 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas the recent crises, in particular the Russian war against Ukraine, pose severe challenges for the EU transport sector and its workers, in particular supply chain disruptions affecting the logistics for food products and other basic goods and rising energy prices, and require a coordinated response at EU level backed by adequate budgetary means;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Calls on the Commission to evaluate and to present a strategy for EU airlines and airports and their workforces and to explore further financial instruments within the MFF to support the sector, which has been severely hit, first by the COVID-19 pandemic and now by overflight bans for Russia and Belarus, high fuel and energy prices and dropping demand; stresses, however, the need to ensure a level-playing field and fair competition between airlines, in particular when providing financial support;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in the current geopolitical context, achieving the goals of the European Green Deal should be tackled together with the reduction of the EU’s energy dependency, which is critical for the transport sector; points out that reducing speeds in roads is a clear contribution to this objective, as pointed out by the International Energy Agency; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s initiative for a REPowerEU plan and calls on the Commission to promptly adopt further measures to address rising transport and energy costs;

Amendment 42 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that in the current geopolitical context, achieving the goals of the European Green Deal should be tackled together with the reduction of the EU’s energy dependency, which is critical for the transport sector; welcomes in this respect the Commission’s initiative for a REPowerEU plan and calls on the Commission to promptly adopt further measures to address rising transport and energy costs; such as the funding of energy interconnections between Member States, notably those between the Iberian peninsula and the rest of Europe, to diversify energy supply in the internal market and help tap into the long-term potential for renewable hydrogen; takes note that the Commission foresees the mobilisation of CEF funding to achieve the targets set on renewable hydrogen production, infrastructure and end-use appliances;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Underlines the urgent need to significantly increase the Union domestic production, supply and storage of renewable and low carbon fuels/energy and to further increase the diversification of the European Union’s energy supplies, also through imports of alternative fuels in the short-term, including through EU port terminals for LNG as a transitional fuel, whilst carefully avoiding lock-in affects and stranded assets, and in alignment with EU climate goals; further underlines the need to strengthen energy interconnections between Member States. Calls on the Commission to develop within the MFF a Strategic Autonomy Fund for Europe (SAFE) to provide the necessary investments in key areas such as energy infrastructure, transport and industrial competitiveness and food security;

Amendment 44 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Stresses the importance of creating a diversification strategy to ensure the supply of critical raw materials, such as rare earth metals so as to increase resilience to shocks and crises;

Amendment 45 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Considers that the synergies and complementarities of the TEN-T and TEN-E should be promoted, while fully ensuring existing and future funding opportunities and levels of funding for the development of the TEN-T;

Amendment 46 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that the transition to a smart and sustainable mobility system has to be fair and inclusive and requires mitigating the risk of energy and ~~mobility~~transport poverty and protecting the most vulnerable; considers that to ensure a successful transition, i~~t is essential to i~~nvestments in the upskilling and reskilling of workers should be accompanied by measures to support the most impacted EU industrial supply chains, such as the automotive one; therefore insists on targeted measures and financing opportunities within the ‘Fit for 55’ package in that respect, in coordination with Member States’ plans;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that the transition to a smart and sustainable mobility system has to be fair and inclusive, geographically comprehensive adequately covering rural and remote areas, and requires mitigating the risk of energy and mobility poverty and protecting the most vulnerable, including persons with disabilities; considers that to ensure a successful transition, it is essential to invest in the upskilling and reskilling of workers; therefore insists on targeted measures within the ‘Fit for 55’ package in that respect, in coordination with Member States’ plans;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that the transition to a smart and sustainable mobility system has to be fair and inclusive and requires mitigating the risk of energy and mobility poverty and protecting the most vulnerable; considers that to ensure a successful transition, it is essential to invest in the upskilling and reskilling of workers; therefore insists on targeted measures within the ‘Fit for 55’ package in that respect, in coordination with Member States’ plans; welcomes, the creation of the Social Climate Fund (SCF) as an essential element to alleviate the cost of the transition; calls for a swift implementation of the new own resources, which will partly finance the SCF;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Points out that digitalisation and innovation for all modes of transport are of utmost importance; therefore, calls on the Commission to come forward with an investment programme for the transport industry, including investments in infrastructure, digitalisation, innovation, and sustainability; believes that particular attention should be paid to autonomous driving; highlights the importance of training programmes for all workers along the value chain to upskill and reskill them for the new type of jobs that could be created due to digitalisation and innovation; urges the Commission to offer concrete guidance as to how artificial intelligence can be used to enhance transport links, as well as to raise awareness on cyber-risks and build preparedness in the transport sector;

Amendment 5 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the current MFF, which was agreed in 2020, reflects the priorities of the Union at the time of adoption; whereas in the meantime the European continent has been hit by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, making the strengthening of military mobility of utmost importance;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets the fragmentation of the funding possibilities available for tourism in the current MFF; highlights that this economically important sector, ~~especially the~~made for 99% of small and medium-sized enterprises, is struggling to overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis caused by the current war; reiterates the urgency of creating a specific EU programme on ~~sustainable~~ tourism and introducing a dedicated budget line to address the needs of the sector; reiterates that coordination is key for the recovery of the EU tourism industry as a short-term solution and insists on its request for the establishment of a European crisis mechanism for the EU tourism sector and of a European agency for tourism. to maintain Europe's standing as a leading destination;

Amendment 51 #

Philippe OLIVIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets the fragmentation of the funding possibilities available for tourism in the current MFF; highlights that this economically important sector, especially the small and medium-sized enterprises, is struggling to overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis caused by the current war; reiterates the urgency of creating a specific EU programme on sustainable tourism and introducing a dedicated budget line to address the needs of the sector; calls, therefore, for part of the new Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IAP3), which has been allocated EUR 14.2 billion for the period covered by the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, to be used for more pressing needs than enlargement, with a view to supporting the tourism sector and thus ensuring that the 2023 budget does not have to increase; insists on its request for the establishment of a European crisis mechanism for the EU tourism sector and of a European agency for tourism.

Amendment 52 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission to further spell out the ‘Global Gateway’ initiative, to foster joint infrastructure investments in particular in those countries which are sharing universal values with the European Union;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Asks the Commission to create specific calls and actions for tourism ecosystem under the current funding programmes of the MFF 2021-2027;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Notes with great concern that the proposal on the EU Chips Act, aimed at bolstering competitiveness and resilience in semiconductor technologies, proceeds to a reallocation of funds from the CEF transport and digital envelopes to this new initiative by reducing €400 million of the CEF, including €150 million from CEF Digital and €250 million from CEF Transport, to be reallocated to the financing of the EU Chips Act; stresses that any new European policy needs to come with a new allocated budget and not a reshuffle within the current MFF;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Is convinced, on the basis of the above analysis, that a genuine review of the current MFF is indispensable if the Union is to effectively confront the current geopolitical and economic challenges while fulfilling its decarbonisation agenda, which needs to be backed by corresponding financing instruments; stresses the need for the MFF to be endowed with increased resources to effectively ensure investments, achieve economic, social and territorial cohesion and promote solidarity;

Amendment 6 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas, in line with Parliament’s long-standing position, new policy commitments and objectives need to be matched with fresh money, and are not to be financed at the expense of other Union programmes and priorities;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas a combination of higher energy and transport prices would impact all citizens, and in particular low-income households, with increased risk of transport poverty;

Amendment 8 #

Massimiliano SALINI, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Elissavet VOZEMBERG-VRIONIDI, Lucia VUOLO, Gheorghe FALCĂ, Marian-Jean MARINESCU, Barbara THALER

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas higher fuel cost for aviation, road and maritime transport is having a direct impact on final goods and services prices and the increase of fuel prices is affecting the recovery of tourism from the pandemic;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas the transport sector is undergoing structural changes related to decarbonisation and digitalisation policies resulting from the Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy;

source: 734.427

2022/07/22 AGRI 59 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Citation 2 a (new)

— having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget ('Conditionality Regulation')

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), ‘the Union shall provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies’; underlines the importance~~, therefore,~~ of an adequate EU budget that serves EUthe citizens; calls therefore to establish a permanent mechanism for participatory budgeting in order to give citizens a voice in determining spending priorities, strengthen budgetary transparency and accountability and foster inclusive democracy;

Amendment 10 #

Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that the Commission’s proposed revision of the MFF should be aligned with the ‘Fit for 55’ package and should take into consideration the main points of the Versailles declaration, notably food security; points out in this connection that any new objective must lead to the allocation of additional financial resources;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Invites the Commission to propose new own resources ahead of the timeline envisaged in the legally binding roadmap for the current MFF by the end of 2023; points out that these new resources should generate sufficient income to ensure that the common debt can be effectively repaid;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that the Commission’s proposed revision of the MFF should be aligned with the ‘Fit for 55’ package and should take into consideration the main points of the Versailles declaration, notably improving food security by reducing dependency on key imported agricultural products and inputs;

Amendment 11 #

Charles GOERENS, Jérémy DECERLE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Considers that the current own resources ceilings for commitments and payments shall be brought up to values approaching 3% of the GNI of EU Member States, in order to allow the European Union to rely on a bigger budget for the fulfilment of its political ambitions;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that the Commission’s proposed revision of the MFF should be aligned with the ‘Fit for 55’ package and with the objectives set on Paris agreement; should take into consideration the main points of the Versailles declaration, notably food security;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Reiterates the need for the rapid implementation of the new own resources schemes agreed upon at European level and calls for their implementation in a balanced way ensuring the protection of the economic potential of the EU and of European values;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the negative effects of rapid inflation on markets, investments and the beneficiaries of Union funds; notes that rural communities and farmers, especially small-scale and young farmers, are suffering at a time when their capacity to invest is limited and the budgetary capacity of the Union and the Member States is being reduced; notes that, in the revision of the MFF, particular attention is needed to improve the financial position of farmers not only in the short term but also in the long term, with a sustainable reform of the agricultural financing structures;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Demands a stronger integration of the EU fiscal policies, thus establishing its autonomous fiscal capacity and be more resilient in the fight against tax avoidance, in the goal of gradually advancing towards a genuine fiscal Union;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the negative effects of rapid inflation on markets, investments and the beneficiaries of Union funds; notes that rural communities and farmers, especially small-scale and young farmers, are suaffe~~ring at a time when their capacity to invest is limited and~~cted by their limited investment capacity; notes that the principal cause of limited investment capacity is the rise in energy prices and the gas crisis, generating a knock-on effect that is driving up raw material prices at a time when the budgetary capacity of the Union and the Member States is being reduced;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe has proposed strengthening the Union budget through new own resources2 and that the European Parliament should decide on the Union budget as it is the right of parliaments at national level3 , in particular by enhancing its democratic control also over the revenue side of the EU budget; calls in that regard for the European Parliament to be more closely associated with the Commission and the Council in the process of adopting new own resources; _________________ 2 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 16. 3 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 39.4, third bullet.

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the negative effects of rapid inflation on markets, investments, farmers, consumers and the beneficiaries of Union funds; notes that rural communities and farmers, especially small-scale and young farmers, are suffering at a time when their capacity to invest is limited and the budgetary capacity of the Union and the Member States is ~~being~~ reduced; stresses that the EU response in support of farmers should contribute to and be coherent with a long- term reduction in their need for inputs, particularly synthetic fertilisers;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe has proposed strengthening the Union budget through new own resources2 and that the European Parliament should decide on the Union budget as it is the right of parliaments at national level3 ; calls in that regard for the European Parliament to be more closely associated with the Commission and the Council in the process of adopting new own resources; stresses that the Conference provided additional momentum for a revision of the current MFF; _________________ 2 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 16. 3 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 39.4, third bullet.

Amendment 16 #

Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the negative effects of rapid inflation on markets, investments and the beneficiaries of Union funds; notes that rural communities and farmers, especially small-scale and young farmers, are suffering because of the explosion in commodity and input prices at a time when their capacity to invest is limited and the budgetary capacity of the Union and the Member States is being reduced;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe has proposed strengthening the Union budget through new own resources2 and that the European Parliament should decide on the Union budget as it is the right of parliaments at national level3 ; calls in that regard ~~for~~to give the European Parliament t~~o be more closely associated~~he right to co- decide with the Commission and the Council ion the process of adopting new own resources; _________________ 2 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 16. 3 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 39.4, third bullet.

Amendment 17 #

Dan-Ştefan MOTREANU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the negative effects of rapid inflation on markets, investments and the beneficiaries of Union funds; notes that rural communities and farmers, especially small-scale, traditional and young farmers, are particularly vulnerable suffering at a time when their capacity to invest is limited and the budgetary capacity of the Union and the Member States is being reduced;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Considers that as necessary follow-up to the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, a reflection on the decision-making as well as on the institutional dimension of the EU budget should be included among the main topics of the European Convention, as also requested by the European Parliament’s resolution of 9 June 2022; reiterates the need for the EU budget to be used actively for the immediate implementation of the recommendations made by the Conference on the Future of Europe;

Amendment 18 #

Dan-Ştefan MOTREANU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Council to preserve an ambitious multiannual budget for heading 3, bearing in mind the importance of food security, especially in the wake of recent climate challenges such as drought, heat- waves and water scarcity;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Believes that the internal cohesion of the EU budget should be strengthened, according to the principle of budgetary unity, by gathering the existing funds and financial instruments under the democratic control of the European Parliament. Insists that financial instruments outside the budget can only be a temporary solution to increase funding, but cannot become a replacement for EU resources;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Council to preserve an ambitious multiannual budget for heading 3, bearing in mind the importance of food security; recalls, furthermore, to assess the safeguarding of food security in non- EU countries;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Welcomes~~Takes the view that the Recovery and Resilience Facility has been an effective and critical tool in times of crisis, supporting economic convergence between Member States and enabling the financing of strategic cross-border projects with European added value; takes note of the application by the Commission of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation5 laying down the rules necessary for the protection of the Union budget in the case of breaches of the principles of the rule of law in the Member States which affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the Union in a sufficiently direct way; regrets the delay in the enforcement of the Rule of Law Conditionality mechanism and calls on the Commission to strengthen its oversight of the milestones and targets to be met by the Member States; underlines that funds cannot be disbursed if Member States do not uphold the rule of law and comply with all relevant ECJ rulings; _________________ 5 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1).

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Citation 2 b (new)

— having regard to Directive (EU) No 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2017 on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law ('PIF Directive')

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that, pursuant to Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), ‘the Union shall provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies’; underlines the importance, therefore, of an adequate EU budget that serves EU citizens; underlines the need for more flexibility in EU budgeting, in coordination with the European Parliament, in order to ensure the adaptation of the MFF to any new challenges important for EU citizens;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Council to preserve an ambitious multiannual budget for heading 3, bearing in mind the ~~importance of~~need to support farmers with a view to achieving food security;

Amendment 20 #

Seán KELLY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Welcomes the applica~~Draws attention byto the ~~Commission of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation5~~judgments of the European Court of Justice4a with regard to the conditionality of the rule of law laying down the rules necessary for the protection of the Union budget in the case of breaches of the principles of the rule of law in the Member States which affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the Union in a sufficiently direct way; ~~_________________~~ welcomes the application by the Commission of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation5; _________________ 4a Cases C-156/21, Hungary v the Parliament and the Council, and C- 157/21, Poland v the Parliament and the Council 5 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1).

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls on the Council to preserve an ambitious multiannual budget for heading 3, bearing in mind the importance of food security and environmental protection;

Amendment 21 #

Charles GOERENS, Jérémy DECERLE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Welcomes the application by the Commission of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation5 laying down the rules necessary for the protection of the Union budget in the case of breaches of the principles of the rule of law in the Member States which affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the Union in a sufficiently direct way; stresses therefore the necessity to introduce precise financial obligations in the annual budget planning; _________________ 5 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1).

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls the Institutions for a rise on the budget allocated in third countries for food security;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Insists that relying so much on national contributions can no longer work for the EU budget; deems it essential to build on the current crisis to introduce significant and genuine European own resources in order to permanently support with an adequate tools box the recovery and avoid new economic divergences;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Council and the Commission to recognise that the capacity of farmers to withstand inflation pressure and increased input prices and to ensure food security is impacted by variation in CAP payments; calls, therefore, for additional support to the Member States with the lowest payments; reminds that according to parliaments resolution((2020/2126(INI)) in some member states there is a clear inequality between fund allocations for big and small farmers, with systemic advantages for big farms, whose beneficiaries have close ties to the ruling political parties or are themselves members of these parties in their countries;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for the abolition of all budgetary rebates and corrective mechanisms as soon as possible in order to ensure fair treatment between Member States; invites the Commission to report beyond the existing narrow accounting approach of reporting Member States’ net balances and to set up additional new budget indicators focusing on solidarity between the Member States and the European added value stemming from participation in EU policies;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Calls upon the revision of the existing regulation (Art. 15.3 of the “Financial regulation applicable to the general budget of the Union” of July 2018) related to the transfer back to member states of additional resources accumulated at European level through VAT collection and fines and proposes that any new resources be allocated to the priorities set up at European level;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on Member States, in light of inflation pressure, to focus their revised Strategic Plans towards greater redistribution, funded by capping; stresses in particular that Member States’ Strategic Plans should ensure strong support to small farmers via increased payments to the first hectares, with a farm size limit applied to ensure the support is focused efficiently;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates its call for the activation of the passerelle clause provided for in Article 312(2) TFEU so as to allow the ~~Council to~~ adoption the MFF Regulation by qualified majority; recalls its proposals that the ordinary legislative procedure be applied for the adoption of the MFF Regulation; calls for Article 311(3) TFEU to be amended so as to allow the European Parliament to give its consent in the process of adopting new own resources.

Amendment 26 #

5. Calls on the Council to modify Article 4 of the MFF Regulation to allow for the technical adjustment of ceilings to take into account inflation of above 2 % and reflecting actual inflation.

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Recalls the importance to work on a modification of article 311 TFEU, with the objective of reinforcing Parliament’s role in the decision-making process for the adoption of the upcoming Own Resources Decisions, whereby both arms of the budgetary authority, Parliament and Council, shall act as co-legislators endowed with equal powers when negotiating the revision of the system of own resources;

Amendment 27 #

Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Council to ~~modify Article 4 of the MFF Regulation~~provide for sufficient margins so as to allow for the technical adjustment of ceilings to take into account inflation of above 2 %.

Amendment 27 #

10 a. calls on the Commission to initiate a work on the third-countries financial contributions and to better coordinate these with the priorities of the multiannual financial framework;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Recalls that in both the current and future CAP, the implementation of conditionality rules under cross- compliance are taken into account when calculating the CAP’s and in particular the basic payments’ contribution to climate and biodiversity expenditure targets; highlights that consequently any derogations to conditionality rules, even if only in place for 12 months, pose a threat to the accurate accounting of such expenditure in the present and future CAP, as well as, evidently, a threat to the very goals of protection of the environment, biodiversity, and mitigation of climate change;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10 b. Strongly believes that the duration of the MFF should be aligned with the political cycle of the European legislature, in order to strengthen democratic legitimacy and scrutiny.

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Underlines that agricultural and cohesion policy traditionally account for the largest share of the EU budget; stresses that these expenditure items are attractive targets for fraud and criminal activity; stresses that the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation also protects these funds and thus also the position and resources of agricultural producers;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Citation 2 c (new)

— having regard to the Commission’s 2021 Rule of Law Report – The rule of law situation in the European Union, of 20 July 2021 (COM(2021)0700)

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the sudden emergence of severe European-wide crises, such as the pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, have tested the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and underlined the need for the MFF to be managed in a more flexible, yet sustainable, manner; underlines that the EU fiscal architecture remains incomplete as the EU lacks permanent meaningful budgetary instruments that would improve its ability to respond to shocks and thereby increase its resilience; calls for the establishment of a permanent fiscal capacity that would address common or country-specific shocks; therefore sees a need for the revision of the MFF and calls on the Commission to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and to proceed with a legislative proposal for comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible, and no later than the first quarter of 2023;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the Commission urgently to strengthen actions to reduce food waste, providing financial incentives to speed up improvements; Calls on the Commission to provide broader possibilities to finance the cost of collecting, transporting, storing and distributing food donations;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Calls on the Commission to provide measures to support farmers in managing and mitigating the increase in production costs caused by inflation, prioritising support to reduce use and dependence on fossil-derived inputs and energy wherever possible, in order to contribute to curbing the rise in food prices; Recalls that the CAP aims to provide safe, nutritious, and affordable food for all, alongside protecting biodiversity and fighting climate change;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Citation 2 d (new)

— having regard to the Commission report of 20 September 2021 entitled ‘32nd Annual Report on the protection of the European Union’s financial interests – Fight against fraud –2020’ (COM(2021)0578)

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the sudden emergence of severe European-wide crises, such as the pandemic ~~and~~, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the energy crisis and increased inflation, made clear that we need a stronger Union, with more ambitious policies funded with stronger resources, have tested the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and underlined the need for the MFF to be managed in a more flexible, yet sustainable, manner; therefore sees a need for the revision of the MFF and calls on the Commission to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and to proceed with a legislative proposal for comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible, and no later than the first quarter of 2023;affirms that no reform of the Union is possible without a parallel discussion on how to enhance the decision-making, the quality and the quantity of the EU budget;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine hasve undermined food security and stoked price volatility in the internal market; whereas there is a greater need than ever to reaffirm the objectives of the common agricultural policy, which are effective market stabilisation, guaranteed security of supply and reasonable prices for consumers; whereas the heads of state or government of the Member States have emphasised the importance of food security and sovereignty;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the sudden emergence of severe European-wide crises, such as the pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and their detrimental economic spillover, have tested the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and underlined the need for the MFF to be strengthened and managed in a more flexible, yet sustainable, manner; therefore sees a need for ~~the~~a structural revision of the MFF and calls on the Commission to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and to proceed with a legislative proposal for comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible, and no later than the first quarter of 2023;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine has undermined food security, notably in those Middle East and Northern Africa countries which heavily rely on cereal imports; whereas the heads of state or government of the Member States have emphasised the importance of global food security and food sovereignty;

Amendment 6 #

Seán KELLY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Points out that the sudden emergence of severe European-wide crises, such as the pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and the unprecedented investment from the EU, have tested the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and underlined the need for the MFF to be managed in a more flexible, yet sustainable, manner; therefore sees a need for the revision of the MFF and calls on the Commission to conduct an in- depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and to proceed with a legislative proposal for comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible, and no later than the first quarter of 2023;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas all Member States are facing rapidly rising prices for goods and services, ~~which is impacting~~especially in the energy and agricultural sectors, which are, in general, impacting on market forces such as the balance between supply and demand, on price fluctuations and, in particular, on farmers, businesses, communities and all citizens;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Recalls that under the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 20201 , where a proposal for a new MFF or for a substantial revision has been presented, the institutions have committed to seeking to determine specific arrangements for cooperation and dialogue between them throughout the procedure leading to its adoption; reaffirms its commitment to this Agreement and expresses its readiness to engage with the other institutions to devise and implement ambitious and future-proof budget solutions; _________________ 1 Point 15 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28)

Amendment 8 #

Dan-Ştefan MOTREANU

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas all Member States are facing rapidly rising prices for goods and services, which is impacting farmers, businesses, consumers, communities and all citizens;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the vital role played by the European Parliament in the preparation, review and scrutiny of the MFF; reiterates its view that any future decisions on the budgetary architecture of the Union should safeguard the community method and ensure that the Parliament is fully involved in the decision-making process; recalls that all elements of the MFF package must be implemented in accordance with the principle of mutual sincere cooperation, as laid down in Article 13(2) of the Treaty on European Union; regrets the use of instruments to advance legislation without European Parliament’s consent or influence;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that the Commission’s proposed revision of the MFF should be alignked ~~with~~to the ‘'Fit for 55’' package ~~and should~~, takeing into consideration the political priorities and financial flexibility needed to achieve new policies and programmes, as well as the main points of the Versailles declaration, notably ensuring food security and a stronger economic base, reducing the European Union's dependence on external markets;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the vital role played by the European Parliament in the preparation, review and scrutiny of the MFF; recalls that all elements of the MFF package must be implemented in accordance with the principle of mutual sincere cooperation, as laid down in Article 13(2) of the Treaty on European Union; calls upon the Commission and the Council, in the context of an increasing number of transfers and adjustments to the EU budget, to respect the rights of the European Parliament when it comes to its budgetary role and asks for a transparent, open and predictable process with regards to those measures;

source: 734.430

2022/07/25 AFET 53 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that, from the very beginning of the new multiannual financial framework (MFF), the available margins under Heading 6 have been very limited and have be~~en shrinking further,~~come non-existent including through early depletion of the cushion~~; encourages the Commission to propose an ambitious early revision of the MFF in order to meet needs more effectively~~ and the need to use the single margin also to cover commitments under Heading 6; is deeply concerned that the MFF is already pushed to its limits and is not fit to continue addressing the multiple internal and external crises in a sustainable manner; calls, therefore, on the Commission to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive revision of the MFF as soon as possible and not later than the first quarter of 2023; calls on the Commission to create an effective crisis response mechanism to tackle the new without jeopardising priorities established under co-decision in the relevant programmes, in particular as regards climate and development aid;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is of the opinion that a revision of the MFF may have to be accompanied by a revision of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation (NDICI) - Global Europe instrument and the third Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to reflect any policy changes in the relevant instruments and any changes in countries’ status and eligibility for EU fundingis necessary; therefore calls for the EU-budget to be cut drastically to reflect political reality and the fact that the EU budget cannot be a panacea for all the ills of the world;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Calls to prioritise an upwards revision of the MFF through the EU budget as a matter of priority; should this not be possible, accepts externally assigned revenue by Member States or external Trust Fund solutions on the condition that Parliament is fully involved in the decision-making process and can properly exercise scrutiny;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Calls on the Commission to prioritise the alignment of accession countries with the EU’s common foreign and security policy and to reconsider, in this light, any EU funds, in order to ensure that all EU expenditures are fully in line with the EU’s own strategic goals and interests and not contradictory to them;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Regrets the Parliament's obsession with making EU external policies more visible;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine and recalls the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war; calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched; recalls that the EU must continue to increase support to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression, highlights the need to support Ukraine with heavy weapons, artillery systems, fighter planes and tanks; regrets that most Western countries have demilitarised and have little conventional combat power at their disposal - thus enabling authoritarian regimes to dictate terms;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine and recalls the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war; calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched; considers that apart from EU and Member States contributions, the fund should be filled by Russia’s compensation for war damages, including Russian assets which were previously frozen as a result of sanctions and should be legally confiscated in accordance with international law;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine and recalls the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war and seeking refuge in neighbouring EU countries; calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched; underlines the importance of dedicating more resources aimed at enforcing the freezing and confiscation of Russian oligarchs' assets;

Amendment 17 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine and recalls the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war; welcomes the strengthening of cooperation between the EU and NATO and calls for priority to be given to joint projects; calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine and recalls the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to provide the strongest possible economic ~~and financial~~, financial, and immediate humanitarian support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war; calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched;

Amendment 19 #

Nathalie LOISEAU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine and recalls the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to support the Ukraine war effort and to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war; calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that, ~~from the very beginning of the new multiannual financial framework (MFF),~~under the current MFF, the funding for external action has been lagging behind the geopolitical necessities and the potential for global EU added value from the beginning; Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and the resulting need for the EU to engage, has radically underlined the need for an early revision of the MFF, including the need for more appropriate funding tools to effectively address the tectonic shifts in the geopolitical landscape of Europe that are currently unfolding; the available margins under Heading 6 have been limited and have been shrinking further, including through early depletion of the cushion; encourages the Commission to propose an ambitious early revision of the MFF in order to meet needs more effectively; including, yet not limited to, in terms of greater defence spending, divestment from Russian hydrocarbons, and alleviation of the socio-economic consequences of the war for EU citizens;

Amendment 20 #

Urmas PAET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Emphasises that the European Defence Fund is a crucial instrument for further harmonisation of the defence activities of the European Union; calls for an increase of appropriations in capability development which reflects priorities in Common Security and Defence Policy.

Amendment 21 #

Özlem DEMIREL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia; calls on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets; invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies;deleted

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those critical and strategic capabilities deemed necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia~~; calls on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets; invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies;~~ and other actors, as well as to guarantee EU security against the threats emanating from every strategic directions (both East and South), and to empower the Union to be a decisive player in its external action; calls on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets in a cooperative way with the aim to create a concrete added value for the whole Union; invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies that share our interests and values, building on the already existing guidelines on the participation of third parties;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Welcom~~Notes the Commission’s ~~upcoming~~intention to propos~~al for~~e a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP) in the third quarter of this year, the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities for the medium-term, in particular those necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia; notes that as an immediate follow-up, the Commission will in addition propose a short-term instrument to reinforce European defence industrial capacities through joint procurement between the Member States in order to fill the most urgent and critical gaps, for which EUR 500 million should be invested over two years between 2022 and 2024; calls on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets; invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies;

Amendment 24 #

Nathalie LOISEAU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the aim of which ~~would be~~is to introduce joint procurement ~~and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those necessary to harness EU defence over~~, stock replenishment and enhanced coordination of Member States military capabilities; calls on the Council and the Commission to provide sufficient incentive by endowing this joint procurement mechanism with a relevant budget amount to achieve effective result, to make full use of the possibilities for funding from the Union’s budget and to work on the mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework, to provide the dnec~~ades to counter a military threat from Russia~~essary increase in funding for EU instruments and relevant EU initiatives in the area of defence, in particular to strengthen the EDF and military mobility and increase the relevance of collaborative defence industry projects; calls on all Member States to complement ~~EU funding~~the European Peace Facility with funding from their national defence budgets; ~~invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies;~~

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia; calls on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets; invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies; calls on the NATO Secretary General as well as the Commission and European Council Presidents to regularly monitor EU- NATO cooperation in those regards and give the necessary impetus to its future evolution;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia; calls on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets; invites the Commission to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies; calls for reinforcement of the European Peace Facility to strengthen Ukrainian Armed Forces capabilities, especially regarding military equipment;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Welcom~~Notes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia; recalls ~~on all Member States to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budget~~that while some Member States have military industrial capacities of highest level many EU states have cut their national defence budgets and dismantled arms production capabilities; invites the Commission to open this programme to key Western strategic partners and allies;

Amendment 28 #

Özlem DEMIREL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Highlights in light of the war on Ukraine the utmost importance of a paradigm shift in EU foreign policy, as the past years and months including delivery of arms and geo political sanctions have not saved one life in Ukraine nor in other conflicts and war but on contrary have worsened the situation within and outside the EU; calls in this regard for a Union as a strong actor promoting urgently peaceful, diplomatic conflict resolution, advancing cooperation on arms control and nuclear disarmament, focusing on the looming famine catastrophe and poverty reduction, fair trade and balanced economic relations; recalls the disastrous results of the interventionist, geopolitical and military approach as seen in Afghanistan and Mali; objects to further EU militarisation and the continued setting up of a Military Union and the on-going support for the defence and armament industry; stresses that the setting-up of the European Defence Fund violates the provisions laid down in Article 41(2) TEU;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Reiterates its recent call to urgently launch a discussion with a view to establishing another off-budget financial facility which would address the entire life-cycle of military capabilities at EU level from collaborative R&D and joint procurement to joint maintenance, training and security of supply;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that, from the very beginning of the new multiannual financial framework (MFF), the available margins under Heading 6 have been limited and have been shrinking further, including through early depletion of the cushion; encourages the Commission to propose an ambitious early revision of the MFF in order to m~~eet needs m~~ore effectively meet needs that emerge or escalate;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Emphasises that the EU budget can never be a panacea for all the ills of the world; therefore urges restraint and welcomes all cuts and re-prioritisations within the EU budget;

Amendment 31 #

Özlem DEMIREL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for stronger defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova to be established, ~~including by enhancing the~~questions whether increased financial capabilities ofor the European Defence Agency (EDA) ~~to help identify wher~~would make any difference on the ground in Moldova or Ukraine as desk-generals are already oversupplied across Europe; calls for an increase in conventional combat power - not in armchair generals, headquarters or paper brigades; calls on Member States to invite Ukraine ~~should~~to participate in EU defence capability development programmes over the years to come.

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for stronger defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova to be established, including by enhancing the financial capabilities of the European Defence Agency (EDA) toby the Member States and if a holistic assessment deems it necessary and calls for help to identify where Ukraine should participate in EU defence capability development over the years to come.

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for stronger defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova to be established, including by enhancing the financial capabilities of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to help identify where Ukraine should participate in EU defence capability development over the years to come., reiterates its call to fund the EDA and permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) from the Unionbudget as foreseen by Article 41(2) TEU;

Amendment 35 #

Nathalie LOISEAU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for stronger defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova to be established, including by enhancing the financial capabilities of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to help identify where Ukraine should participate in EU defence capability development over the years to come.increased funding and the acceleration of military mobility ;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for stronger defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova and Georgia to be established, including by enhancing the financial capabilities of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to help identify where Ukraine ~~should~~and other close partners should/could/may participate in EU defence capability development over the years to come.

Amendment 37 #

5. Calls for stronger defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova to be established, including by enhancing the financial capabilities of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to help identify where ~~Ukraine~~the aforementioned countries should participate in EU defence capability development over the years to come.

Amendment 38 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for stronger security and defence cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova to be established, including by enhancing the financial capabilities of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to help identify where Ukraine should participate in EU defence capability development over the years to come.

Amendment 39 #

Corina CREȚU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls for a reinforced budget to face the challenges of the Southern Neighbourhood, including the need to install solid democratic regimes in the relevant countries and undertake economic reforms to boost education and employment across the Southern basin of the Mediterranean, as well as contribute to tackling the root causes of forced migration from and across the region; recalls that the stability of the Southern Neighbourhood is key for the stability of Europe as a whole, given the political and economic interdependency between the two regions;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates that, from the very beginning of the new multiannual financial framework (MFF), the available margins under Heading 6 have been ~~limited and have been shrinking further, including through early depletion of the cushion~~too high and not necessary; encourages the Commission to propose an ambitious early revision of the MFF in order to ~~meet needs more effectively~~cut costs and return a surplus to net paying Member States;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Recalls that EU support for Ukraine is miniscule compared with that provided by the United States; thanks the U.S. taxpayer for again coming to the aid of Europe; recognises that though European military support has been miniscule compared to U.S. contributions, Europe can do better and calls on the Commission to present proposals without delay to fully utilise the capacity of the European Peace Facility in order to provide military material for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including platforms designed to deliver lethal force;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Reiterates the need to pay close attention to the complicated situation in Belarus; underlines the importance of reviewing Union funding and ensuring that it is not directed to the Lukashenko regime, but towards supporting civil society in Belarus;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls for the establishment of a new dedicated European Fund within the EU budget (a Strategic Autonomy Fund for Europe) to finance cross-border energy infrastructure, as well as cybersecurity, industrial competitiveness, the circular economy, food security and sustainable development, thereby securing Europe’s autonomy and protecting quality public services in the decades to come as well as to strengthen energy interconnections between Member States and like-minded partners in the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods and Western Balkans; in this context also calls for stronger energy solidarity with Moldova, inter alia by increasing energy infrastructure interlinkages between the EU and the countries in the region;

Amendment 43 #

5 b. Calls for real term cuts of 90% to Heading 6 of the EU-budget, recognising that the EU should embrace drastic cost cutting and mandatory ex-ante cost- benefit analysis before any pilot or preparatory project is launched; calls for all surplus funds to be transferred back to net-paying Member States or be used solely for the purpose of repaying NextGenerationEU debts;

Amendment 44 #

Corina CREȚU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Believes that the budgets for election observation missions, human rights and civil society organisations should be strengthened in order to effectively advocate democracy, human rights and the needs of the most vulnerable groups where needed, thereby promoting the Union values at global level;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Reminds that the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) foresees a strong conditionality and funding must be modulated or even suspended in the case of significant regression or persistent lack of progress in the area of the so-called “fundamentals”, notably in the field of the rule of law and fundamental rights;

Amendment 46 #

Corina CREȚU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Asks for the full incorporation of all off-budget instruments, including the trust funds, within the EU budget, which should be strengthened accordingly, with the objective of allowing the European Parliament to efficiently implement its right of scrutiny with regard to the implementation of EU foreign policy programmes.

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Notes with deep regret the financial support for non-violent Islamism from the EU budget which is undermining our European way of life; therefore calls for an in-depth examination followed by the complete stop of all funding from the EU-budget to islamist organisations or organisations with ties to islamists;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Calls to more effectively deploy the investment framework for external action under NDICI-Global Europe for real impact and to top up guarantees as necessary; calls on the Commission to further spell out the ‘Global Gateway’ initiative and to make the plans concrete so as to foster joint infrastructure investments in particular in those countries which share universal values with the EU; calls on the Commission to work on an effective governance of the EU Global Gateway, with the aim to improve internal coordination, cooperation with the private sector, coordination with Team Europe, as well as with the European Parliament; calls on the Commission to duly involve the Parliament in the decisions on the Global Gateway investment programmes and keep it regularly informed about the respective developments, including budgetary implications, as they unfold;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Calls on the Commission to finance physical barriers at the Union's external borders as requested by 16 Member States in a joint statement of 21 January 2022;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Highlights the necessity to adapt the MFF and the various instruments in order to provide the geopolitical Union, with a sound financial foundation and enable it to fulfil expectations as a credible and reliable geopolitical actor, in particular at this watershed moment following the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and all its repercussions, such as the food crisis and increase in the prices of basic goods, but also other global challenges, such as the mounting urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis, post-pandemic recovery, migration, as well as setbacks in fundamental rights; urges, therefore, Member States to significantly increase resources to the EU budget and raise the MFF ceilings in particular of Heading 6;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Regrets that while the Commission funds circus workshops to integrate lone- arrival migrants1a, the Commission does not fund physical border barriers as the Commission does not consider physical barriers such as fences to be "the most efficient tool to improve border management"1b; calls on the Commission to urgently reassess its stance on the funding of border barriers and the funding of clown shows; _________________ 1a https://web.archive.org/web/20220120035 844/https://www.migrationsverket.se/Andr a-aktorer/EU-fonder/Beviljade- projekt/Flikar/Asyl/Cirkus-for-hopp-och- styrka.html 1b Answer by Commissioner Johansson to question E-03322/2021 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/E-9-2021-003322-ASW_EN.html

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5 f. Urges the Commission to, without delay, launch effective and wide-reaching communication campaigns targeting diaspora communities in the European Union representing the highest proportions of illegal arrivals and strategic communication campaigns targeting potential illegal migrants in source and transit countries with messages deterring potential migrants from considering illegal means of arrival to the Member States of the European Union;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5 g. Calls on the Commission to provide a strong and clear policy steer to ensure EU development aid and investments are not greenlighted unless the beneficiary state has agreed to migration management agreements that allow for returns of all citizen's with a valid deportation order in a Member State or the establishment of third country partner state asylum processing and reception centres;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)

5 h. Considers it of utmost importance that no funding from the EU budget undermine the lawful use and ownership of firearms; notes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has reminded Europe of the added value provided by an armed citizenry as both a deterrent to foreign and domestic aggressors alike; respects and welcomes the fact that not all European countries demilitarised or disarmed their population following the end of the Cold War; rejects any and all attempts to justify going after legal firearms under the pretext of protecting the EU from arms sourced in the Russo- Ukrainian war;

Amendment 6 #

Urmas PAET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Highlights that the ambitious early revision of the MFF must not lose sight of the fact that we are witnessing a degradation of human rights standards in the neighbourhood and beyond which deserves particular attention in the context of the revision of the MFF as does the fight against climate change, the importance of connecting the Common Foreign and Security Policy to the EU Arctic Policy, measures to counter global disinformation, priorities in the framework of the High Level Geopolitical Dialogue related to the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood, as well as humanitarian aid;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is of the opinion that a revision of the MFF may have to be accompanied by a revision of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation (NDICI) - Global Europe instrument and the third Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to reflect any policy changes in the relevant instruments and any changes in countries’ status and eligibility for EU funding; stresses the need for additional resources to support the new EU candidate countries, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as for the aspiring applicant Georgia, on their path to EU membership, while ensuring at the same time that funds for the current IPA III beneficiaries will not be cut;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is of the opinion that a revision of the MFF may have to be accompanied by a revision of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation (NDICI) - Global Europe instrument and the third Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to reflect any policy changes in the relevant instruments and any changes in countries’ status and eligibility for EU funding, especially in light of the new reality deriving from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the actions undertaken by the Union in this regard;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is of the opinion that a revision of the MFF may have to be accompanied by a revision of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation (NDICI) - Global Europe instrument and the third Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to reflect any policy changes in the relevant instruments and any changes in countries’ status and eligibility for EU funding; reiterates the need to increase the effectiveness of the EU’s security and defence policy towards the Eastern Partnership countries;

source: 735.574

2022/07/27 REGI 39 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates its concern as regards the significant delay in the implementation of cohesion policy for the 2021-2027 period, as well as its call for the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the partnership agreements and programmes, without undermining their quality and while respecting the EU’s political priorities and the applicable principles; stresses that this delay is hampering the implementation of post- COVID recovery policies and could cause less-developed regions, including the outermost regions, to fall further behind; reiterates the need for special consideration to be given to less-developed regions and islands in this context;

Amendment 10 #

Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Cristina MAESTRE, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Nora MEBAREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recalls that the other emergency instruments used to support the regions, such as CRII, CRII+ and REACT-EU, are not intended as long-term solutions to compensate for the delay in the implementation of cohesion policy; stresses nonetheless that the cohesion policy is but one of a number of instruments designed to support the cohesion and convergence of the regions;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many negative social consequences throughout Europe, such as the digital and gender gaps, that have been broadened; Underlines the need for specific assistance to address these consequences;

Amendment 12 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Welcomes the European care strategy as a new initiative with a strong gender dimension; calls on the Commission for a dedicated investment package to promote the EU care sector and care economy as well as to ensure coordination among the different programmes and initiatives towards an effective implementation of the strategy;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration, uncertainty and widespread price hikes, affecting disadvantaged social groups and the public sector in particular, caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine ~~and its multifacete~~, COVID-19 crisis, climate crisis and econ~~sequenc~~omic and financial crises; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for the regions, and to swiftly identify suitable financial instruments over and above the European Structural and Investment Funds to deal with them at a regional and local levels;

Amendment 14 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its multifaceted consequences; recalls the pressing energy and food security concerns, and emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for ~~the regions~~people, and to identify suitable financial instruments ~~to deal with them at a regional le~~directly accessible at a regional level; stresses the need to further strengthen the Union’s solidarity capacities in times of crisis, and calls on the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal establishing a Ukrainian crisis Adjustment Reservel;

Amendment 15 #

Matteo ADINOLFI, Rosanna CONTE, Alessandro PANZA, Stefania ZAMBELLI, Elena LIZZI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its multifaceted consequences; stresses the need to earmark financial aid for European regions in preparation for a possible wave of migrants from third countries largely dependent on farm output in Russia and Ukraine; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for the regions, and to identify suitable financial instruments to deal with them at a regional level;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its multifaceted consequences; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for the regions, and to identify suitable financial instruments to deal with them at a regional level and to support all energy diversification efforts, as well as investments encouraging Member States' energy independence;

Amendment 17 #

Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Cristina MAESTRE, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Nora MEBAREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, a~~nd its~~s well as the waves of migration caused by other crises and their multifaceted consequences; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for the regions, and to identify suitable financial instruments to deal with them at a regional level through a bottom-up approach involving local and regional authorities;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the towns and regions with appropriate and immediately accessible financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its multifaceted consequences; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy ~~costs~~and agricultural product costs, and the breakdown of a number of value chains, is causing for the regions, and to identify suitable financial instruments to deal with them at a regional level;

Amendment 19 #

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with timely and appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its multifaceted consequences; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for the regional and local authorities, for the citizens and the social and economic actors, and to identify suitable financial instruments to deal with them at a regional and local level;

Amendment 2 #

Sandro GOZI, Katalin CSEH, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Irène TOLLERET

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates its concern as regards the significant delay in the implementation of cohesion policy for the 2021-2027 period, as well as its call for the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the partnership agreements and programmes, without undermining their quality and while respecting the EU’s political priorities and the applicable principles; reiterates the need for special consideration to be given to less-developed regions and islands in this context, as well as transition regions, which face particularly significant challenges in pulling off the socially just and balanced structural changes needed to meet climate neutrality and energy transition requirements;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the necessity of providing the regions with appropriate financial means in order to deal with the waves of migration caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its multifaceted consequences; emphasises the need to address the grave difficulties that the current rise in energy costs is causing for the regions~~, and to identify suitable financial instruments to deal with them at a regional level~~;

Amendment 21 #

Sandro GOZI, Katalin CSEH, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Irène TOLLERET

3 a. Emphasises that the compensation of the social and economic consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine requires the deployment of adequate budgetary measures at the Union level offsetting the indirect costs of the conflict on businesses and citizens, and putting forward the necessary solidarity mechanisms between Member States and their regions; calls therefore on the Commission to issue a new legislative proposal establishing a European fund for the mutualisation of war-related costs ("Ukrainian crisis Adjustment Reserve"), with a view to support the most affected Member States with fresh common resources gathered at the EU level;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses the need to provide additional funding and logistical support at regional level, especially in countries bordering Ukraine, to invest in increased grain transit capacity from Ukraine to other parts of the world and increased grain storage capacity;

Amendment 23 #

Matteo ADINOLFI, Rosanna CONTE, Alessandro PANZA, Stefania ZAMBELLI, Elena LIZZI

4. Calls for a significant increase in the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) budget, which would help regions to anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate change, and for the scope of the EUSF to be broadened, so that it can also support more climate-resilient restoration or construction of public and private infrastructure; calls, taking all things into perspective, for an independent European fund to be set up to support regions and municipalities in their climate adaptation and resilience building projects and programmes; reiterates its call for the Commission to draw up a proposal for the establishment of such a climate adaptation fund;

Amendment 24 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Ondřej KNOTEK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for a significant increase in the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) budget, which would help regions to anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate change, and for the scope of the EUSF to be broadened, so that it can also support more climate-resilient restoration or construction of public and private infrastructure; stresses the importance of the social dimension of the green transition and the need to provide targeted support to the regions, industries, workers and households facing the biggest challenges;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 26 #

Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Cristina MAESTRE, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Nora MEBAREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for a significant increase in the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) budget, which would help regions to anticipate ~~and~~, mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, and for the scope of the EUSF to be broadened, so that it can also support more climate-resilient restoration or construction of public and private infrastructure, especially infrastructure for the health sector and for the transition to an older EU;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for a significant increase in the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) budget, which would help regions to anticipate and mitigate the effects of climate change, which causes large population displacements, and for the scope of the EUSF to be broadened, so that it can also support more climate-resilient restoration or construction of public and private infrastructure;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Draws its attention to the worrying findings of the special report 09/2022 of the European Court of Auditors, which indicates that the Commission unduly recorded around €72 billion as climate spending in the 14-20 programming period and that the likely share of the EU budget that is climate-relevant amounts at around 13% (approximately €144 billion) rather than 20 %; acknowledges the bigger ambition on the 30% spending target on climate set out in the current Multiannual Financial Framework and some amendments to the current tracking methodology by the Commission; encourages, however, this latter to establish guidelines applicable to all policy areas relevant to climate spending, and to clearly disclose a coherent basis for reporting, and consistent treatment of similar projects(e.g. same climate coefficient) across the EU budget and the NextGenerationEU;

Amendment 29 #

Irène TOLLERET, Stéphane BIJOUX, Ondřej KNOTEK, Sandro GOZI, Katalin CSEH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses the high potential of rural areas and the necessity to improve transport connectivity, high-speed broadband and the provision of services in order to help them meet challenges such as rural desertification, depopulation and ageing; asks, therefore, to increase the amount of resources at national level that are allocated to integrated territorial development in disadvantaged non-urban areas, suffering from natural, geographical or demographic handicaps; highlights the importance of synergies between different funding tools to channel an adequate level of funding towards rural areas through a multi-fund approach; reaffirms the importance of urban-rural linkages and of the development of strategies based on functional areas with the aim of preventing rural areas from shrinking;

Amendment 3 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Ondřej KNOTEK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates its concern as regards the significant delay in the implementation of cohesion policy for the 2021-2027 period, as well as its call for the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the partnership agreements and programmes, without undermining their quality and while respecting the EU’s political priorities and the applicable principles; calls on the Member States to ensure that local authorities are included in the design and implementation of all programmes; reiterates the need for special consideration to be given to less-developed regions ~~and island~~, islands, outermost regions and rural, remote and depopulated areas in this context;

Amendment 30 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Ondřej KNOTEK

4 a. Stresses the role of urban areas in tackling the climate emergency, reiterates the need for further funding opportunities for cities to implement programmes locally; reminds that EUR 400 000 000 of the resources for the Investment for jobs and growth goal shall be allocated to the EuropeanUrban Initiative under direct or indirect management by the Commission as laid out in Regulation (EU) 2021/1058, calls for the European Urban Initiative to begiven a greater budget and scope, in order to support the delivery of the Urban Agenda in the next programming period;

Amendment 31 #

Matteo ADINOLFI, Rosanna CONTE, Alessandro PANZA, Stefania ZAMBELLI, Elena LIZZI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses the need to update the cohesion policy to take account of the spiralling inflation rates and loss in EU citizens’ purchasing power; points out that since the beginning of 2022, threats to purchasing power have been a key area of concern for Europeans; acknowledges that the tensions arising therefrom pose a major risk to public support for the EU and to EU cohesion, particularly in the most peripheral regions;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. The approach to synergies in the EU budget should be more centred around the real complementarity of policies. At regional level, special consideration should be paid to new policy areas, such as strategic interdependence and European industrial alliances, in which cohesion policy could prove particularly relevant. The 'do no harm to cohesion' principle should be developed further and factored into policy-making;

Amendment 33 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI, Vlad-Marius BOTOŞ, Ondřej KNOTEK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Recalls that among the many inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital divide is a serious one; highlights the need to allocate sufficient funds for the development of digital skills; calls for digital inclusion to be recognised as a right for all generations and for a clear commitment to achieve universal internet connectivity;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that the existing possibility of transfers from the cohesion policy funds to other EU instruments of up to 5 % of the initial allocation provides for sufficient flexibility; underlines that cohesion policy funding must continue to primarily serve its long-term policy objectives and not become a source of financing to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms within the MFF or policy failures and incoherences in other policy areas; strongly opposes the proposal of additional transfers from the cohesion policy funds put forward under the RePowerEU initiative.

Amendment 35 #

Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Cristina MAESTRE, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Nora MEBAREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that the existing possibility of transfers from the cohesion policy funds to other EU instruments of up to 5 % of the initial allocation provides for sufficient flexibility; strongly opposes the proposal of additional transfers from the cohesion policy funds put forward under the RePowerEU initiative and calls on the Commission to mobilise funds from the Brexit reserve to finance this initiative.

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that the existing possibility of transfers from the cohesion policy funds to other EU instruments of up to 5 % of the initial allocation provides for sufficient flexibility; strongly opposes the proposal of additional transfers from the cohesion policy funds put forward under the RePowerEU initiative. and instead calls on additional financial resources to be made available to reach these objectives;

Amendment 37 #

Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Cristina MAESTRE, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Nora MEBAREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Stresses the need for a swift approval of the European Parliament and of the Council of the Commission’s proposal on the three new categories of own resources (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the revised Emission Trading System, the minimum corporate tax); considers that the expected additional revenues are necessary but not sufficient for an updated and really ambitious MFF which should be able to tackle the multidimensional challenges that the EU as a whole will have to face in the coming months, such as the investment gap for the transition, the socio-economic consequences of Russian aggression to Ukraine, the digital connectivity throughout the EU, the need to increase citizen-driven energy actions that contribute to the clean energy transition; calls therefore on the European Commission to advance the expected new proposal on additional Own Resources, scheduled at the end of 2023, to the coming months;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Underlines that promoting gender equality, paying special attention to women with disabilities, is crucial for reducing regional economic and social disparities and ensuring the long-term development of regions; deplores that EU's budget cycle to date has not adequately taken gender equality into account; Highlights the Commission's commitment to gender mainstreaming in the EU budget; calls on the Commission ro strengthen the institutional framework for supporting gender budgeting, to carry out gender analyses of the needs and impacts, to systematically collect, analyse and report on existing sex-disaggregated data for EU funding programmes, to make use of gender-related objectives and indicators to monitor progress and to develop a system for tracking the funds allocated and used to support gender equality;

Amendment 39 #

Irène TOLLERET, Ondřej KNOTEK, Sandro GOZI, Katalin CSEH

5 a. Welcomes the decision of the European Commission to maintain the general escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact in 2023; suggests to envisage the possibility that public spending under cohesion policy by Member States and regional and local authorities as part of ESIF Funds should not be considered as national or equivalent structural expenditure as defined within the Stability and Growth Pact;

Amendment 4 #

Matteo ADINOLFI, Rosanna CONTE, Alessandro PANZA, Stefania ZAMBELLI, Elena LIZZI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates its concern as regards the significant delay in the implementation of cohesion policy for the 2021-2027 period, as well as its call for the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the partnership agreements and programmes, without undermining their quality and while respecting the EU’s political priorities and the ~~applicable principle~~priorities and concerns of EU citizens; reiterates the need for special consideration to be given to less-developed regions ~~and islands~~ in this context, and also to those that find themselves in the 'middle-income trap' in view of the challenging economic situation and the inflation they face;

Amendment 5 #

Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Cristina MAESTRE, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Nora MEBAREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates its concern as regards the significant delay in the implementation of cohesion policy for the 2021-2027 period, as well as its call for the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the partnership agreements and programmes, without undermining their quality and while respecting the EU’s political priorities and the applicable principles; reiterates the need for special consideration to be given to less-developed and transition regions and islands in this context, as well as to urban areas with high levels of inequalities;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Reiterates its utter concern as regards the significant delay in the implementation of cohesion policy for the 2021-2027 period, as well as its call for the Commission and the Member States to speed up the adoption of the partnership agreements and programmes, without undermining their quality and while respecting the EU’s political priorities and the applicable principles; reiterates the need for special consideration to be given to less-developed regions and islands in this context;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Takes the view that, in light of the EU’s socio-economic situation which has been further aggravated by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and war against Ukraine, the stability pact needs to remain suspended beyond 2023, and calls for a revision of the fiscal rules of the stability and growth pact to better foster long-term sustainable public investment in the socio-ecological transition;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates its call for the Commission to put forward a contingency plan to mitigate the risk of under- implementation and decommitments due to the late start of the cohesion policy programmes, through a legislative proposal and, if need be, a corresponding revision of the multiannual financial framework; calls for the programmes already received by the Commission, even if only provisional, to be swiftly implemented;

Amendment 9 #

Katalin CSEH, Stéphane BIJOUX, Alin MITUȚA, Irène TOLLERET, Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ, Sandro GOZI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Recalls that in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 all actions implemented under cohesion policy shall take into account gender equality as a horizontal principle throughout their preparation, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation; calls on the Commission to implement a gender budgeting analysis as part of the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework; strongly believes that publicly available gender assessments of the budget should be made on a yearly basis and allow adjustments within the next annual budget; recalls that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated gender disparities which necessitates targeted action;

source: 735.435

2022/09/05 CULT 57 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Alexis GEORGOULIS, Andrey SLABAKOV, Laurence FARRENG, Loucas FOURLAS, Niklas NIENASS, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Monica SEMEDO, Irena JOVEVA, Hannes HEIDE, Romeo FRANZ, Anne-Sophie PELLETIER, Marco ZULLO

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Believes that the importance of culture for our identity, democracy, society and economy is not adequately reflected in the current multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, particularly in light of the long-lasting consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic which the cultural and creative sectors will continue to be suffering from for many years to come;

Amendment 10 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Strongly suggests the conduction of an in-depth review to evaluate the absorption levels of the past and current MFF;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the importance of programmes dedicated to education, youth, solidarity, culture, media and sports at EU, national and local level; reiterates the need for a thorough evaluation of the relevant policies, reforms and projects, including those funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, in the national European Semester reports;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Underlines the importance of programmes dedicated to education, youth, culture, media and sports at EU, national, regional and local level; reiterates the need for a thorough evaluation of the relevant policies, reforms and projects, including those funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, in the national European Semester reports;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Reiterates its deep regret and incomprehension that - despite repeated calls by the European Parliament1a with overwhelming majority - the Recovery and Resilience Facility investments fail to reflect the enormous economic and social significance of the cultural and creative sectors which account for 4.4% of the EU’s GDP and about 8.7 million jobs in the EU, leaving these sectors considerably underrepresented in the EU’s overall effort to overcome the pandemic and to support the recovery and resilience of the European economy; _________________ 1a e.g. in its resolution of 17 September 2020 on the cultural recovery of Europe and in its resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU

Amendment 14 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Expresses its regret that most COVID-19 recovery programmes dedicated to culture focus mainly on large venue events, such as festivals and concerts; notes that, despite the larger share of revenues from such events, they do not represent the vast majority of people working in the CCS; insists that financial support should be more evenly spread through the sectors, in order to truly recover from the ongoing crises;

Amendment 15 #

Alexis GEORGOULIS, Andrey SLABAKOV, Laurence FARRENG, Niklas NIENASS, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Monica SEMEDO, Irena JOVEVA, Hannes HEIDE, Romeo FRANZ, Anne-Sophie PELLETIER, Marco ZULLO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Is worried that the proposed massive budget cut of the Creative Europe programme - the proposed 2023 annual budget foresees a 20% reduction compared to the previous year2a - will bring further harm to the cultural and creative sectors that are only slowly starting to blossom again and will thus have a long-lasting negative impact on our European cultural ecosystem and its diversity; _________________ 2a 325.3 million EUR (2023 proposal) after 406.5 million EUR (2022 budget)

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Insists that more funding than agreed in the objectives of the Erasmus+, ESC and Creative Europe programmes be made available to support the EU’s actions in response to the Russian war against Ukraine; , such as solidarity actions to support Ukrainian refugees, inclusion measures under Erasmus+ and funding for the cultural and creative sectors under Creative Europe;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Insists that more funding than agreed in the objectives of the Erasmus+, ESC and Creative Europe programmes be made available to support the EU’s actions in response to the Russian war against Ukraine; emphasizes that such additional funding cannot come at the expense of other objectives of these programmes but must derive from other budget sources;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Insists that more funding ~~than agreed in the objectives of the~~for Erasmus+, ESC and Creative Europe programmes be made available to support the EU’s actions in response to the ~~Russian war against Ukrain~~global challenges mentioned above; believes more funding is required for the Citizens’ Engagement and Participation strand of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Insists that more funding than agreed in the objectives of the Erasmus+, ESC and Creative Europe programmes should be made available to support the EU’s actions in response to the Russian war against Ukraine;

Amendment 2 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1 a. Stresses that a broad revision of the current MFF is needed as it was already pushed to its limits in its first year; points to the multiple crises and challenges that the Union has been facing, striking substantially the Cultural and Creative Sectors;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus+, making more funding available sooner rather than later~~Is of the opinion that the crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine has underlined the need for a more linear multiannual financial profile of the Erasmus+ programme; asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus+, making more funding available sooner rather than later, also in view of making the European Education Area (EEA) a reality by 2025 and for the implementation of the Digital Education Action Plan which is key for the development of digital skills and the transformation of our educational systems in enabling them to integrate digital technologies; urges the Commission to establish a long-term, dedicated funding plan for the EEA;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus+, making more funding available sooner rather than later so that the education and training systems can cope with the challenges and learners, teachers, schools, youth organisations and NGOs can benefit from adequate resources and to ensure the greening, digitalisation and inclusion measures;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus+, making more funding available as soon~~er rather than later~~ as possible and no later than January 2023, while ensuring that the best possible inclusion measures derive from any additional funding, as well as the programme's greening and digitalisation;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus+, ~~making more funding available soo~~and reiterates the need for a linear growth rather than ~~later~~an exponential growth of the yearly budget;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Insists on the need to fundamentally change the way projects in the Creative Europe Programme are evaluated with an intention to focus less on administrative conditions and more on the artistic value of projects and ideas; highlights that the current system for evaluation significantly disadvantages young people and first-time applicants, who have excellent and original concepts with artistic added value, and who lack the know-how to meet the bureaucratic requirements for a successful application; asks the Commission to significantly reduce the administrative burden and rework application and evaluation procedures of the Creative Europe Programme;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Urges the Commission and the Member States to adapt the multiannual financial framework by increasing the overall Creative Europe budget 2021-2027 by at least 720 million EUR3a in order to allow for a stable continuation of the funding and thus avoid any annual budget reductions; _________________ 3a Plus inflationary adjustment

Amendment 26 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the Commission to examine the reallocation of unused funds from other policy areas to the Creative Europe programme;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to support the co-legislators’ commitment to ensuring that the 2022 European Year of Youth leaves a lasting legacy by evaluating its outcomes thoroughly, mainstreaming youth across all related EU policies by means of a youth test and providing adequate financing for follow-up activities, including through a mapping exercise to identify additional funding sources beyond 2022;

Amendment 28 #

Loucas FOURLAS, Peter POLLÁK, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to support the co-legislators’ commitment to ensuring that the 2022 European Year of Youth leaves a lasting legacy, including by extending the EYY to 2023 in order to give more time for the organisation of youth events of social nature that were not possible in 2022 due to the pandemic;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to support the co-legislators’ commitment to ensuring that the 2022 European Year of Youth leaves a lasting legacy by also creating a youth assessment tool and examine the impact of EU legislation on young people;

Amendment 3 #

1. Believes that Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) have demonstrated flexibility in response to recent global challenges; is convinced, nonetheless, that when emergency situations inspire new political priorities, these need to be agreed upon by the co-legislators; stresses the persistent lack of EU funding for education, youth and culture especially in the current challenging times; in particular, notes with concern the cut of the overall Creative Europe envelope suggested by the Commission for 2023 and its further decrease proposed by the Council, even after taking into account the estimated 2023 top-up resulting from the programme-specific adjustment provided for in Article 5 of the MFF Regulation; In this regard, considers that a mid-term revision of the MFF should ensure the full recovery of the cultural and creative sectors and industries after the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as mitigating the consequences of the war in Ukraine and high inflation, in a long-term perspective.;

Amendment 30 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

~~7. Requests an overall increase in funding for the ESC to better address the challenges arising from the Russian war against Ukraine;~~deleted

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Requests an overall increase in funding for the ESC to better address the challenges arising from the Russian war against Ukraine~~Calls on the Commission to introduce greater flexibility in ESC implementation rules to better address unpredictable crisis situations; requests an overall increase in funding for the ESC to better address the challenges arising from the Russian war against Ukraine; recalls the administrative and eligibility hurdles experienced by youth organisations active in the response to the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Requests an overall increase in funding for the ESCuropean Solidarity Corps to better address the challenges arising from the Russian war against Ukraine;

Amendment 33 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Requests an overall increase in funding for the ESC to better address the challenges especially arising from the Russian war against Ukraine;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Is concerned that the structure of the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), which cover many micro-organisations, has made them particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, ~~decimating both organisations and employment opportunities~~a 31% loss of turnover for the CCSI in 2020 compared to 2019 and decimating both organisations and employment opportunities, with twice as many people losing their job in the cultural sector than in the economy as a whole, and explainsing their very slow and incomplete economic recovery; therefore, requests more support for the CCSI; and asks the Commission to assess the possibilities for providing more operational and consistent grants to organisations that the EU cannot afford to lose;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Is concerned that the structure of the cCultural and cCreative sSectors ~~and industries~~ (CCSI), which cover many micro- organisations, as well as mostly women and youth, has made them particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, decimating both organisations and employment opportunities, and explains their very slow and incomplete economic recovery; therefore, requests more support for the CCSI, especially authors, performers, artists and all workers employed by these sectors as well as micro-organisations and non-for-profit associations;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Is concerned that the structure of the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), which cover many micro-organisations and self-employed persons, has made them particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, decimating both organisations ~~and~~, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, and explains their very slow and incomplete economic recovery; therefore, requests more support for the CCSI;

Amendment 38 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

~~9. Asks the Commission to propose, without delay, a European Status of the Artist;~~deleted

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Asks the Commission to propose, without delay, a European Status of the Artist setting out a common framework for working conditions and minimum standards common to all EU countries, in line with the EP resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU; calls for the adoption of guidelines and the establishment of a working group in the framework of the OMC on the status of artists in order to facilitate sharing best practices between Member States and monitoring progress regarding improving the working conditions of artists;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. ~~Asks~~Calls on the Commission to propose, without delay, a European Status of the Artist; that fully reflects the Parliament's demands from its resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU1a; _________________ 1a OJ C 184, 5.5.2022, p. 88–98.

Amendment 41 #

Loucas FOURLAS, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Asks the Commission to ~~propose, without delay,~~launch a consultation, including all relevant national and international stakeholders, on the possibility of establishing a European Status of the Artist;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Asks the Commission to propose, without delay, a European Status of the Artist by creating an EU framework;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

~~10. Reiterates its call for a permanent EU news media fund;~~deleted

Amendment 44 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Sylvie GUILLAUME

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates its call for a permanent EU news media fund and urges the Commission to take immediate action, especially in light of journalists affected by any restrictions of freedom of expression; highlights in this context the importance of the independence of journalism as well as the fight against disinformation;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates its call for a permanent EU news media fund to empower independent news coverage, safeguard the independence of European journalists and journalism, and guarantee the freedom of the press, also in the light of massive disinformation campaigns in the context of the war against Ukraine;

Amendment 46 #

Loucas FOURLAS, Peter POLLÁK, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates its call for a permanent EU news media fund; as well as for a long-term dedicated funding for the European Education Area;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates its call for a permanent EU news media fund and to support journalists against SLAPPs;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Deplores the approach of the Commission of establishing new initiatives in culture, education and youth after the current MFF has been put into place, with the intent to finance such initiatives from the already insufficient budget for Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the ESC;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Reiterates its long-standing position that new policy commitments, objectives and priorities need to be matched with fresh money, and are not to be financed at the expense of other already existing Union policies, programmes and priorities, including and especially culture;

Amendment 5 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers there to be a structural lack of EU funding for education, youth and culture in the face of new priorities, the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine, inflation and price hikes; requests that this be addressed when deciding on any programme adjustments;deleted

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Calls for the regulation establishing Horizon Europe to be amended as part of the next revision in order to create a New European Bauhaus (NEB) mission funded with EUR 500 million; realises that this may require increased funding for and raising the ceiling of heading 1; calls on the Commission to propose a new standalone EU NEB programme by the start of the next multiannual financial framework. , in line with Parliament’s long standing conviction that new initiatives should be accompanied by adequate, fresh financial resources, avoiding a situation whereby the NEB leads to a diverted focus from agreed political priorities and a reduction of funding for other, already underfunded programmes, in particular Creative Europe, Erasmus+ and the ESC;

Amendment 51 #

Loucas FOURLAS, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ, Peter POLLÁK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Calls for~~Regrets that the re~~gulation establishing Horizon Europe to be amended as part of the next revision in order to create a~~ is no coherent and strategic approach to the financing of New European Bauhaus initiative. Highlights the EP report on New European Bauhaus ~~(NEB)~~call for EUR 500 missllion~~; c~~ to be dedicated to this programme in the current MFF; Calls on the Commission to propose a new standalone and sufficiently financed EU NEB programme byin the ~~start of the next multiannual financial framework~~new MFF regulation.

Amendment 52 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Calls for the regulation establishing Horizon Europe to be amended as part of the next revision in order to create a New European Bauhaus (NEB) mission; calls on the Commission to propose a new standalone EU NEB programme ~~by the start of~~in due time to be implemented with the next multiannual financial framework.

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Asks the Commission to broaden the ambition of and increase the funding for the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on Culture and Creativity under Horizon Europe, a novel approach that aims to strengthen the link between research, innovation and the CCS and boost the resilience of the sectors;

Amendment 54 #

Loucas FOURLAS, Peter POLLÁK, Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus + and by making annual spending under the MFF equal in order to assure smooth continuation of this EU flagship programme;

Amendment 55 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Reiterates its call for enhanced transparency and a comprehensive review of EU spending on multimedia actions in order to ensure stability, predictability and the scrutiny of those actions;

Amendment 56 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 c (new)

11 c. Recalls the possible synergies and complementarities between Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the ESC on the one hand, and other EU programmes and funding sources on the other, such as the European Social Fund+, the Just Transition Fund, Horizon Europe, the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values programme and the RRF; regrets the fact that in practice these synergies and complementarities are not being fully coordinated in most Member States;

Amendment 57 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 d (new)

11 d. Calls on the Commission, notwithstanding the need for sufficient funding for the above-mentioned programmes, to examine these synergies and complementarities further and to support the Member States in coordinating them, including by providing EU-level guidance and by facilitating the exchange of good practices;

Amendment 6 #

Victor NEGRESCU, Marcos ROS SEMPERE, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Massimiliano SMERIGLIO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers there to be a structural lack of EU funding for education, youth, solidarity and culture in the face of new priorities, the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine, inflation and price hikes; requests that this be addressed when deciding on any programme adjustments; in the MFF revision; draws attention to the devastating impact that lowering the current amounts would have for thousands of people across Europe and beyond, especially for persons from vulnerable or marginalised groups;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers there to be a long-term and overall structural lack of EU funding for education, youth, sports and culture, especially in the face of new priorities, the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine, inflation and price hikes; requests that this be addressed when deciding on any programme adjustments to ensure adequate funding for the CCS against any crises in the future;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Considers there to be a structural lack of EU funding for education, youth and culture in the face of new priorities, the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of climate change and natural disasters, the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine, inflation and price hikes; requests that this be addressed when deciding on any programme adjustments;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Calls, therefore, on the Commission to conduct an in-depth review of the current MFF and to proceed with a legislative proposal for an updated, comprehensive, and ambitious MFF revision, that would safeguard increasing or at least stable funding amounts for Creative Europe, Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programmes, as soon as possible and no later than the first quarter of 2023;

source: 735.812

2022/09/06 CONT 20 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls the European budgetary principles of unity, budgetary accuracy, annuality, equilibrium, unit of account, universality, specification, sound financial management and transparency, which must be respected in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF); recalls that the Committee on Budgetary Control is responsible for the control of the implementation of the EU budget with a view to rationalising European expenditure, among other responsibilities;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Regrets that the overall annual absorption rate in 2020, the final year of the past MFF, was the same as in 2013 (15 %), the final year of the 2007-2013 MFF; notes that the cumulative absorption was around 7 % lower than under the previous MFF; regrets that there are still considerable differences between Member States in the absorption of the ESIF funds allocated to them during the 2014-2020 MFF; notes that some Member States have absorbed up to 79 % of its total allocation, while others have absorbed only around 45 % of their committed amounts;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Commission to continue its work with Member States, including through technical assistance in order to increase the ability of Member States to make use of the funds allocated to them and to intensify the effort to increase the absorption rate of the ESIF without compromising the quality of projects and the efforts made to avoid misuse and fraud of Union funds;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the European Anti-Fraud Office, the Court of Auditors and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have the necessary means and staff to investigate potential cases of fraud against the EU budget.; welcomes the ongoing recruitment of approximately 190 full time equivalents for NGEU-related tasks, including audit and control; as well as the planned new 118 additional posts for EPPO in 2022;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Calls on~~Reiterates its requests to the Commission to ensure that the European Anti-Fraud Office, the Court of Auditors and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office have the necessary means and staff to investigate potential cases of fraud against the EU budget.

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Underlines the relevance of reporting on the performance of the Union budget’s programmes for the discharge procedure; draws attention to the fact that the added value of the invested resources is closely linked to the results achieved and their contribution to improving the daily life of Union citizens;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission to take account of the Court's recommendations on monitoring the effectiveness of expenditure at European level by asking the Member States to include profitability indicators in the ex ante report.

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Welcomes the streamlining of key performance indicators for the various EU spending programmes with their inclusion in the respective basic acts; calls on the Commission to put performance at the hearth of budget implementation and maximize the effectiveness of EU spending and develop methodologies to better evaluate the contribution of the EU’s various spending programmes to horizontal priorities;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)

7 c. Calls on the Commission to ensure that its impact assessments examine the key substantive aspects of legislation covering several programmes and plan its evaluations for all spending programmes, including evaluations covering specific thematic aspects of such programmes; calls on the Commission to clearly identify relevant follow-up actions arising from evaluations and include more quantitative information, especially cost- benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses when presenting options in impact assessments;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)

7 d. Notes with concern the increasing use of Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for creating new mechanisms and bodies with budgetary implications for the EU budget, under which Parliament’s role is limited to the mere right to information; insists on an appropriate role for Parliament in the budgetary scrutiny of such initiatives; stresses, in addition, the importance of ensuring a meaningful role in the decision-making and scrutiny of all EU programmes based on national implementation plans;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 e (new)

7 e. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to shorten the discharge procedure; acknowledges that it delivered the 2020 and 2021 consolidated EU accounts relatively earlier than the regulatory deadline and advanced the publication of the Annual Management and Performance Report by a few weeks; encourages the Commission to keep progressing in this endeavour; acknowledges that further improvements depend on the Court of Auditors publishing their annual report earlier and the Council adopting its discharge recommendation earlier too; calls on the Commission, the Court of Auditors and the Council to focus on this problem and keep progressing towards a quicker discharge procedure;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the importance of the Union budget for achieving the Union’s political priorities, as well as its role in assisting Member States in unforeseen situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, or the Russian’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine; stresses that sound and timely implementation of the budget contributes to addressing more efficiently and effectively the needs and challenges in different policy areas; Recalls that responding to the current crises has required unprecedented financial investment; stresses that the EU must strive to restore economic balance in the long term; highlights that all new resources and instruments should be monitored like any other financial tool from the EU budget;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 f (new)

7 f. Calls on the Commission to ensure that appropriate administrative resources are available to manage in parallel all shared management funds and in particular the ESIF under the 2014-2020 MFF until closure, together with the increased allocations to them from the NGEU instrument in 2021 and subsequent years, as well as the Recovery and Resilience Facility;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Deeply regrets the fact that the protection of the EU budget, including the comprehensive processing of information, the ease of accessibility, the feasibility of in-depth audits, substantive scrutiny and the possibility to monitor, follow up on and evaluate the financed actions, as envisaged by the RRF Regulation, has not been adequately embedded within the current MFF package as a whole; acknowledges that this shortcoming enormously weakens both the level of transparency of the implementing actions and the effectiveness of scrutiny and monitoring; calls for the revision of the 2021-2027 MFF to address these shortcomings; calls, therefore, for a mandatory single interoperable ~~database~~IT-system to be introduced during the current programming period, ~~including~~which combines relevant information on EU co- financed programmes and projects with information on the direct and ultimate beneficiaries of EU funds and their beneficial owners, providing a clear overview of the recipients of EU funding;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. DNotes the need for flexibility in times of crisis but deeply regrets the fact that the protection of the EU budget, including the comprehensive processing of information, the ease of accessibility, the feasibility of in-depth audits, substantive scrutiny and the possibility to monitor, follow up on and evaluate the financed actions, as envisaged by the RRF Regulation, has not been adequately embedded within the current MFF package as a whole; acknowledges that this shortcoming enormously weakens both the level of transparency of the implementing actions and the effectiveness of scrutiny and monitoring; calls for the revision of the 2021-2027 MFF to address these shortcomings; calls, therefore, for a mandatory single interoperable database to be introduced during the current programming period, including relevant information on the direct and ultimate beneficiaries of EU funds, providing a clear overview of the recipients of EU funding and ensure accountability, credibility and better control of expenditure, so as to prevent misuse of funds, corruption, fraud, conflicts of interest, etc. ;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Stresses that the upcoming revision of the MFF 2021-2027 should facilitate a true European added value budget with sufficient funding to achieve its ambitions, and a strengthened focus on stability and simplicity, performance and results, leading to better and more effective spending, low operating costs, efficient allocations of resources, equity, and increased accountability and transparency;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the EU budget (the Conditionality Regulation); emphasises the clear link between respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the EU budget; notes that any upscaling of the 2021-2027 MFF should aim to reinforce the protection of the EU’s financial interests, ensuring alignment with rule of law conditionality and strengthening public procurement rules to avoid any potential conflict of interests and increase transparency; reducing the administrative burden for beneficiaries, strengthening the efficacy of spending with a view to achieving greater European added value and increasing access to EU funding for citizens, SMEs and local and regional authorities;

Amendment 7 #

Udo BULLMANN, Karsten LUCKE, Carlos ZORRINHO, Eric ANDRIEU, Pierfrancesco MAJORINO, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ

4. Welcomes the Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the EU budget (the Conditionality Regulation); emphasises the clear link between respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the EU budget; notes that any upscaling of the 2021-2027 MFF should aim to reinforce the protection of the EU’s financial interests, ensuring alignment with rule of law conditionality and strengthening public procurement rules to avoid any potential conflict of interests and increase transparency; asks the Commission to indicate how it will verify the functioning of the rule of law to ensure the uniform application of conditionality for all Member States;

Amendment 8 #

Olivier CHASTEL, Alin MITUȚA, Michal WIEZIK, Gilles BOYER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the serious risk that the amount of outstanding commitments (reste à liquider – RAL) continues to rise; ~~calls on the Commission to closely monitor this issue and to make every effort to ensure that it remains under control~~asks the Commission to monitor the low absorption rate of Members States; calls on the Commission to closely monitor this issue by delivering a country-by-country analysis to the discharge authority, as well as the measures taken to optimize the situation and to prepare a detailed plan of actions in order to reduce the amount of outstanding commitments; calls on the Commission to present that plan to the discharge authority;

Amendment 9 #

Younous OMARJEE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the serious risk that the amount of outstanding commitments (reste à liquider – RAL) continues to rise putting the budget under serious pressure in terms of liquidity; calls on the Commission to closely monitor this issue and to make every effort to ensure that it remains under control, reminding the importance of monitoring in particular the Member States with low absorption rates;

source: 736.356

2022/09/08 DEVE 48 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Stresses the role of the European Union as a global player, especially in view of development policy and humanitarian aid, where it is a crucial actor providing stability and collectively the biggest donor in the world; emphasises that this role can only be fulfilled with the appropriate financial means, which must be increased due to the shifted geopolitical realities;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to adopt, in early 2023, an ambitious MFF revision proposal that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6 to an extent that is ambitious enough to address the current challenges of EU external action; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings;

Amendment 11 #

Barry ANDREWS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to adopt, in early 2023, an ambitious ~~MFF revision proposal~~proposal for a humanitarian revision of the MFF that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6 and revises the functioning of the SEAR; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings under Heading 6;

Amendment 12 #

Udo BULLMANN, Karsten LUCKE, Carlos ZORRINHO, Eric ANDRIEU, Pierfrancesco MAJORINO, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to adopt, in early 2023, an ambitious MFF revision proposal that ~~substantial~~adequately increases the resources for Heading 6 to adapt to the new challenges where a common EU response has an added value; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to adopt, in early 2023, an ambitious MFF revision proposal that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings; highlights that only seven years are left to achieve Agenda 2030 and regrets that according to the SDG Report 20221a, the global average of the SDG index decreased slightly for the second consecutive year; reiterates that the EU should play a crucial role in the implementation of the SDGs as well as in supporting its partner countries in their efforts; _________________ 1a https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/Th e-Sustainable-Development-Goals- Report-2022.pdf

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Notes with deep concern the stalling progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the estimated annual SDG financing gap of USD 3,7 trillion; insists that the MFF revision needs to contribute to a wider plan to finance the SDGs and include clearly defined quantifiable targets allowing for the monitoring of SDG-related spending under the EU budget;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Reaffirms that the increased financial needs to reach the SDGs cannot be covered only by funding from the MFF and from EU Member States but there is a need for an enhanced Public-Private- Partnership in the field of development cooperation;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap continues to grow; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly ~~more~~less funding in the revised MFF to ~~match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor~~ensure that the EU lives up to its promises to the Member States to preserve the European way of life;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap continues to grow while the unpredictability and the impacts of climate and human-induced disasters continue to arise; underlines that the numerous and consistent top-ups of the EU’s annual humanitarian budget over the past years of the current MFF have proven the initially allocated funding to never be sufficient to cover the humanitarian needs for the entire year; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor and enable humanitarian partners and local responders to deliver timely and adapted responses to the increasing needs;

Amendment 18 #

Barry ANDREWS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap was the highest it has ever been in 2022 at USD 36.9 billion, and continues to grow; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor; recalls the “in-but-out” nature of humanitarian aid, and that providing life-saving humanitarian assistance should not come at the expense of other humanitarian programmes, nor should aid be diverted to other budget lines during the annual budgetary procedure unless the needs have decreased;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap continues to grow, currently standing at USD 36.9 billion – the highest ever; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor and lead by example in encouraging other donors to increase their financial contribution to humanitarian aid;

Amendment 2 #

Udo BULLMANN, Karsten LUCKE, Carlos ZORRINHO, Eric ANDRIEU, Pierfrancesco MAJORINO, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Regrets that the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) ~~lacks a sufficiently~~contains such an endowed Heading 6 and, ~~therefore, the available marg~~reminds tha~~ve been limited and shrinking since the first year, including an early depletion of the cushion; highlights that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is generating unprecedented~~t the misguided Covid 19 measures and the unprecedented move to close several modern facilities of power production throughout Europe due to the green narrative, sponsored in part by Russia to undermine the Member States; highlights the needs for ~~EU external action, both in neighbouring countries and worldwide, as a result of the food, energy and economic crises, which are undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals~~the Member States to create financial ability to consolidate and redevelop their national ability for power production;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap continues to grow; underlines that sustainable investments in disaster risk reduction are urgently needed today in order to prevent shocks and crises in the short, medium and long term; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor in view of the many simulations crises in the world;

Amendment 21 #

Beata KEMPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap continues to grow; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor and to play a more visible role as a peacemaker in the current geopolitical context, given the EU’s economic strength and geographical reach;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls for more coherent application of the humanitarian- development-peace nexus approach to be able to address the growing number of protracted crises in a sustainable manner;

Amendment 23 #

Udo BULLMANN, Karsten LUCKE, Carlos ZORRINHO, Eric ANDRIEU, Pierfrancesco MAJORINO, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the need for flexibility mechanisms to have sufficient funding to respond to crises~~; is concerned by the uneven mobilisation of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR)~~ within the EU; calls for more predictability in meeting internal ~~and external~~ emergency needs by separating the SEAR into a Solidarity Reserve for needs within the EU and an Emergency Aid Reserve for external action, or by ring-fencing the share dedicated for external crises for the entire year;

Amendment 24 #

Barry ANDREWS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the need for flexibility mechanisms to have sufficient funding to respond to crises; is concerned by the uneven mobilisation of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR); notes that a disproportionate amount of SEAR resources are used for internal purposes; calls for an overall increase of the resources allocated to SEAR; calls for more predictability in meeting internal and external emergency needs by separating the SEAR into a Solidarity Reserve for needs within the EU and an Emergency Aid Reserve for external action, or by ring- fencing the share dedicated for external crises for the entire year; insists that the resources available under SEAR should not be time-bound, and should be allocated when they are required, on a strict needs basis;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 26 #

Udo BULLMANN, Karsten LUCKE, Carlos ZORRINHO, Eric ANDRIEU, Pierfrancesco MAJORINO, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the MFF revision to ~~provide additional~~drastically reduce funds to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument~~, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine without diverting money from other geographic regions~~;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. CUnderlines that inequalities between countries and people are dramatically increasing, making the need to transform economies and infrastructures in a just and sustainable way even more imperative; calls for the MFF revision to provide additional funds to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine without diverting money from other geographic regions, where it is urgently needed to achieve the SDGs especially SDG 1 and SDG 10 given their strategic importance for the implementation of the other goals;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the MFF revision to provide additional funds to humanitarian aid to address emergencies particularly in the context of food insecurity as well as to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine, particularly in the context peace, security and conflict prevention, financing of cross-sectoral efforts to increase capacity for diversified local and regional food production, ensure nutritional and food security, without diverting money from other geographic regions;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the MFF revision to provide additional funds to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently to counter the current food crisis and climate related disasters impacting developing countries, but also anticipate and prevent similar situations in the future, and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine without diverting money from other geographic regions;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the MFF revision to provide additional funds to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine without diverting money from other geographic regions and thematic lines;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Points out the need to finance climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in partner countries; urgently calls for more investments in climate adaptation measures to help better prevent impacts of climate change and more expenditures in addressing those impacts; calls, in particular, to make use of geographical programmes and the Global Challenges ‘Planet’ thematic programme of the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation to help implement anticipatory and medium to long-term locally-led climate adaptation actions to increase the resilience of small-scale local food production, and to compensate for climate change induced loss and damage;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls for securing adequate financing under the geographic programmes of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) –Global Europe for supporting sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries to increase food security, create economic opportunities and jobs while prioritising financing for training and education for young people inline with the commitments made by the Commission;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Underlines that the war in Ukraine has further exacerbated the already severe situation caused by COVID-19 and put additional pressure on global food security; calls for additional funding for geographic programmes as well as for the 'Prosperity' and ‘Planet’ thematic programme of NDICI-Global Europe to encourage the transition of developing countries towards more self-sufficient food production systems which safeguard developing countries’ right to food sovereignty, promote small-scale producers and local communities and reduce their dependence on food imports; welcomes and encourages further EU investments in partnership with developing countries in agro-ecology, agroforestry and crop diversification and reiterates that EU-supported investment in agriculture, forestry is in line inter alia with the FAO/CFS Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security (VGGTs) and the FAO/CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Underlines that, in the framework of development cooperation, there is a need to foster a more resilient economic system in partner countries, particularly in terms of small scale family farming to increase agricultural productivity;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Calls for an increase in appropriations for the protection of biodiversity under NDICI-GE given the fact that reaching the 2026 and 2027 MFF biodiversity targets remains insufficient; stresses that new investment tools to support resource mobilisation can be used to this end (e.g biodiversity- relevant taxes, fees and charges); calls on scaling up investments to better track, reform and phase-out subsidies harmful for biodiversity and channelling them towards biodiversity friendly activities, in line with Agenda 2030; recalls that biodiversity and its associated services – pollination, predators of pests, increased resilience of agroecosystems to erosion, droughts and flooding, soil formation and carbon sinking – are essential to provide sustainable food production;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Calls on the Commission and Member States to evaluate the projects and priorities funded under the NDICI 10% migration target from the perspective of SDGs, aid efficiency principles and the targets of the Global Compacts on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and Global Compact for Refugees, to ensure that at a time when the global number of forced displacement internally and cross- border is the highest since the second world war, the EU reacts by fulfilling its international obligations with solidarity, durable solutions and by facilitating access to protection for those in need and to legal pathways for persons on the move, instead of hindering mobility and reducing global solidarity;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to urgently evaluate, in coordination with their international partners and relevant international institutions, all the means available to avoid any default in the balance of payments of importer countries, including direct funding and restructuring of their debt; stresses the importance of prioritising grant-based financing as the default option, especially for least developed countries;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Calls for securing adequate financing under the thematic programmes of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe for supporting inclusive and quality education in fragile environments as well as vocational and technical training to accelerate access to decent jobs;

Amendment 39 #

Udo BULLMANN, Karsten LUCKE, Carlos ZORRINHO, Eric ANDRIEU, Pierfrancesco MAJORINO, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Highlights that access to quality education and vocational training for young people in developing countries is a necessary precondition for economic diversification and empowerment as well as for resilience building;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Regrets that the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) lacks a sufficiently endowed Heading 6 and, therefore, the available margins have been limited and shrinking since the first year, including an early depletion of the cushion, even beyond responding to emerging challenges and priorities; highlights that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is having global consequences and is generating unprecedented needs for EU external action, both in neighbouring countries and worldwide~~, as a result of~~; stresses that the consequences of the Russian war in Ukraine, among others the food, energy and economic crises, ~~which~~ are undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals worldwide;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5 f. Recalls that article 4.2 of the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation provides for the creation of geographic programmes of continental or trans- regional scope, including an ACP programme; considers that such programme will complement EU programming at regional and country level in these parts of the world and shall be designed so as to support the OACPS in a way that incorporates the parliamentary dimension of the EU- OACPS partnership, namely in terms of human resources being dedicated to the joint parliamentary and regional assemblies set up under the Cotonou Agreement and the future Partnership Agreement respectively;

Amendment 41 #

Charles GOERENS, Iskra MIHAYLOVA, Stéphane BIJOUX, Barry ANDREWS, María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the MFF revision ~~should~~may have to be accompanied by the necessary legislative changes to the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation to enhance flexibility and efficiency of implementation and to reflect to the changed international environment.

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the MFF revision should be accompanied by the necessary ~~legislative changes~~adjustments and flexibility to the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation.

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the comprehensive and ambitious MFF revision should be accompanied by the necessary legislative changes to the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation. including more clear programming cycles, enhanced transparency of funding decisions and reinforced engagement of civil society and local actors;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to involve regional governments and Civil Society Organizations at the highest level in the MFF revision in order to ensure that EU receives diverse input from all relevant stakeholders;

Amendment 45 #

6 a. In a general context of global rise of extremist discourse that threatens the upholding of human rights, and in particular, women’s rights, calls on the EU to ensure adequate support to further strengthen gender mainstreaming throughout all programmes for external actions, alongside increased funding to civil society organisations in order to support programmes to advance gender equality, aimed at women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls, LGBTIQ+, human right defenders, minorities and other marginalised populations;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Takes note that the scarce resources of the MFF need to be utilised in a more efficient way and there is a need for better involvement of local organisations with extensive experience in the field of humanitarian assistance, education and health care - such as churches and faith-based organisations (FBOs) - in the implementation of EU funded programmes;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Urges the Commission to clarify the development objectives of the Global Gateway strategy, which draws on the financing instruments of the MFF, including the NDICI- Global Europe Regulation, and the EU budget; calls for the necessary legislative changes to the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation and the revision of the MFF to take into account the evaluation of the results and development impact of the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy and related guaranteed investments made through the European Fund for Sustainable Development+ (EFSD+) and supported by the External Action Guarantee; underlines that the evaluation of the use and the functioning of the External Action Guarantee shall be submitted to the European Parliament and to the Council and accompanied by an opinion of the Court of Auditors and that both the evaluation report and the opinion of the Court of Auditors shall be made publicly available;

Amendment 48 #

Hildegard BENTELE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Points out that the EU is lacking the position of a high-level political EU Climate Envoy who addresses and promotes the fight against climate change and the EU's position and solutions in the framework of the Green Deal on the international level on a permanent basis; therefore calls on the Commission to appoint as soon as possible a high-level political Climate Envoy.

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses that that the global energy, food and economic crises triggered by the Russian aggression against Ukraine generate critical needs for many developing countries; points out that the lack of budgetary margin in Heading 6 risks preventing the EU from being a reliable actor for achieving the development needs of partner countries and lays the ground for further influence of geopolitical competitors in many developing countries;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes that consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine have exacerbated the already existing vulnerabilities of economies in developing countries, notably in the agro-food sector, further notes that the current food crisis intertwined with the deteriorating security situation, impact of climate change and the economic recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic are exhausting resources of partner countries;

Amendment 7 #

Beata KEMPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to put forward new initiatives for increasing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and assistance to refugees from Ukraine, as well as for the future reconstruction of Ukraine and the strengthening of its resilience in the context of the Multiannual Financial Framework;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to adopt, in early 2023, an ambitious MFF revision proposal that substantially indecreases the resources for Heading 6; urges the Member States to agree to a significant ~~increas~~decrease in ceilings so as to create fin ~~ceiling~~ancial buffers to handle the self-made energy crises in most of the Member States in the wake of the unrealistic drive for a carbon free society, and the impact after the misguided Covid19 measures;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to ~~adopt, in early 2023, an ambitious MFF revision proposal that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings~~conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive revision of the MFF as soon as possible, and not later than the first quarter of 2023, that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings; calls on the Commission to create an effective crisis response mechanism to tackle the new challenges without jeopardizing priorities established under co-decision in the relevant programmes, in particular as regards climate and development aid;

source: 736.358

2022/09/28 EMPL, BUDG 58 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft report
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas there are currently 96.5 million people in the EU at risk of poverty and social exclusion, which represents 21.9 % of the population. whereas about 34 million Europeans reported an inability to keep their homes adequately warm in 2018, and 6.9 % of the Union population have said that they cannot afford to heat their home sufficiently in a 2019 EU-wide survey; whereas overall, the Energy Poverty Observatory estimates that more than 50 million households in the European Union experience energy poverty; whereas energy poverty is therefore a major challenge for the Union1; whereas these numbers are certain to increase as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s decision not to deliver gas to Poland and Bulgaria, and the impact of the necessary sanctions against the Russian Federation;

Amendment 10 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world; points out that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the key driver for strengthening the social dimension of the Union and the main instrument for investing in people, promoting high employment levels, building social protection and developing a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the transition to a green and digital economy in line with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights;

Amendment 11 #

Draft report
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union's political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, ~~fostering an inclusive and social recovery,~~including in remote areas, energy intense sectors and for low-skilled workers, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, based, inter alia, on robust social protection systems, short-time work schemes to avoid the drastic consequences of redundancies, housing allowances for people in need and affordable reskilling programmes promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium- sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, not least by giving equal importance towards improvements in people's lives, in particular to low-income and vulnerable groups, such as people in poverty or at risk of poverty and social exclusion ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 12 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 2

Amendment 13 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 2

Amendment 14 #

Draft report
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights that~~, in the short term,~~ large-scale humanitarian aid in Ukraine and financial support to Member States receiving and helping to settle people fleeing the conflict are needed to address the impact of the war against Ukraine;

Amendment 15 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights that, in the short term, large-scale humanitarian aid in Ukraine and financial support to Member States receiving and helping to settle people fleeing the conflict are needed to address the impact of the war against Ukraine; welcomes the efforts made by Member States hosting persons fleeing the war in Ukraine in terms of offering infrastructure, education and work to refugees;

Amendment 16 #

Draft report
Paragraph 5

5. PUnderlines that the flexibility available under the current 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) is not sufficient to fully cover the financial needs generated by the war against Ukraine and the COVID pandemic; stresses that the current MFF was neither designed nor conceived in terms of size to address the new challenges and future crisis situations while simultaneously maintain investments in the EU’s programmes and policies, including important priorities like the just, green and digital transitions; points out that essential new policy initiatives put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives;

Amendment 17 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 8

8. Emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU-wide solutions; recalls that ESF+ is expected to contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan; is concerned about the very limited margins available under the MFF and insists for the need to enhance spending to speed up the implementation of the EPSR Action Plan;

Amendment 18 #

Draft report
Paragraph 8

8. EPoints out that the economic and political context was different when the current MFF was negotiated; emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; recalls that the current high inflation puts a great pressure on the ceilings in the MFF leaving no margins available to tackle the biggest challenges and long-term EU goals; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU-wide solutions;

Amendment 19 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 8

Amendment 2 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Recital D

D. whereas ~~citizens rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to support them in 1 Recital 12~~the crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine will have a serious impact on the social and economic situation in the EU, inter alia ofn the Commission proposal of 14 July 2021 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Social Climate Fund (COM(2021)0568); Data from 2018. Eurostat, EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, 2018. EU’s labour markets and living conditions and risks negatively impacting growth and employment; whereas increasing inflation and, in particular, rapid increases in food and energy prices across the EU are affecting the most vulnerable populations, further increasing inequalities, and aggravating poverty and energy poverty; whereas people rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to support them in crises;

Amendment 20 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia's decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries and the Union's capacity to deliver on its political objectives;

Amendment 21 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent review and revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a 'business as usual' approach will ~~not remotely suffice~~fail to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 22 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent review and comprehensive, ambitious revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed, stimulate stagnant economies, rebuild Europe’s industrial base and tackle the social and employment crisis, as well as the refugee and migration crises and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 23 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Draft report
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible and no later than the first quarter of 2023, in order to provide additional flexibility needed in the EU budget, respond to unforeseen and urgent needs and take into account the long-term implications of the covid-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine and the emergency measures taken;

Amendment 24 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Considers that a number of issues will need to be taken into account in the MFF revision, namely the importance of increased flexibility and sufficient resources in the MFF to support sustainable growth and investment and effectively tackle the social and labour market implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war of aggression against Ukraine, especially mass unemployment; Calls therefore for reinforced MFF and increased budget to support the EU 2020 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development strategies objectives and initiatives set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Porto Declaration and to take up new challenges;

Amendment 25 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 14

14. Underlines that the unanimity requirement for adoption of the MFF Regulation impedes the necessary decisions in the revision process; calls, in that regard, on the European Council to activate the passerelle clause set out in Article 312(2) TFEU to allow for adoption of the MFF Regulation by qualified majority;Deletion

Amendment 26 #

Draft report
Paragraph 17

17. Reminds that programmes and their envelopes should be respected and reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money for new tasks and not to the detriment of well- established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies; is concerned about the very limited margins available under the current MFF and insists on the need to enhance spending to speed up the implementation of the EPSR Action Plan;

Amendment 27 #

Draft report
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Highlights the demographic situation in the EU with ageing population as a demographic phenomenon which involves a decrease both in fertility and mortality rates and a higher life expectancy; welcomes the European Care Strategy and calls for its support within the MFF; insists on the need to invest in social infrastructures to address the demographic challenge; stresses the lack of policy responses to the impact of demographic change;

Amendment 28 #

Draft report
Paragraph 19

Amendment 29 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Recalls that ESF+ is expected to contribute to the implementation of the EPSR Action Plan and to the relevant country specific recommendations adopted in the framework of the Semester to ensure equal opportunities, equal access to the labour market, fair and quality working conditions, social protection and inclusion; reminds that programs decided and their envelops should be respected and calls for fresh money to fulfil the new tasks stemming from Action Plan; calls therefore for a reinforced ESF+ with significantly increased public support for existing instruments aimed at the poorest in our society, in particular actions aimed at the most deprived (continuation of FEAD);

Amendment 3 #

Draft report
Recital D

D. whereas citizens rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to support them in crises, in particularly when increasing inflation and rapid increases in food and energy prices across the EU are affecting the most vulnerable populations, further increasing inequality, and aggravating poverty and energy poverty; whereas wages are not projected to increase as fast as inflation and therefore workers are losing purchasing power and might see their living conditions worsen in the next few months;

Amendment 30 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Stresses that as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine continues to create uncertainties, it is therefore important to also continue financing the recovery and to address the social and employment-related challenges resulting from the pandemic, as well as support workers and businesses in the move towards a more solidarity-based digital, greener and climate neutral economy;

Amendment 31 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19b. Insists that ESF+ must continue playing a key role in supporting Member States, people and regions to achieve high employment levels that ensure adequate wages, decent working conditions, healthy work environments and social security coverage, fair social protection and a skilled, competitive and resilient workforce ready for the transition to a green and digital economy and for the future world of work, as well as inclusive and cohesive societies aiming to eradicating poverty and delivering on the principles set out in the EPSR; notes that the ESF+ was adopted before the current crisis situation, which currently implies higher public and social investment than planned so far and that the current financial programming risks not meeting the existing needs; calls therefore for a reinforced ESF+ supplemented by a social rescue facility with increased public support for existing instruments aimed at the poorest in our society;

Amendment 32 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19c. Stresses furthermore that the ESF+ must provide adequate support for capacity building of the social partners and civil society organisations, including in the form of training, networking measures, and strengthening of the social dialogue, and to activities jointly undertaken by the social partners;

Amendment 33 #

Agnes JONGERIUS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19d. Is concerned that wages have been on a decreasing trend and that real wages are currently falling following a series of exceptional energy price shocks; considers that there is an urgent need for wage increases, in order to sustain internal demand and inclusive growth, and to reduce the impact of the double crisis on workers and households and that additional efforts are required within the EU budget and the MFF to help social partners in delivering wage increases through tripartite capacity building frameworks, so anticipating the expected positive impact of the Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages and its swift implementation;

Amendment 34 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 e (new)

19e. Welcomes the Union ambition to step up its efforts to fight the alarming child poverty rates and eradicate child poverty via the recently created European Child Guarantee; warns however that the current crises have and will further exacerbate the current deteriorating situation of children in or at risk of poverty; reiterates thus its call for an urgent increase of the European Child Guarantee funding with a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion and insists on making this part of the revised MFF; moreover calls on the Commission to make available - and on the Member States to make full use of - all available resources for the effective implementation of the Child Guarantee including, inter alia, the ESF+, ReactEU, and the RRF;

Amendment 35 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 f (new)

19f. Recalls that young people have been particularly affected by the COVID- 19 crisis in terms of employment, education, training and mental well- being; is concerned that the economic fallout from the current crisis resulting from the Russian aggression in Ukraine will risk leaving many more young people in Europe unemployed, with long-lasting socio-economic consequences; stresses in this regard that the revised MFF needs to prioritise support for young people and combating youth unemployment and to strengthen the existing initiatives, such as the Youth Guarantee;

Amendment 36 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 19 g (new)

19g. Recalls that the Union agencies play an important role in providing Union institutions and countries with specialised knowledge notably on employment and social issues and that they must be guaranteed the necessary resources, including staffing, to fulfil their tasks which are evolving;

Amendment 37 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 20

20. Reiterates its position that the Social Climate Fund must be fully incorporated into the EU budget and within the MFF ~~without negatively impacting other programmes and funds under this heading, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring food security and delivering on~~provided that there is an automatic MFF adjustment mechanism so that SCF budget is fully dynamic and reflects the Greven ~~Deal; calls for the ceiling of Heading 3 to be adjusted accordingly~~ues from auctioned allowance;

Amendment 38 #

Draft report
Paragraph 20

20. Reiterates its position that the Social Climate Fund must be fully incorporated into the EU budget and within the MFF, without negatively impacting other programmes and funds under this heading, bearing in mind ~~the importance of ensuring food security and delivering o~~need to involve vulnerable households and transport users affected by energy and mobility poverty in the transition towards a climate-neutral economy and in delivering on the Green Deal, highlights the need for long-term investment in energy-efficient building and zero-emission mobility and warns of the dangerous socio-economic and political consequences that the lack of involvement of vulnerable households and transport users in the Ggreen ~~Deal~~transition would have; calls for the ceiling of Heading 3 to be adjusted accordingly;

Amendment 39 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 20

20. RHighlights the need to fully implement the Just Transition Mechanism and the swift adoption of the Social Climate Fund by focusing on social well-being and individuals’ needs; reiterates its position that the Social Climate Fund must be fully incorporated into the EU budget and within the MFF, without negatively impacting other programmes and funds under this heading, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring food security and delivering on the Green Deal; calls for the ceiling of Heading 3 to be adjusted accordingly;

Amendment 4 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Recital D

D. whereas, in times of increasing inflation, rapid increases in food and energy prices across the Union affect the most vulnerable, citizens rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to support them in crises;

Amendment 40 #

Draft report
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Recalls the EP position to invest at least 20 billion € in the implementation of a European Child Guarantee for the period 2021-2027, highlights that child poverty and social exclusion is an acute issue across the EU with long lasting consequences, which has been further exacerbated by the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calls on the Council and the Member States to follow up on the EP request with a revision of the European Social Fund (ESF) + Regulation in view of ensuring an adequate budget of at least 20 billion € tothe European Child Guarantee

Amendment 41 #

Draft report
Paragraph 21

21. Emphasises that the war against Ukraine has placed unexpected demands on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) and the decentralised agencies in Heading 4; expresses further concern, furthermore, that successive Commission proposals for agency mandate extensions are eroding the BMVI’s financial envelope; calls for the ceiling of Heading 4 to be increased significantly to reflect the real financing needs of the Union’s migration and border management;

Amendment 42 #

Draft report
Paragraph 23

Amendment 43 #

Draft report
Paragraph 27

27. Points out that MFF and own resources are interlinked; emphasises, in this context, the need for sustainable ~~and~~ resilient and non-regressive revenue for the EU budget; recalls that, in the IIA, Parliament, the Council and the Commission committed to introducing sufficient new own resources to at least cover the repayment of EURI debt;

Amendment 44 #

Draft report
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines that the temporary and short-term flexibility introduced into cohesion policy funds through the series of Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) proposals provided some helped to Member States ~~to deal quickly with the impact of the war against Ukraine~~, but for some Member States still insufficient for the scale of needs, following on from the model of the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives, CRII and CRII+, which enabled EU action at the beginning of the COVID- 19 pandemic;

Amendment 45 #

Draft report
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines that the temporary and short-term flexibility introduced into cohesion policy funds through the series of Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) proposals helped Member States to deal quickly with the impact of the war against Ukraine, following on from the model of the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiatives, CRII and CRII+, which enabled EU action at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; calls for a temporary European social resilience package coordinating a set of measures and means to strengthen social welfare and social protection systems in the EU, including the continuation and refinancing of SURE as long as the socio- economic consequences of the war continue to have a negative impact on the labour market;

Amendment 46 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 29

29. Stresses that, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool; is concerned that cohesion policy is increasingly being used to reinforce other policies and to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; emphasises that cohesion policy is one of the priorities of the Union, has long-term investment objectives linked to the EU’s strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, and should not be used to replenish funding for other policies; calls, therefore, for ~~cohes~~funding levels to be readjusted, and in particular for additional funding ~~levels to be preserved in the budget~~for cohesion policy amount to around at least 30% of the investment gap for energy efficiency investments until 2030 for a spending targeted at enhancing energy efficiency of the worst performing residential buildings for upfront investments with a special attention on technical assistance to allow for the bundling of projects to ensure timely and efficient uptake in response to the sharp rise in energy prices putting low income households in a difficult position;

Amendment 47 #

Draft report
Paragraph 29

29. Stresses that, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool; points out that the EU cohesion policy is essential to support regional development, sustainable growth and quality employment and is concerned that cohesion policy is increasingly being used to reinforce other policies and to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; emphasises that cohesion policy is one of the priorities of the Union, has long-term investment objectives linked to the EU’s strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, and should not be used to replenish funding for other policies; calls, therefore, for cohesion funding levels to be preserved in the budget;

Amendment 48 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29a. Calls to reinforce measures for income protection, fight against poverty, just transition and to help alleviate the impact of high levels of inflation on the poorer workers and households; stresses that the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) has proved to be successful in fighting unemployment as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and believes that additional efforts are needed to prevent unemployment and underemployment coming from the effects of the war, by refinancing and making SURE permanent to support employment support measures in the Member States and expanding the scope of SURE to support short time work schemes and workers that would be temporarily laid- off;

Amendment 49 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 29 b (new)

29b. Insists that all national and EU emergency measures, particularly those connected to employment protection and income compensation continue and are refinanced as long as the socio-economic consequences of the war continue to have a negative impact on the labour market and until the full recovery of the economy and the stabilisation of jobs; calls also to introduce a permanent instrument in form of a European Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme to protect employment and fight against unemployment, including the preservation of jobs and workers’ income in situations of external shocks;

Amendment 5 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas wages are not projected to increase as fast as inflation and therefore workers are losing purchasing power and might see their living conditions worsen in the next few months; whereas this will also exert greater pressure on social policy capacity, as well as on automatic stabilisers such as national unemployment schemes;

Amendment 50 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Draft report
Paragraph 29 c (new)

29c. Calls in this regard for a temporary European social resilience package coordinating a set of measures and means to strengthen social welfare and social protection systems in the EU, and the creation of a new EU fund for social emergencies (a ‘social rescue facility’), for crises situations of a different nature, which are becoming increasingly multi-faceted, hybrid and complex;

Amendment 51 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 30

30. Recalls that the special instruments sit outside the MFF ceilings, therefore ensuring a degree of flexibility and the ability to respond to crises, and are only mobilised in the event of a budgetary authority decision; points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; insists that all existing shortcomings of the emergency measures need to be addressed and fully resolved, particularly in terms of adequacy and universality of coverage and access;

Amendment 52 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a permanent fiscal capacity and common crisis instrument as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects, thus mitigating the possible shocks on the EU's labour markets and consequences on living conditions, especially of those of the most vulnerable persons, as well as on small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs);

Amendment 53 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF

Draft report
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36a. Recognises that ESF + and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) must contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights by putting its principles into practice and mainstreaming social objectives in all relevant legislation, policies and implementing plans linked to the NextGenerationEU (NGEU); stresses that adequate resources should be allocated to update and implement the EPSR Action Plan adopted in Porto and to achieve the Porto’s headline targets and that the RRF should be made permanent and include a minimum 30% of the funds to be social investment strengthening social welfare systems and investing in social security, access to healthcare and education, affordable housing, employment, justice and social services for vulnerable groups; calls in this regard on the Commission to ensure adequate staffing to support this task; believes that the Porto’s poverty targets should be detailed better in all NRRPs and at EU level with an action plan and a strong anti-poverty strategy supported by substantial investments that addresses all aspects of poverty, including in-work poverty;

Amendment 54 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 36 b (new)

36b. Believes that addressing social gaps with EU and governments’ budgets through social investment in key policy areas improving the living and working conditions for people affected by the high inflation, the war against Ukraine, the health crisis or by transition of the accelerating green and digital transformations should be at the heart of the recovery strategy of the EU; to this end, considers that detecting social risks and taking into account the divergent employment effects and long-term unemployment across particular industries should be adequately addressed; calls therefore on the Commission to present a Sustainable Development Goal expenditure and tracking methodology for the social expenditure in the EU budget based on the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and a Social Scoreboard and well-being indicators to measure the overall impact of different funds, instruments and facilities financed under the MFF;

Amendment 55 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37a. Stresses that the overall EU budget under the current MFF is not big enough to deliver ambitious green and digital transformation and adequate resources for cohesion, upward social convergence and support of the European social model; insists on strengthening social priorities and social investments in the revision of the MFF and the post -2027 MFF, ensuring strong ambitious social dimension and reinforced the ESF+ and social protection systems, fully implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Agenda 2030 of the UN;

Amendment 56 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 37 b (new)

37b. Calls to reinforcing social partners involvement, and the partnership principle, in the design, governance and implementation of MFF, in the design and implementation of the investment’s priorities, and in the monitoring of the results particularly in terms of job protection, quality job creation, just transitions and protection of workers’ and social rights; insist on making the respect for social dialogue, collective bargaining and workplace democracy compulsory conditions for funding;

Amendment 57 #

Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Dragoş PÎSLARU, Max ORVILLE, Sylvie BRUNET, Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR, Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Draft report
Paragraph 42

42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs and the inter-institutional commitment made towards the implementation of European Pillar of Social Rights and the adoption of its Action Plan, which set, inter alia, the EU target of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030 and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be equipped to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises;

Amendment 58 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Paragraph 43 a (new)

43a. Recalls the successful implementation of the SURE instrument at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped Member States cover the costs related to the creation or extension of national short-time work schemes; calls on the Commission to re- establish such an instrument in the context of the current social crisis in order to protect people in work and jobs and make it permanent as long as needed in times of crisis.

Amendment 6 #

Draft report
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan set a target for the EU to have at least 78% of population aged 20 to 64 in employment, at least 60% of all adults in training every year and to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million, including at least 5 million children, and adopted a series of proposals in order to reach those goals by 2030; whereas in the current context, reaching the targets is becoming more challenging, given the projected increase in poverty and unemployment in the months to come; whereas social protection systems are under severe pressure to mitigate the social impact of the crisis, to give support to refugees and to ensure decent living conditions for all, as well as access to quality essential services such as health, education and housing;

Amendment 7 #

Draft report
Recital E

E. whereas the combined effect of multiple crises and low MFF ceilings has given rise to a ‘galaxy’ of ad hoc instruments beyond the EU budget, as well as greater use of external assigned revenue not subject to the budgetary procedure, most notably in the case of NextGenerationEU (NGEU); whereas NGEU with the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) ensured an economically and socially sustainable, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory recovery; whereas, as one arm of the budgetary authority, Parliament should play a full role in this new budgetary environment in order to ensure democratic accountability and transparency; whereas the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) adopted by the Commission was a success;

Amendment 8 #

Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Milan BRGLEZ, Estrella DURÁ FERRANDIS, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Gabriele BISCHOFF, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Draft report
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) Action Plan set a target for the Union to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million, including at least 5 million children, and adopted a series of proposals in order to reach that goal by 2030;

Amendment 9 #

Draft report
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, ~~fostering an inclusive and social~~creating quality employment and decent working conditions, with adequate wages and social security protection, high occupational health and safety standards and gender-balanced opportunities, eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, fostering an inclusive and socially sustainable, just, and non-discriminatory recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing strong support ~~for~~particularly for the young generation, children, families, workers and small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward social convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, ~~contributing to greater~~fostering greater and equal opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

source: 736.508

2022/10/12 DEVE 9 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Regrets that the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) lacks a sufficiently endowed Heading 6 and, therefore, the available margins have been very limited and shrinking since the first year, including an early depletion of the cushion, while the cushion is being used even beyond responding to emerging challenges and priorities, and the need to use the single margin also to cover commitments under Heading 6; is deeply concerned that the MFF is already pushed to its limits and it is not fit to continue addressing the multiple internal and external crises in a sustainable manner; Stresses the role of the European Union as a global player, especially regarding development policy and humanitarian aid, where it is a crucial actor providing stability and collectively the biggest donor in the world; emphasises that this role can only be fulfilled with the appropriate financial means, which must be increased due to the shifted geopolitical realities to allow the EU to be a reliable development partner and prevent further influence of other geopolitical actors in many developing countries; highlights that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is having global consequences and is generating unprecedented needs for EU external action, both in neighbouring countries and worldwide~~, as a result of~~ ; stresses that these consequences have exacerbated the already existing vulnerabilities of economies in developing countries and generated, among other, food, energy and economic crises, which ~~are~~, intertwined with the deteriorating security situation, impact of climate change and the economic recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic are exhausting resources of partner countries and undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals; worldwide;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to ~~adopt, in early 2023, an~~conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive and ambitious ~~MFF~~ revision ~~proposal that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings~~of the MFF as soon as possible, and not later than the first quarter of 2023, that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6 to address the current challenges of EU external action where a common EU response has an added value; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings under Heading 6 including for aid and reconstruction in Ukraine; calls on the Commission to create an effective crisis response mechanism to tackle the new challenges without jeopardizing priorities established under co-decision in the relevant programmes, in particular as regards climate and development aid;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Highlights that only seven years are left to achieve Agenda 2030 and regrets that according to the SDG Report 20221a, the global average of the SDG index decreased slightly for the second consecutive year; emphasises the urgent need to achieve the SDGs, especially SDG 1 (“No Poverty”) and SDG 10 (“Reduced Inequalities”), given their strategic importance for the implementation of the other goals; underlines that inequalities between countries and people are dramatically increasing, making the need to transform economies and infrastructures in a just and sustainable way even more imperative; notes with deep concern the estimated annual SDG financing gap of USD 3,7 trillion; reiterates that the EU should play a crucial role in the implementation of the SDGs and support partner countries in their efforts; insists that the MFF revision needs to contribute to a wider plan to finance the SDGs and include clearly defined quantifiable indicators allowing for the monitoring of SDG-related spending under the EU budget; reaffirms that the increased financial needs to reach the SDGs cannot be covered only by funding from the MFF and from EU Member States; _________________ 1a https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/Th e-Sustainable-Development-Goals- Report-2022.pdf

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap ~~continues to grow; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor~~was the highest it has ever been in 2022 at USD 36.9 billion, and continues to grow while the unpredictability and the impacts of climate and human-induced disasters continue to arise; underlines that the numerous top-ups of the EU’s annual humanitarian budget in recent years have proven that the initially allocated funding has never been sufficient to cover the humanitarian needs for the entire year; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor, to play a more visible role and to lead by example in encouraging other donors to increase their financial contribution to humanitarian aid; recalls that providing humanitarian assistance to one crisis should not come at the expense of funding to other humanitarian operations, nor should humanitarian aid funds be diverted to other budget lines during the annual budgetary procedure unless the needs have decreased;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Urgently calls for a more coherent application of the humanitarian- development-peace nexus approach and for investments in disaster risk reduction to address the growing number of protracted crises, prevent shocks and crises in the short, medium and long term;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Highlights the need for flexibility mechanisms to have sufficient funding to respond to crises, without hampering efforts to achieve transparency and democratic accountability; is concerned by the uneven mobilisation of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR); notes that a disproportionate amount of SEAR resources are used for internal purposes; calls for an overall increase of the resources allocated to SEAR; calls for more predictability in meeting internal and external emergency needs by separating the SEAR into a Solidarity Reserve for needs within the EU and an Emergency Aid Reserve for external action, or by ring- fencing the share dedicated for external crises for the entire year; insists that the resources available under SEAR should be allocated when they are required, on a strict needs basis;

Amendment 7 #

5. Calls for the MFF revision to provide additional funds to the humanitarian aid instrument as well as to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently ~~and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine~~, including those used to counter climate related disasters impacting developing countries and to anticipate and prevent similar situations in the future, and those budget lines used to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine, notably addressing current food insecurity, and financing of cross-sectoral efforts to increase capacity for diversified local and regional food production, without diverting money from other geographic regions and thematic lines;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the comprehensive and ambitious MFF revision ~~should~~may have to be accompanied by the necessary ~~legislative change~~adjustments to the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation. to enhance flexibility, efficiency and clarity and transparency of programming cycles, funding decisions and implementation and to reinforce engagement of civil society and local actors and reflect the changed international environment;

Amendment 9 #

Nils UŠAKOVS, Monika HOHLMEIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls for securing adequate financing for the NDICI-Global Europe geographic and thematic programmes, particularly the “Global Challenges” thematic programmes, in order to help developing countries invest in climate adaptation measures to better prevent impacts of climate change, in particular to help implement anticipatory and medium to long-term locally-led climate adaptation actions to compensate for climate change induced loss and damage; encourage their transition towards more self-sufficient food production systems, supporting sustainable agriculture, with agro-ecology and agro-forestry as well as fisheries to increase food security, particularly in terms of small scale family farming while prioritising financing for training and education for young people; as well as to support access to inclusive and quality education for all, vocational and technical training, particularly in fragile environments; highlights that access to quality education and vocational training for young people in developing countries is a necessary precondition for economic diversification and empowerment as well as for resilience building;

source: 737.244

2022/10/14 BUDG 312 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

— having regard to the report A9- 0230/2022 of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Budgetary Control adopted on 8.9.2022, endorsed at Parliament’s part-session of 12 to 15 September 2022;

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 g (new)

— having regard to special report 10/2021 of the European Court of Auditors 'Gender mainstreaming in the EU budget: time to turn words into action',

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Observes the continuing demand for the EU budget to serve as a guarantee for additional macro-financial assistance (MFA); ~~notes, however,~~underlines that, in the ~~higher risks~~event of default ~~and~~or the ~~large amount at stake entail~~withdrawal of national guarantees, the EU budget ultimately underwrites all MFA loans and therefore significant contingent liabilities;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Observes the continuing demand for the EU budget to serve as a guarantee for additional macro-financial assistance (MFA); notes, however, that the higher risks of default and the large amount at stake entail significant and unpredictable contingent liabilities;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU-wide solutions;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent review and comprehensive, ambitious revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will ~~not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed~~fail unless additional measures are put in place to tackle the array of challenges posed, stimulate stagnant economies, rebuild Europe’s industrial base and tackle the social and employment crisis, as well as the refugee and migration crises and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in thise context of the war in Ukraine and several consecutive crises , the need for an urgent ~~review and~~ revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent, substantial and ambitious review and revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 106 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent review and revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the short, medium and long term;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent efficiency-driven review and revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Concludes that, in this context, the need for an urgent ~~review and~~ revision of the MFF is beyond any doubt and that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not remotely suffice to tackle the array of challenges posed and could thereby undermine confidence in the Union in the long term;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Recalls paragraph 32 of the interinstitutional agreement of 16 December 2020, which refers to the use of the single data-mining and risk-scoring tool to be made available by the Commission “with a view to a generalised application by Member States”; agrees with the Commission’s understanding1a that this must mean that there should be a progressive transition towards a compulsory use and cannot be interpreted as meaning that the use of the tool will remain voluntary; recalls that access to this tool is limited for audit and control purposes, thus, safeguarding the right to protection of personal data; _________________ 1a Replies to the questions of the Council’s Budget Committee on the proposal for a recast of the Financial Regulation of 16 September; e.g. reply to question 8

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 h (new)

— having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Calls upon the Commission to present a proposal for allowing the full mobilisation of the remaining unused funds of the 2014-2020 MFF to finance programmes and initiatives enabling the EU and its Member States to response to the pressing current challenges;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12 b. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal on the recast of the Financial Regulation of 16 May2022 as a suitable starting point for the creation of an interoperable digital system for audit and control purposes; notes that the Commission proposes that the system should facilitate risk assessments for the purposes of selection, award, financial management, monitoring, investigation, control and audit that will contribute to effective prevention, detection, correction and follow-up of fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, double funding and other irregularities; underlines that the functionalities of this system must go beyond the Commission’s proposal to include the tracking and tracing back oft he distribution of EU funds across beneficiaries and their beneficial owners across Member States and all EU funds; underlines therefore the need for a possibility to aggregate data on beneficiaries and their beneficial owners across Member States and EU funds into one total amount per beneficiary, beneficial owner and natural person; stresses the need to provide additional funds to finance the implementation of this interoperable digital system;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)

12 c. Notes that the Commission proposed these changes to take effect for all management modes from the post- 2027 MFF; underlines, however, that a more ambitious transition is feasible and desirable; notes in this regard that the CAP regulation 2021/21161a foresees that the Commission shall by 2025 present a report which assesses the use of the single data-mining tool and its interoperability with a view to its generalised use by Member States; is therefore of the opinion that the proposed changes to the Financial Regulation concerning the interoperable digital system should also take effect from 2025; _________________ 1a REGULATION (EU) 2021/2116 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 2 December 2021 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)

12 d. Reiterates its position that transparency on the distribution of EU funds needs to be improved and information be made more easily accessible for the public; welcomes the Commission’s proposal on the recast of the Financial Regulation in this regard to improve the Financial Transparency System; emphasises that data can only be published in line with data protection rules and the standing jurisprudence of the CJEU; is of the opinion that all publishable information should be combined in one website to overcome the current fragmentation of information;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2

Addressing the funding gaps ~~– more financial capacity~~throughout the MFF headings – a call for strong European action with greater transparency and democratic accountability

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible and no later than the first quarter of 2023; underlines the importance of Union´s policies implementation and enforcement across all 27 Member States and thus believes that an assessment of human resources needs of various Directorates, which implement these policies, should be an integral part of the in-depth MFF review;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive, substantial and ambitious MFF revision as soon as possible and no later than the first quarter of 2023; stresses that, along with addressing the funding gaps, the MFF revision should strengthen the horizontal principles and objectives of the EU budget such as promoting gender equality and tackling the climate and biodiversity crises;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive and ambitious MFF revision as soon as possible and no later than the first quarter of 2023;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas, pursuant to Article 311 TFEU, the Union must provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies as well as finance its budget wholly from own resources;

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Considers that a number of issues will need to be taken into account in the MFF revision, namely the importance of increased flexibility and sufficient resources in the MFF to support sustainable growth and investment and effectively tackle the social and labour market implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war of aggression against Ukraine, especially mass unemployment; calls therefore for reinforced MFF and increased budget to support the EU 2020 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development strategies objectives and initiatives set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Porto Declaration and to take up new challenges;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Underlines the central and essential role played by the MFF in the construction of a strong European Union, built upon the values of solidarity and cooperation; states that only through collaboration across Member States, its citizens, businesses and associations, can the EU deliver to its citizens and face the challenges of the present; in this context, underlines the importance of cross-border projects in areas such as energy, health, defence, climate and cohesion, which are fundamental in the creation of a sovereign, strategic and autonomous Union;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Requests increasing the MFF ceilings to ensure a stronger and more agile EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability and is able to respond to the current financing needs in the context of multiple crises; furthermore, requests redesigning and increasing the budgetary flexibility ensuring parliamentary control over all EU spending including off-budget instruments;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Calls upon the Commission and the Council, in the context of an increasing number of transfers and adjustments to the EU budget, to respect the rights of the European Parliament when it comes to its budgetary role and asks for a transparent, open and predictable process with regards to those measures;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13 b. Urges, therefore, the Commission, not only to conduct an in- depth review of the functioning of the current MFF but to proceed primarily with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible and no later than the first quarter of 2023; insists that, unlike a review, which is an assessment presented in the form of a communication, an MFF revision entails a modification of the provisions regarding the functioning of the financial framework;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13 b. Calls upon the revision of the existing Art. 18(3) of the Financial regulation related to the transfer back to member states of additional resources accumulated at European level through VAT collection and fines and proposes that any new resources be allocated to the priorities set up at European level;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13 b. Reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money and not to the detriment of well- established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 128 #

Roberts ZĪLE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Underlines that the unanimity requirement for adoption of the MFF Regulation i~~mpedes the~~s necessary to take decisions in the revision process; ~~calls, in that regard, on the European Council to activate the passerelle clause set out in Article 312(2) TFEU to allow for adoption of the MFF Regulation by qualified majority;~~

Amendment 13 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas the EU budget plays a central role in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Underlines that the unanimity requirement for adoption of the MFF Regulation ~~imped~~creates the ne~~cessary decisions in the revision process; calls, in that regard, on the European Council~~ed for full consultation in order to ac~~tivat~~hieve the ~~passerelle clause set out in Article 312(2) TFEU to allow for adoption of the MFF Regulation by qualified majority~~necessary compromise towards the revision process;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Strongly believes that the main orientation of the upcoming MFF revision should be linked to addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine, given the soaring needs and the mere exhaustion of any means available under the MFF for the Union to provide adequate solutions; insists, moreover, that the revision addresses the most serious shortcomings in the functioning of the MFF, provides new funding for new political priorities and equips the Union with the necessary tools to confront upcoming challenges and crises in an effective manner;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Recalls the importance to work on a modification of article 311 TFEU, with the objective of reinforcing Parliament’s role in the decision-making process for the adoption of the upcoming Own Resources Decisions, whereby both arms of the budgetary authority, Parliament and Council, shall act as co-legislators endowed with equal powers when negotiating the revision of the system of own resources;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14 b. Underlines, in this context, that the upcoming MFF revision should go hand-in-hand with the revision of the Financial Regulation, which should directly introduce the necessary changes in the rules governing the establishment and implementation of the EU budget; considers, therefore, necessary to expand the scope of the proposed targeted revision of the Financial Regulation, in order to address those issues that will be instrumental in improving the functioning of the EU budget;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Insists on the need for~~Stands ready to engage in fully- fledged negotiations ~~between~~with the Council~~, Parliament~~ and the Commission on the MFF revision, building on past practice and the IIA, whereby the institutions have committed to seeking to determine specific arrangements for cooperation and dialogue throughout the procedure leading to the adoption of a substantial revision of the MFF;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Insists that the principle of unity, whereby all items of the Union’s revenue and expenditure are shown in the budget, is both a Treaty requirement and a basic precondition for accountability, democratic legitimacy and the transparency of the EU’s public finances; stresses the need for an upscaled MFF to ensure a stronger and more agile EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability; requests, therefore, an increase in the MFF ceilings, as well as an increase in and redesign of budgetary flexibility and significantly greater parliamentary control over all EU spending, including off-budget instruments, funds and common borrowing and lending programmes;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Insists that the principle of unity, whereby all items of the Union’s revenue and expenditure are shown in the budget, is both a Treaty requirement and a basic precondition for accountability, democratic legitimacy and the transparency of the EU’s public finances; stresses the need for an upscaled MFF to ensure a stronger and more agile EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability; requests, therefore, an increase in the MFF ceilings, as well as an increase in and redesign of budgetary flexibility and significantly greater parliamentary control over all EU ~~spending, including~~both the revenue and the expenditure side, meaning all financial activities below the Own Resources ceiling and, in particular off-budget instruments, and funds and common borrowing and lending ~~programm~~activities;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Insists that the principle of unity, whereby all items of the Union’s revenue and expenditure are shown in the budget, is both a Treaty requirement and a basic precondition for accountability, democratic legitimacy and the transparency of the EU’s public finances; stresses the need for an upscaled MFF to ensure a stronger and more agile EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability, striving to restore economic balance in the long term; requests, therefore, an increase in the MFF ceilings, as well as an increase in and redesign of budgetary flexibility and significantly greater parliamentary control over all EU spending, including off-budget instruments, funds and common borrowing and lending programmes; reiterates that all new instruments should be monitored like any other financial tool from the EU budget;

Amendment 139 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Insists that the principle of unity, whereby all items of the Union’s revenue and expenditure are shown in the budget, is both a Treaty requirement and a basic precondition for accountability, democratic legitimacy and the transparency of the EU’s public finances; stresses the need for an upscaled MFF to ensure a stronger and more agile EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability; requests, therefore, an increase in the MFF ceilings, as well as an increase in and redesign of budgetary flexibility and significantly greater parliamentary control over all EU spending, including by integrating the existing off-budget instruments, funds and common borrowing and lending programmes in the MFF with the corresponding adjustments in terms of ceilings, revenues and expenditures;

Amendment 14 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, since the adoption of the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) in December 2020, the political, economic and social context has ~~chang~~evolved beyond recognition, ~~start~~including with the unprecedented scale and dramatic consequences of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, which is ~~far from~~not over yet;

Amendment 140 #

Joachim KUHS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Insists that the principle of unity, whereby all items of the Union’s revenue and expenditure are shown in the budget, is both a Treaty requirement and a basic precondition for accountability, democratic legitimacy and the transparency of the EU’s public finances; stresses the need for an upscaled MFF to ensure a stronger and more ~~agile~~efficient EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability; ~~reques~~prohibits, therefore, an increase in the MFF ceilings until the end of the current budgetary period, as well as requires an increase in ~~and redesign of budgetary flexibility~~budgetary discipline and significantly greater parliamentary control over all EU spending, including off-budget instruments, funds and common borrowing and lending programmes;

Amendment 141 #

Eric MINARDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Insists that the principle of unity, whereby all items of the Union’s revenue and expenditure are shown in the budget, is both a Treaty requirement and a basic precondition for accountability, democratic legitimacy and the transparency of the EU’s public finances; stresses the need ~~for an upscaled MFF to ensure a stronger and more agile~~to ensure more efficient EU budget which meets the highest standards of transparency and democratic accountability; ~~reques~~prohibits, therefore, an increase in the MFF ceilings until the end of the current MFF, as well as requires an increase in ~~and redesign of budgetary flexibility~~budgetary discipline and significantly greater parliamentary control over all EU spending, including off-budget instruments, funds and common borrowing and lending programmes;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Strongly supports the use of the Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the EU budget (the Conditionality Regulation); believes that its entry into force had a general deterrent effect on nationals authorities planning to breach the rule of law with EU funds; regrets its long- overdue application by the Commission in case of Hungary; commits to do whatever it can to ensure the respect of the provisions of the Regulation and their effective implementation; emphasises the clear link between respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the EU budget; notes that any upscaling of the 2021-2027 MFF should aim to reinforce the protection of the rule of law and EU’s financial interests; underlines that the Conditionality Regulation aims first and foremost at protecting the EU budget rather than the rule of law; asks the Commission to assess how the Regulation could be improved to allow the EU to suspend EU funds whenever there are breaches of the rule of law in Member States in order to ensure the full respect of Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Considers that, while the new MFF structure with headings grouping spending by policy cluster is simpler and facilitates budgetary management within the Commission, the nomenclature - with a reduced number of budget lines and sometimes a single line covering a very large spending programme as is the case for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument - lacks the necessary granularity transparency and limits significantly proper oversight and decisions by the budgetary authority;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Underlines that the revision of the MFF 2021-2027 must keep its commitment to obtaining an equitable, resilient, sustainable and socially fair recovery for all through the 2024-2027 Union budget concluding and, later on, implementing the revised 2030 framework for Union climate, energy and environmental targets with the objective of making the EU climate neutral by 2050 at the latest and be based on the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle, within the meaning of Article 17 of the Taxonomy Regulation;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Draws attention to the devastating impact that lowering the current amounts would have for thousands of people across Europe and beyond, especially for persons from vulnerable or marginalised groups;

Amendment 146 #

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money ~~and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies;~~ for new tasks, including those stemming from the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) Action Plan and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies; is concerned about the very limited margins available under the current MFF and insists on the need to enhance spending to speed up the implementation of the Action Plan; reminds that programmes decided and their envelopes should be respected;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies; insists in this context that the financial envelopes of Chips Act and Secure Connectivity as well as any other new initiatives should be financed with fresh money and not through redeployments;

Amendment 15 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas Russia’'s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine has led to a major humanitarian crisis, and has triggered an enormous economic and social shock of uncertain duration and magnitude worldwide driven, among others, by high inflation, increasing poverty, high energy prices, security of supply risks and a worsening economic outlook, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the most vulnerable; whereas the Heads of State or Government have described the war as a ‘tectonic shift in European history’ and the Commission has stated that the ‘unforeseen needs created by war in Europe are well beyond the means available in the current multiannual financial framework’, necessitating new financing sources;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies; strongly criticizes the systematic use of redeployments and the relabelling of existing programmes to finance new initiatives(“budgetwashing”);

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Reaffirms its long-standing position that while respecting the concept of long- term budgetary planning, new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies;

Amendment 152 #

Niclas HERBST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives, new and additional tasks delegated to the EU Administration must be financed with additional fresh money and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Insists that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) must continue to be the key driver for strengthening the social dimension of the Union and the main instrument for supporting Member States, people and regions to achieve high employment levels that need to be accompanied by adequate wages, decent working conditions, healthy work environments and social security coverage, building fair social protection and developing a skilled, competitive and resilient workforce ready for the transition to a green and digital economy and for the future world of work, as well as inclusive and cohesive societies aiming to eradicating poverty and delivering on the principles set out in EPSR and is expected to contribute to the implementation of the EPSR Action Plan and to the relevant country specific recommendations in the framework of the Semester to ensure equal opportunities, equal access to the labour market, fair and quality working conditions, social protection and inclusion; notes that the ESF+ was adopted before the current crisis situation, which currently implies higher public and social investment than planned so far and that the current financial programming risks not meeting the existing needs; calls therefore for a reinforced ESF+ with significantly increased public support for existing instruments aimed at the poorest in our society, in particular actions aimed at the most deprived (notably FEAD) and supplemented by a social rescue facility with increased public support for existing instruments aimed at the poorest in our society;

Amendment 155 #

Niclas HERBST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Stresses the need for a robust and appropriately resourced cybersecurity framework among the Union institutions, bodies and agencies, given the increasingly sophisticated attacks from a wide range of sources and the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Strongly believes that the duration of the MFF should be aligned with the political cycle of the European legislature, in order to strengthen democratic legitimacy and scrutiny;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Calls therefore for the Commission to:

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

17 b. Highlights the demographic situation in the EU with ageing population as a demographic phenomenon which involves a decrease both in fertility and mortality rates and a higher life expectancy; welcomes the European Care Strategy and calls for its support within the MFF; insists on the need to invest in social infrastructures to address the demographic challenge; stresses the lack of policy responses to the impact of demographic change;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. HIncrease ceilings for Heading 1: Single Market, Innovation and Digital; highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) imply spending under Heading 1; recalls the importance of research, innovation and the SMEs and opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives andt the expense of existing flagship programmes; believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate ~~the~~for greater ~~long-term needs; c~~short-, medium and long-term needs; highlights especialls,y the~~refore, for an increase in the ceiling of Heading 1~~ investment needs into fully functioning solidarity lanes to Ukraine through the Connecting Europe Facility;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine has led to a major humanitarian crisis, and has triggered an economic and social shock of uncertain duration and magnitude worldwide; whereas the Heads of State or Government have described the war as a ‘tectonic shift in European history’ and the Commission has stated that the ‘unforeseen needs created by war in Europe are well beyond the means available in the current multiannual financial framework’, necessitating new financing sources in an urgent manner;

Amendment 160 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) imply spending under Heading 1; recalls the key role Horizon and CEF play in the Green transition, in particular by fostering innovation and implementing cross-border projects; opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives and believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate the greater long-term needs; calls, therefore, for an increase in the ceiling of Heading 1;

Amendment 161 #

Eric MINARDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) imply spending under Heading 1; ~~opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives and believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate the greater long-term needs;~~ calls, therefore, for a~~n increase in the cei~~ reshuffling of Heading 1 priorities;

Amendment 162 #

18. Highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) imply spending under Heading 1; ~~opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives and~~ believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate the greater long-term needs; calls, therefore, for an increase in the ceiling of Heading 1;

Amendment 163 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) ~~imply~~should entail additional spending under Heading 1; opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives and believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate the greater long-term needs; calls, therefore, for an increase in the ceiling of Heading 1;

Amendment 164 #

Joachim KUHS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) imply spending under Heading 1; opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives and believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate the greater long-term needs; calls, therefore, for a~~n increase in the cei~~ reshuffling of Heading 1 priorities;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Welcomes, in this regard, the announcement made by the Commission President in her State of the Union address on 14 September 2022, calling for the establishment of a European Sovereignty Fund; shares Commission’s concerns over the EU’s dependencies on non-EU countries, as it is the case for energy, critical industrial items, fertilisers, raw materials, chemicals and other key products for the European economy; commits to critically assess any proposal to make sure it responds to real needs and provides fresh means; calls in this regard for the establishment of a new dedicated Fund to secure the strategic autonomy of the Union by financing cross-border energy infrastructure, renewable energy production and energy efficiency, as well as supporting space, cybersecurity, key industrial sectors, the circular economy, food security, new partnerships, production of critical chemicals and raw materials; insists that any such new fund should be established according to the ordinary legislative procedure and function under the full oversight of the European Parliament and with direct management by the Commission; emphasises that its overall amount should be established on the basis of a clear assessment of the costs and investment gaps; asks all of it to be based on lessons learnt from NGEU and be presented with the upcoming MFF revision in 2023;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Recalls that ESF+ is expected to contribute to the implementation of the EPSR Action Plan and to the relevant country specific recommendations adopted in the framework of the Semester to ensure equal opportunities, to catalyse the fight against poverty and provide equal access to the labour market, fair and quality working conditions, social protection and inclusion; reminds that programs decided and their envelops should be respected and calls for fresh money to fulfil the new tasks stemming from Action Plan; calls therefore for a reinforced ESF+ with significantly increased public support for existing instruments aimed at the poorest in our society, in particular actions aimed at the most deprived (continuation of FEAD);

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Regrets that, contrary to Parliament’s position, it was decided that the costs of EURI borrowing and the repayment of debt be included as a budget line under Heading 2b, alongside flagship programmes such as Erasmus+, EU4Health, Creative Europe and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values; stresses that interest costs and debt repayment depend on market developments, are not discretionary spending, do not follow the logic of caps on spending and should never compete with programmes under the ~~same~~ ceiling; notes with concern the steeply rising inflation interest rates that affect sovereign issuers and cautions that the costs of funding have recently increased significantly due to the challenging market conditions and that massive uncertainties on the long-term interest landscape are expected; calls on the Commission to closely monitor the situation and to regularly inform the budgetary authority; recalls that all payments of financial contributions to Member States should be made by 31 December 2026, as established under the EURI and RRF Regulations, but acknowledges that changes to this deadline might be needed soon; underlines that such change require amending both the RRF and EURI regulations, accordingly ; recalls that any activation of the Emergency Support Instrument also depends on the availability of an unallocated margin under the ceiling of this heading; insists, therefore, that the status quo presents significant risks to programme spending and that the repayment line be removed from Heading 2b and counted over and above the MFF ceilings;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Reinforce Heading 2:Cohesion, Resilience and Values according to developing dynamics in Europe; calls to remove the EURI repayment line from Heading 2b and for it to be counted over and above the MFF ceilings; regrets that, contrary to Parliament’s position, it was decided that the costs of EURI borrowing and the repayment of debt be included as a budget line under Heading 2b, alongside flagship programmes such as Erasmus+, EU4Health, and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values; stresses that interest costs and debt repayment depend on market developments, are not discretionary spending, do not follow the logic of caps on spending and should never compete with programmes under the same ceiling; recalls that any activation of the Emergency Support Instrument also depends on the availability of an unallocated margin under the ceiling of this heading; insists, therefore, that the status quo presents significant risks to programme spending ~~and that the repayment line be removed from Heading 2b and counted over and above the MFF ceilings~~; underlines that tackling demographic challenges should be one of the criteria within a number of programmes with a social dimension;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas there are currently 96.5 million people in the EU at risk of poverty and social exclusion, which represents 21.9 % of the population. whereas about 34 million Europeans reported an inability to keep their homes adequately warm in 2018, and 6.9 % of the Union population have said that they cannot afford to heat their home sufficiently in a 2019 EU-wide survey; whereas overall, the Energy Poverty Observatory estimates that more than 50 million households in the European Union experience energy poverty; whereas energy poverty is therefore a major challenge for the Union1a whereas these numbers are certain to increase as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s decision not to deliver gas to Poland and Bulgaria, and to heavily reduce the gas supply for other countries and the impact of the necessary sanctions against the Russian Federation; _________________ 1a Recital 12 of the Commission proposal of 14July 2021 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Social Climate Fund (COM(2021)0568); Data from 2018. Eurostat, EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, 2018

Amendment 170 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Re~~grets that, contrary to Parliament’s position, it was decided~~calls that the costs of EURI borrowing and the repayment of debt bare included as a budget line under Heading 2b, alongside flagship programmes such as Erasmus+, EU4Health, and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values; stresses nevertheless that interest costs and debt repayment depend on market developments, are not discretionary spending, do not follow the logic of caps on spending and should never compete with programmes under the same ceiling; recalls that any activation of the Emergency Support Instrument also depends on the availability of an unallocated margin under the ceiling of this heading; reminds that this decision was taken for the 2021-2027 period only, without prejudice to future negotiations; insists, therefore, that the status quo presents significant risks to programme spending and that the repayment line be removed from Heading 2b and counted over and above the MFF ceilings;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Recalls the importance of taking due account of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding public health and affordable and accessible health and care services; in this regard reiterates its call for increasing the level of support to the European Health Union in addition to the EU4Health Programme for year 2024-2027, particularly in light of the enlarged mandates of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and especially considering that a substantial part of EU4Health is already committed to HERA; stresses that new emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2 pose a challenge to public health in the Union and therefore, sufficient resources should be allocated to prevention, preparedness, and protection; stresses the importance of a longterm, coherent and coordinated strategy for pandemics, including SARS-CoV- 2variants of concern, comprising from both medical and non-medical countermeasures; stresses that sufficient resources should be allocated for increasing investments in research and development in the area of health;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Stresses that the crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine has underlined the need for a more linear multiannual financial profile for example of the Erasmus+ programme; asks the Commission to rebalance the commitment appropriations for Erasmus+, making more funding available sooner rather than later, also in view of making the European Education Area (EEA) a reality by 2025 and for the implementation of the Digital Education Action Plan which is key for the development of digital skills and the transformation of our educational systems in enabling them to integrate digital technologies; urges the Commission to establish a long-term, dedicated funding plan for the EEA;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Highlights that the fight against disinformation is fundamental for the functioning of the European Union and that underestimating the impact of such activities can lead to an erosion of democracies and open societies; requests that the MFF revision factors in these worrying developments and increases the financial envelops of programmes combatting disinformation and linked activities to allow a coordinated response from EU countries, EU institutions, online platforms, news media and EU citizens; calls in this regard for targeted reinforcements of the Horizon Innovation Actions strain and the Multimedia Actions budget;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Stresses that as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine continue to create uncertainties, it is therefore important to also continue financing the recovery and to address the social and employment-related challenges resulting from the pandemic, as well as support workers and businesses in the move towards a more solidarity-based digital, greener and climate neutral economy;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Underlines further that, under heading 2, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool and should not be used to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; calls, therefore, for cohesion funding levels to be preserved in the budget;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Stresses furthermore that the ESF+ must provide adequate support for capacity building of the social partners and civil society organisations, including in the form of training, networking measures, and strengthening of the social dialogue, and to activities jointly undertaken by the social partners;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Is concerned that wages have been on a decreasing trend and that real wages are currently falling following a series of exceptional energy price shocks; considers that there is an urgent need for wage increases, in order to sustain internal demand and inclusive growth, and to reduce the impact of the double crisis on workers and households and that additional efforts are required to help social partners in delivering wage increases through tripartite capacity building frameworks, so anticipating the expected positive impact of the Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages and its swift implementation;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19 d. Recalls that young people have been particularly affected by the COVID- 19 crisis in terms of employment, education, training and mental well- being; is concerned that the economic fallout from the current crisis resulting from the Russian aggression in Ukraine will risk leaving many more young people in Europe unemployed, with long-lasting socio-economic consequences; stresses in this regard that the revised MFF needs to prioritise support for young people and combating youth unemployment and to strengthen the existing initiatives, such as the Youth Guarantee;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas there are currently 96.5 million people in the EU at risk of poverty and social exclusion, which represents 21.9 % of the population; whereas about 34 million Europeans reported an inability to keep their homes adequately warm in 2018, and 6.9 % of the Union population have said that they cannot afford to heat their home sufficiently in a 2019 EU-wide survey; whereas overall, the Energy Poverty Observatory estimates that more than 50 million households in the European Union experience energy poverty; whereas energy poverty is therefore a major challenge for the Union1a; whereas these numbers are certain to increase as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s decision not to deliver gas to Poland and Bulgaria, and the impact of the necessary sanctions against the Russian Federation; _________________ 1a Recital 12 of the Commission proposal of 14 July 2021 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Social Climate Fund (COM(2021)0568); Data from 2018. Eurostat, EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, 2018.

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)

19 e. Recalls that the Union agencies play an important role in providing Union institutions and countries with specialised knowledge notably on employment and social issues and that they must be guaranteed the necessary resources, including staffing, to fulfil their tasks which are evolving;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 182 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Reiterates its position that the Social Climate Fund must be fully incorporated into the EU budget and within the MFF, without negatively impacting other programmes and funds under this heading, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring food security and delivering on the Green Deal; calls for the ceiling of Heading 3 to be adjusted accordingly; calls on the Council to move forward with the targeted MFF revision as soon as possible to integrate the Social Climate Fund into the MFF; reminds the other arm of the budgetary authority its obligation to respect budget unity;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. ~~Reiterates~~Adjust the ceiling of Heading 3: Natural Resources and Environment accordingly reiterating its position that the Social Climate Fund must be fully incorporated into the EU budget and within the MFF, without negatively impacting other programmes and funds under this heading, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring food security and delivering on the Green Deal; ~~calls for the ceiling of Heading 3 to be adjusted accordingly;~~

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Welcomes the Union ambition to step up its efforts to fight the alarming child poverty rates and to contribute to the eradication of child poverty via the recently created European Child Guarantee; warns however that the current crises have and will further exacerbate the current deteriorating situation of children in or at risk of poverty creating therefore long-lasting consequences; reiterates thus its call for an urgent increase of the European Child Guarantee funding with a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the period 2021-2027 and insists on making this part of the revised MFF and reinforced ESF +; moreover calls on the Commission to make available - and on the Member States to make full use of - all available resources for the effective implementation of the Child Guarantee including, inter alia, the ESF+, ReactEU, and the RRF;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Requests the Commission to carry out an assessment and, where appropriate, present a legislative proposal for the integration of the Climate Investment Fund and the Modernisation Fund in the Union budget that could be submitted in the context of the proposals for the next MFF in order to achieve greater coherence and efficiency in the management and use of Union funds and resources with the relevant quasi- automatic adjustment of ceilings;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. ~~Emphasise~~Highlights that the war ~~against~~in Ukraine has ~~placed unexpected demands on~~required the unexpected reinforcement and mobilisation of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, and of the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI), and called for additional responsibilities for the decentralised agencies in Heading 4; expresses further concern, furthermore, that successive Commission proposals for agency mandate extensions are eroding the BMVI’s financial envelope; calls for the ceiling of Heading 4 to be increased to reflect the current reality and the real financing needs of the Union’s ~~migration and border management~~policies in the area of migration and asylum, visa and border management; calls for an increase of the budget of AMIF, the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive and the solidarity and responsibility sharing under the Common European Asylum System, with targeted funds for inclusion and integration, as well as for resettlement and relocation;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. ETo increase the ceiling of Heading 4: Migration and Border Management to reflect the real financing needs of the Union’s migration and border management; emphasises that the war against Ukraine has placed unexpected demands on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) and the decentralised agencies in Heading 4; expresses further concern, furthermore, that successive Commission proposals for agency mandate extensions are eroding the BMVI’s financial envelope; ~~calls for the ceiling of Heading 4 to be increased to reflect the real financing needs of the Union’s migration and border management;~~

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~citizens rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to support them in crises;~~ the crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine will have a serious impact on the social and economic situation in the EU, inter alia on the EU’s labour markets and living conditions and risks negatively impacting growth and employment; whereas people rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to support them in crises, in particular when increasing inflation and rapid increases in food and energy prices across the EU are affecting the most vulnerable populations, further increasing inequalities, and aggravating poverty and energy poverty; whereas wages are not projected to increase as fast as inflation and therefore workers are losing purchasing power and might see their living conditions worsen in the next few months; whereas this will also exert greater pressure on social policy capacity, as well as on automatic stabilisers such as national unemployment schemes;

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 191 #

Amendment 192 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Highlights that the necessary spending to enhance defence cooperation and investment cannot solely be covered within the ceiling of Heading 5; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needs; emphasises the need to strengthen security policies with a view to face increasing challenges in an constantly evolving security landscape, as necessary technological innovation require enhanced long term investments by the EU; calls on strengthening JHA agencies, such as Europol, to adequately ensure the fulfilment of essential tasks with a view to securing the proper functioning of the EU security architecture, such as the implementation of the Interoperability agenda, including ETIAS;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Highlights that the necessary spending to enhance defence cooperation and investment cannot solely be covered within the ceiling of Heading 5; ~~calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needs~~welcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European defence investment programme (EDIP) in view of introducing joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needs; considers, in this regard, that savings could be made thanks to a mutualisation of defence spending between the Member States at the EU level;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Highlights that the necessary spending to enhance defence cooperation and investment cannot solely be covered within the ceiling of Heading 5; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needs~~To increase the ceiling of Heading 5: Security and Defence in line with the needs to enhance defence cooperation and investment especially in the light of changed geopolitical context; highlights that the necessary spending needs cannot solely be covered within the ceiling of Heading 5;

Amendment 195 #

23. Deplores the fact that, even prior to the war against Ukraine, funds available under Heading 6 were woefully inadequate and that pressure has since increased substantially; underlines that the continued funding for the needs of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other countries was not factored into the MFF or NDICI-Global Europe negotiations and should therefore have been financed by fresh appropriations with a corresponding increase in the ceiling of Heading 6; highlights that, owing to the risk of default on MFA loans provided to Ukraine, a far higher rate of provisioning than the standard 9 % is likely to be required as further loans are rolled out; underlines that additional needs in Ukraine must not lead to money being diverted away from other geographic regions in need; insists, therefore, on an increase in the ceiling for Heading 6 to fully cover the current and projected future needs of the Union’s external action, which have dramatically increased both in neighbouring countries and worldwide as a result of the food, energy and economic crises; stresses that, in order to combat deforestation in the Global South and to encourage allied states to implement the recommendations of the International Energy Agency which, in May 2021, called for the renunciation of all new oil drilling "in order to avoid an apocalyptic future", the EU must urgently strengthen our financial support mechanisms for countries that are effectively committed to halting deforestation or agree to renounce the revenues that would be generated by the exploitation of their oil resources; wishes to respond to the expectations of African leaders at the Africa Adaptation Summit in Rotterdam on 5th September 2022 who felt humiliated by the lack of financial support from Western states for the climate adaptation policies they want to implement in their countries; wishes also to respond to the funding-related expectations expressed at Climate Summits and in particular to the expectations of the most vulnerable countries which, in order to compensate for the damage and losses linked to global warming, are asking for funds that could be financed by "a global carbon tax, a tax on airline travel, a levy on the heavily polluting and carbon-intensive bunker fuels used by ships, adding taxes to fossil fuel extraction, or a tax on financial transactions";

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. DTo increase the ceiling of Heading 6: Neighbourhood and the World to fully cover the current and projected future needs of the Union’s external action, which have dramatically increased both in neighbouring countries and world wide as a result of the food, energy and economic crises; deplores the fact that, even prior to the war against Ukraine, funds available under Heading 6 were woefully inadequate and that pressure has since increased substantially; underlines that the continued funding for the needs of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other countries was not factored into the MFF or NDICI-Global Europe negotiations and should therefore have been financed by fresh appropriations with a corresponding increase in the ceiling of Heading 6; highlights that, owing to the risk of default on MFA loans provided to Ukraine, a far higher rate of provisioning than the standard 9 % is likely to be required as further loans are rolled out; underlines that additional needs in Ukraine must not lead to money being diverted away from other geographic regions in need; ~~insis~~highlights, the~~refore, on an increase in the ceiling for Heading 6 to fully cover th~~ need to continue cEur~~rent and projected future needs of the Union’s external action, which have dramatically increased both in neighbouring countries and worldwide as a result of the food, energy and economic crises~~ope’s financial support to the Western Balkan and the accession process of the countries in the region;

Amendment 198 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)

— having regard to the report from the World Bank, the Government of Ukraine, and the Commission of August 2022 entitled ‘the Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment’,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas citizens rightly expect the ~~EU budget to respo~~Union to respond promptly and effectively to evolving needs and to support them in crises; whereas the EU budget should be the only instrument that enables the Union to provide financing for its policies, programmes and needs;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Expects that Union resources financing reconstruction of Ukraine are used to build back better: reconstruction of critical and other infrastructure needs to be done in view of reaching climate neutrality by 2050and focusing on proper mitigation of environmental impact of the war (e.g. energy neutral building stock, upgrading renewables, integration with EU energy networks) underpinned by proper support for the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, the fight against corruption;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Points out that the sudden emergence of severe European-wide crises, such as the pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the energy crisis and increased inflation, made clear that we need a stronger Union, with more ambitious policies funded with stronger resources, have tested the multiannual financial framework (MFF)and underlined the need for the MFF to be managed in a more flexible, yet sustainable, manner;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23 b. Expect funding to the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood tobe increased, given the pressing and frequently overlooked problems in those regions like the effects of climate change, food crisis, conflict, migration as well as the consequences of the war.

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)

23 c. Calls on the Commission to ensure the Union lives up to its international climate commitments and in particular to provide funding in the 2024 - 2027 period of the current MFF to international climate finance and the relevant geographic programmes and the thematic programme Global Challenges of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument 2a at least corresponding to the level of revenues generated by the sale of CBAM certificates; _________________ 2a Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amendingand repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1)

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)

23 d. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the 10 % migration spending target of the NDICI against the Official Development Aid principles and applicable Development Assistance Committee codes, as well as applicable international standards, to see whether projects funded actually ameliorate asylum systems in developing countries, foster integration and support to host communities in protracted displacement situations, generate regional mobility and benefit persons on the move;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 e (new)

23 e. Calls on the Commission to increase the overall envelope of EU humanitarian aid (HUMA) by at least 40% and ensure flexibility further in particular through additional funds to the rapid response pillar of the NDICI-GE, bridging the humanitarian and development funds to ensure continued support for communities and regions in need;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 f (new)

23 f. Calls for the inclusion of all existing Trust Funds with the relevant raise in ceilings for already committed amounts quasi-automatically; expects the Commission not to create any new trust funds;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 g (new)

23 g. In line with the principle of fresh money for new tasks insists that no cuts are made for current IPA III beneficiaries (Ukraine, Moldova, and eventually Georgia) and calls for sufficient and substantial increase with the addition of new beneficiaries, reminds that only major infrastructure projects contributing to the Green New Deal and respecting DNSH are eligible for funding and calls for applying the RRF DNSH guidance, and calls for legally binding guidelines on modulation/conditionality for major projects;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Underlines that Heading 7 spending must be set at a level that guarantees that the EU has an effective and ~~efficient administration~~functional administration; calls on the Commission to assign sufficient human resources for the implementation of the Green Deal and to commit to increase specifically the staffing level of the Directorate General for Environment; believes that a lack of action puts at danger several political priorities and citizens' requests; calls for the swift adoption of the targeted revision of the Financial Regulation proposed by the Commission in relation to the handling of default interest for the late repayment of cancelled or reduced competition fines, so as to avoid pressure on spending under Heading 7;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~citizens~~the people of the Union rightly expect the EU budget to respond effectively to evolving and increasing needs and to effectively support them inespecially in times of crises;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Underlines that Heading 7 spending must be set at a level that guarantees that the EU has an effective and efficient administration; calls for the swift adoption of the targeted revision of the Financial Regulation proposed by the Commission in relation to the handling of default interest for the late repayment of cancelled or reduced competition fines, so as to avoid pressure on spending under Heading 7; points out that the Parliament has decided on its position and stands ready to negotiate; encourages the Council to treat this proposal with priority and enter into negotiations with the Parliament;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Underlines that Heading 7 spending must be set at a level that guarantees that the EU has an effective and efficient administration; reminds that additional priorities also imply increased administrative tasks, notably for the Commission; calls for the swift adoption of the targeted revision of the Financial Regulation proposed by the Commission in relation to the handling of default interest for the late repayment of cancelled or reduced competition fines, so as to avoid pressure on spending under Heading 7;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Underlines that Heading 7 spending must be set at a level that guarantees that the EU has an effective and efficient administration; calls for the swift adoption of the targeted revision of the Financial Regulation proposed by the Commission in relation to the handling of default interest for the late repayment of cancelled or reduced competition fines, so as to avoid pressure on spending under Heading 7 while at the same time urging utmost prudence of all institutions;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Underlines that Heading 7: European Public Administration spending must be set at a level that guarantees that the EU has an effective and efficient administration; calls for the swift adoption of the targeted revision of the Financial Regulation proposed by the Commission in relation to the handling of default interest for the late repayment of cancelled or reduced competition fines, so as to avoid pressure on spending under Heading 7;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Stresses the importance to enhance the protection of the Union budget against fraud and irregularities; reiterates, in this context, the fundamental role that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) plays in protecting the financial interests of the Union; underlines that the EPPO costs a fraction of the recoveries the organisation collects; calls for targeted reinforcements to the EPPO and increases to its staffing levels to allow the organisation to fulfil its duties to the full extent of its mandate;

Amendment 216 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the MFF revision must not lead to any downwards revision of ~~the pre-allocated national envelop~~programmes; emphasises the fact that the late agreement on the MFF for 2021-2027 and on the cohesion policy package, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, led to a slow start to the programming process for cohesion policy, but not because of the policy itself; underlines that the delayed start does not in any way call into question the pivotal role and added value of cohesion policy as the essential Union investment policy and convergence instrument;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the MFF revision must not lead to any downwards revision of the pre-allocated national envelopes; emphasises the fact that the late agreement on the MFF for 2021-2027 and on the cohesion policy package, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, led to a slow start to the programming process, but not because of the policy itself even though more administrative simplification is strongly needed; underlines that the delayed start does not in any way call into question the pivotal role and added value of cohesion policy as the essential Union investment policy and convergence instrument;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the MFF revision must not lead to any downwards revision of the pre-allocated national envelopes; emphasises the fact that the late agreement on the MFF for 2021-2027 and on the cohesion policy package, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, led to a slow start to the programming process and the disruption of well-functioning projects, but not because of the policy itself; underlines that the delayed start does not in any way call into question the pivotal role and added value of cohesion policy as the essential Union investment policy and convergence instrument;

Amendment 219 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Calls on the Commission to propose a new standalone EU New European Bauhaus (NEB) programme by the start of the next multiannual financial framework, in line with Parliament’s long standing conviction that new initiatives should be accompanied by adequate, fresh financial resources, avoiding a situation whereby the NEB leads to a diverted focus from agreed political priorities and a reduction of funding for other, already underfunded programmes, in particular Creative Europe, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas citizens rightly expect ~~the~~a bigger EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to better support them in crises;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Recalls that payment appropriations flow directly from commitments and recalls, therefore, that any increase in the ceilings for commitments per heading will have to be accompanied by a corresponding increase in the ceiling for payments for the same or subsequent years; draws attention to the risk of an increasingly high payments backlog due to the worrying delays in programme implementation, particularly under shared management; calls on the Commission to conduct a risk analysis of payments in the context of the review and to make the necessary proposals in the revision while protecting the policies, their objectives and the preallocated national envelopes, with a view to avoiding a payment crisis that would severely affect beneficiaries of the EU budget; warns, further, about the increasing use of external assigned revenue as a substitute for appropriations under the MFF and the very acute risk that this may pose in honouring payments when the revenue is not guaranteed;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 222 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Stresses the need for continuous work towards the achievement of climate and biodiversity mainstreaming targets laid down in the IIA and asks for increased efforts in the 2024-2027 Union budget to achieve these levels of spending; recalls the biodiversity-related spending targets of 7.5% from 2024 and 10% from 2026 onwards of the MFF; stresses that all efforts should be made to reach 10% biodiversity-related spending as soon as possible ; calls on the Commission to publish the amounts and shares of expenditure that will contribute to both targets per programme when presenting the draft budget; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the DNSH and to take necessary corrective measures if and when needed;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Considers that the current own resources ceilings for commitments and payments shall be brought up to values approaching 3% of the GNI of EU Member States, in order to allow the European Union to rely on a bigger budget for the fulfilment of its political ambitions;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Reiterates that programmes and activities should be implemented to achieve their objectives while promoting equality between women and men as well as rights and equal opportunities for all; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission's work on a new classification to measure the gender impact of Union spending and calls on the Commission to ensure that this classification focuses on accurate and comprehensive representation of the impact of programmes on gender equality; moreover calls for an extension of that classification to all MFF programmes; stresses, in this regard, the need for systematic collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Stresses the need for a significant improvement and tightening of climate and biodiversity mainstreaming ("tagging") methodologies in the 2021- 2027 MFF to avoid greenwashing and ensure a genuine climate and biodiversity additionality of resources dedicated to respective minimum spending targets, in line with the concrete proposals of the European Court of Auditors and the European Parliament;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Reiterates the need for the rapid implementation of the new own resources schemes agreed upon at European level and calls for their implementation in a balanced way ensuring the protection of the economic potential of the EU and of European values;

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)

26 c. Demands a stronger integration of the EU fiscal policies, thus establishing its autonomous fiscal capacity and be more resilient in the fight against tax avoidance, in the goal of gradually advancing towards a genuine fiscal Union;

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Points out that MFF and own resources are interlinked; emphasises, in this context, the need for sustainable and resilient revenue for the EU budget; recalls that, in the IIA, Parliament, the Council and the Commission committed, on the basis of a legally binding roadmap, to introducing sufficient new own resources to at least cover the repayment of EURI debt; calls, therefore, on the Council to move as swiftly as possible and speed up the negotiations for the first basket of own resources presented by the Commission on 22 December 2021 and the Commission to make a proposal for the second basket of new own resources before December 2023; calls, moreover, the Commission, given the increased financing needs, to reflect beyond the IIA and to examine the need of proposing further new, innovative and genuine own resources;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan set a target for the EU to have at least 78% of population aged 20 to 64 in employment, at least 60% of all adults in training every year and to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million, including at least 5 million children, and adopted a series of proposals in order to reach those goals by 2030; whereas in the current context, reaching the targets is becoming more challenging, given the projected increase in poverty and unemployment in the months to come; whereas social protection systems are under severe pressure to mitigate the social impact of the crisis, to give support to refugees and to ensure decent living conditions for all, as well as access to quality essential services such as health, education and housing;

Amendment 230 #

Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Elisabetta GUALMINI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Highlights that new own resources are a key enabler for the Union to implement its policy priorities; stresses that the introduction of such new own resources would assure sustainable financing of the EU budget on a long- term basis in order to avoid new EU priorities being financed to the detriment of existing EU programmes and policies, thus avoiding cuts to Union programmes in the future that would undermine the very purpose of long-term planning; underlines that, in compliance with the principle of universality of revenues, new own resources constitute general income to the EU budget; believes that introducing new own resources as agreed in the legally binding Inter Institutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 would achieve lasting benefits, not only in the delivery of Union policies, but also in ensuring the Union’s standing as a credible and smart debt issuer; calls, therefore, on the Member States to move as swiftly as possible and speed up the negotiations of the first basket of the so called new generation of EU Own resources based on the EU Emissions Trading System, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Pillar I of the OECD presented by the Commission on 22nd December 2021; urges the Council to approve the first basket of own resources before the end of 2022;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Reiterates the need for increased transparency of the EU spending and calls for a mandatory single interoperable database to be introduced within the current MFF revision providing relevant information on the direct and ultimate beneficiaries of EU funds and thus, a clear overview of the recipients of EU funding; moreover believes that any upscaling of the 2021-2027 MFF should aim to reinforce the protection of the EU’s financial interests, ensuring alignment with the rule of law conditionality;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Calls on the Commission to integrate Article 16 points d-f of the IIA into the revised MFF regulation with an specific annex including shares of expenditures that will contribute to both biodiversity and climate targets per programme;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Notes, however, that the estimated proceeds from these three own resources would not suffice to cover for the NGEU borrowing debt; reiterates, therefore, its demand to the Commission to make a proposal for the second basket of new own resources before December 2023 in order to ensure sufficient resources for NGEU debt repayments while underlining the legally-binding roadmap established under the Interinstitutional Agreement and also in view of recent economic challenges; asks the Commission to be even more ambitious and to not exclude adding innovative, new and preferably genuine own resources, such as an EU solidarity tax, a wealth tax, a taxon cryptocurrencies, a windfall profits tax or other revenues flowing into the EU budget, including revenues coming from EU borrowing or lending operations;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Reminds the Commission of its engagement and obligation according to the IIA to take stock of the progress of the climate mainstreaming efforts at mid- course and examine if the targets are reached or are on track to being reached; asks the Commission, in case of not reaching these targets, to make corresponding proposals in line with the requirements laid down in Article16 of the IIA;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)

27 c. Notes that windfall profits from sectors that received EU funding and investments are not being taken into account to finance a sustainable and resilient social and economic EU recovery, notably from pharmaceutical and energy sectors; calls on the Commission to assess and inform the Budgetary Authority how windfall profits from such sectors can duly contribute to an European recovery and to mitigate crisis impact on people, households and SME’s and to follow this up with a concrete proposal; further calls on the Commission to consider including profit sharing clauses in its contracts;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)

27 c. Highlights that the biodiversity financing gap over the period 2021 and 2030 is around €18.69 billion per year3a; urges the Commission to develop and complete the tracking methodology for biodiversity spending as fast as possible; calls on the Commission to ensure in the revision that the 2026 and 2027 mainstreaming targets of related expenditure contributing to halting and reversing the decline of biodiversity are reached; _________________ 3a https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/793eb6ec-dbd6-11ec- a534-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format- PDF/source-258471562(pg 14)

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 d (new)

27 d. Stresses the need to ensure consistency between climate and biodiversity funding and the respect of the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle through the entire budget in all the six dimensions; stresses the need for a significant improvement and tightening of climate and biodiversity mainstreaming ("tagging") methodologies in the 2021- 2027 MFF to avoid greenwashing and ensure a genuine climate and biodiversity additionally of resources dedicated to respective minimum spending targets, in line with the concrete proposals of the European Court of Auditors4a and the European Parliament;5a _________________ 4a https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADoc uments/SR22_09/SR_Climate- mainstreaming_EN.pdf 5a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/STUD/2022/732007/IPOL_STU(20 22)732007_EN.pdf

Amendment 239 #

Nils UŠAKOVS, Monika HOHLMEIER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 e (new)

27 e. Calls for the climate objectives in the increase of commitments for 2024 to 2027, corresponding to at least 50 % of the total amount by which the ceilings were raised;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas, borrowing on capital markets has been a long-standing feature of Union budget operations to the extent that both the Commission and Parliament called for its inclusion in the budget in the 1970s and 1980s, well before the creation of the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the temporary support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) or NGEU;

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 f (new)

27 f. Welcomes the gender-budgeting classification undertaken by the Commission and calls on the Commission to focus on ensuring that an effective methodology for gender focuses on an accurate and comprehensive representation of the impact of programmes on gender equality and to achieve ensuring that we get the best gender equality impact from programmes in the course of their implementation that are currently categorized as zero(star) and to take lessons learned for the design of programs; expects all gender relevant reporting to be done based on volumes and not number of actions;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28 a. Calls for a temporary European social resilience package coordinating a set of measures and means to strengthen social welfare and social protection systems in the EU; stresses that the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) has proved to be successful in fighting unemployment as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic; believes that additional efforts are needed to prevent unemployment and underemployment coming from the effects of the war, and calls for the continuation and refinancing of SURE to support short time work schemes and workers that would be temporarily laid-off as long as the socio-economic consequences of the war continue to have a negative impact on the labour market;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28 a. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is imperative to establish a common EU crisis reserve as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects; strongly believes that every effort should be made to establish the necessary crisis response instruments in the EU budget, so that no recourse will be deemed necessary to off-budget, intergovernmental solutions;

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28 a. Believes that the internal cohesion of the EU budget should be strengthened, according to the principle of budgetary unity, by gathering the existing funds and financial instruments under the democratic control of the European Parliament; insists that financial instruments outside the budget can only be a temporary solution to increase funding, but cannot become a replacement for EU resources;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)

28 b. Strongly insists that decommitted appropriations should be made available again in the EU budget and be mobilised by the budgetary authority in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure; considers that decommitments can feed directly into the SMI or the newly established crisis reserve; recalls that these appropriations actually refer to commitments already authorised by the budgetary authority but could not be used for their original purpose due to the total or partial non-implementation of the actions for which they had been earmarked ; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation;

Amendment 247 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Stresses that, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool; is concerned that cohesion policy is increasingly being used to reinforce other policies and to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; emphasises that cohesion policy is one of the priorities of the Union, has long-term investment objectives linked to the EU’s strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, and should not be used to replenish funding for other policies; calls, therefore, for ~~cohes~~funding levels to be readjusted, and in particular for additional funding ~~levels to be preserved in the budget;~~ for cohesion policy amount to around at least 30% of the investment gap for energy efficiency investments until 2030 for a spending targeted at enhancing energy efficiency of the worst performing residential buildings for upfront investments with a special attention on technical assistance to allow for the bundling of projects to ensure timely and efficient uptake in response to the sharp rise in energy prices putting low income households in a difficult position;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Stresses that, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool; considers, however, that it is essential to support regional development, sustainable growth and quality of life and employment; is concerned that cohesion policy is increasingly being used to reinforce other policies and to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; emphasises that cohesion policy is one of the priorities of the Union, has long-term investment objectives linked to the EU’s strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, and should not be used to replenish funding for other policies; calls, therefore, for ~~cohesion~~ funding levels to be ~~preserved in the budget~~readjusted, in light of the sharp rise in energy prices that puts low income households in a difficult position, in order to invest in energy efficiency of the worst performing residential buildings to allow for timely, efficient and long-term response to the crisis;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the current MFF has reached its limits already since the first year of its implementation;

Amendment 250 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

Amendment 252 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Stresses that, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool; ~~is concerned~~regrets that cohesion policy is increasingly being used to reinforce other policies and to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; emphasises that cohesion policy is one of the main priorities of the Union, has long-term investment objectives linked to the EU’s strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, and should not be used to replenish funding for other policies; calls, therefore, for cohesion funding levels to be ~~preserv~~enhanced in the budget;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29 a. Recalls that the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) has proved to be successful in fighting unemployment as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic; is convinced that in order to prevent unemployment and underemployment stemming from the effects of the war against Ukraine, further employment support measures in the Member States will be required; calls for expanding the scope, continuing, refinancing and making SURE a permanent instrument to support work schemes and workers in the Member States;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29 a. Insists that all national and EU emergency measures, particularly those connected to employment protection and income compensation continue and are refinanced as long as the socio-economic consequences of the war continue to have a negative impact on the labour market;

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)

29 b. Believes that ensuring long-term crisis preparedness also means sustainable and predictable funding for measures related to employment protection and income compensation; in this respect, calls for the introduction of a permanent instrument in the form of a European Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme to support employment measures in the Member States, protect employment and fight against unemployment, including the preservation of jobs and workers’ income in situations of external shocks;

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)

29 b. Calls in this regard for a temporary European social resilience package coordinating a set of measures and means to strengthen social welfare and social protection systems in the EU, and the creation of a new EU fund for social emergencies (a ‘social rescue facility’), for crises situations of a different nature, which are becoming increasingly multi-faceted, hybrid and complex;

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 258 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Considers that the special instruments are constrained both by scarcity of resources and rigidity of design, hampering their ability to serve as effective crisis response tools; stresses, therefore, that the revision is imperative in broadening the potential of the existing flexibility provisions; criticises in particular the Council’s decision, despite Parliament’s warnings, to merge the Emergency Aid Reserve (EAR) and the EUSF in the current MFF, while reducing the overall funding available by about half;

Amendment 259 #

31. Considers that the special instruments are constrained both by scarcity of resources and rigidity of design, hampering their ability to serve as effective crisis response tools; stresses, therefore, that the revision is imperative in broadening the potential of the existing flexibility provisions; c~~riticises in particular the Council’s decision, despite Parliament’s warnings, to merge~~onsiders that the merging of the Emergency Aid Reserve (EAR) and the EUSF in the current MFF has led to shortcomings, while reducing the overall funding available;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

Amendment 260 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls for annual appropriations for the Flexibility Instrument to be increased from EUR 915 million to EUR 2 billion; reminds the increasing need to tackle emergencies and crises related to natural disasters and extreme weather internally and externally to the EU and its associated costs; calls, in addition, for the SEAR to be split into two strands – the EAR and the EUSF – and for annual appropriations to be increased from EUR 1.2 billion for the SEAR to EUR 1 billion for each strand in 2018 prices; considers that this will provide vital additional resources to respond to current and emerging needs, in particular, the expected increase in unforeseen weather events linked to climate change; furthermore, for the EUSF calls for an increase in the level of advanced payments to at least 50% and to at least half the average time for advanced payments and at the same time ensuring the protection of the EU budget;

Amendment 261 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls for annual appropriations for the Flexibility Instrument to be increased from EUR 915 million to EUR 2 billion; calls, in addition, for the SEAR to be split into two strands – the EAR and the EUSF – and for annual appropriations to be increased from EUR 1.2 billion for the SEAR overall to EUR 1 billion for each strand in 2018 prices; considers that this will provide vital additional resources to respond to current and emerging needs;

Amendment 262 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32 a. Calls for appropriate and obligatory margins per heading automatically restored through each annual budgetary procedure, financed first by surpluses linked to the heading, by decommitments in the heading, then based on revenue surpluses proportionately distributed across the relevant headings, then any leftover decommitments proportionately distributed across the relevant headings, then by national contributions once the first two have been depleted;

Amendment 263 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Calls on the Commission to support the co-legislators’ commitment to ensuring that the 2022 European Year of Youth leaves a lasting legacy by evaluating its outcomes thoroughly, mainstreaming youth across all related EU policies by means of a youth test and providing adequate financing for follow- up activities, including through a mapping exercise to identify additional funding sources beyond 2022;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)

33 b. Considers that as necessary follow-up to the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, a reflection on the decision-making as well as on the institutional dimension of the EU budget should be included among the main topics of the European Convention, as also requested by the European Parliament’s resolution of 9 June 2022; reiterates the need for the EU budget to be used actively for the immediate implementation of the recommendations made by the Conference on the Future of Europe;

Amendment 265 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Emphasises further that the various special instruments are subject to different carry-over rules and calls for the harmonisation of these rules so that amounts may be used up to year n+3 for all special instruments, thereby creating additional flexibility; insists that lapsed amounts after year n+3 be made available once more under the ~~Flexibility Instrument~~SMI;

Amendment 266 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 267 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a permanent fiscal capacity and common crisis instrument as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects; ; highlights that this instrument is indispensable in ensuring crisis preparedness and in strengthening the Union’s ability to quickly provide common EU wide responses to unpredictable or unforeseen challenges and threats; underlines that such an instrument will ensure transparency and calls on the Commission to include a relevant proposal in the context of the MFF revision;

Amendment 268 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 269 #

Siegfried MUREŞAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary t~~o establish a permanen~~hat the EU Budget fis~~cal capac~~ equipped wityh a~~nd common crisis instrument as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budge~~ll necessary tools so that it can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the combined effect of multiple crises and low MFF ceilings has given rise to a ‘galaxy’ of ad hoc instruments beyond the EU budget, as well as greater use of external assigned revenue not subject to the ordinary budgetary procedure that would ensure the full involvement and scrutiny of the European Parliament, most notably in the case of NextGenerationEU; whereas, as one arm of the budgetary authority, Parliament should ~~play a~~always play its full role in this new budgetary environment in order to ensure democratic accountability and transparency;

Amendment 270 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a permanent central fiscal capacity and a common crisis instrument as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to c~~rises and~~ommon or country-specific crises and effectively mitigate their social and economic effects;

Amendment 271 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of flexibilities in the MFF and the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a permanent fiscal capacity and common crisis instrument as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects;

Amendment 272 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a permanent fiscal capacity for the Euro Area and common crisis instrument as an additional permanent special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects;

Amendment 273 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a ~~permanent fiscal capacity and~~ common crisis instrument as an additional special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects;

Amendment 274 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35 a. Considers that, in order to create this common crisis instrument, to start reimbursing Next Generation EU from 2027 without reducing existing programmes, and to give more resources to the digital transition and to the European Green Deal (both on European territory and in its international dimension) while not increasing national contributions of the Member States, it is urgent to break the deadlock in the negotiations on the introduction of new own resources; considers that, in order to limit the economic and social consequences of the war unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU is expected to adopt a massive financial assistance plan for households, local authorities and businesses as soon as possible, but that certain Member States refuse to negotiate a new common debt until it is clear how the Next Generation debt will be repaid; considers that it is therefore urgent to find a pragmatic solution to this issue as this is now seriously limiting Europe's capacity to act and risks leading Europe to a serious economic, social and political crisis; considers that in order to ensure a level playing field all across the EU and ensure the cohesion of the Single Market, an ambitious European response to the energy crisis must be found which will give all Member States the means to fight this crisis;

Amendment 275 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)

35 b. Recalls that in its Report on Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, Parliament listed the candidates for new own resources "(i) the auction revenues of the Emissions Trading System, which could raise between 3 and 10 billion EUR/year, (ii) a contribution on non- recycled plastic packaging waste, which could raise between 3 and 10 billion EUR/year, (iii) the future Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which could raise between 5 and 14 billion EUR/year, (iv) a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, which could raise more than 12 billion EUR/year, (v) a tax on large digital companies, which could raise between 750 million EUR and 1.3 billion EUR/year, and (vi) a financial transaction tax (FTT), which, based on the original Commission proposal from 2012 and taking into account Brexit and economic growth, could raise up to 57 billion EUR/year, depending on the scope of the tax”;

Amendment 276 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)

35 c. Recalls that in its Report on Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, Parliament reiterated “its call to all Member States to join the enhanced cooperation framework on the FTT"; considers that if the EU budget was enriched by an additional EUR 57 billion, it would be easy to repay the Next Generation EU debt (EUR 15 billion per year) and to give increased means to the Union's priorities (including, possibly, the repayment of a new Recovery Plan related to the consequences of the war in Ukraine); recalls that it is committed to the implementation of a basket of new own resources which will be the subject of a forthcoming resolution, and that it is open to other mechanisms for mobilising new European and national public resources, such as the windfall tax on energy producers, but stresses that, on its own, the FTT could bring in more than all the other new own resources being negotiated, that it is a very popular social justice solution in all Member States and that, since it was proposed by the European Commission in 2011, it has already been the subject of all the impact assessments necessary for its proper implementation; recalls that, in the December 2020 MFF package, the European Commission noted that "discussions on the Financial Transaction Tax under enhanced cooperation are ongoing with a view of their finalisation by the end of 2022";

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 d (new)

35 d. Considers that an agreement on the FTT with the scope and rates proposed in 2011 by the European Commission would achieve a double objective: (i) to allow the Member States of this enhanced cooperation not to have to pay their share in the reimbursement of Next Generation EU (unlike the Member States that have not yet joined the enhanced cooperation) but also (ii) to release new resources for the EU budget; considers that the impact assessments carried out by the European Commission state that only one year is needed between a political agreement on the FTT and the actual inflow of new resources for the EU budget; understands that the Council and the Member States participating in the enhanced cooperation on the FTT, which had to deal with multiple crises over the last two years, will not reach an agreement on this issue before the end of 2022 as the Commission and Parliament wished, but that this issue is now becoming absolutely urgent in order to unblock the negotiation on a new Recovery Plan and to avoid serious difficulties in the implementation of the last years of the MFF; urges the Commission and the Member States involved in the negotiations on the enhanced cooperation to do their utmost to reach an agreement on the FTT before the end of June 2023 and therefore before the expected end of the negotiations on the upscaled MFF, which would give considerable room for manoeuvre to effectively upscale the budgets for the years 2025 and after;

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

~~36. Insists that decommitted appropriations should remain in the budget so as to provide additional budgetary flexibility; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation;~~deleted

Amendment 279 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Insists that decommitted appropriations should remain in the budget so as to provide additional budgetary flexibility; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation; recalls that, as of 30 September 2022, EUR 836,09 million are available as research de-commitments to support the budget; stresses that the budgets constraints are clearly visible as the Commission resorts to the use of de- commitments to mitigate the impact of new initiatives on existing programmes;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

Amendment 280 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Insists that decommitted appropriations should remain in the budget so as to provide additional budgetary flexibility, which is needed more than ever in the current context of war in Ukraine and its economic and social consequences; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation;

Amendment 281 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Insists that decommitted appropriations ~~should remain in the budge~~, fines not used for EU programmes top-ups in 2021-2027 and penalties should accrue to the crisis instrument so as to provide additional budgetary flexibility; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation;

Amendment 282 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Insists that all decommitted appropriations should remain in the budget so as to provide additional budgetary flexibility; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation;

Amendment 283 #

Nils UŠAKOVS, Monika HOHLMEIER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36 a. Recognises that ESF + and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) must contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights by putting its principles into practice and mainstreaming social objectives in all relevant legislation, policies and implementing plans linked to the NextGenerationEU (NGEU); stresses that adequate resources should be allocated to update and implement the EPSR Action Plan adopted in Porto and to achieve the Porto’s headline targets and that the RRF should be made permanent and include a minimum 30% of the funds to be social investment strengthening social welfare systems and investing in social security, access to healthcare and education, affordable housing, employment, justice and social services for vulnerable groups; calls in this regard on the Commission to ensure adequate staffing to support this task; believes that the Porto’s poverty targets should be detailed better in all NRRPs and at EU level with an action plan and a strong anti-poverty strategy supported by substantial investments that addresses all aspects of poverty, including in-work poverty;

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36 a. Underlines that Union funding must be conditional on respect for and enforcement of the applicable working and employment standards under relevant national and EU law; insists, in this respect, that all programmes and activities funded under the MFF should be designed and implemented in compliance with Article 9 of the TFEU and the European Pillar of Social Rights;

Amendment 285 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)

36 b. Believes that addressing social gaps with EU and governments’ budgets through social investment in key policy areas improving the living and working conditions for people affected by the high inflation, the war against Ukraine, the health crisis or by transition of the accelerating green and digital transformations should be at the heart of the recovery strategy of the EU; to this end, considers that detecting social risks and taking into account the divergent employment effects and long-term unemployment across particular industries should be adequately addressed; calls therefore on the Commission to present a Sustainable Development Goal expenditure and tracking methodology for the social expenditure in the EU budget based on the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and a Social Scoreboard and well-being indicators to measure the overall impact of different funds, instruments and facilities financed under the MFF;

Amendment 286 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Underlines that many of the shortcomings and inadequacies in the current MFF are inherent in its logic and design, where predictability of spending drives decisions on structure and amounts and curbs flexibility; regrets the high tensions the MFF negotiations trigger due to its nature;

Amendment 287 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Underlines that many of the shortcomings and inadequacies in the current MFF are ~~inherent in~~ driven by the inflated appetites ~~logic and de~~of the European Commissigon, ~~wher~~meanwhile predictability ~~of spending drives decisions on structure~~is violated on and a~~mounts and curbs flexibility~~nnual basis;

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37 a. Calls for the long overdue phase- out of harmful subsidies and for coherence between all EU funds and programmes in the MFF post 2027; insists that projects and programmes which are inconsistent with the objective of limiting global warming to under 1.5°C, or with the objective of halting and reversing biodiversity loss, should not be eligible for support in the next MFF; recalls that the 8th Environment Action Programme lays down the enabling condition of phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies, including through setting a deadline for the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies consistent with the ambition of limiting global warming to 1,5°C as well as a binding Union framework to monitor and report on Member States’ progress towards phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, based on an agreed methodology;

Amendment 289 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37 a. Stresses that the overall EU budget under the current MFF is not big enough to deliver ambitious green and digital transformation and adequate resources for cohesion, upward social convergence and support of the European social model; insists on strengthening social priorities and social investments in the revision of the MFF and the post -2027 MFF, ensuring strong ambitious social dimension and reinforced the ESF+ and social protection systems, fully implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Agenda 2030 of the UN;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the combined effect of multiple crises ~~and~~, low MFF ceilings and cumbersome rules applying to any MFF review or revision has given rise to a ‘galaxy’ of ad hoc instruments beyond the EU budget, as well as greater use of external assigned revenue not subject to the budgetary procedure, most notably in the case of NextGenerationEU; whereas, as one arm of the budgetary authority, Parliament should play a full role in this new budgetary environment in order to ensure democratic accountability and transparency;

Amendment 290 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37 a. Regrets the decrease of the EU budget in terms of percentage to the EU GDP over the last decades; considers that capping the EU budget at roughly 1% of the EU GDP as a rule impedes the EU from fulfilling its increasing tasks; calls on the Member States to take decisions based on needs instead of dogmas;

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)

37 b. Calls for at least 50% of the EU budget to positively contribute to one or more of the following priorities: climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, sustainable use & protection of water & marine resources, circular economy, pollution prevention & control and/or protection and restoration of biodiversity & ecosystems and with at least10% contributing to protection and restoration of biodiversity; each Euro contributing to more than one aspect is only counted once;

Amendment 292 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)

37 b. Calls to reinforcing social partners involvement, and the partnership principle, in the design, governance and implementation of MFF, in the design and implementation of the investment’s priorities, and in the monitoring of the results particularly in terms of job protection, quality job creation, just transitions and protection of workers’ and social rights;

Amendment 293 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 c (new)

37 c. Expects more ambitious financial commitments in line with the EU’s global commitment in terms of addressing climate change and halting biodiversity loss and as a minimum to fully plan all commitments and pledges in international climate financing in line with the global negotiations;

Amendment 294 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 d (new)

37 d. Calls for a thorough assessment of lessons learned from the current MFF and to better target and calibrate the budget and programmes to ensure the EU budget substantially contributes to enhancing gender equality, in particular, all relevant programmes after 2027 should have the obligation to collect gender disaggregated data and ex ante and ex-post reporting obligations on their gender impact;

Amendment 295 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 e (new)

37 e. A reference to the obligation to respect for fundamental rights (including non-discrimination) and comply with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the implementation of the EU budget should be inserted as well as a reference to the rule of law conditionality regulation;

Amendment 296 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 f (new)

37 f. Calls for a generalisation of the partnership principle in the implementation of the EU budget and in particular for upscaling the involvement of civil society organisations in the implementation of the EU budget and focusing the budget on protecting and promoting rights and values, in particular by supporting civil society organizations;

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. Points out that many of the recent spending needs, in areas such as economic and social recovery, climate change-related policy reform and funding linked to the Ukraine crisis, do not follow the traditional logic of medium-term investment predictability; considers Social Climate Fund, defence, crisis response and emergency intervention spending to be cases in point where there is a clear-cut rationale for EU action; expects this trend towards a more diversified expenditure landscape to continue as the scope and depth of EU cooperation progresses; underlines, therefore, the need for a properly constructed and adaptable MFF so that the design of the EU budget does not prevent the EU from taking on new tasks and functions during the forthcoming MFFs and ensure that new priorities are not implemented to the detriment of already agreed programmes;

Amendment 298 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. Points out that many of the recent spending needs, in areas such as economic and social recovery, climate change-related polic~~y reform~~ies and funding linked to the Ukraine crisis, do not follow the traditional logic of medium-term investment predictability; considers Social Climate Fund, defence, crisis response and emergency intervention spending to be cases in point where there is a clear-cut rationale for EU action; expects this trend towards a more diversified expenditure landscape to continue as the scope and depth of EU cooperation progresses; underlines, therefore, the need for a properly constructed and adaptable MFF so that the design of the EU budget does not prevent the EU from taking on new tasks and functions;

Amendment 299 #

Roberts ZĪLE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)

38 a. Stresses that all EU spending should be based on real needs and geared towards obtaining EU added value; considers bridging missing links in border regions for all transport modes as a central EU responsibility by its very nature and instrumental for the further integration and resilience of the single market and a corner stone for the EU's geopolitical independence; urges the Commission therefore to commit to the swift implementation of planned projects;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)

— having regard the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe and the recommendations of the Citizens’ Panels,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

Amendment 300 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. ~~Deplores~~Expresses concern , however, the repeated use of off-budget instruments, in particular under Article 122 TFEU, ~~which runs counter to citizens’ interests, as this frustrates oversigh~~impeding proper oversight if the European Parliament and the transparency of public spending; considers, in that regard, than an annual plenary debate in Parliament on all EU finances, including off-budget instruments, will be an important step towards enhancing transparency and accountability; calls, therefore, for enhanced reporting on the “galaxy”, in particular the introduction of an annex attached to the EU budget with detailed estimates of the amounts of external assigned revenues used for particular budgetary lines, streamlined reporting on borrowing and lending activities linked to the annual budgetary cycle and regular reporting on the outstanding guarantees, and considers that a regular inter-institutional dialogue on off-budget instruments linked to the annual budgetary procedure is needed;

Amendment 301 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Deplores, however, the repeated use of off-budget instruments, in particular under Article 122 TFEU, which runs counter to citizens’ interests, as this frustrates oversight, accountability and the transparency of public spending; considers, in that regard, than an annual plenary debate in Parliament on all EU finances, including off-budget instruments, will be an important step towards enhancing transparency and accountability;

Amendment 302 #

40. Stresses, in this context, that the trend towards increased use of external assigned revenue is not a satisfactory solution as it weakens the role of the budgetary authority (Parliament and the Council), thereby negatively impacting democratic scrutiny and reducing the transparency of the EU’s finances; demands legally sound solutions that allow for targeted, one-off or needs-based top- ups that display the same advantages as earmarked revenue (i.e. not counted against the ceilings), but that are at the same time subject to full control of the budgetary authority; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to explore the use of hybrid instruments(funds with mix funding: budget and assigned revenue) beyond research and external action (combined financing from EU budget and externally assigned revenue(EARs)s 6a as long as Parliament’s role is secured and empower the budgetary authority to adopt annual commitments and payments when EARs are used to supplement EU programmes with contributions from Member States (article 21(2a) of the Financial Regulation) or when they come from joint EU borrowing, and making possible for Member States to the use of voluntary ‘ad hoc’ contributions from Member States to reinforce all types of Union programmes; _________________ 6a External assigned revenues are not processed through the budgetary procedure laid down in Article 314 TFEU, but are contributed directly to the Union budget by the member state or other contributor for a specified purpose. They are incorporated into the Union budget, as managed by the Commission, and are subject to the discharge procedure. Traditionally, this technique has been employed by member states wishing to contribute additional amounts to certain research programmes or external aid initiatives.

Amendment 303 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

Amendment 304 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

Amendment 305 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Highlights that the ongoing revision of the Financial Regulation is an important opportunity to adapt the rules governing budgetary instruments to current circumstances, whereby external assigned revenue, borrowing and lending operations, trust funds and instruments under Article 122 TFEU are being used with greater frequency despite disregarding the community method, often bypassing the scrutiny of the budgetary authority and thus diminishing the traceability of funds and accountability; points, in particular, to the declaration on reassessing the external assigned revenue and borrowing and lending provisions in the Financial Regulation that was agreed in the context of the MFF negotiations; considers that external assigned revenue, as well as assets and liabilities linked to borrowing and lending operations, should form an integral part of the EU budget and be adopted by the budgetary authority as part of that budget;

Amendment 306 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Highlights that the ongoing revision of the Financial Regulation ~~is an important opportunity to~~should adapt the rules governing budgetary instruments to current circumstances, whereby external assigned revenue, borrowing and lending operations, trust funds and instruments under Article 122 TFEU are being used with greater frequency despite often bypassing the scrutiny of the budgetary authority and thus diminishing the traceability of funds and accountability; points, in particular, to the declaration on reassessing the external assigned revenue and borrowing and lending provisions in the Financial Regulation that was agreed in the context of the MFF negotiations; considers that external assigned revenue, as well as assets and liabilities linked to borrowing and lending operations, should form an integral part of the EU budget and be adopted by the budgetary authority as part of that budget;

Amendment 307 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs and the interinstitutional commitment made towards the implementation of European Pillar of Social Rights and the adoption of its Action Plan, which set, inter alia, the EU target of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030 and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be equipped to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises;

Amendment 308 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be equipped to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises; asks the Commission to review the whole architecture of the MFF, including through an assessment of the suitability of a long-term programming framework for all EU programmes and of the duration of programming periods of seven years;

Amendment 309 #

Martin HOJSÍK, Fabienne KELLER, Olivier CHASTEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be ~~equipped~~properly equipped in advance to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises, while reinforcing horizontal principles and objectives such as promoting gender equality and tackling the climate and biodiversity crises;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the IIA sets out specific arrangements for cooperation and dialogue between Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary matters, including on climate and biodiversity spending; whereas further steps should be taken to improve transparency and the availability of information on all spending in support of EU policy-making;

Amendment 310 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42

42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs ~~and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe~~ with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be equipped to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises;

Amendment 311 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)

43 a. Intends to monitor very closely the implementation of the agreement on budgetary scrutiny of new proposals based on Article 122 TFEU, which was reached between the institutions in the context of the 2021-2027 MFF negotiations; recalls that such proposals often entail important budgetary implications that can impact on the development of EU expenditure; is determined to ensure the appropriate role and involvement of the European Parliament in this process, as one equal arm of the EU budgetary authority;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)

43 a. Recalls the successful implementation of the SURE instrument at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped Member States cover the costs related to the creation or extension of national short-time work schemes; calls on the Commission to re- establish such an instrument in the context of the current social crisis in order to protect people in work and jobs and make it permanent as long as needed in times of crisis;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the IIA sets out specific arrangements for cooperation and dialogue between Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary matters; whereas further steps should be taken to improve transparency, accountability and the availability of information on all spending in support of EU policy-making;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas the Commission issued a unilateral declaration as part of the 2021- 2027 MFF agreement in December 2020, stating that it will present a review of the functioning of the MFF by 1 January 2024 that may, as appropriate, be accompanied by relevant proposals for the revision of the MFF Regulation;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas Parliament’s position on element on Treaty change linked to budgetary matters inter alia has been set out and will be set out in other resolutions;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1

~~New challenges and shocks revealing shortcomings in~~Consecutive crises and the war in Ukraine revealing inadequacy of the current MFF

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, ~~fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for~~not least by paying particular attention to remote areas and outermost regions, energy intense sectors and low- skilled workers with the objective of re- and up-skilling them, creating quality employment and decent working conditions, with adequate wages and social security protection, high occupational health and safety standards and gender-balanced opportunities, contributing to the eradication of poverty, reducing inequalities, fostering an inclusive and socially just, sustainable, and non-discriminatory recovery, based, inter alia, on robust national social protection systems, short-time work schemes to avoid the drastic consequences of redundancies and housing allowances for people in need promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing strong support particularly for the young generation, children, families, workers and small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward social convergence, while paying special attention to low-income and vulnerable groups, such as people in poverty or at risk of poverty and social exclusion, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, ~~contributing to greater~~fostering greater and equal opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. URecalls that the MFF sets out Union budgetary priorities for seven years and provides financial resources for the implementation of long term policy objectives; reminds that the subsequent crisis have shown that the lack of resilience and flexibility backed with democratic control is lacking in the current rigid structure; underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions for all, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, innovation, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium- sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights within the EU and beyond, contributing to greater opportunities for all and to our shared global responsibilities, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the just green and digital transitions, promoting gender equality, tackling the climate and biodiversity crises and their consequences, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting sustainable growth, strategic autonomy and energy security and independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable groups, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, safeguarding and promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)

— having regard to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) special report on global warming of 1,5 °C, its special report on climate change and land, and its special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate,

Amendment 40 #

Martin HOJSÍK, Fabienne KELLER, Olivier CHASTEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world; in this context emphasises the clear link between the respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the EU budget and reiterates the importance of the Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the EU budget (the Conditionality Regulation);

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, paving the way for climate neutrality by 2050, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 43 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget must plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Insists that relying so much on national contributions can no longer work for the EU budget; deems it essential to build on the current crisis to introduce significant and genuine European own resources in order to permanently support with an adequate tool box the recovery and avoid new economic divergences;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underscores that there is a clear consensus among the institutions that, in the wake of the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, the EU should provide the strongest possible social, economic and financial assistance to Ukraine, while addressing the economic and social consequences of the crisis within the Union and delivering the necessary support to its citizens; underlines, in this context, the shared Union goals of delivering on the European Green Deal and the digital transition, scaling up defence cooperation and coordination, improving its strategic autonomy and energy independence and security, ensuring food security, and addressing the challenges caused by high inflation; recalls that, with its repeated heatwaves, catastrophic forest fires and deadly floods, the summer of 2022 was for many citizens an opportunity to become aware of the seriousness of climate change and the urgency of doing everything possible to do whatever it takes to limit its gravity and consequences; considers that, in order to get out of our dependence on fossil gas (and therefore to lower its price) and to ensure the success of the European Green Deal, it is urgent to give a new impetus to building insulation (both public and private), which can create massive employment opportunities and improve the purchasing power of households, but which requires massive financial assistance, and in order for the European Green Deal to succeed and to be welcomed all over Europe, it is crucial that the EU participates massively in this financial assistance;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underscores th~~at there is a clear consensus~~e unity among the institutions that, in the wake of the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, the EU should provide the strongest possible social, economic and financial assistance to Ukraine, while addressing the economic and social consequences of the crisis within the Union and delivering the necessary support to its citizens; underlines, in this context, th~~e shared~~at the Union has provided emergency assistance to support resilience, humanitarian assistance, military aid and other support to Ukraine including in the health, energy, food and agriculture sectors and facilitated trade, notably by the suspension of import duties on Ukrainian exports and by establishing solidarity lanes to help Ukraine export agricultural goods; underlines the Union goals of delivering on the European Green Deal and the digital transition, scaling up defence cooperation and coordination, improving its strategic autonomy ~~and~~, energy independence and security, ensuring food security, and addressing the challenges caused by high inflation;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 b (new)

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 11 December 2019, on “The European Green Deal” (COM(2019)0640),

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 55 #

Joachim KUHS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 56 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 57 #

Eric MINARDI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Asks therefore the Commission to consider putting forward a legislative proposal establishing a temporary instrument outside the MFF for the mutualisation of war-related costs ("Ukrainian crisis Adjustment Reserve"), that would be aimed to support the most affected Member States;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights that, in the short term, large-scale humanitarian aid in Ukraine and financial support to Member States receiving and helping to settle people fleeing the conflict are needed to address the impact of the war against Ukraine; notes the Amending Letter for the 2023 Budget in this context, which reinforces humanitarian aid and addresses the global food crisis as a first step; points out that further reinforcements will be needed in the future not only in the area of humanitarian aid but also in emergency assistance in order to sustain basic services and to fix the most essential infrastructure; highlights in this context the importance of reinforcing the solidarity lanes through Connecting Europe Facility;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 c (new)

— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 (European Climate Law),

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Highlight~~Stresses that, in the short and medium term, large-scale humanitarian aid in Ukraine and financial support to Member States receiving and helping to settle people fleeing the conflict are needed to address the impact of the war against Ukraine; reminds that the relevant programmes have not been budgeted with the resources this unprecedented situation requires;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights that, in the short term, large-scale humanitarian aid in Ukraine and financial support to Member States receiving and helping to settle people fleeing the conflict are needed to address the impact of the war against Ukraine; welcomes the efforts made by Member States hosting persons fleeing the war in Ukraine in terms of offering infrastructure, education and work to refugees;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Points out that the Union should play a major role in the international community in the rebuilding of Ukraine and stresses that EU financial mechanisms provide the best safeguards for the proper use of funds ensuring good governance, respect for the rule of law and sound financial management; regrets however the lack of financial means in the current MFF in relation to the requirements of the task ahead; supports the Commission’s communication on Ukraine Relief and Reconstruction and underlines that ‘RebuildUkraine’ reconstruction plan should be embedded in the Union budget through upscaling the MFF with fresh financial resources making sure that this unprecedented support is not financed at the expense of pre-existing Union programmes or policies;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls on the Commission to introduce greater flexibility in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) implementation rules to better address unpredictable crisis situations; requests an overall increase in funding for the ESC to better address the challenges arising from the Russian war against Ukraine; recalls the administrative and eligibility hurdles experienced by youth organisations active in the response to the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate country status; emphasises that this decision entails a long-term financial and budgetary commitment to support~~ing~~ the reconstruction and recovery as well as the necessary reforms specific to each country, as has been the case with other candidate countries, ~~as well as to reconstruction and recovery;~~

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate country status; emphasises that this decision entails a long-term financial and budgetary commitment to supporting the necessary reforms specific to each country, as has been the case with other candidate countries, as well as to reconstruction and recovery; insists on policy cohesion across the two goals;

Amendment 67 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Welcom~~Notes the decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate country status; emphasises that this decision entails a considerable, long-term financial and budgetary commitment to supporting the necessary reforms specific to each country, as has been the case with other candidate countries~~, as well as to reconstruction and recovery~~;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate country status and a membership perspective to Georgia; emphasises that this decision entails a long-term financial and budgetary commitment to supporting the necessary reforms specific to each country, as has been the case with other candidate countries~~, as well as to reconstruction and recovery~~;

Amendment 69 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Considers that the EU budget should play a role in the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine once the war is over, along with contributions by Member States and other international partners and Russian war reparations;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 d (new)

— having regard to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 71 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that ~~essential~~the explosion of new policy initiatives ~~put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives~~ignores budgetary principles such as efficiency and of budgetary equilibrium; reminds that according to the Article 17 of the Financial regulation "the Union and the Union bodies referred to in Articles 70 and 71 shall not raise loans within the framework of the budget";

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that essential new policy initiatives put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives that actually pay for the collateral damages of the recent crises; considers that recurrent redeployments are not a viable way to finance Union’s priorities;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that ~~essential~~the Commission has changed the MFF with new policy initiatives that have been put forward since the adoption of the current MFF ~~have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objective~~, by taking money away from the agreed programmes through redeployments;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points out that essential new policy initiatives put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives and clearly deviate from the agreement reached by the two arms of the Budgetary Authority;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Points out~~Regrets that essential new policy initiatives put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives at their expense;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Points out that essential~~Regrets that new policy initiatives put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Underlines that climate and biodiversity spending remain long-term political priorities and calls to achieve at least 30% expenditure related to climate and at least 10% related to biodiversity as soon as possible; believes, furthermore, that in order to ensure policy coherence, in general public spending should be based on the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle, within the meaning of Article 17 of the Taxonomy Regulation;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; notes that the Flexibility Instrument was mobilised for Heading 6 spending in 2022 and points to the proposal that it be mobilised for spending under both Headings 6 and 7 in 2023; points out that, under the defence proposal of July 202218 , further appropriations are to be mobilised via special instruments in 2023 and 2024; underlines the need for more flexibility in EU budgeting, in coordination with the European Parliament, in order to ensure the adaptation of the MFF to any new challenges important for EU citizens; _________________ 18 Proposal of 19 July 2022 for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (COM(2022)0349).

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; notes that the Flexibility Instrument was mobilised for Heading 6 spending in 2022 and points to the proposal that it be mobilised ~~for spending under both Headings 6 and 7~~under the same heading again in 2023; points out that, under the defence proposal of July 202218 , further appropriations are to be mobilised via special instruments in 2023 and 2024; _________________ 18 Proposal of 19 July 2022 for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (COM(2022)0349).

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 e (new)

— having regard to the special report 22/2021 of the European Court of Auditors 'Sustainable finance: more consistent EU action needed to redirect finance towards sustainable investment', 2021,

Amendment 80 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; notes that the Flexibility Instrument was mobilised for Heading 6 (Neighbourhood and the World) spending in 2022 and points to the proposal that it be mobilised for spending under ~~both~~ Headings 6 ~~and 7~~ in 2023; points out that, under the defence proposal of July 202218 , further appropriations are to be mobilised via special instruments in 2023 and 2024; _________________ 18 Proposal of 19 July 2022 for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (COM(2022)0349).

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; notes that the Flexibility Instrument was mobilised for Heading 6 spending in 2022 and points to the ~~proposal that it be~~Commission’s proposal in the Amending Letter 1/2023 that it will be significantly mobilised for spending under ~~both~~ Headings 62b, 5 and 76 in 2023; points out that, under the defence proposal of July 202218 , further appropriations are to be mobilised via special instruments ~~in 2023 and~~also in 2024; _________________ 18 Proposal of 19 July 2022 for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (COM(2022)0349).

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Highlights that the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) was almost exhausted in 2021 and is projected to be fully exhausted in 2022 after having provided a combination of humanitarian aid and support to Member States for tackling natural and man-made disasters; points out that the extension of the scope of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to include public health emergencies, coupled with the increased scale and frequency of natural disasters, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the resulting arrival of large numbers of refugees in the EU, has placed the SEAR under extreme strain; expects, further, that the dramatic consequences of the unprecedented wildfires in the summer of 2022 that follow on to the major floods and wildfires from the summer of 2021 will require significant financial support, including from the SEAR;

Amendment 83 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Highlights that the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) was almost exhausted in 2021 and is projected to be fully ~~exha~~usted in 2022 after having provided a combination of humanitarian aid and support to Member States for tackling natural and man-made disasters; points out that the extension of the scope of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to include public health emergencies, coupled with the increased scale and frequency of natural disasters, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the resulting arrival of large numbers of refugees in the EU, has placed the SEAR under extreme strain; expects, further, that the dramatic consequences of the unprecedented wildfires in the summer of 2022 will require significant financial support, including from the SEAR;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. EPoints out that the economic and political context was different when the current MFF was negotiated; emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; recalls that the current high inflation puts a great pressure on the ceilings in the MFF leaving very limited margins available to tackle the biggest challenges and long-term EU goals; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond swiftly to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU-wide solutions;

Amendment 86 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Emphasises~~, therefore,~~ that the ~~2021-2027~~current MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption~~, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022~~; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to ~~a multitude of crises of this scale~~the consequences of the war in Ukraine and other crises , nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU- wide solutions; highlights further the strategic importance of an upscaled MFF, which would allow the Union to respond to the current and future needs in an adequate manner reflecting its position in the international arena;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU-wide solutions; is very concerned, in this regard, about the ability from the European Union to respond to any future unknown crises that might happen by 2027;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF ihas already be~~ing~~en pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requi~~site~~red EU-wide solutions;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 f (new)

— having regard to the special report 09/2022 of the European Court of Auditors 'Climate spending in the 2014- 2020 EU budget: not as high as reported', May 2022,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries; calls, in this very specific context, for a temporary revision of the deflator to reflect the significant derivation of the inflation compared to the 2%-deflator hypothesis;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’'s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries and the Union's capacity to deliver on its political objectives;

Amendment 92 #

Niclas HERBST

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses ~~and consumers~~, consumers and the efficiency and effectiveness of EU administration; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries;

Amendment 93 #

Valérie HAYER, Fabienne KELLER, Martin HOJSÍK, Olivier CHASTEL, Vlad GHEORGHE, Eva-Maria Alexandrova POPTCHEVA, Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Charles GOERENS, Moritz KÖRNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply coupled with aggressive monetary policies of the ECB have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs in terms of share of the EU GDP; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on ~~citizens~~people, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting ~~beneficiarie~~the implementation of our shared policy goals;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on all citizens, and businesses ~~and consumers~~; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation ~~are~~ plac~~ing~~e the MFF under severe strain and reduc~~ing~~e its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries;

Amendment 97 #